Diet...AGH!

Ok, Olivia is 10 months old now. There is only so long I can blame the extra weight I am carrying around on "the baby". I wish I was one of those people that was just naturally skinny, but I am not. Instead, I am one of those people that love mexican food and could eat it for just about every meal. I try to eat it for just about every meal. However, mexican food and losing weight don't mix. Not with my body anyway. So, I am going to diet. For real. I will be grouchy and hungry and in desprate need of mexican food, but I am determined to lose a signifigant amount of weight. I will blog about my journey in hopes that my frustration, along with my happiness of seeing the pounds shed, will inspire others to either do the same, or encourage me along the way!

Life of a teacher

I have only one more day of "freedom".
I love my job. I feel blessed to be a teacher and to have an impact on children daily, but I would do just about anything to not have to go back to work on Friday. I have enjoyed every single minute of my summer. By every single minute, I mean the happy minutes and the pull-out-my-hair, losing my mind minutes, too. There is absolutely nothing better than spending time with my babies and my husband.
So, that being said, I am going to sit and do nothing but soak up every last second I have of my "freedom" before I put on my teacher hat for yet another school year.

Houston

Craig and I took Olivia to Houston for a much needed break. It was one of the best times we have spent together, ever.
The drive down to Houston was actually quite nice. We left early enough for Olivia to go back to sleep, and she slept a little over half the drive. We laughed at all of the Buc-ees billboards with quotes like, "Eat here - Get Gas" and "My overbite is cute". On out way home from Houston we couldn't resist the temptation to stop at this acclaimed rest stop. We would've been crazy to be that close to a bathroom that has made itself into the Restroom Hall of Fame and not stop! Olivia fell in love with a stuffed Buc-ee, so she is now a proud owner of her very own beaver snuggle! Everything in that place had the Buc-ees name on it...drinks, candied jalapenos, gummy worms (which Craig enjoyed), etc. It was marketing genius in that place!
The first night in Houston, we were able to see Craig's brother, Tyler. He came in for the Man U soccer game. It was nice getting to spend some time with him. We walked around the mall in Baytown and saw stores with names like, TT Jewelry. I'm sure they had nice jewelry in there, but I'm not sure I'd be thrilled if Craig came home with a necklace for me from a place with the word TT in it!
Thursday morning Craig's dad surprised us with tickets to NASA. I was super excited! I have always wanted to go to NASA and could hardly wait to get there! The theme at NASA right now is STAR WARS, too! You can't get much better than that in the Stevens' household!
We loved every single minute at NASA! It was so amazing seeing all of the shuttles in person. We went on a tour of where the astronauts actually train, and we were able to see the Saturn V and an actual Apollo capsule! I was in awe of how huge the rockets were and at how small the Apollo was. Pictures do neither justice.
The only side-note I have about NASA is that it was full of Middle Eastern tourists. Not a problem, EXCEPT, they kept touching Olivia! I am not exaggerating, she must have been touched 20 times. They would rub her face, her hands, her hair, commenting on how pretty she is. The woman sitting on the row in front of us on the tram literally turned around in the middle of the tour and started stroking her cheek. They were all polite (despite the fact they kept touching my daughter without asking).
Friday we went to the beach. We knew we were going to the beach. We talked about going to the beach when we were at home, but did we "plan" for the beach? Um...no. No chairs, towels, or even swimsuits for us! So, the beach was not a day long excursion, but it was fun, none the less. We looked for shells and walked along the shore, feeling the sand and water on our feet. Olivia did not like the feel of the sand or the water on her feet! She did like the sea gulls, however. She kicked her feet and squeeled whenever she saw them!
Friday night we had dinner at Craig's cousin, Nicole's, house. His Aunt Carol was there with all of her children and their children. It was a gathering that has needed to take place for quite some time. Craig soaked up every minute he spent with everyone there. I loved meeting people I had heard about, people that I know played a huge part of his childhood.
We can not wait to go back to Houston. The time we spent with Craig's dad and the rest of his family was special and memorable. And, of course, another trip to Buc-ees is always needed!