Trip to Texas

After a fun filled week in Arizona, it was off to Texas for us.  To save a lot of car time for the kids, Dawson, Gracie and I flew from Phoenix to Dallas.  The flight was uneventful and the kids did terrific. Dawson was an absolute angel for me.  I was a bit nervous for Gracie because she wants to run around and explore, but I managed to keep her occupied.
    Joey and Ashlyn drove down to Dallas and left that Thursday.  They stopped overnight in Amarillo, and Joey said they had a great time in the car.  They spent Friday night and Saturday in Dallas.  Aunt Jane was in Dallas for a conference, so they got to spend some time with her.  On Friday night, they went to a Mavericks game.  On Saturday, they went to the JFK museum.  Joey said it was wonderful, but it went a little over Ashlyn's head.  I want to go check it out some day.
   After a slight mix up with airports, (Joey thought I was flying into a different airport and he almost was there in time to pick us up.  They made it just in time which I am still amazed by because the two airports are no where near one another!)  we drove down to Tyler to Adam and Jane's house.

Road trip

They had to stop at In and Out.  My mouth is watering looking at those fries. 

At the Mavericks game

Outside of the JFK museum

I believe this is the window he was shot from

On the grassy knoll

The outside

Time for pizza with Aunt Jane

      Jane is an athletic trainer at the high school right by their house.  On Sunday night, we went over there and had some fun playing basketball in the gym . It was neat having the entire gym to our selves.  The kids had a great time bouncing the balls around.  Joey and Adam had a great time shooting hoops for the first time in a very long time. 

Ash loves basketball

Gracie playing with a ball

Dribbling practice

Dawson shooting

Joey shooting

The boys acting like real Texans and enjoying some root beer.  Dawson really liked playing in the back of Uncle Adam's truck. 

  On Monday, we went to the Tyler zoo.  We went to this zoo with Ashlyn when she was young.  Its a nice zoo and they have completely different animals then our zoo.  It was neat seeing some different animals.  Gracie really enjoyed them.

Petting some goats

They had a neat play area with a tractor and a truck. 

Dawson loved this truck!

Maybe he will be a farmer one day. 

Sand fun

Such a goof ball

An anteater

Checking out the rhino

Ashlyn loved the zoo map and navigating for us

Ashlyn just finished a unit on penguins and loved seeing some. 

Time for a snack

Uncle Adam

Uncle Adam and Aunt Jane

I was so excited to see white tigers.  I love white tigers.  This guy was very active and we spent a lot of time watching him. 

Such a beautiful creature

They even had bald eagles!

Daddy and his baby

Time for more root beer

   On Tuesday, it was a little cooler and rainy that day.  We went to a museum that had lots of stuffed animals.  It was neat seeing all the different ones.  It also had a grocery store made to look like a real 1920s store.  Outside of the museum was an awesome park with so much to do.  There was even a real fire truck to climb on.  The kids loved it so well that we went back the next day.  

A polar bear!

The fire truck

Merry go rounds are rare finds these days.  The kids really liked it. 

Gracie loved going down this slide with her sister

  There was neat little museum that Ashlyn and I went to one day.  It was an old home built in the 1800s.  When the woman who lived there died in the 1930s, she left the house and all the belongings for a museum.  Ashlyn and I enjoyed getting a glimpse of what life looked like long ago. 

    The food in Texas is incredible.  We did a lot of eating!!!  There is a BBQ place down there named Stanley's.  It is Adam and Jane's favorite.  It has been named top 50 for BBQ in the world.  Every time we go we eat there.  This time we enjoyed it so well, we ate there 4 times!  We discovered they also have a great breakfast. 

     We spent the last day there exploring Tyler and more time at the park. 

This was his favorite slide. 

Sisterly love

Group picture with Aunt Jane and Uncle Adam.  Ashlyn had such an amazing time with them.  She absolutely did not want to leave them.  She told them she would stay a month at their house.  She was telling me tonight how much she missed them.