Galveston Beach Trip!

 Already knocked one off the summer bucket list!

On Saturday we took a quick trip to Galveston before Barry left for Georgia. I can't quite take the boys to the beach by myself yet, so we decided that since Barry is going to be gone for most of the summer we would go ahead and take them to the beach while we had the chance. Galveston State Park is still getting renovated, so we went to Stewart Beach. It is so worth the little fee to be able to rinse off before getting back in your car!

We actually got a family photo! Thank goodness for this mom who came up to us while we were trying to take a selfie photo and offered to take a photo of us. There are so few photos of us all together, I'm so so thankful for this wonderful woman!

The boys absolutely love the beach! It is definitely a busy day for me and Barry but it is so worth it!

We only spent about two hours at the beach, and about two hours driving but it was worth getting to spend that special time with Barry.

 

Summer Bucket List - 2022

Wanna hear a funny story? This is the post I was going to post last year, and never did. 😂 My favorite is the second paragraph where I say I'll stick to a bucket list and post it. Bless my little 2021 heart. So I'm just gonna post it for this year and call it good. 

***********

Ok. I know I do this every year. But this is the year damnit. 

This is the year I make a bucket list and stick to it AND actually do posts! Because I want to preserve these memories. 

So here goes. We will start with the goals and school stuff and then move on to the actual bucket list. 

Goals:

Make a schedule and stick to it. Operation Summer Sanity is a go!

Continue schoolwork for the boys. General ideas like working on handwriting, cutting, reading 100 books in conjunction with 1000 minutes of reading for Bear and book reports (and writing in complete sentences), math for the twins along with vocab and speech. This will be a post on its own. We have a lot to accomplish, and I feel like I finally have the knowledge to move forward!

Date Nights with the boys one on one: mini golf, go to the movies, etc.

Stick with the idea of weekly themes  I don’t need to go all out, just use the weekly themes to come up with fun ideas for things to do

Try to do at least two instagramable things a week  not because I need the likes, but because I love looking back on my Instagram at all the fun things we do! Also, the boys’ family needs to get to know them better. We stay pretty isolated and that’s our choice but I’d love for the family to have some kind of bond with the boys  

Now for the actual bucket list!!! ( I so wish there was a way I could do multiple columns for this, its sooooooooo long!)

Outside Ideas:

Watch Fireworks

Draw with Chalk

Bubble Guns or rent a bubble machine

Go get sno-cones

Watch a sunrise

Watch a sunset

Catch Fireflies (GA idea)

Go on a picnic

Pick Fresh Fruit (Froberg Farm)

Read outside

Water Balloon Fight

Ride Bikes

Lay in a hammock

Stargaze

Wash the Car

Fly a kite

Play Frisbee

Plant a garden

Picture Scavenger Hunt

Water gun fight

Slip and Slide

Play Catch

Rent a bouncy house

Sidewalk Chalk & Hopscotch

Ice block with toys

Giant Bubbles

Sponge Ball War

Melt Ice Cubes

Walk the Plank/Ninja Warrior Course

Bury a Time Capsule

Fourth of July Family Field Day

Shaving Cream on Trampoline

Buy an Above Ground Pool and do all the swimming!

Inside Ideas:

Morning Invitationals a la Days with Grey

Make Play Doh plate things

Finger paint

Color Big Pages

Read Lots of Books

Singe Lots of Songs

Make a Paper Bag Puppet

Make Popsicles

Make a Fort

Make Ice Cream

Make Jam

Make Lemonade

Make cheerio necklaces

Play with Lego Blocks

Marshmallow Shooters

Make Ice Cream Sandwiches

Make Sno Cones

Make Paper Wind Sock

Make Jello Jigglers

Crafternoon

Make suckers

Home made Root Beer

Do a science project

Banana Splits

Nerf Sword Fights

Obstacle Course

Paint Rocks

Journaling

All the baking

Adventures:

San Antonio with Mom

Peach Creek!

Visit 10 different city parks

Moody Gardens

-Whole Family

-Bear Bear

-Palm Beach

Zoo

Observation Tower

Children’s Museum

Galveston Beach

-Dolphin Tour

-Build a sandcastle

-Feed the seagulls

-Ride the Ferry

-Visit the Board Walk

Surfside Beach

Baseball Game/Sporting Event

Visit 5 Splash Pads

George Ranch

Frobergs Farm

Alvin Animal Safari

Visit Farmer’s Markets

Arboretum

Visit a lake

Go to the Library

Free tour of the Ship Channel

Aquarium

Visit Dad at Work

Visit the police horses

Feed the ducks at a pond

Amusement Park

Visit a historical site

Tour a fire station

Tour a factory (Maybe Blue Bell?)

Splashtown

Pirates Bay Area Waterpark

Discovery Green Concert

Discovery Green Movie Night

Drive In Movie

Kemah Boardwalk

Go to a Festival

Demolition Derby

Go to a Carnival

San Jacinto State Park

Mom and Dad Date:

Summer nights fire pits

Go bowling

Ropes Date at Moody Gardens

Mini Golf

River Trip

Tour historic home

Visiting the Houston Arboretum

I can't believe I forgot to upload this post!

Weeks and weeks ago, in the middle of the summer, Barry had to take a week long work trip to New York so we had a vehicle for a whole week! 

Being my ambitious self I decided that after dropping Barry off at the airport I would take the boys to the Houston Arboretum. They have some nice nature trails that would be plenty long enough to wear the boys out while introducing them to the idea of hiking. 

I. Had. A. BLAST! Not sure about the boys though.  :)

It was ungodly hot (look at Nathaniel's little cheeks!) but there was plenty of shade and a small breeze. 

This was pretty much how the whole hike went. Barry couldn't figure out where we were going and William was finding every. single. blackberry thorn bush. Nathaniel was torn between trying to run around and trying to look everywhere at once. 

These boys did looooove the wooden platforms. Thankfully there were a ton of them. They loved the way their shoes thumped as they ran. 

There was a nice little spot for us to sit down and get rehydrated. There were also plenty of benches along the trail. 

We had a ton of fun and as it gets cooler I know we will be spending a lot of time here. We only did the inner loop but I hope to work them up to the outer loop. Next time I might take them to the Challenger Seven Memorial Park where there are nature trails and playgrounds to keep them happy. 

I just love being outdoorsy with these boys!

-Maria

Also...here's what it's like trying to pee with three toddlers that are not strapped down to a stroller. 

You're welcome.

Summer of 2015 Bucket List

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Here it is! Our first seasonal bucket list! I am so happy to share this with you! I spent many, many hours scouring Pinterest for fun things that would work for our family. As the weeks go on I will be posting our adventures and will link the posts to this page. So here it is, our:

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Summer of 2015

bucket list

Outdoor Activities:

Visit 10 different parks

Go Swimming

Watch Fireworks

Draw with Chalk

Bubble Guns or rent a bubble machine

Go get sno-cones

Watch a sunrise

Watch a sunset

Catch Fireflies

Go on a picnic

Make Smores

Pick Fresh Fruit

Read outside

Water Balloon Fight

Ride Bikes

Play in the rain

Lay in a hammock

Stargaze

Wash the Car

Fly a kite

Play Frisbee

Plant a garden

Picture Scavenger Hunt

Bonfire

Water gun fight

Slip and Slide

Play Catch

Rent a bouncy house

Ice block with toys

Giant Bubbles

Sponge Ball War

Melt Ice Cubes

Bury a Time Capsule

Indoor Activities:

Finger paint

Color Big Pages

Read Lots of Books

Singe Lots of Songs

Make a Paper Bag Puppet

Make Popsicles

Make a Fort

Make Ice Cream

Make Jam

Make Lemonade

Make cheerio necklaces

Play with Lego Blocks

Marshmallow Shooters

Make Ice Cream Sandwiches

Make Sno Cones

Make Paper Wind Sock

Make Jello Jigglers

Crafternoon

Make suckers

Home made Root Beer

Do a science project

Banana Splits

Nerf Sword Fights

Places to go:

Moody Gardens

         -Whole Family

         -Bear Bear

         -Palm Beach

Zoo

Observation Tower

Children’s Museum

Galveston Beach

         -Dolphin Tour

         -Build a sandcastle

         -Bury dad in the sand

         -Feed the seagulls

         -Ride the Ferry

         -Visit the Board Walk

Surfside Beach

Baseball Game/Sporting Event

Visit 5 Splash Pads

George Ranch

Frobergs Farm

Alvin Animal Safari

Visit Farmer’s Markets

Arboretum

Sam Houston State Park

Visit a lake

Go to the Library

Free tour of the Ship Channel

Aquarium

Visit Dad at Work
Parade

Visit the police horses

State Fair

Feed the ducks at a pond

Amusement Park

Visit a historical site

Tour a fire station

Tour a factory

Splashtown

Bay Area Waterpark

Discovery Green Concert

Discovery Green Movie Night

Miller Outdoor Theater

Taco Truck

Drive In Movie

Kemah Boardwalk

Go to a Festival

Demolition Derby

Go to a Carnival

Tour historic home

San Jacinto State Park

Mom and Dad Only:

Go bowling

Ropes Date at Moody Gardens

Mini Golf

Wii Date Night

River Trip

I really doubt that we will able to complete all of this but I am sure this summer is going to be the best yet!!! I can't wait!

Our 4th of July

 This 4th of July was AWESOME!!! 

Usually we don't do much for the holidays. We hole up and stay home for the most part. Barry's family is about an hour away from us and the way to them is always traffic filled so unless it is a holiday like Christmas, we tend to just stay home.

Not this time bucko!

Barry's Uncle Dennis asked us to come by Aunt LaDonna's beach house and spend the 4th with them. His family is not known for their planning, usually we get a call the day of asking why we aren't hanging out with the rest of the family :) At first I was like "Really? We're going to drive an hour and a half to the beach...on a 4th of July weekend where the 4th falls on a Friday? Have you lost yo' damn mind?!" 

I'm so very glad we went.

Bear Bear, Corbin, and Emma

Nana with Nathaniel, Papa with William, and Aunt LaDonna

Nana making William giggle

Bear Bear, Nana, Papa and Barry

Bear Bear with William

Papa with Bear Bear

Papa with Bear Bear

Aunt LaDonna with Nathaniel, Robbie with William

My awesome contribution to the noms :)

Papa and Bear Bear

Scott, Robbie with William, they were like two peas in a pod. So cute.

Seriously, the fireworks.

 

 

We had a blast with the family! 

Also, the fireworks...omg the fireworks! Not only did Barry's family have their very own arsenal of highly dangerous explosives (seriously, not a sparkler to be found. Go big or go home) but it seemed like everyone on the beach was putting on their very own fireworks show. I mean BIG fireworks. They started at sundown and when we left near midnight they were still going strong. 

Not too shabby for the twins' first 4th of July!

-Ri

Patriotic 4th of July Mason Jars

 Hello everyone!

I found this super cute 4th of July lantern set on Pinterest and I just had to try it out. 

Original Pin: Addicted2DIY- Patriotic Mason Jar Lanterns

I'll start by saying that there is nothing particularly difficult about this project, it just has a lot of steps. 

What You'll Need:

1-Quart Sized Mason Jar

2-Pint Sized Mason Jars

Rubbing Alcohol

Paper Towels

Star Stickers - Small foil and Large Foam

Gentle Paper Tape

Scissors

White Spray Paint

Blue Spray Paint

Red Spray Paint

Needle

1. Wipe down your mason jars with some rubbing alcohol and let dry. I believe this helps the paint to stick by getting rid of the oily residue left behind by your hands. I have no evidence for this ...I could be totally making it up :)

2. Stick the little sticker stars on the jars randomly. Make sure to leave space for the big stars later. You don't need a whole lot of the little stars.

3. Spray paint all the jars white. You could do two coats, and if you have the time you probably should. I would much rather do two light coats than one heavy coat but I was pressed for time.

4. Let the jars dry completely. I let mine dry overnight (nap time only lasts so long, I ran out of time). 

5. Use the blue tape to create stripes on the pint jars. The top of the top strip will be a little difficult to lay straight. Place the foam stars on the quart jar.

6. This is important! Paint the jars white again! This way, if there is any bleed through the tape it will be white instead of red or blue. The white paint will make a seal around the tape to make sure no bleed happens. You can skip this step if you don't care about clean lines.

7. Paint the pint jars red. Paint the quart jar blue. Let dry. My blue came out a little cracked because I didn't shake the can long enough. You can't see the defects at all when it is lit.

8. Remove blue tape from red jars. Use a needle to lift the edges of the stars from all jars. Remove stars. 

9. Grab a glass of wine, cram a tea light in each jar and congratulate yourself for being awesome. :)

I love my jars and I can't wait to use them every year!! 

-ri

Bikinis that I want to Magically fit into by this summer...HA! :D

The title is pretty self explanatory and if you see my previous
post on what I've been making for dinner you will understand
why I included the words "Magically" and "HA!"



This would be a late summer bikini because this would
look awesome against a tan.

I like polka dots.

Ok, I know there are a lot of ladies out there that have small
chests, but there are still a substantial amount of ladies who have
a bit more in the upstairs department. Do you have any idea how HARD
it is to find a strapless bikini top that is worth anything?

It is really hard. I'm hoping this top will fix all my strapless
woes. It has underwire. Yay!!

It's fantastic. But then again, all things look fantastic on her. :)

I am hoping that it warms up soon, here in Houston so
I can start running again...yeah...running.

:D

-Ri

My Bucket List

The title says it all.

1. Go Toobing. Duh!

2. Learn to Paddle surf? I think that's what it's called.

3. Go to the beach, early morning, with Kinsey, my black lab. The basic plan is to go early, walk the beach, play fetch, then come home for lunch.

4. Set up our hammock and actually enjoy it.

5. Go to a carnival.

6. Go to a cookoff. The Gibsons have a cookoff team.

7. Hang out by a pool.

8. Go to Howie's Crawfish Boil!!!

9. Swim in a lake. I really don't like lakes. Something about stagnant water just kills it for me. But I'm going to do it!!

10. Go Hiking.

11. Play a game of Frisbee Golf.

12. Take pictures of Fonde Park and add to Yelp.

13. Go to the movies. Movies have always been a summer thing for me. There's something about having sun burned skin and watching a movie in the cold and the dark.

14. Ok. This is going to sound stupid...and I can't find a picture of it. It's where you take a short surf board and you use it right where the water meets the shore on the beach. When the water recedes from a wave it leaves a small amount of water on the shore, you take the board, run, set it down (while running) and slide. That's the best way I can explain it. :)

15. Decorate the Seawall with Chalk.

16. Go to a sand castle building competition.

17. Wear a sundress.

18. Have people over for a game night.

19. Have a family-wide water balloon fight. hehehe.

20. Play volleyball on the beach.

21. Fly a kite.

22. Have a tye-dye party.

23. Go to Schlitterbahn!!!!

24. Go to the Mad Potter. It's a place in Houston that has pre-made pottery that you decorate with glaze, they fire it and you have a beautiful piece of pottery.

25. Play miniature golf.

26. Go to a Flea Market.

27. Go roller skating.

28. Go ATV riding.

29. Take an outdoor yoga class. This may be unavailable. It's like...105 degrees in the morning down here.

30. Go to a park and have fun!!! Slides!!! I want to find one with a see-saw.

31. Go canoeing/rafting.

32. Go on a hot air balloon ride.

33. Climb a tree.

34. Play paintball!!!!!

35. Go rock climbing

36. Go Zorbing!! I may not be able to do this, their nearest office is in Tennessee. Kinda far.

37. Play Twister!!!!

38. Slip and Slide. Need I say more?

39. Buy two pogo sticks and have a bounce-off.

40. Take a brewery tour. (Well, two really. St. Arnold's and Shiner)

41. Take a Twilight Bayou tour.

42. Go to a museum.

43. Go to the Miller Outdoor Theater.

44. Go to the ZOO!!!!!!

45. Play on a trampoline!

46. Karaoke!!!

47. Record a song.

48. Ride a rollercoaster

49. Take a picture of the night sky.

50. Go to a reenactment.
51. Start a Garden

51A. Have a paint fight.
52. Let go of a floating lantern.

53. Go on a stargazing date.
54. Visit George Ranch Park and Observatory.
55. Get a small tattoo that means a lot.
56. Have a flat stomach/a hint of a six pack. Should be fun after the baby.
57. Oh yeah, have a baby.
58. And maybe before that baby I should get married. :)
-Be his Bride
-Wear a beautiful wedding dress.
59. Go to Vegas with my Bestie.

60. Let my hair get really long.
61. Kiss someone at midnight on New Years.
62. Be married to the same person for 50 years.
63. Throw a dart at a map and travel there.
64. Kiss under a mistletoe.
65. Receive my Hogwarts acceptance letter.
66. Have a walk in closet.
67. Make out with the hubby with Pop Rocks in my mouth. :)
68. Go to Disneyland.
69. Go to Disneyworld.

70. Go into an airport and buy tickets for a random flight.
71. Spend an entire day watching Disney/Pixar movies
72. Build a blanket fort.
73. Attach a lock to a love bridge.
74. Sleep on a beach.
75. Experience Christmas in New York.
76. Kiss at the top of a ferris wheel.
77. Kiss under fire works.
78. Take cute kissing photos in a photo booth.
79. Countries/Cities to Visit:
-Paris, France
-Japan
-Eat Pizza in Italy
-See the Great Pyramids
-Ride a camel in Egypt
-Drink coffee in seattle
-Put a piece of gum on the gum wall in seattle
-Eat a philly cheeses steak in Philadelphia
-Hold up the leaning tower of piza
-Write on the Before I die wall in New Orleans
-Float in the dead sea

80. Learn to surf.
81. Skydive
82. Jump off a waterfall
83. Scuba Dive
84. Kiss underwater
85. Rock Climb
86. Buy something on Rodeo Drive
87. Own a pair of super expensive high heels.
88. Own a beach/river house.
89. Get a group of people to donate blood with me.

90. Watch a meteor shower
91. Watch all the Harry Potter movies in one day
92. Go on a road trip
93. Build a treehouse
94. Learn how to play guitar
95. Swim with sharks
96. Swim with dolphins
97. Visit all 50 united states
98. Visit abbey road and recreate the Beatles cover
99. Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

100. Attend a masquerade
101. Visit a Lord of the Rings set in New Zealand
102. Ride an elephant
103. Try dog sledding
104. See the northern lights
105. Be in a protest
106. Visit Ground Zero
107. Send a message in a bottle
108. Be a part of a flash mob
109. Ride in a taxi

110. Pet a giraffe
111. Attend a gay wedding
112. Ride every ride at Six Flags
113. Complete a Warrior Dash-like race.
114. Attend a TV taping.
115. Attend a Texans Football game.
116. Attend RenFest as a vendor
117. Be a Bridesmaid
118. Learn sign language
119. Go to Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Galveston and flash my boobs

120. Bungee Jump
121. Mud Wrestle
122. Set foot on all seven continents
123. Plant a tree
124. Do something illegal
125. Drive down route 66
126. Go on a safari
127. See a play on broadway
128. Visit the Houston Rodeo
129. Shoot a gun

130. Have 5,000 10,000 20,000 dollars in my savings account.
131. Host a halloween party
132. Go zip lining
133. Own a ranch
134. Learn how to skateboard
135. See a cirque du solie show
136. Attend the Kentucky Derby
137. Attend a dog race.
138. See a tornado
139. Have a natural birth

140. Ride in a helicopter
141. Go on a real camping trip with a tent and everything!
142. Own a pug.
143. Compete in an eating contest.
144. Take on a food challenge and win.
145. Drive a super expensive car.
146. Visit a wolf sanctuary.
147. Watch baby turtle hatch
148. Go whale watching
149. Go snow tubing - I'm not even going to touch skiing.

150. Find a four leaf clover
151. Have my items in a boutique
152. Go skinny dipping
153. Ride first class
154. Party all night...and stay awake
155. Run a marathon
156. Complete a triathlon
157. Successfully two step in a honky tonk
158. Donate my hair
159. Play messy paint twister

160. Chase the end of a rainbow
161. Make a snow angel
162. Go Parasailing
163. Make a quilt
164. Make homemade jam/can something
165. Make homemade butter
166. Catch fireflies in a mason jar
167. Find out how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop
168. Write a letter to myself and open it in ten years
169. Do a nude photo shoot

170. Buy a house
171. Ride a rope into a lake
172. Stay at a bed and breakfast (I happen to think they're creepy)
173. Finish a whole tube of chapstick
174. Own something from Tiffany's
175. Spend money on something that I think is incredibly stupid. And not something funny stupid...something like a $30 cami from Lord and Taylor.
176. Tan on a nude/topless beach
177. Have a snowball fight
178. Use a fake name at Starbucks
179. Do a no h8 photo shoot with my pitt bull

180. Actually decorate my house with Christmas Lights
181. Own a muscle care
182. Spend the night somewhere haunted
183. Be debt free for at least a month.
184. Have an actual coconut drink on the beach
185. Breathe in helium and talk
186. Smash open my piggy bank when it gets full.
187. Make every single thing in a cookbook
188. Go on a roller skate date
189. Swim in every ocean

190. Go to a monster truck rally
191. Finish my Wreck This Journal
192. Touch an iceberg
193. Rent/Own a yacht. I'm not picky.
194. Keep one new year's resolution for an entire year
195. See the Houston Texans win a Super Bowl
196. Have someone famous wear one of my items.
197. Learn to pole dance
198. Own a full set of makeup brushes
199. Paint my dog's toenails

200. Shave my cat
201. Have a super soaker fight
202. Complete the gallon of milk challenge
203. Get high with Mom -she said yes!
204.

-Ri