www.4-year-old-fun.com

Liam's new favorite past time...

Taste of Texas

Say what you will about the woes of Houston, Dallasites, I believe that our fellow Texans to the south and east of us have us beat in the culinary arts division by a long shot.  Whether it's bistro dining at the Black Walnut Cafe, Mexican-grill fare at the Red Onion, or decadent desserts at The Chocolate Bar, Houstonians host superior dining options.  And for steak, Taste of Texas, is a hands-down winner.

Grandma and Grandpa volunteered to babysit the kiddos on Saturday night, so Debby, Jeff, Jon, and I could go on a double-date to Taste of Texas.  We arrived early--5:00--and still waited over an hour for a table.  The complimentary drinks, quiche, cheese, crackers, chips, salsa, and popcorn (random) and no fussing, fighting, and fidgeting children to contend with quickly passed the time.

Soon enough "91" flashed on the screens, and as we entered the restaurant, the smell of meat permeated the air, rousing the carnivore within me.  Our waiter, Johnston, became a friend in a few short minutes.  We all picked our steaks; the boys added seafood to theirs.  The salad and bread bar that my Mom had raved about lived up her accolades.  Then the sizzling, juicy stars of the show arrived, bubbling in all their lemon pepper and herb-ed butter glory.  Best.Steak.Ever.  So tender.  Perfectly grilled.  Delicious!

We couldn't leave without celebrating Jeff's upcoming birthday!  The Snickers cheesecake was pretty amazing, too.
If you're not a vegetarian, pollo-vegetarian, or vegan and find yourself in Houston, do your taste buds a favor and experience delicious steak dinner at Taste of Texas.

40 Years

Roe v. Wade

January 22, 1973.

40 years.

55 million babies.

I think about my three little ones.

Each one of them are so precious to me.

 Each baby so unique and special.

Crafted by the Father's hand.

55 million beings.

So loved by the God who created them. 

Treasures.

Perfectly planned.

Perfectly formed in His image.

55 million beautiful, tiny souls.

 

The Houston Zoo, Of Course.

We started our weekend in Houston with a trip to the zoo on a beautiful Saturday morning with Grandma and Grandpa.  A very appropriate place for our crew to land, I'd say.

Liam's Sheepy

This little stuffed sheep has...
received thousand of cuddles from his biggest fan,
traveled all over the Western Hemisphere,
lulled a little guy to sleep night after night,
weathered from bright white to cherished gray,
comforted a sick little man during flu season,
soared through the air in games of catch,
waited in the car for his owner to return,
worn maple syrup and ranch dressing,
tumbled in the dryer again and again, and
celebrated birthdays, holidays, and last days of school.
This little stuffed sheep has been
well-loved by Liam for over four years...so far.

Little Girls' Day Out

 Debby and Avonlea are here visiting this weekend, so we took the girls to the museum this afternoon, and the party continued into the evening with dinner at Chuck E. Cheese.  They loved spending the day with each other!

While the girls were in Fort Worth, Jon and Liam had a fun time doing boy stuff that involved eating, toy shopping, and Star Wars.

Winter Break Reminiscing

Back to reality today after two glorious weeks off of school.  Here are some random pictures from Winter Break of our trips to the museum with friends, big-girl-bed initiation, popcorn and movie nights, and sleeping Marin...just because.  Also worth noting, the kiddos deserve a big THANK YOU  from Mama and Daddy for sleeping in until almost eight every morning (and, YES, that is sleeping in around our house!).