Spring Break 2010: Texas

3/16 - Houston Rodeo and Keith Urban Concert

Sebastian and I had a wonderful time this spring break, in both Houston and San Antonio, spending time with Seb's twin Noah and his cute (pregnant) wife Laura. They are such marvelous hosts. Noah and Laura planned a fun-filled week for us! The first day we arrived, we went to the largest rodeo in the world! It was awesome! There was also a carnival going on, plus a livestock show. I ate some really delicious roasted corn and we were able to see some pretty cool cowboy stunts: bull riding, chuck wagon races, calf lassoing, and more! After the rodeo, Keith Urban performed! He was so good - running around the stadium and letting his fans touch him.

3/17 - San Jose Mission, the Alamo, and the Riverwalk

The beautiful San Jose Mission

Our gorgeous Hotel Contessa was right on the riverwalk!

On day two, we took a road trip to San Antonio. First, we stopped by the San Jose mission and had a nice little lesson on Texas history. Then, we headed into town and checked into our hotel. Our hotel, the Hotel Contessa, was located right on the river walk. The river walk was awesome! There are lots of shops and restaurants lining the river and pretty bridges spanning the water. That afternoon, we visited the Alamo (it was way too crowded to go inside) and ate at a lovely Mexican restaurant on the water. That evening, we took a tour of the river by boat. So fun!

3/18 - Sea World

Feeding the dolphins at Sea World was definitely one of the highlights of our trip! We only had to pay $5 to get a tray of fish to feed them. They were so cute and felt like rubber! I could have stayed there all day! But we had a lot to do in Sea World. We watched a show with dolphins, acrobats, and a beluga whale; we rode the raging river ride, we saw Shamu and his little 3-month-old baby whale, and so much more! The Shamu show was hilarious - we were sitting right in the splash zone, and everyone got completely drenched. I hid behind Seb, though, and he took the hit for me. Poor guy - he was so wet! The picture of Seb and I in the collage above is right after the wet show. After a full day at Sea World, we drove back to Houston.

3/19 - Houston Rocket's Game

Our last full day in Houston was spent shopping in the morning (while the boys went to the batting cages) and resting at home playing Canasta. That evening, we went to the park and played bochi ball before heading to an NBA game. Unfortunately, the Rockets lost to the Celtics, but it was still fun to be in the stadium with all of the excitement and energy (and the delicious stadium ice cream!). Noah and Seb played against some of the players from both teams while they were in high school - so that made it especially fun for them to watch.

3/20 - So Long, Texas!

Before going to the airport, Noah and Laura took us to a huge mall, and then we went out for some yummy Texas BBQ. It was a great end to a super fun vacation. Like always, I had the most fun simply spending time with family and catching up. Noah and Laura seem to being doing very well, and they made our stay so comfortable. Thank you guys! I am excited to see them again sometime this fall, after we've both had our babies. Life will be so different in just a few short months!