Since we have been in Houston, I have been blessed to have made some great friends in a short time! My friend Lauryan and Anna threw me the cutest baby shower. It turned out to be a absolute beautiful day outside, and I loved spending it with all the beautiful ladies who where able to make it to the shower.
They did such a great job with decorating, the theme of the party was Kate Spayed. I think they did a great job, its also how I would like to decorate our nursery one day! My friend Lauryan is such a good baker, and made the most delirious cream cheese filled cupcakes, YUMMMMMM. they were a hit for sure.
Along with the cupcakes we had yummy blueberry strudel muffins, a yogurt parfait bar home made quiche that was amazing thanks to my Anna husband Travis!!!! It was all so cute and clever, and very yummy.By the end of brunch I was so full, but just wanted more. ( good thing there was some left over to take home :) )
It was all so well put together and so cute! I could not have asked for a better/ cuter shower. Jonny was even able to come and hung out with the other husbands. We played some cute games to drawing babies without looking, to guessing how big my belly really is! ( Jonny wasn't even close on that game, he was way too small.... maybe he was just trying to make me feel better:) who knows )
I got so many adorable outfits that I can not wait to put our little girl in.. She will be in style, and the cutest baby girl around! I am so thankful to have made such good friends here in Houston who care enough to throw Jonny and I a shower and show us such support. I think she has enough tutus and bows to last her for a year ;).
When we were in North Carolina during the summer, all my wonderful sisters, sister-in-laws and mother put together a little surprise for me. We had just moved back to Houston, Texas and was still getting to know the ladies in the area, and trying to make some friends. I take pride that I am hard to surprise, but they pulled it off. I had baby sat my sisters boys that morning going on all kinds of adventures. That night was suppose to be girls night and guys night, I kept asking what we were doing and no one would give me an answer. I just assumed we were doing some kind of craft or something. Before we headed to girls night, my sisters, mom and I were able to go out to a nice dinner, it was a little fishy, because they seemed VERY RUSHED. We walked into the restaurant I had not even looked at the menu and they were ordering!!! ( I think I ended up just getting the first thing I saw) I drove with my sister Vanessa while mom and Jessica drove separate, for some reason, Vanessa was taking me all over the neighborhood, like I didn't remember what it looked like !! stalling for sure, but i had no idea..... The thought of a surprise of some sort popped into my mind, but I thought to myself...( WHO would even come) and quickly dismissed it. Well was I SURE wrong!!!
This is the video of me walking into the room, being totally surprised by the love and support of all these wonderful woman in my life!! I didn't know what to say, It made me feel really special that my family had put this together, just for me and baby girl!
All the decorations were all so adorable, thanks to my two amazing sister in laws Shannon, and Kaytlin! I love anything nautical and they hit it on the head!!!! Also the food was fantastic to pink chocolate covered popcorn GOODNESS, to knotted rolls there where to die for, along with pink lemonade :). I was so surprised to have so many women show up to support us in our growing little family! I felt such love, and can not wait to share that love with our little baby girl. I am truly blessed with the best family, and friends, I could not ask for anything better!
With me being 32 weeks pregnant, we decided that if we are going to do a trip before this baby girl comes we better get to it! We had talked about going down to Corpus Christi, but we had not gone to San Antonio yet and we had to check it off of our list. Jonny had his three day weekend, so when he got home on Thursday night, we hoped in the car and drove to our new adventure. We thought the drive was going to be a lot longer than it was, its only 2.5 hrs away! ( Very doable) We found a great deal on a hotel right in the middle of downtown, San Antonio. I was a little surprised In my mind I thought the city would be more like Dallas, but it seemed to be nothing more than a little town. With one sky scrapper, the little Alamo right in the middle and the river walk with restaurants that's about it. ( An older town for sure)
Jonny had done his research and found an awesome place for brunch. We drove to an old hotel made into a restaurant, that was also an old and still running flour Mill. It was so beautiful, we had our brunch outside next to the river walk and breakfast was soooooo good. We got ourselves pumpkin pancakes, waffle, and delicious biscuits and gravy!! We had a lot of food, but it was all so fresh and the bread was just made. I'm so ready for the fall and all the fall spices and tastes.
The Alamo was right in the middle of downtown, thankfully when we went there was not as many people out. Since our hotel was only less than a mile away we decided to walk, with being 32 weeks pregnant it seemed to be an ok idea! ( latter, not so much) Jonny read an article saying that, not drinking enough water can cause early labor, so AT ALL times he was pushing water on me whenever he could! Needless to say it seemed like I was always looking for a bathroom.
The battle of the Alamo happened so long ago, that a lot of the history was lost. The building itself has been made into a many different things, from a missionary home to a old strip mall to even a storage unit, so it had changed quite a bit. With some original walls still up, its still a piece of history. Inside the gates there is a large court yard, that is filled of beautiful gardens and monuments. It seems like such a large space to defend when there are only 100 men to defend it. The picture below is Jonny standing next to one of the original wall, its only like 7-8 foot tall.... that does not seem very hard to get over! ( I mean all you need is a step stool, for goodness sacks)
While we were walking around and listening to our tour tape we rented we finally found out what the, "Come and Take It" flag. Long story short, the men in the Alamo, captured one of Santa Anna's cannons, before the battle men where sent to the Alamo to talk and get it back so they could use it against the Alamo. Well, the men said, "NO, you cant have it back. Now leave!" If they gave back the cannon they wouldn't really have anything to defend themselves from the Mexican army! So they taunted Santa Anna to, COME AND TAKE IT!!!! Well, that's pretty much what happened. The Mexican army attached during the night, and they recaptured the cannon and used it against the men inside their own gates. ( They should of just broke it, and then gave it back! oops)
Even though the battle was lost, the war was won! The loss sparked anger into people and eventually was the result of getting, Texas, Nevada, California, and Utah. Sad that so many lives had to be lost because of the loss of support, but in the long run I guess it all worked out fine. I suppose the saying, " REMEMBER THE ALAMO" worked!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After walking all day, what seemed to be ALOT... we decided to walk home. The outside of the Alamo is beautiful with all the carvings and stone work! We have wanted to see the Alamo for a while now. Well, now we have seen it and we will REMEMBER IT!
Some of our friends sugested taking a ghost tour with this company so we decided to give it a try. We had never gone on a ghost tour, but decided San Antonio would be a good place for it. Our tour guide was all dressed up in old time cloths with a lantern to light the way. Of course it was raining when the tour started, so good thing the lantern was battery powered :P. San Antonio is known for its haunted hotels, and old cathedrals.
At the start of the tour, he told us that he would tell us when and where ghosts are most caught on camera. He went on saying that every tour he gives there are a few that do end up having caught pictures of ghosts, spirits or whatever you want to call them. Jonny just laughed it off, and I was scared to take any pictures but was still curious if I could be that person. ( Now this next part is up to you, I do not know if its just plan creepy, real or a coincidence !) One of the first places we stopped was this beautiful old hotel called the Menger Hotel. It is the most haunted hotel in the city.... We did not go inside, but was outside looking in a window into a parlor. He then goes on to say that, this particular parlor is haunted by a woman. ( but don't worry she is nice) He then told us what she looked like, She is an African American Woman, wearing a black dress with a red shawl and a white apron. When I took the picture there was no one in the room, I just snapped a few pics of him while he was talking. Then we moved on...... Dun DUN DUN... Latter that night looking though my pictures, I did not see anything out of the ordinary, until I zoomed up. Look in the middle of the pic, behind the roped off section. inside the glass/ wooden thing.. I don't know about you, but I SEE A LADY STANDING THERE!!!!! ( GOOSEBUMPS........)
The tour was really long, by the time it was over I felt like I had just walked 10 miles!!!! ( and I REALLY had to use the bathroom) It was a lot of fun, but I don't think ghost tours is our thing. Needless to say, we both did not sleep very good that night.
OUR NEXT ADVENTURE SEA WORLD!!!!!!!
It was a beautiful day and we had lots of shows to see. We got there around 11.00 and spent the whole day going from show to show. Of course there was other things to do, but its not like I'm going on a roller coaster unless I want to go into labor!
They had everything from killer whales, dolphins, beluga whales to seals and otters in different shows, not counting the acrobats, stunt people and the trainers. I was very impressed with how well they have the animals trained. A few months ago I watched a documentary of sea world and how bad they treat their animals and how many trainers were killed by the whales and yada yada.... But even though the rules had changed and there was no one swimming with the killer whales It was still an amazing show!
In every show we saw we always sat in the splash zone, hoping that we would bet a little extra interaction. needless to say it seemed that every time we one splash zone didnt seem very splashy we would move, then next show that ZONE would get splashed.... But maybe it was a good thing because the people who got wet kinda smelt like fish after!!! So, the slash zone was not very splashy, but it was a lot of fun and we were so CLOSE to the action! All the shows were great, Below are just some short clips that I got, everything was going so fast I didn't know if I should take pictures of if or if I should take a video. Jonny's and I's, favorite shows where the ones involving the beluga whales. The trainers where actually in the water swimming with them, with acrobats diving from the rafters and swinging across the whole stage. NOT going to lie, if I saw this as a kid, I think I would want to do this as my dream job one day!!!! WHO WOULDN'T.... Yes, the killer whales where still very impressive and HUGE, but I'm not sure I would want to swim with one though.
The Alamo, ghost tour, river walk, and Sea World were all great! It was a successful trip, with LOTS of walking. I think I need a vacation from my vacation :P!!! I'm so happy and blessed to have such an amazing husband that loves me enough to go and see and do all the fun adventures around us. It would not be near as fun an wild adventures without him by my side!
Oh how I love the beach, Jonny likes it but he would rather be on a lake. I guess it just means that I have to work harder to make the beach a magical place :)!! This year we went to a place called Edisto Island off the coast of South Carolina. We try and make sure every year we go to the beach that we get a picture of us and the date. I just love sandy toes and salty kisses !!!!
The first day we got to the beach the waves were so big and were pounding hard... normally its a bit calmer. Jonny got in right away and I tried to follow, but the waves made Jonny a little nervous for me and baby girl. ( what a good husband watching out for me and baby already) So he got me all set up on the beach with a drink in my hand and under a umbrella. Yes, I wanted to jump into that water so bad but I just played in the shallows with the little kiddos and it was a great day! The next day my prayers were answered there were NO waves!!!!! I ran into that water so fast, and it felt sooooo good, warm but refreshing!!! Jonny and I grabbed some buggie boards and went relaxing in the water just floating along! It was a cloudy most of the trip, but good that the sun was not beating down on us and all the kids.
When it did rain a we would all head up to the pavilion for lunch and of course some beach volley ball! Everyone was playing except of course me ( the pregnant woman) Vanessa, Jessica, mom and Shannon, we were all busy watching all the kids. Jonny was doing awesome he was doing it all dip, dive, and spiking the whole game! Of course my brother Ethan had gotten 20 something stiches in his leg the day before and he was out there with everyone else ( I guess that's a Thomas for ya). I love watching Jonny enjoying himself and having fun with my family. They all love him so much and he fits in like a puzzle piece.
While everyone was playing Volley Ball I was enjoying my time with my beautiful sister Vanessa and Owen on the side lines. He usually is stand offish to most people but for some reason he really loves his Aunt Mariah. He would just walk over to be and sit there leaning against me and hug me while watching the game. All the while yelling BALL in my ear, I enjoyed every second of it and all his little squeezes when he got excited! I am totally fine not playing in the game, if I have a cutie to snuggle up with!
I just think we have the cutest Nephews and Niece EVER !!!! I just love holding them all and talking to the. Little Miss Ruby did awesome on the beach all day, she is so sweet! I get all kinds of questions and looks from those kid, it cracks me up. My favorite quote of the week was Mason. I had just woken up and didn't get much sleep that night, I came into the kitchen yawning.... Mason asked me," Aunt Mariah are you tired?" ....YES, Mason I am very tired. He then said, " WELL I should just toss you in the LAZZZZY RIVER then, wake up!!!"I laughed so hard, what a great thing to start my day off :)
We also went to the tip of the Island and fed the turtles and seagulls some stale cereal. The turtles seemed to like it, but the seagulls didn't care much for it. We went on our little adventure in the morning so we were able to see the dolphins feeding right off the bay! They were really close and were jumping totally out of the water !! It was really interesting to watch them heard the fish and work together as a unit, there must have been 25 or them!
Another fun thing we always do on Edisto Island is crab hunting. Each season offers different kinds of crabs, this time we caught hermit crabs, fiddler crabs and ghost crabs. My family has caught Carolina Blue crabs here and have cooked them up before.( good eaten) Its amazing to walk out, when the tide is low and you can see MILLIONS of fiddler crabs running to their holes. Between all the different kinds of crabs, gulls, dolphins, and washed up sea life its amazing how much wildlife you can come across just on a mornings walk on the bay.
I think Jonny leaves with a little more appreciation of the beach each time we go, I love walking on the beach and picking up the shells and seeing all the life around us. We are so blessed to have such a big, and fun family that enjoys getting together and makes the effort to make it happen. Plus NO Sharks were seen on this trip, thank goodness!!!
Its such a blessing to be able to go home and visit my family. This year everyone was able to make it to Charlotte, we all got together this year because everyone is going to their in-laws for Christmas or having their own family Christmas. We were so glad that we didn't have to drive 4 hrs to St. Louis any more and were able to drive up to the airport and take a direct flight!!! ( Such a good feeling ) Not going to lie, I do not miss living out in IL. We were the last ones of the Thomas clan to get into Charlotte, it was so good to have everyone in one place!!! One of my favorite things is to just sit in a room with all my family and just listen to all that is going on, and of course having all the crazy loud kids running around :).
While we were at home we went and saw Vanessa and Mikes new renovations to their home, and it looks AMAZING!!! It made Jonny want to buy a home........and i'm fine with that, sounds good to me !!! We went swimming at their neighborhood pool and all the little boys and big boys had fun playing. I just LOVE how much Mason and Deacon love Uncle Jonny, whatever he does they think is the coolest thing EVER !!! ( Aunt Mariah may seem like chopped liver, but at least I have my hand in the cookie jar.) Jonny and I were able to baby sit Deacon and Owen while Mason and Vanessa did some school business. We decided that we wanted to take the boys up to lake Wylie for the day and explore the area and of course throw as many rocks we could into the water!! ( those boys LOVE throwing rocks into the water)
The first place we went to we were getting out of the car and realized that we forgot to grab Owens shoes............. ( this parenting thing, is going to take some getting use to) But luckily I found a par of soccer cleats that Vanessa said were to small for deacon, who is 4 years old. I proceeded to put the what I thought would be HUGE cleats on Owens chunky little feet, but they actually fit pretty well, with only a little room to spear! We went and played on the park and throw what seemed to be millions of rocks and clam shells into the water.
Deacon even found a clam that was still alive with his shell closed, he told me that HE REALLY wanted to show Mason ( his brother) but didn't want to kill it. So we came to the conclusion to throw him back into the water where he can grow even bigger!!
This skeleton of a bird we found was not as lucky as the clam. Deacon and Owen thought it was pretty cool, they wanted to keep it and show it to mom and dad and Mason and Pa and Grammy, but they did NOT want me to hold it. They wanted Uncle Jonny and ONLY him to hold it.
After a whole day of fun, and many questions Deacon bit the dust....He was singing to the music with Jonny and I one minute and the next thing I look back and see this, with Owen WIDE EYED next to him still singing away. Poor kid I felt so bad for his neck, but hes young he will bounce back quick.
We were lucky enough to be back home for my birthday this year, big 23 ( Whoot, Whoot). The whole time we were together on this trip Owen kept singing HIS very own special version of Happy Birthday, saying over and over again, ( HAPPY TO YA, HAPPY TO YA) so while Deacon was knocked out next to him I tried to get him on video of him sing to me. He was doing so well, but once I started videoing he just started digging for gold. What a funny kid.
While we were home with everyone being there and looking so handsome and beautiful we had to take a family pic. It seems like every time we take a picture there are new additions, or coming additions in Shannon and my place. Kaytlin decided to take it upon herself to take the family picture this year, and I think she did great!!!! Now we never need to pay for a professional again because we have one right in the family ;P !!!
I just love my brothers and sisters, they are the best. They have all been such good examples to me with becoming parents of their own. I hope to be as good of a parent as them. It was a lot of fun all the siblings and their spouses were all able to go out to a movie ( Mission Impossible 3 or 5 I don't know) without any kids, thanks to Grammy and Pa. We saw the movie and went out to dinner and enjoyed a beautiful night just talking and laughing. I think I truly have the best family in the world.
We are so happy to be back in good old Houston, but its nice to travel with friends and visit old places. Our friends Heidi and Garett asked us if we would like to go to Chicago for the day with them? Of course we accepted, how many people can say they flew to Chicago for lunch.... and also to go with such good friends!!
We woke up really early on a Saturday morning and we all drove to the airport, early but worth it. I had been dreaming and craving the deep dish Chicago pizza all week and could not wait to get it in my tummy!!! By looking at the picture below you could say we were pretty tired, I have no idea how Heidi and Garett and there baby Zoey where all wide awake the entire time!!!
We got to Chicago and hopped on the metro train that took us downtown, we were starving by then and went strait for the pizza. When we got there we already had our pizzas ordered but we had to wait for a table. Everyone decided that the safest place for the pizzas where in the lap of the HUNGRY pregnant woman..... needless to say I kept them safe until we got a table to sit!! We ordered 4 pizzas and I swear, with all 4 on my lap it felt like 35 lbs!!!!! We ate and ate until our bellies where VERY full and we were stuffed to the rim. Each of us really could only eat about 3 pieces of pizza, so we had to carry the left over boxes home! We ended up taking Zoey out of the stroller and putting the precious pizzas in her place. ( Zoey was a little lighter than the pizzas and not so awkward to hold)
We went to the famous Chicago Bean and walked by the beautiful lake Superior. With a little rain in the morning, It turned out to be such a beautiful day! It was so fun to spend the day with such good friends and to be in such a fun city. When we were making our way back home, we must have had 100 + people ask us about our pizza boxes we were carrying through security. We even had some people ask if they could buy them off of us!!! We came to Chicago for Pizza and I'm bring some home with me... its not for sale !!! By the end of the day Jonny and baby and I were exhausted, but were so happy we were able to have the opportunity to go with our friends the Porters! Its always the best when you can go on fun adventures with friends.
