All smiles and giggles…and growing!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Snips and snails and…boots
Apparently my boys love boots. Jackson has wanted to put on his cowboy boots any chance he can get (out of school) since he got them. And Charlie…well…Charlie seems obsessed with his rain boots. He says: “boots” all the time. The other day I put him down for a nap and removed his tennis shoes. When I got him up, he had found his rain boots and they were on!
I love the following picture. Jackson is “helping” Charlie (with no pants on?) up the tree. As a side note…I found my first tick on Charlie soon after. One of the charms of living in the Midwest. Anyway…pull up your boots! The Lewallen boys are in town!
Three of a Kind
I wasn't exactly “planning” on having three boys…but now that they are here I love it! They love each other so much and I love watching them play together. Since Charlie and Henry are both still in diapers, I normally change them at the same time. They look at each other and giggle.
Jackson and Charlie are a hoot! Those two have entirely too much fun. Whether it is making a “vehicle” out of cardboard boxes and driving each other around, or stirring up pretend potions in our backyard in their respective boots – those two are having the time of their lives and I’m just happy to be around to see it!
Cheers!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Arizona Biltmore
Spending all day in the hot dusty sun, we were ready to kick off our cowboy boots and relax! We headed to our final destination -- Phoenix Arizona. Brian was speaking at a CLE at the Arizona Biltmore. http://www.arizonabiltmore.com/. The Resort is gorgeous. We essentially went from the wild west to 1930's Great Gatsby style. I loved everything about the resort from the Frank Lloyd Wright inspired architecture, the manicured lawns and beautiful gardens, the incredible pools to the myriad of activities for families. We particularly enjoyed playing checkers/chess in the garden and roasting marshmellows for the s'mores at night.
While Brian presented at the CLE, the boys and I enjoyed our morning walks around the Biltmore Estates. The "Estates" are mansions located around the golf course. Each mansion looked different, but they were all meticulously maintained and had beautiful gardens. Apparently roses grow quite well in Arizona (as opposed to Illinois). I loved looking and smelling all the roses along our walk. It reminded me of my rose garden in Washington.
After our walks we would head to the pool. Jackson made a lot of new friends. The main pool area had three pools -- one with a big slide, one by the cabana bar and another pool with a hot tub. Surrounding the pools were private cabanas complete with misting water to keep the guests cool.
Eventually the boys got tired and we'd go back to the room to clean up and get ready for dinner. The first night we ate at Frank and Alberts on the resort. The garden chess board was right next to our outdoor table, so the boys played while we waited for our food. Jackson actually played the games, but Charlie had a ball kicking the pieces and running around like a maniac. Henry, thank goodness, is still in the "purse stage" and isn't mobile -- yet.
After dinner we walked the grounds. The Arizona Biltmore is quite charming. Lights are strung on the trees, fire pits are lit, and people settle into the Adirondack chairs, which surround the main fountain, and sip their glasses of wine while people watching. The boys made s'mores and took a few bags of popcorn back up to the room for a late night snack.
I loved the Arizona Biltmore. I only wish we had more time! I would love to go back (with or without the kids) to play tennis, hike up Camelback Mountain, shop and spend more time in the sun.
Enjoy the pictures!
Henry-- all smiles to be in the sun -- and out of the car!
A view of our wing of the resort. Note the chairs lining the garden/fountain area.
Jackson and mommy in the evening by the fountain.
Jackson with some roses on our walk through the Biltmore Estates.
Some of the gardens at the Arizona Bilmore.
Jackson and Henry in the gardens -- I love them in blue!
Jackson, Charlie and Henry.
Mommy and her boys.
Enjoying a stroll in the gardens.
Playing chess/checkers.
Jackson -- check mate!
Nightly s'mores.
Jackson by the slide at night.
Charlie relaxing poolside with his "nite nite" (blanket from Grandma).
Jackson and Charlie. They would stroll around the pools once or twice a day "chit chatting" with everyone. My kids have never met a stranger.
Waiting for dinner at Frank and Alberts. A band was playing outside and Jackson asked me to dance. We had a wonderful evening.
Mommy and her boys!
Sadly, our trip had to come to an end. We spent our Sunday and Monday driving 2/3 of the county to get back to Peoria -- a feat nonetheless with three kids, two of which are under 2. While we originally had planned to stop off at the Grand Canyon, we opted to save that experience for another time -- perhaps when we have more time. We made it from Phoenix to Amarillo, Texas on Sunday (arriving at midnight). On Monday, we traveled another 13 hours through Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois. We hit St. Louis at sunset. The arch was lit up in the sun's pink light. It was very pretty.
All said: 8 days, 6 states, 5 hotels, 3 time zones and 3939.2 miles! What a great trip!
We saw a lot of country. Brian and I both agree that the drive through Missouri is probably the prettiest. I would say that the drive through Oklahoma is my least favorite, although there is a stretch of I-10 through Southern Texas, which is relatively boring as well. One thing is sure -- this is a BIG country with a lot of land. There is no shortage.
We love our road trips. We have more planned! Perhaps a drive through New England in the fall? For now...a trip from Illinois to Washington is more likely. Now back to planning!
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While Brian presented at the CLE, the boys and I enjoyed our morning walks around the Biltmore Estates. The "Estates" are mansions located around the golf course. Each mansion looked different, but they were all meticulously maintained and had beautiful gardens. Apparently roses grow quite well in Arizona (as opposed to Illinois). I loved looking and smelling all the roses along our walk. It reminded me of my rose garden in Washington.
After our walks we would head to the pool. Jackson made a lot of new friends. The main pool area had three pools -- one with a big slide, one by the cabana bar and another pool with a hot tub. Surrounding the pools were private cabanas complete with misting water to keep the guests cool.
Eventually the boys got tired and we'd go back to the room to clean up and get ready for dinner. The first night we ate at Frank and Alberts on the resort. The garden chess board was right next to our outdoor table, so the boys played while we waited for our food. Jackson actually played the games, but Charlie had a ball kicking the pieces and running around like a maniac. Henry, thank goodness, is still in the "purse stage" and isn't mobile -- yet.
After dinner we walked the grounds. The Arizona Biltmore is quite charming. Lights are strung on the trees, fire pits are lit, and people settle into the Adirondack chairs, which surround the main fountain, and sip their glasses of wine while people watching. The boys made s'mores and took a few bags of popcorn back up to the room for a late night snack.
I loved the Arizona Biltmore. I only wish we had more time! I would love to go back (with or without the kids) to play tennis, hike up Camelback Mountain, shop and spend more time in the sun.
Enjoy the pictures!
Henry-- all smiles to be in the sun -- and out of the car!
A view of our wing of the resort. Note the chairs lining the garden/fountain area.
Jackson and mommy in the evening by the fountain.
Jackson with some roses on our walk through the Biltmore Estates.
Some of the gardens at the Arizona Bilmore.
Jackson and Henry in the gardens -- I love them in blue!
Jackson, Charlie and Henry.
Mommy and her boys.
Enjoying a stroll in the gardens.
Playing chess/checkers.
Jackson -- check mate!
Nightly s'mores.
Jackson by the slide at night.
Charlie relaxing poolside with his "nite nite" (blanket from Grandma).
Jackson and Charlie. They would stroll around the pools once or twice a day "chit chatting" with everyone. My kids have never met a stranger.
Waiting for dinner at Frank and Alberts. A band was playing outside and Jackson asked me to dance. We had a wonderful evening.
Mommy and her boys!
Sadly, our trip had to come to an end. We spent our Sunday and Monday driving 2/3 of the county to get back to Peoria -- a feat nonetheless with three kids, two of which are under 2. While we originally had planned to stop off at the Grand Canyon, we opted to save that experience for another time -- perhaps when we have more time. We made it from Phoenix to Amarillo, Texas on Sunday (arriving at midnight). On Monday, we traveled another 13 hours through Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Illinois. We hit St. Louis at sunset. The arch was lit up in the sun's pink light. It was very pretty.
All said: 8 days, 6 states, 5 hotels, 3 time zones and 3939.2 miles! What a great trip!
We saw a lot of country. Brian and I both agree that the drive through Missouri is probably the prettiest. I would say that the drive through Oklahoma is my least favorite, although there is a stretch of I-10 through Southern Texas, which is relatively boring as well. One thing is sure -- this is a BIG country with a lot of land. There is no shortage.
We love our road trips. We have more planned! Perhaps a drive through New England in the fall? For now...a trip from Illinois to Washington is more likely. Now back to planning!
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Tombstone
After visiting San Antonio, we drove I-10 all the way to Las Cruces, New Mexico. We stopped off at a designer boot store in El Paso, Texas and mommy got a pair of "cowgirl" boots. We tried to find Jackson a pair, but they didn't have his size. Needless to say...he was devastated. However, the next day we visited Tombstone, Arizona and found a pair of cowboy boots for Jackson. Crisis averted! http://www.cityoftombstone.com/
In Tombstone, the boys got to visit the old western town complete with shootouts, saloons and wagons. Jackson showed off his new boots to passersby and Charlie had a blast checking out the statues of Indians and Cowboys.
We arrived in town at the perfect time. There was a shootout at the OK Corral with Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday and their gang fighting Billy the Kid and his gang. While watching the shootout in town, Charlie yelled out: "Ow" and "Oh No!" as the men eventually fell to the ground dying. The only ones left standing were Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday as they scooped up their fellow compatriots and headed to the infirmary for medical attention.
We went into Big Nose Kate's saloon for lunch. This was the saloon where Vernon Earp (Wyatt's brother) was killed after a poker game went bad. There was a piano player that LOVED Charlie and it had the longest, cherrywood, hand-carved bar in the Western US. There were cowboys and authentic townsfolk sitting about us "foreigners" as we ate our meal. We felt like we were actually in the 1800s! It was amazing.
Henry spent most of his time taking a little cowboy nap. The trip to Tombstone was definitely worth the trip! We all had a great time.
Jackson with the Earp/Holiday gang! Doc is far left and Wyatt is third from the left.
Walking down Main Street. Thankfully the "High Noon" shootout was already over.
Charlie grooving to the music at Big Nose Kate's Saloon.
Lunch for the cowboy at Big Nose Kate's
Outlaw Charlie "Fast Foot" Lewallen caught alive for a reward of $1000.00. Escaped 10 minutes later and is still at large. Warning this outlaw is considered dangerous and will spill paint with reckless abandon.
Jackson loving his new boots with gold tips.
In Tombstone, the boys got to visit the old western town complete with shootouts, saloons and wagons. Jackson showed off his new boots to passersby and Charlie had a blast checking out the statues of Indians and Cowboys.
We arrived in town at the perfect time. There was a shootout at the OK Corral with Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday and their gang fighting Billy the Kid and his gang. While watching the shootout in town, Charlie yelled out: "Ow" and "Oh No!" as the men eventually fell to the ground dying. The only ones left standing were Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday as they scooped up their fellow compatriots and headed to the infirmary for medical attention.
We went into Big Nose Kate's saloon for lunch. This was the saloon where Vernon Earp (Wyatt's brother) was killed after a poker game went bad. There was a piano player that LOVED Charlie and it had the longest, cherrywood, hand-carved bar in the Western US. There were cowboys and authentic townsfolk sitting about us "foreigners" as we ate our meal. We felt like we were actually in the 1800s! It was amazing.
Henry spent most of his time taking a little cowboy nap. The trip to Tombstone was definitely worth the trip! We all had a great time.
Jackson with the Earp/Holiday gang! Doc is far left and Wyatt is third from the left.
Walking down Main Street. Thankfully the "High Noon" shootout was already over.
Charlie grooving to the music at Big Nose Kate's Saloon.
Lunch for the cowboy at Big Nose Kate's
Outlaw Charlie "Fast Foot" Lewallen caught alive for a reward of $1000.00. Escaped 10 minutes later and is still at large. Warning this outlaw is considered dangerous and will spill paint with reckless abandon.
Jackson loving his new boots with gold tips.
Grandpa Saunders
While in San Antonio, we headed to the northside of the city to see Brian's grandpa. He's 93 years old but looks and acts like he is 80 at the most. He works out 4 days a week, still drives, keeps an immaculate house and dresses great (his shoes are spit shined perfectly).
We spent some time at his home and then headed to The Barn Door for dinner. Great authentic Tex-Mex fare. My steak salad was perfect and the fresh baked dinner rolls were a big hit for Jackson and Charlie.
Jackson was really thankful to see his great-grandfather. I was thrilled to talk to him - he was charasmatic about many stories from his life. We sat back and listened to him talk about his life in the Air Force and flying bombers in WWII. He shared great stories about life in Madrid, Spain (where he saw Ernest Hemingway at a bullfight) and flying in the Berlin Airlift. His eyes lit up when we asked questions about when he met grandma (Marie - who passed about 15 years ago). They met at a dance in Concord, MA on New Years Eve. He didn't know why he went to the dance that night - but was sure glad that he did!
Grandpa shared a brillant story about taking his family on a vacation through the French Alps one year. His Packard blew a piston rod shortly into the Alps. They were stranded in an isolated, small french town while the local "service station" mailed away for a new rod (back to the US). Two weeks later - the rod arrived and the car was fixed! It was news for the entire town that a mechanic was able to fix an American car in his garage. Grandpa herded the kids back in the car and headed directly back to Spain. So much for a French vacation!
Texas hats and horns
After spending the night and morning at the Great Wolf Lodge, we geared up for a "quick" ride down to San Antonio. Henry was ready with his cowboy hat!
We also enjoyed seeing the longhorned cows!
We also enjoyed seeing the longhorned cows!
The Alamo 2010
We had a great time visiting the Alamo. The boys loved running around and looking at the cactus, the cannons, Bowie knives, short-stock single barreled muskets and all things "boy". We visited the "Six Flags" monument of the Alamo - which gives the name to the Six Flags amusement park. Jackson really liked looking at all the old copper and tin keys that opened all the doors throughout the compound. We treated the boys with a couple of Texas Ranger badges at the end of our visit.
http://www.thealamo.org/history.html
Jackson inspecting the cannons. At one point Jackson was at one end and Charlie at the other and they were yelling into the cannon. Hilarious.
We got the whole family in the picture, however, the top of the Alamo was cut off.
Jackson, mommy and Charlie at the Alamo.
Jackson and Charlie had so much fun running up and down a side corridor that connected the Alamo to the main garden.
Texas is a proud State -- you see the Texas Star on just about everything.
Jackson appeard to be more impressed with the cactus than the Alamo!
Charlie with his Davy Crockett hat on. Too cute!
http://www.thealamo.org/history.html
Jackson inspecting the cannons. At one point Jackson was at one end and Charlie at the other and they were yelling into the cannon. Hilarious.
We got the whole family in the picture, however, the top of the Alamo was cut off.
Jackson, mommy and Charlie at the Alamo.
Jackson and Charlie had so much fun running up and down a side corridor that connected the Alamo to the main garden.
Texas is a proud State -- you see the Texas Star on just about everything.
Jackson appeard to be more impressed with the cactus than the Alamo!
Charlie with his Davy Crockett hat on. Too cute!
San Antonio--Riverwalk, Hotel and Mercado
From Dallas our next stop on our spring break road trip was San Antonio. The four hour drive took us through Burleson, Texas (My mom's maiden name is Burleson) as well as Waco, Texas, where Grandpa Frank Burleson grew up.
Upon reaching San Antonio, we found our hotel: El Tropicano. The hotel, located on the famous Riverwalk, was straight out of the 1950's. It was so retro that it was back in style again! http://www.eltropicanohotel.com/
After a walk along the Riverwalk, we headed to El Mercado (San Antonio's Historic Market District) for some authentic Mexican food. We ate at the famous Mi Tierra restaurant. Any president visiting this city eats here at least once - and there is a wall of fame to prove it. The boys had a blast looking at all the decorations, listening to the live mariachi music and taking in the wonderful smells of fresh baked sweets. http://www.mitierracafe.com/
We walked back to the hotel along the Riverwalk and enjoyed a late night swim in our swanky hotel pool.
Upon reaching San Antonio, we found our hotel: El Tropicano. The hotel, located on the famous Riverwalk, was straight out of the 1950's. It was so retro that it was back in style again! http://www.eltropicanohotel.com/
After a walk along the Riverwalk, we headed to El Mercado (San Antonio's Historic Market District) for some authentic Mexican food. We ate at the famous Mi Tierra restaurant. Any president visiting this city eats here at least once - and there is a wall of fame to prove it. The boys had a blast looking at all the decorations, listening to the live mariachi music and taking in the wonderful smells of fresh baked sweets. http://www.mitierracafe.com/
We walked back to the hotel along the Riverwalk and enjoyed a late night swim in our swanky hotel pool.
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