Spring Break Catch up: Mutton Bustin, Beach trip, and kid's first Aggie Baseball game

Okay long over due, but here is a catch up from our Spring Break. The kids were with my parents the first half of the week, they went to a farm and picked strawberries, they got to play at some parks, have a sleepover with their cousin, and of course just had so much fun!

Thursday, Matt and I took off work and the kids chose to go back to the rodeo, which it was the last few days, so we thought it was a great idea, we only get to enjoy it once a year. To my, and most people's surprise, Katherine signed up to do Mutton Bustin. That is where you ride a sheep until it bucks you off. I explained before hand how it was, but she was brave and wanted to try it. She held on pretty good, but got bucked off and ended up with a good size bruise on her leg. BUT WE ARE SO PROUD OF HER for even wanting to try it!!

And of course going back to the rodeo meant more of the petting zoo carnival games and rides. We stayed all day again there, we had so much fun. Can't wait until next year.

Friday Matt had to work, so the kids and I went down to the beach. The water was too cold to get into, but we had a great day just playing in the sand and enjoying the sunshine and the sound of the ocean.

 

Saturday we took a nice family day trip to Texas A&M for the kids to watch their first A&M Baseball game and they LOVED IT!! We got into town and had a nice lunch on the patio of one of our favorite burger places. Then we walked around campus. Katherine had so many questions, I loved how much she wanted to learn about college, A&M, where mommy and daddy lived and fell in love. She is a future Aggie in training. The kids loved the game, we bought tickets for lawn seats since there is a playground right by outfield where the kids loved playing and watching the game at the same time. And they both made friends with other kids there. And of course we had sno-cones and ice cream :) Colin said he wants to go see another game because those were the BEST sno-cones. The kids were sad when the game was over and it was time to leave Aggieland.

Katherine and Colin at the Dixie Chicken, mom and dad stopped by for a pre-game drink

What a beautiful day to enjoy a baseball game with the family

The view from the playground

Katherine and I enjoying a sno-cone durning the game

We have ourselves an Aggie baseball fan

Matt enjoying the beer garden before the game

Katherine in Bottle Cap alley, where Mommy and Daddy had their first kiss, classy I know

Cardilogy Update (Last one before surgery), Houston Rodeo, and family fun day at the Brewery.. yes I said Brewery

Cardiology Update

Colin had his 6 month cardiology check up last week, the last one before his surgery this summer. His echo, EKG, oxygen levels, weight all looked great, so his cardiologist is happy to wait until summer for his Fontan. I have a call into the surgical team to see about scheduling it. Colin was apprehensive about each test, but after some crying and bribing, he did an excellent job letting them take a look at his heart. He still has about one more pound to go, darn tummy bug the week before set us back some. Afterwards he got to pick out a toy from the hospital gift shop for being such a good boy! So I guess I will stop living in denial and face that we are indeed just a few months out from open heart surgery.. (Yes, I want to throw up)!!!

Houston Livestock and Rodeo Time

A few Fridays ago I got the pleasure of chaperoning Katherine's first grade field trip to the Houston Rodeo. The kids had a blast and were well behaved but I needed some wine after that. This past Friday, Matt and I took off work and let the kids miss school and we had a family FUN day at the rodeo!! Matt's parents met us up there to enjoy the day with us.

All of us had a blast seeing the animals, riding the carnival rides, shopping, and of course eating carnival food (like funnel cakes, sausage on a stick, and a fried snickers). The crowds were almost non-existent at the carnival, so the kids got to ride all the kiddie rides (not the big person carnival) over and over and over AND over again!! We were having so much fun, all of a sudden we realized we had been there EIGHT hours and it was time to head back home.

On our way to the rodeo, Colin just wanted to get in the car and not take pictures

Having fun with pony rides and the petting zoo!

We spent a good amount of time at the rides, the kids LOVED THEM!! What great daddy Matt is for getting into a ride he is way TOO TALL for!

Katherine's favorite, it makes you fly like Superman, yes, she made me ride it, in a dress!

This is how I roll at the carnival, holding the prizes, Colin's hat, and of course a frosty adult beverage!

 

Love this picture! Colin and Matt leaving the rodeo.

Whole family at the end of the day, yeah we survived!! And we have a bag full of goodies to take home

No Label Brewery 

Saturday we went with my brother and sister-in-law and some friends to a local brewery that has a family friendly event on Saturdays. It was a beer tasting with live music and food. We brought our lawn chairs and hung out and played frisbee, danced, and the adults enjoyed in some beer.

$5,000 for CHD's, Valentines, and a romantic night away

The Eyrings.. very proud of our team!!!

We had the annual It's My Heart Walk on February 9. Team Colin raised $5,222 for Congenital Heart Defect awareness!! We had beautiful weather and amazing team of about 30 family, friends, and co-workers show up and walk with us. Team Colin was awarded a trophy for being one of the top fundraisers (we were #2!!). Colin and Katherine loved going on stage to accept the award. Colin was fascinated with his trophy the whole weekend

Colin LOVED his trophy for being one of the top fundraisers, he was so proud

Everyone enjoyed the family funfest after the walk with lots of moonwalks, games, bands (Colin was jamming to the Alternative band), and break-dancers (which all the kids loved watching). It was nice to see & meet some of our fellow heart families. We got to spend some time with Elle, who was Colin's roommate in the NICU when he was first transferred to Texas Children's at 3 days old. Colin and Elle had their 1^st AND second surgeries overlapped in the hospital; it is so nice to have friends while staying there!

Colin and his best friend Liam with Mickey Mouse after the walk

Thank you all who donated/walked with us, especially to those friends who traveled far to make the event, we really appreciate the support system we have.

Part of team Colin, we had about 30 walkers.. we are bringing up to tail with all the wagons

Colin and Elle, they were roommates in the NICU when they were just a few days old. Love to see these two together and healthy. Even though Elle did not want a picture with Colin

Last week Katherine had her 101^st day of school (which was a Dalmatian theme), we baked cookies for the Valentine's Day parties, and of course got lots of goodies for Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day is also Congenital Heart Awareness Day, Colin was a movie star this year and he was featured in a wonderful video on heart defects. He comes in at 1:07 on the video.

 Colin's video - click link to watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPVXFyiE2v0

wearing red for heart awareness

Katherine's Dalmation outfit for the 101st day of school 

Happy Valentines Day.. my helpers baked almost 100 cookies

I got beautiful roses from Matt AND these yummy chocolate dipped strawberries

Friday night the kids went to spend the night with Matt's parents, so we did a one night little romantic getaway to Galveston. We got a hotel room on the seawall for the night and went out to Happy Hour and some more drinks after that. We ended up having drinks at the Hotel Galvez where we got married almost 10 years ago. In the morning we got up and went down to the beach to watch the sunrise then went out to a nice breakfast. Then off to home to clean and wait for the kids to come back. I love that after almost 10 years of marriage, Matt is still my best friend and it is so much fun to hang out together.

The hotel where Matt and I got married

Snow Sledding..In Texas.. In 80 degrees.. and a surgery update

 

Snow!! The kids have been dying to play in snow, well this weekend they got their chance, well sort of. Our town had its Annual Winterfest, we have not been able to go in years past due to other commitments, so this was our first year. AND IT WAS A BLAST!! Of course it wasn't real snow since it was sunny and 80 degrees, but the kids had fun regardless.

We got there a little early in anticipation of the crowds (about 30 minutes before the gates opened). The lady working said they will start selling tickets in a little awhile, they it was just open for special needs families right now. I asked her what constituted as a special needs family and told her about Colin. So we got to go in AND it was free for special needs families. Big kudos to the City of Pearland for that. So we got to do a lot before the real crowds started coming in about 2 hrs later.

I had no idea how big of an event it was with so much to do, and we pretty much did IT ALL! They had 2 snow hills to sled down (Katherine was big enough for the big one, Colin was happy to be on the smaller one). Colin LOVED it, he must have gone down that hill about 15 times! They also had an arena for snowball fights.. this was a lot of fun for all 4 of us.

There was pony rides, petting zoo, carnival rides, carnival games, about 40 different types of moonwalks, live entertainment, and yummy food vendors (just had to get some funnel cake). The only things you had to pay for once you got in were the carnival games and the food, all the rest was included. We stayed for about 5 hours playing and when it was time to leave, the kids weren't ready just yet. I even got a little sunburn at the Winterfest.

It will definitely be on our calendars to do next year. Colin has talked non-stopped about the snow hill and snow ball fights. Katherine loved the carnival rides the most.

Just an update on Colin's surgery.. Tuesday we got a call from Texas Children's Hospital about looking at dates for his surgery. They had in their notes for Spring/Summer and they are in the process of scheduling for Spring. I told her we want to do July and she said she would call back after Colin's cardiology check up on March 5 and we will discuss how the appointment went and talk about dates then. JUST WANT TO THROW UP!! I know he needs it, I trust in God and our team of doctors, I know he will do so much better, I know we are strong and have great support and I am THANKFUL for all that.. But bottom line.. my 4 yr old (he will be 4 by the time of his surgery) has to yet again have his little heart worked on.. if they need to fix the valve (which they are not sure about yet), they will have to actually STOP his heart from beating. My sweet boy, my little stinker of a silly boy, my outdoors little surfer man. So we are going to LIVE it up this Spring, so what the blog for all the fun trips and activities before we are put on surgery lock down!