Texas: The Overview

Well, we're back from a crazy fun trip to Texas! Tara got married last Saturday, the 29th, in the San Antonio Temple, so all my siblings and their families were there. That's sometimes a kinda hard thing to arrange, so it was awesome to all be together at the same time!

A bit crowded and chaotic, though, since all 5 of us kids, plus 3 husbands, and 10 grandchildren (ages 8 and under) were calling my parents' house home. Until Tara got married. She and Marcus decided not to stay at the house for some reason (strange, huh?), so her bedroom was up for grabs, which my brother was all over since he had been sleeping kinda out in the open where one cannot avoid the wake-up hour of 7-ish that is programmed into little children.

We went to the zoo (in a way we were kinda already at one, haha) and

the park and played a LOT. Nuala and Bran loved being around all their cousins. They were hugged and picked up and entertained and bossed and pushed. Especially by cousin Brigit, who will be 2 in February. She's used to headlocking Liam (almost 4) and wrestling him. Sometimes when she would hug the twins, it would morph into the headlock -- a very impressive headlock, I will add -- and they just weren't quite into that. She was so cute loving them, though.

We had some gooood Tex-Mex food...oh yumm...I'm reliving it, hold on....okay. We were so desperate for spicy food! That is something we definitely miss being here in Uruguay, no spicy!! I'm talking both types, spicy-hot and spicy-flavorful, so it was verrrry nice to indulge a bit.

We were only going to stay from the Dec 25-Dec 31, because we used frequent-flier miles for two tickets and there weren't any of those tix available later, etc., etc., but we checked again while we were there and more spots had opened up! Yay!!! So for not very much $$ we extended our trip 3 days. This worked out perfectly because then we actually got to relax a little after the wedding AND (oh, this is funny...) we got sick. Hahahahaha!!!

Poor Brigit was puking Friday night and we all hoped it was from overeating earlier that day. Apparently it wasn't, because by Saturday evening, not 10 minutes into Tara's reception, Nuala threw up all over me. I didn't know her stomach could hold so much. So we had to head home (just down the street) to change. I'm getting her into my mom's van to go back to the house and BLEHHH, more puke. We get home, and BLEHHHH again! More puke, all in my lap. My brother helped us clean up, then we changed outfits and headed back to the church. I know, I know, what kind of mom takes her sick baby BACK? But it was my sister's reception! We didn't get too close to people, and besides, it's sick-season there, they'll likely just catch it from someone else eventually. We didn't stay long at all though, because poor Nuala was practically passing out in my arms. I was disappointed, because I really wanted to see all the home ward people, especially those who didn't live there anymore and were just back for Christmas. And the food looked so yummy. But sick babies are just too sad, poor little thing.

Anyway, then my dad and I were sick, and my BIL, and Bran, and my mom...It was such a sharing time. Here's two pictures of my mom with Nuala and Bran. I had to post both because she looks weird in the first one, but the babies are looking at the camera (shock!), and in the second she looks normal but the rascals are trying to escape. Why can't everyone cooperate?

It was a good thing we didn't fly back Monday night, because that is the very night that Bran had diarrhea almost constantly and we had to change his outfit twice, and Nuala threw up again randomly. That would have been extremely not fun on the 23-hour trip home. This is their first time to be sick, they've had little runny noses/slight colds before, but never tummy problems, etc. We stayed till Thursday, and made it back to Montevideo exactly 23-1/2 hours after getting to the airport in San Antonio. The kiddos did great until the last 1/2 hour, then they kinda lost it. I can't blame them...it's good to be back, but we had such a great time!!! And, this should surprise no one that knows my mother, but despite only being able to really use one hand, she was still about 10x more productive than anyone else at home. Maybe just 9x, but wow.

**And, today is cousin Rowan's 1st Birthday! Happy Birthday, Rowan! :) **