Exploring San Antonio with Memaw and Pepaw

While my parents were here visiting, we took them to some new places we'd been waiting to visit until their arrival.  One of the nice things about living somewhere new is acting like a tourist because, well, we are!!!  The weather was so lovely and we were able to do everything we'd planned.

One of the things we'd been waiting to go and see was right on Ft Sam Houston (and just mere blocks from our house).  It's Ft Sam's Quadrangle. Built in 1876, this place is still actively used.  

 We'd been waiting to visit this place until my mom came because one of the attractions of the Quadrangle is the wildlife that live in the park in the middle.  There are deer and lots of birds and, if you bring food, you can feed them.  We didn't tell my mom about the deer (which are her favorite animal) until we had walked into the Quadrangle's grounds and she saw them in the distant.  She was most excited.

 Elisabeth was able to feed at least 3 deer.  They seemed to really like her...and the apples I'd brought along.

 Eventually, one of the deer actually ate from my mom's hand, which totally made her day.

 There were tons of geese and peacocks roaming the grounds too.

 My dad super loved all the history.  There were plaques everywhere telling about all the things the Quadrangle had been used for and the important people who had worked or visited it.  This huge tree:

 was here before they even built the buildings, so the Quadrangle was built around the tree.  It is huge and gorgeous.  It was fun and I told the girls we'd definitely be back and maybe next time we could have a picnic.

 Across from The Alamo is Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, which Elisabeth was beyond thrilled to find. We told her that Pepaw would definitely want to visit that with her, so we spent a day there.  It ended up being much more interesting than I anticipated. I actually learned.  Here are the girls sitting in the largest tire ever made for use:

 They also had cool mind-trick attractions.  This was a tunnel that spun (with lights that my camera's flash whited out) while you crossed a bridge.  It was very funny to watch people losing their balance while crossing. My sister was convinced that the bridge moved too, not just the spinning tunnel, until I made her stand with me at the end and watch people go through.  I think the girls (and my mom) went through at least 3 or 4 times.

 Part of the Ripley's Believe It or Not tickets included going to the wax museum next door.  Ebeth was ecstatic to see the Harry Potter crew.

 And Abraham Lincoln.  (Have I told you that she is really hoping the baby is born on Lincoln's birthday on February 12th?)

Of course, since I do have a membership (!!!), we had to take my parents to visit the zoo.  It was a pretty cool afternoon when we went, so lots of animals were actually awake and active...including the BEARS!!!!

 This bear:

 is 30 years old. She has a sign by her area that says, due to her age, she is allowed to do whatever she wants, which includes spending days inside the inner pen area if that's what she so desires.  Elisabeth was most excited to actually see her since she's never been out the few times we've been before.

It was a fun visit. The girls are already thinking of new things to do with them the next time they fly down.

Memaw and Pepaw come to Texas

My parents came to visit us the day after Elisabeth's birthday and left this past Tuesday.  They were the first ones to visit us in our new home!  The girls were most excited to show off their rooms and our house. Since my sister and her husband are also stationed in San Antonio, we had an early Thanksgiving together.  We haven't had a Thanksgiving with all of us in 6 years.  My mom was on cloud nine.  Evan grilled our turkey and it was THE BEST TURKEY THAT HAD EVER BEEN EATEN!!!!  Not kidding, we are grilling our turkey every year from now on.  And! It only took 2.5 hours.  

 What I enjoy about my parents visiting (and Evan's parents as well) is that there is a lot of time hanging around the house and playing with my kids.  Yes, we go places (and I'll tell you more about that tomorrow in  another post) but there is a lot of reconnecting time--something the girls and our parents need since we aren't around each other a lot anymore.

My parents bought the girls this awesome race car track (from QVC, of course) that was a huge hit. Julia can not wait to show Ethan it when he comes in December.

 The weather was lovely the entire time they were here.  It was chilly in the mornings and warmed up nicely by the late afternoon.  It even rained, which my parents had never seen in their previous visits to my sister's house (Terra and John have been stationed here for over 2 years).

 Since they were here the day after her birthday, my parents took Elisabeth to a Build-A-Bear equivalent at the mall and let her and Julia pick out a stuffed animal to make and dress.  Elisabeth has been asking for one for a couple of years now and it was a perfect gift to come from my parents because they love that kind of thing.

 Elisabeth picked a bunny that was like her friend Mabel's.

 Julia picked a sheep and declared it a boy.  A boy sheep who played soccer.

 One of my favorite moments during their visit was when my dad and Julia were playing outside (Julia claimed Pepaw as her own personal playmate and drug him outside to play as much as possible); they were sitting on chairs facing each other.  I hurried and grabbed my camera and took some pictures through my kitchen window.

 It turns out they were telling each other stories about magic beans and Jack and the Beanstalk.  It was so sweet and cute.  Julia was belly laughing and adding things of her own to the stories.  It as a very sweet moment.

It was a nice visit.  The next time they come to visit, they will be here to meet the newest member of our family...how weird is that?!