the baby burgs

June 2013- On my recent trip to NOLA (more on that in another blog post) I finally got to meet my my sister's twins: The Baby Burgs, also known as Maggie & Quinn Schaumburg!  Brazos sometimes calls them Maggie & Ken or Max & Ruby, but whatever, I've called them the Baby Burgs since the minute I found out Emily was having twins.  And I was secretly hoping they'd move out to the suburbs of NOLA so their birth announcement could read "Two New Burgs in the Burb", but I'm kinda dorky like that.

Here's the one I designed for them instead (I didn't take the pics):

I of course took my camera along on my trip and look how much they've changed!

 So much fun spending a couple days with them and can't wait till they come visit me in Texas!

rice {crispy}

August 2012-  At the end of this road is a field where they harvest rice.

Except on this day it didn't go quite as planned.

This brand new combine had burned up just before we arrived.  

What a sad sight to see.

It had a full tank of diesel (probably 300 gallons) which contributed to such a large fire.

Even the tires burned up.

A total loss.

How sad.

At the time we were there they thought it might have been a bearing that went out and started the fire.

The insurance company was notified and a replacement combine was promised by week's end.

This is was the cab, still smoldering.

And yes, they did have a fire extinguisher on board but the fire was too far gone by the time they noticed it.  

who says you can't go home?

August 2012- I took the boys to stay for a week (well, almost a week) at my parents.  We've been putting this off for Pecos because he's not the type of child to just go somewhere and stay.  And Louisiana is just too darn far for me to drive to go pick him up when he gets homesick.  I've never wanted to force this on him because it just didn't feel right for his personality.  But I started talking to him about it in the spring and by early summer he decided he wanted to go.  Brazos went too, unlike Pecos he has the attitude to just go.  Plus with Pecos there to be a familiar face for him I wasn't too worried about him.  

We needed to be in College Station for a few meetings so that was a nice break in a long trip.  Casey came back to Harper to work on a few projects while I went to LA with the river boys.  They are both very attached to their daddy and I didn't want a meltdown from them when it was time for us to leave if he came along.

In addition to riding combines that were cutting rice fields, and meeting Cousin Ellis, the boys had lots of fun with MiMi and Paw Paw.  

Feeding sheep in Paw Paw's barn:

The hole in this fence panel is still there from when I was a kid.  When I was showing lambs we had one that just wouldn't brace or work with us.  We cut this panel so we could tie his halter higher up then his nose and face fit perfectly in it.  After a few days he was working for us great and we went on to many class winnings.  

This is the radio that we had in our barn to play music all night.  The intent was to keep coyotes and any other predators away with the noise.  I couldn't believe it was still there, frozen in time.

Bedtime book reading with MiMi:

Mini golf with Uncle Eric and Ellis, which may have been the only game of mini golf that Eric has ever lost!

Gattiland for games and pizza.  I don't think my dad has eaten pizza for the last ten years and he had it twice in one week with the boys.  He didn't seem to mind.

Checking out Gumbeaux Gator at Boudin King:

Holding baby alligators at the Gator Chateau in Jennings:

By the end of the week I think the river boys had worn them out!

ellis meets the river boys

August 2012- We finally found time to get our boys over to Louisiana to meet their cousin Ellis whom we've heard so many great things about.  So in addition to going to spend a week at MiMi and Paw Paw's house, meeting cousin Ellis and spending an afternoon with Uncle Eric & Aunt Shellie was also on the agenda.  We arrived fresh from our visit to Aggieland.  

Uncle Eric got a lesson in front end loaders and other tractor subjects from Brazos.

At some point we were talking about how blue Brazos' eyes were and I asked him to show me his eyes so I could take a picture.  This is what he did.  I have a hunch this sort of behavior from him will never end.  

Pecos tried out the Bumbo seat.

And then held the Bumbo, I mean baby that goes in the Bumbo seat.  

We had so much fun spending the day with Eric, Shellie and Ellis.  He is a great baby and put up with us all afternoon.  Thanks for the delicious dinner and we can't wait to go back!

MiMi and Paw Paw with the three grandsons.  Soon we'll be adding two more boy? or girl? or one of each? Schaumburg babies to this picture.

{cajun} seafood medley

May 2012- When my parents came for Brazos' birthday party they brought these with them.  

It is sort of an unwritten law that they can't cross the state line to visit me in May without them.

These too.

Even though the night before a birthday party at our house really isn't the best time to boil crawfish we do it anyway.  

MiMi and Pecos playing with the live crawfish.

After Pecos saw Paw Paw get pinched, it took a bit of coaxing to get him to hold one.

The crabs were so cold they hardly moved so it was a bit easier to get him to pick up one.

A few of my favorite Cajuns...and a cowboy.

This is what we devoured.

Pecos loved the crabs.  But he can't exactly crack and pick them himself.  We're going to have to work on that.

Brazos loved the corn.  

Paw Paw just loved being here.

Meanwhile, in the back yard the smoke monster was raging and working wonders on a brisket for the birthday party.  This is a true fusion of my two worlds.