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Corpus Christi 2010
2010-08-30 (Monday) 22:30 CDT

Cam and Porter waited patiently for the much anticipated plane ride, their first plan ride in over four years. The last time I flew with Cameron he was 21 months old and I was 7 months pregnant with Porter. We had flown to San Antonio to visit my sister and her family. Matt and I did not enjoy the times that we had been on a plane with Cameron, so we vowed that we would not fly with Cam and Porter until they had pretty much grown out of the napping stage, since for us, flying sabotaged any chance for a nap and we were left dealing with the aftermath for the duration of our trip. But now being 4 and 6, traveling was a peice of cake. And we were flying back to Texas, this time, Corpus Christi, to visit Aunt Rachel, Uncle Chris, and spend more time with cousin Seth.

The boys and I loved the soft sand and the warm ocean water at Mustang Island. We spent the morning making sand castles and taking on the waves. At first Cam was a little timid, but by the end of the day, he would go out farther and farther. He did not want to get out of the water. Porter's small frame made him vulnerable in the ocean, so he went out in grandpa's arms for protection. Porter also loved flying a beautiful kite with Uncle Chris.

Grandpa took the boys on a tour of a naval ship, called the U.S.S. Lexington. Cam and Porter both report that the naval ship was the highlight of the trip for them. Aunt Rachel and I were able to spend some quality time together that day, going out to lunch and shopping. We met up later in the afternoon for a trip to the Texas State Aquarium. We were entertained by the sting rays, sharks, and dolphin show.

Seth and Chris demonstrated their kiteboarding skills for us along North Beach in Corpus. Very impressive!! Uncle Chris has been instructing Seth on kiteboarding for 2-3 years. Uncle Chris has also instructed novice kiteboarders in the Corpus Christi area. We had a great time visiting Rachel's family in Corpus, it was also a great summer getaway from the midwest.

Aunt Rachel and Cousin Seth's Summer Visit 2010
2010-08-30 (Monday) 21:36 CDT

We always look forward to a visit from Aunt Rachel and her family. This year, Rachel visited us for a couple of days and then had to fly back home due to work obligations. We always hope that her visits could be longer. My sister, Rachel, and I are only 3 years apart and though we had our differences when we were growing up in the same household, we became best friends in our adult life. I am so fortunate to have two sisters who care for one another unconditionally. Anyway, when the three of us get together there is always laughter and lots and lots of talking.

After Rachel flew home, cousin Seth stayed with us for three more days before my parents picked him up to spend some time at their home for several more days. During Seth's visit, I realized that the little baby, the first baby since the birth of my little sister, that I loved in my arms, had grown up and is now a mature, handsome, and intelligent 15 year-old young man. It was very nice to have Seth spend some time with our family. Cameron and Porter look up to him so much. Cam wants to ride a skateboard and a BMX just like his cousin. We spent one hot morning at a local skatepark, where the boys rode their Razor scooters around. Seth commented that he missed having his own scooter, that he had given away to a friend when he became glued to his bike. Cam practiced riding the skateboard he purchased with his own money following his birthday. After the heated skate session, we all cooled off at our local pool. We spent another day visiting Worlds of Fun, and an afternoon bowling. Next year, Seth will be driving, and may have a real job during the summer, but we do invite him to make time to fly here for another visit.

South Dakota Vacation 2010
2010-08-14 (Saturday) 22:26 CDT

In July our family, Grandma and Grandpa B, and Aunt Emily drove to the Black Hills and stayed in Lead, South Dakota for a 10 day extended family vacation. We stayed in a cabin in a wooded area outside Lead. The cabin was very cozy and comfortable with all amentities necessary, including a hottub.

The list of attractions we visited is rather lengthy, but I will link a few of the highlights for more detail. We visited Hill City and rode the 1880 train to Keystone and back. The boys loved the train ride through the hills and plains of SD. Another day, Matt and I were able to go on a day trip on the Honda Shadow while my parents and Emily took Cameron and Porter to a Saloon show in Deadwood. Matt and I rode picturesque isolated highways into Wyoming and for about 4-5 hours. While in Wyoming, we visited a natural monument called Devil's Tower. On the way home we stopped in Sturgis, SD to have dinner and walk the streets that in just a few weeks would be swarmed with bikers for the infamous Sturgis Rally.

Of course we spent a whole day visiting Keystone, SD, where we hit a number of local attractions, the Big Thunder Gold Mine, Rushmore Cave, Rushmore Alpine Slide, and finally Mount Rushmore. It was very uplifting and patriotic to visit Mount Rushmore. The amount of attention Gutzon Borglum gave to the detail and magnitude of the 4 presidents is astounding. Cameron loves learning about Abraham Lincoln, so this was an extra special experience for him. Porter left South Dakota knowing the names of all four presidents on what he called "Mountain Rushmore."

Another day we traveled to Custer State Park to view American buffalo (bison). We drove on Needles Highway and stopped and took pictures at Needles Point. It was so breathtaking to visit such a beautiful mountainous area. I would have liked to spend several days just hiking and discovering all that Custer State Park has to offer. However, that will have to be another trip, when the kids are a little older. That same day we drove on to Hot Springs, SD and my parents took the boys to the Mammoth Site to dig for mammoth fossils, while Emily and I received spa treatments at a local spa in Hotsprings called Red Rock River Resort. Matt started his motorcycle journey back towards home on this day.

On our last full day in South Dakota, Porter began running a fever, so he was unable to attend the chuck wagon dinner the boys had been looking so forward to all week. Grandma and Grandpa B took Cameron to the dinner, while Emily and I stayed at the cabin with Porter. Cameron dressed the part and loved being a real cowboy out in the country. My parents told me that several tourists stopped to take Cameron's picture and everyone called him "Sherrif" that evening. I wish Porter could have experienced it too. I was so sad he felt bad, but fortunately he started feeling better within 24 hours so he was not ill for the long ride home the next day. Click here for more photos from our vacation.

Porter's last T-Ball game
2010-08-04 (Wednesday) 21:31 CDT

Porter toughed out his first T-ball season. I thought this would be a fun experience for him. However, even though he is adorable in his outfit, he does not have a desire to be the next Babe Ruth, and that is just fine with us. We just wanted to see if he was ready to be on a team. We will wait at least until he is 5 and may have him try out soccer. Cameron is about to start his third season of soccer.

Grandpa B. is a big fan of baseball, so I was glad he was able to watch Porter's last game this summer. At the start of the game the weather was great and we were able to see Porter hit a ball and run to 1st base. Then a crazy storm rolled in and the rest of the game was cancelled. Oh well, Porter wouldn't have enjoyed it any other way.

Summer Activities 2010
2010-08-03 (Tuesday) 22:53 CDT

Cameron attended the Christian Youth Theater Camp over the summer. He was taught music, dance, and acting skills. Cam was hestitant about attending, but was hooked after the first day. He has such a creative imagination and loves to play characters from movies and plays. Cam has a very good ear for music too. He is always on pitch when he sings, and has recently learned to harmonize (thanks to Beatles music). I am certain this will not be his last debut on stage. Porter would like to join Cameron at the camp next summer.

Cameron and Porter attended the Kansas City Zoo camp the week following the theatre camp. This was a week long camp to educate children on zoology and have fun exploring the zoo. Cam participated in a Kindergarten class that was unchaperoned by the parent, so I have very little pictures from his camp. Porter's class was chaperoned by parents, so I enjoyed quality time exploring the zoo with PJ. Matt was able to join Porter one day. Luckily the camp was early enough in the summer that it did not get too hot.

The rest of the summer has been very hot, so it was a good thing we signed up for two weeks of swim lessons following these camps. Cam was placed in a Level 2 swim class. It was a good fit for Cam and he was able to strengthen his swimming skills and build his courage and confidence as a young swimmer. Cam was eager to do the slides this summer and became very interested in the diving boards, since he could swim efficiently to the side. Porter was placed in a preschool class, which was not very adventurous. He did gain the courage to submerge his head under water and dive for rings. Following his class, Porter observed a friend swimming, and began to swim himself. Porter has been a water bug all summer, which was a big surprise for me. He jumps in, dives under water, and has started practicing his breast stroke. It has been an abnormally hot summer, so we have spent very many days lounging at the pool side. And with two young swimmers, I am much more relaxed this summer at the pool, soaking in the sun.

Cam is 6!!!!
2010-08-03 (Tuesday) 22:18 CDT

A belated 6th Birthday posting for Cameron. Cam has now been six for almost 2 months, but it is never too late to wish my eldest the best 6th year. We have had a very busy and productive summer, which took quite a bit of precedence over updating our blog, but our family has enjoyed our summer experiences. More blog entries will follow with pictures from our summer adventures. Cam graduated Kindergarten and is now getting ready to enter the 1st grade. He will be attending school all day, which is quite a change from his half day Kindergarten routine.

Cam became a very strong swimmer this summer and is now jumping and diving off the diving board and swimming very efficiently. Cameron spends his free time riding his bike around the neighborhood and has a growing interest in skate boarding. He still loves playing cowboys, light saber fighting, ninjas, or any other rough role play he can imagine. When he is in a calmer mood, he plays with this Star Wars figures and has become very interested in learning magic tricks. For his 6th birthday party we hired a local magician we had seen perform at Minksy's Pizza. He put on a very entertaining show for the party goers. Following are a few pics from his party.

Last modified: 2010-08-30 (Monday) 22:30 CDT