For every Fourth of July, we come up to the cape to spend time with John’s family (well, we didn’t come up last 4th, but that was due to circumstances beyond our control).  And it is great - a little nutty with all the kiddos and just sheer amount of people around, but always a good time.

Whenever I see all the huge, beautiful hydranga bushes, I know we have arrived.  I love them!  The flowers clusters are just so lovely and plump.

And I have been really surprised at how much I am enjoying the nieces (well, technically my niece-in-laws, since they are Boom’s sister’s kids, but whatever…).  I am not around kids that are 9 and 8 very much, and really didn’t know what to expect.  But I really am enjoying them!  They are so much more self-sufficient and talkative (very talkative) and can walk down to the beach and back with me (I was afraid they wouldn’t be able to walk that much, and their mom laughed at me!).

Meg is the oldest (L), Ash is 8 (M) and C is probably around 7 (R).   (Meg and Ash are Boom’s oldest sisters kids; C is his middle sisters kid)  Aren’t they adorable?!

We are taking Meg and Ash to see the Chatham A’s play the Harwich team tonight.  We’ve been to 1 game before, many years ago, and I just remember that it was seriously chilly.

Which is another reason I am really enjoying our visit this year - the contrast in weather to H-town is huge!  And I don’t mind the break from the heavy humid and hot air.  We went for a run today around 9am, and it was still fairly cool!  and post run, there was a great breeze, so we just hung out on the driveway and enjoyed it.

Since Boom’s parent’s house backs up to conservation land, this is the scenery I enjoy from the back porch.  Can you hear the wind whistling through the trees?  Can you feel the cool breeze?  It is awesome.

Boom’s oldest sister that currently lives in Chicago just bought a summer home about 15 minutes away from Boom’s parents.  I am pretty sure Boom’s mom really wants us to do the same some day, but that would be many moons from now.  We’ve got to get our R house sold and then get the new house furnished…  That could be her consolation prize, since we are now in Texas and not moving away anytime soon.  And who wouldn’t love that - to get away from the oppressive heat each summer?  All in good time, I suppose, and it is always nice to have a pipe dream..

Yesterday was our (Yarbs - the sister, and I) second installment of Craft Monday - and we made tag books!  They came out great - ’twas a lot of work, but do-able in 1 day - just need to make sure you do a little prep work and at least have all the photos printed out that you want to use.

My tag book is a year and a half late bday gift for a friend in Richmond.  I would love to get this as a gift (am tempted to keep it, but I won’t) so I hope she loves it as much as I do!  I doubt that she even remembers that I told her that I was making her something 1 and a half years ago, but that will make the surprise that much better!  And who doesn’t love getting packages in the mail?!

I really love the faux bois paper (Martha Stewart, of course) that I used for the cover and back.  And all the fun ribbons on the ring!

I would have never gotten this done so quickly and so well without Yarbs.  She also brought a bunch of embellishments that were fun to use!  We are trying to use up the supplies that we have, since we both have way too much stuff!

Yarbs made a tag book of the Austin Marathon / Half Marathon that Boom and Josephine ran.  I loved how it turned out!  I was trying to get her to give it to me, but she did not.  Oh well, I will just have to make my own.

Next Craft Monday (not this coming Monday but the next one) we will be doing some fabric crafts.  We are alternating between scrapping and fabric crafts, as Yarbs is the SME (subject matter expert) on scrapping and I am the SME on fabric crafts.  We’ll be making coasters and napkins.  Fun times!

Court’s visit was awesome! We had such a good time! Friday she had some appointments in the morning and at lunch, then I drove her around this area of Houston (too bad my knowledge of the Houston area is sparce), and then it was time for dinner and the game.

We went to El Tiempo for dindin - a Houston classic / staple for Tex-Mex. And we ate our faces off! Margaritas, guac, queso, chip and salsa to start. I was stuffed before the main course even came. I had fish tacos, which are delish! Boom and Cour both got the mixed fajitas…

There was so much food - even looking at the snaps now make me feel slightly queasy. Ugh - we ate A LOT!

Then off to the ballgame - this was the first time EVER that Boston has played at Houston! A little bit of baseball trivia supplied by Boom. I guess they are in different conferences - in Houston, the pitcher has to bat, and in Boston, they do not (they have a designated hitter). And, it was the FIRST TIME EVER that I have sat and watched 9 innings of baseball (2 nights in a row)!

This was (clearly) the first time I had been to Minute Maid park. It is right downtown - we parked at Boom’s work parking and walked maybe 6 - 8 blocks to the “stadium” (which was great, as I need a little activity after the large dinner we had just consumed). We learned that it used to be the old train station, which explained why it looked like a train station:

The “stadium” from the outside.

and the lobby area before getting into the “stadium” area (this really looks like it was part of a train station, which it was)

Fun times! We had great seats on Friday - right (I mean literally directly behind the catcher) behind home plate. We were in the section just beyond where the Astro’s owner and wives were sitting. (you can see one of the little punks that was sitting behind us - there were 3 of them basically heckling us and all the Red Sox players. I wanted to turn and punch them in the face, but I restrained myself. They were so annoying! So glad the Sox won the game Friday night!)

This was our view! and I got lots of cool close up snaps of Red Sox players…

J.D. Drew Dustin Pedroia (thanks, Boom, for the correction)

Manny (Boom was all screaming, You’re the Manny!)

Cap’n J. Varitek (he was also my friend Jojo’s prom date down in Florida! Love that piece of trivia!)

Finally, I got what I really came to the game for:

Too bad I was still really full and couldn’t enjoy it fully. And, as a side note, candied apples are not offered as a delicious snack at Minute Maid Park. Highly disappointed.

The Astros have a player with the tiniest calves ever! So small they kinda make be feel sick when I look at them:

Actually, I can’t look at him or his calves. Good ole Hunter Pence…

And the actual “stadium” was very nice, but kinda odd. Since it is late June, the roof (which can open and close) was closed, and the AC was pumping - I mean, enough so that we felt a “breeze” and both Court and I were cold. COLD, in Houston, in late June at a baseball game. Very odd. And I kept thinking it was so weird that they were playing baseball “indoors”. I totally understand why it has to be able to be covered and air conditioned, but Friday night was actually a very pleasant night and would have been awesome to have the roof open.

After the game, we were all beat (and stuffed to the gills) so we called it a night and headed home.

Saturday, we got up a little bit later than planned (but we all needed the shut eye!) and went running in Memorial Park, the Central Park of Houston. After that, we had breakfast at the Buffalo Grille (pancakes as big as a steering wheel!). Court and I napped (the heat totally makes me tired) and did a little shop shop (Banana and Gap are having some fierce sales!) and then tried to go to the iMax Grand Canyon - but the showing we wanted to go see only had 1 ticket left. I keep forgetting that Houston is a HUGE city - so I need to plan better.

The game Saturday night started a bit earlier and we were sitting at the Club level (people take your orders and bring food & drink to you in your seats!) so we decided to forgo dinner and just snack at the ballpark. We were definitely sitting around better people Sat night - no little twerps heckling us! Boom made friends with the Astros fans sitting next to him - they were a jolly group! And the guy behind me was all, I like your French designer bag. And I was like, You must be dating a gal with good taste! Hehehe!

Here we are - so cute! And yes, both Court and I remembered to bring a little jacket to wear, just in case. Court didn’t need her since she was in pants, but I got cold. I am wearing my new cargo skirt I got at the Gap! (Many moons ago - in college - I had a very similar skirt, but from Abercrombie - I should have kept it! Little did I know it would be coming back into style…)

After the game, which the Sox lost (boo), we headed to the new swank restaurant, The Grove, and went to the rooftop bar - The Treehouse. It was a great night - breezy and not too hot or humid at all! We had a few drinks there and then headed over to Hotel ZaZa. Which is, evidently, a very fancy pants place. Due to the flipflops on Boom’s feet, we were not allowed in, as they do not allow men in sandals in their establishment. So note - if you ever want to go to Hotel ZaZa, be sure no men in your group are in sandals! By this point, it was past midnight, so I think we were all secretly glad that we were going home, since we were all tired. And Court’s flite the next morning was pretty early.

All and all, it was a great weekend spent with great peeps! We loved having our first official out of town guest, and she’ll just have to come on back down once the house is in better order. And we’ll be back up in the RIC in Sept, so it will be great to see folks then.

Despite a death in her family, a funeral and an extremely delayed flight, Court is here!  Yay!  We’re so glad to have her!!!

She is a hugely rabid Red Sox fan, so she and Boom are really looking forward the the game tonight.  I am excited to go to Minute Maid Park and see the Sox (and Astros) play live.  The only 2 MLB teams I have ever seen live are the Rangers and the Orioles.  Hopefully I can get some cotton candy and a candied apple - Boom is all, We aren’t going to the circus - I’m not sure there will be candied applies. But I am still hopeful!

She’s been filling me in on all the goings on in Richmond in between her work appointments - lots happening, and she seems to have a lot of info!  And she is just a great girl - so positive, fun, full of life.  She’d do anything for her friends.  Makes me miss the RIC, or rather, the peeps in Richmond.

This is gonna be a great weekend!

I love these:

I’ve always loved Cheetoes and other type of cheese curl snacks, but these Micheal Season’s Lite Cheese Curls are definitely my favorite by far!

I bet Boom has maybe eaten 10 of these, and I have likely eaten close to 5 bags of ‘em since discovering them soon after arriving in H-town.  The other days I really wanted some and didn’t have any in the house, and I found myself “jonesing” for them - like I am a hard core smoker!  I guess I could have a worse vice than pigging out and hording cheese curls for myself.

I am also really enjoying flavored drinks these days.  Honest Teas are awesome b/c they are barely sweet - not syurpy sweet like most teas.  And I am also really liking Wild Oats Limeade.  I think it is the heat (well, duh), but you have to constantly stay hydrated down here, and sometimes water gets a little old.

I am excited for lunch today b/c Yarbs and I are going to heat up some of the choc chip cookies I made yesterday and top them off with light whip cream, sprayed from a can.  That could be one of my most favorite homemade desserts.

Lots got done today - 4 inches got chopped off my head! So I am a baldy, but in a good way. I needed a cut so badly! And she really thinned it out, so my pony is quite wee - which I love - but in a week… POUF and my thick-a$$ hair is back. At the end of my cut, I looked down and it looked like some very dark haired animals had gotten in a fight and were lying around on the floor. Actually kinda gross, and it is my own hair! Boom has coined the term “tingleweeds” for the tufts of hair that blow around our bathroom.

Made organic spelt - organic white flour chocolate chip cookies. I really wanted to use up my spelt flour - I usually use half whole wheat and half white flour. I also didn’t have any baking soda, so I subbed (double) baking powder and omitted the salt. They are still pretty tasty, despite the many variables I threw at the recipe.

A bit more delicate than the whole wheat version (and I really do enjoy the “heartiness” that whole wheat flour gives ‘em) so likely won’t be rushing out to get more spelt flour any time soon.

Worked on another top secret project for a July birthday gal…

Yarbs was hoping I was making them for her, but I am not (sorry, Yarbs!).

Wrestled with the alarm company to get our system up and running. Dealing with them makes me sweat and want to claw my eyes out. So frustrating. At least they are sending a technician out - it only took 1.5 months, and many, MANY over 1 hour frustrating phone calls. I literally think they are like the Death Eaters in Harry Potter and suck the happiness and your will to live out of you, via the phone…

And, for my pal Al - here is the cruise (first and last one ever!) layout that Yarbs put together during Craft Monday:

(Al - You can click on the photo to make it bigger)

Hehehe - I guess somethings never change (our love of the Charlie’s Angels pose)!!! I guess I forgot to tell Carnival that I am never going on another cruise again, ’cause they keep sending me emails about cruises!  But aren’t we just too cute?!

Yesterday was Cubby’s birthday.

Cubs - Boom and I hope you had a good one!

XOXO

… makes us tired!”  but was totally awesome!  As part of the new regime of being down here, Craft Monday finally got fully realized for the first time this past Monday.  It was great - we ran errands in the morning and organized my photos, had lunch, then crafted - hardcore - for the rest of the day!  Yarbs did 3 (!!!!!) scrap layouts for me (yay!) in 4 hours - that is really amazing.

Here she is with one of the layouts.  The theme was before and after or really, old photo and now…  Very cute - she did one of us (Yarbs and I), one of Boom and I and one of my first cruise (back in 2001) and my last cruise (this year!).

I was working hard on a birthday gift for a great friend back in RIC.  Which I finished yesterday and will be sending in the mail today (and who doesn’t love to get snail mail?!) - I won’t post any photos for a few days, just in case she may be popping over to this blog and I don’t want to kill the surprise.

This year, I am really goingto try to only make gifts for people, esp. people that are important to me.  I need to use up all the supplies I have collected through the years - paper crafting, fabric stuff, etc.  I have lots of materials to use, just need to execute!

Here we are at the close of our first ever Craft Monday.  Next Monday we are doing Tag Books!  I love spending time with Yarbs - and being creative at the same time.  ‘Tis a very good thing.

Check out our first night activities here.

The next day, we went to La Jolla to check it out.

Dolphins frolicking in the ocean!

It was really quite beautiful! and the weather was unbelievable!

Boom got into town and we went to the Hotel del Coronado (or “the Del” as it is known), out on Coronado island.

Very glamorous! We then headed to an early bird dinner, as we thought Kandy A’s flight was getting in around 9pm. But there was some miscommunication and that was actually when the 2nd leg of her flight was leaving! So eventually Kandy A and Gretty got into SD - yay!

The next morning, for the 2nd morning in a row for Cubs and I, we went to the Mission for bfast. So delish! Everyone was starved, so it really hit the spot!

This is where we overheard other marathoners talking about wanting to go to the Olive Garden for dinner that night, but how the OG doesn’t take reservations… too funny! Gretty and Kandy A had the best tofu ever as part of their meal!

Then onto the race expo…

Here are the excited runners!

Since I didn’t have time to make my own sign, I at least was able to find the place where I could write on a sign. This side is for Boom, the other side (pink) was for Kandy A.

Then we met up with Gretty’s excellent friend, Kurt, who is a Navy SEAL! We headed back to The Del to let the others experience it and have some more lovely drinks.

Kurt was the instigator of getting fruity drinks… Twist our arms!

He was also kind enough to pay for all the drinks with a gift card that had been re-gifted to him. Niiiiiiice!

Cubs and Gretty stayed out that night with Kurt and his SEAL buddies - and hung as VIPs in a bar with bottle service! Those gals know how to live it up!

The next morning, I think they were hurting just a little bit. But they were good sports and got up early with me to go see Kandy A and Boom at the half way point.

Here we are on the trolly to get to the half way point. The trolly system there was very odd - buying tickets seemed to be optional, as there was no system that ensured that only people with tickets boarded the trolly.

Kandy A at the half way point - she zoomed by us really early on! (I guess that is what happens when you run a 3:25 marathon).

After that, we were waiting, and waiting, and waiting for Boom! So many green shirts - but no Boom. I was really getting worried, and rightly so.

When he gets to us, he can’t breath and really needs his puffer for his ashtma. Poor guy, ran 4 miles barely being able to breath!

After seeing him, Cubs and I dropped Gretty off at the 24 mile mark so she could run the last couple miles with Boom. We also go to see Kandy A at this point.

She definitely seemed less chipper, but who wouldn’t be?

Then Cubs and I proceeded to walk the rest of the marathon so that we could get to the finish area. This is slightly painful, as we were in jeans and flip flops and it had really warmed up. But what was worse was when we would pass folks on the course. I know how they feel and it just stinks!!!

We got to the finish area (Marine Corps recruiting depot - much nicer than we had expected!) and it was PACKED! Throngs of people. We finally wedged our way onto a fence that lined the course - and also met up with Kandy A. Kandy A and Cubs headed back to the hotel (as we needed to be checked out by noon - highly annoying), and I waited to see Boom and Gretty…

When I saw them pass me, I then made my way back to the actual finish line area. It was so crazy! So many people everywhere! I thought there would be no way in a million years that I would be able to find them. I saw them in the runners coral and I screamed and yelled to get their attention. Nada. So I then ran to where I thought they might come out, and they did. Thankfully, otherwise there would have been no way to find them!

I think that is a smile of relief, to be done! Good job, Boom! We took the trolly back and actually beat Kandy A and Cubs to the hotel room!

A post-race victory photo!

After checking out of the hotel, we headed to a beachy place called South Beach for lunch. Kurt met us there later… It was crowded and reminded us a lot of Sidewalk Cafe in Richmond.

We ate our fill, drank a little, Kandy A got picked up by her friend to spend the rest of the day together, and Boom and I needed to head to the airport. Kurt led us in a sneaky little shortcut, and Cubs and Gretty returned the rental car early (for a rebate of $100! Woot woot!).

When Boom and I landed in H-town, he said to me, “The gals haven’t even gotten on their redeye back home.” Crazy. It was a great trip with great friends. I hope we can do it again soon! I know some of the ladies are gonna sign up for the Houston marathon, which Boom is planning on doing. I may do the half or just be the cheerleader again!

Boom had been a great sport with my whole going veggie, ’cause it basically means he has to go veggie, by default, since I won’t cook meat and I am usually dealing with meals we eat in the house.  So I decided to try a recipe that Oprah used during her 21-day cleanse.  A tofu wrap - it was delish!  And it met all my criteria for a try-worthy recipe - short ingredient list and few steps to make it.

I like to dabble in veganism, but not sure I could give up eggs and butter.  This wrap is vegan and really, it was so good!  Full of flavor and just very fresh tasting.

Boom really enjoyed it as well!  It says it serves 4 for lunch, but we gobbled all of it up - the 2 of us for our dinner.  I think even non-veggies would enjoy this, or I could replace the tofu with a white fish and make spicy fish wraps!  So many possibilities!