Trip to Houston

I know, I know, I still have to finish up my photos and stories from our California trip. HOWEVER, I am cramming a lot of little trips in before I leave Omaha, and I am trying to get those blogged as well. So, they may not be quite in order. You’ll forgive me, right? After we returned home from California, I decided that would be the best time to squeeze in a quick trip down to Houston to see my parents and my brother and his family. I was hoping that I would be able to see the bluebonnets again this year, but every year is different, and I missed the Houston area blooms by a couple of weeks. I did, however, get to squeeze in a lot of quality family time in the few days I was there.

One of the big reasons I wanted to go at this time was to celebrate my mom’s 77th birthday! I don’t think she’ll mind me mentioning her age because after you turn 70, I think each year is a reason to brag! We picked up my dad from his memory care facility to join us for dinner to celebrate. I told my dad who I was and I was standing right in front of him. He started to stand and lean in and hug me, but there was a woman with a much darker complexion that me standing to my right and he was aiming his hug at her, so I swept in and hugged him before he surprised her. My dad just doesn’t see very well. He had to be reminded who I was a few times. It is all very hit or miss, which is hard. I had the wait staff sing happy birthday to my mom in the restaurant. As soon as they started singing, my dad started singing right along with them, which was so sweet. When we dropped him off back at his place, I gave him a hug and told him to tell his wife, “Happy Birthday.” He said, “Okay. I will when I see her!” She was standing right next to me and had just given him a kiss goodbye. Thus is life with my dad. We chuckle about it because it would be really sad if we dwelled on it. He seems to be content and after 3 months of care in the memory care facility, he is somewhat getting into a schedule where he is. He is much more social and spends very little time alone in his room, which I think is good. My mom is able to do the events she likes to do with her church groups and can now quilt all day if she feels like.

My brother, Craig, and his wife, Mayra, have two kiddos: Alex (12.5) and Emily Jo (4 months). I got to spend good time with both of them! Alex plays the tuba and had a band competition while I was there. Mom and I went with Mayra to a local high school to hear them compete. They sounded really good! They ended up in first place! I also got to watch Alex play a basketball game. He played soccer for a very long time and now he has a new passion….and it is one I am relatively fluent in. It was great to watch him play. Mayra and Mom and I tried to find some bluebonnets but didn’t seem to have any luck, so we ended up in the botanical gardens in Houston. I took a bunch of photos of Emily Jo there before she conked out. I also got to sit in the back seat with her and entertain her and feed her bottles as we drove around. I have lots of photos on my camera, but they will be for Craig and Mayra and family. Here are a few photos of my whirlwind 4 day trip to Houston from my phone. Love that Mayra, Emily Jo and I were all in stripes! Totally unplanned! My absolute favorite photo is of my mom and dad walking out of the memory care center, hand-in-hand. They will have been married 55 years in just a few short months. He can’t tell you her name….and sometimes even his, but he loves her so very much and just wants to spend time with her. She has cared for him for the last few years during his mental decline. This is true love in a quick snapshot.