2014 off to a fun and sunny start... Winter stay away!!

I am NO fan of winter at all! Cold weather and I are NOT friends. Guess that's why I live in the South and will stay there! But even here in the South, we have had some COLD weather, so we have really enjoyed the last 2 weekends with weather in the 70's and sunny. We have been soaking it all up and took our first road trips of 2014!!

Two weekends ago, we spent Saturday going through trails at the Houston Arboretum, going out to a nice lunch, and of course jumping on the trampoline. Sunday we took the kids up to Texas A&M, Katherine's idea. I am so thrilled that Katherine takes such a big interest in college, she thinks it is really cool to walk the campus. I hope this enthusiasm continues for the next 10 years!!

The kids with a big stuffed Reveille (the A&M Mascot)

Katherine's new friend, an A&M sock monkey

This weekend we took advantage of a 3 day weekend and went to Austin with my brother and his family. Saturday started off with a beautiful hike that went up 500 ft elevation gain up a hillside. It was a beautiful view up top. I was so impressed with the kids hiking it up with no help, especially Colin.. that hike would NOT have been possible for him 6 months ago! He did it all by himself with plenty of energy left over!

Colin was so happy to make it up ALL by himself! 

Brownies can do ANYTHING!

Matt was excited too.. he is a trooper.. he did all this while recovering from  strep throat!

After the hike, we went back to the house and played in the water in the creek bed. Austin has been going through a horrible drought, so it was nice that there was water even if it wasn't a lot. But it was enough for the kids to have fun and float down a small rapid in an inflatable boat.  

Sunday we got up and drove to Gruene (another one of Katherine's ideas) to eat by the river, shop, do a little wine tasting, and stock up on some wine. It was a gorgeous day.. sunny and 75 degrees. There was lots of people walking around the historic downtown and enjoying the springtime weather... winter can just stay away in my book! We have too much fun when it is NOT cold.

Special Christmas Memories and Goodbye 2013.. Hello 2014!

Well we are back to our normally regular scheduled program.. Christmas break is over, everyone is back to school and work. I took off with the kids for just about 2 weeks, Matt was able to take off a few days here and there, but not as much as we wished he would have been able to. 

For being off 2 weeks, it really went by fast! Leading up to Christmas was pretty busy! My parents stayed with us for a week, the kids loved it as now they are travelling for a couple months and we won't be able to see them. 

We have some family traditions I LOVE for Christmas. We did our 3rd Annual Christmas cookies to Texas Children's Hospital. We made over 100 Christmas cookies and delivered to them to the heart floor patients, their families, and nurses where we spent over 30 days this summer. We also made our annual gingerbread house. Our elf was up to some crazy stunts this year including giving Katherine and Colin their very own white Christmas with  snowballs for some snowball fights.. well actually about 500 cotton balls. The kids had a blast! I LOVE making all these fun and special memories with my family! 

Christmas Eve Day, my parents took the kids on a little outing so we could hurry up and put together their big present.. their trampoline.... which they LOVE and have lived on since they got it. We had a lovely Christmas Eve at Matt's parent's house and a great Christmas day at our house with my family.

Besides all the Christmas stuff.. we had fun over the break going to the Natural Science museum, the zoo, Chuck-E-Cheese, the Houston Boat show, Brazos Bend State park for picnic and hike, and of course staying home and playing with all of our new toys!

We had a nice quite New Years at home. We got some small fireworks for the kids, party hats, and sparkling grape juice. We had fun ringing in the new year with the kids and an awesome Aggie win at the Chick-Fil-A bowl. The kids tried so hard to make it to midnight to watch the ball drop, they made it to 11:15pm. Katherine was so upset the next day that she didn't make it, so we you tubed it so she could count down with it.

Ready to see what 2014 brings... 2013 was a very emotional draining year.. it was one of the hardest years we had to face.. but it wasn't all bad.. we had some fun times too...11 road trips, 1 open heart surgery, 10 yr wedding anniversary, 30 plus days in the hospital, lots of laughter and tears, sunny beach days, tubing, good friends, supportive family, sleepless nights, cuddles and kisses, amazing nurses, water slides, Girl Scouts, tubing down the river, fishing, and so much more! Whew what a year! 

I used the Flipagram app to make a year in review video! Watch and enjoy seeing what 2013 was like for the Eyring family!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10153658337130032&l=7983020400407575078