Traveling With Cousins

We love to travel with extra people. It just makes everything exponentially more fun. So, the day before we were leaving on this last trip (which we just returned from Thursday afternoon), Elizabeth asked if we could invite the cousins. I handed her the phone and she called my sister whose family lives about 5 1/2 hours away. She explained to them our plan. Our plan involved the following:   


-drive the 4 or 5 hours to Bandera, Texas 
-spend one night in a little cabin by the river (what's left of it during this  
 drought)
-move into a big ranch house we had rented the next day
-drive into San Antonio for two days at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, while Kregg  
 attended CPE classes for his CPA license (which was actually the whole reason  
 behind the trip)
-drive to a little neighboring town to eat apple ice cream
-do a little fishing
-ride bikes
-swim
-go out to eat so we don't have to figure out the cooking of meals
-play games
-and whatever else struck us at the moment


Elizabeth went through a great sales pitch. Then my practical sister (mother of 6) asked that all important question: "When are you leaving?"


Elizabeth said, "Tomorrow." And we all burst out laughing. After all, it doesn't hurt to ask, right?


To our great surprise, they talked it over and said, "We're in!" 


Don't you love spontaneous people? 


Unfortunately, Mackenzy couldn't go with us. Again!! Starbucks can't seem to get along without her these days. So we, unhappily, left her to mind the fort.


Caleb had driven to San Antonio on Friday afternoon to hang out with a good friend of his. Then he met us back in Bandera on Sunday evening. Later that night, the cousins arrived. And there was great rejoicing!

They spent a little time fishing in what's left of the Medina River at the dam in town. 

We visited the Cowboy Store where I bought this tiny little cowboy hat for Samuel.

Then we headed to Media to the Apple Store for apple ice cream. Delicious!!
Especially in the triple digit heat. :)

Cousin Rachael loves her big Cousin Caleb

The next two days, we spent at Six Flags, Fiesta Texas. It was a blur of roller coasters, and standing in line, and an enormous water park, and sweat dripping off various projections on my body (like my nose). 


We had SO MUCH FUN!!

Uncle Scott pretending to have passed out from exhaustion.  I think he's pretending.

After closing the park down on the second day, we headed to a late dinner outside the park, inside an air-conditioned restaurant! 

Kregg & Rebekah chose milkshakes for dinner, trying to cool their inner core

Poor little Rachael lasted as long as she could, but that comfy bench was just too inviting. 


We finally arrived home Thursday and got everything unloaded and unpacked and I've almost finished the laundry. But it hit me just how tired I was yesterday, when I saw my neighbor at the gas station. He was asking what we'd been up to and I told him we had been out of town. "Where'd you go?" he asked.


And I stood there with a blank look on my face!


I literally, for what seemed a lot longer than it actually was, could not remember which trip we had just finished. They all kind of swirled around in my head, but I could NOT pin down which one was the most recent! Can you say "road weary?" After standing there with my mouth gaping open and a horrified look on my face, I was finally able to answer him.


At least I think we just got back from the Texas Hill Country . . .


Maybe I should look at the date on these pictures.