Enjoying Bluebonnets and More!

My little grandson among the bluebonnets

Yes, it's been a while!

I decided to come out of blogging Missing In Action-ness to post some pictures of Texas wildflowers, taken on my Easter visit to my family in the Austin area.

We actually made it toward the tail end of bluebonnet season, and many of the bluebonnet fields were being overtaken by the equally pretty orange-colored Indian paintbrush.

If you ever get a chance, go to central Texas during bluebonnet season! It's beautiful.  Enjoy the pictures.

Join the Thursday Favorite Things Bloghop at Katherine's Corner!

A Smalltown Texas Home Show

My son's family and I had some free time between soccer games last Saturday, so we decided to check out a home show in downtown Hutto, Texas.  The downtown area is charming, and the streets were filled with home-oriented businesses touting their services and offering their wares.  

Hutto's mascot is the Hippos...thus the pictures of my grandsons posed atop, alongside, or peeking into their open mouths!

The boys enjoyed posing with these handsome Hutto firefighters and checking out the fire engine display.

Spin the wheel for a prized! The boys both won nerf footballs.

I love how you can buy pretty much anything made in the shape of Texas!

Oh, How Pinteresting! 3/21/12

A quick tour of some of the cool things I've seen on Pinterest lately! (Participating in Oh, How Pinteresting! hosted by The Vintage Apple)

Does she ever look less than gorgeous?

Source: kateandwilliam-love.tumblr.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Feeling a lot of Texas love since I just returned from a visit there

Source: texas-bluebonnet-sightings.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: sweet-melody.tumblr.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: topofthepagewithleslie.blogspot.com via Cindy on Pinterest

I love this...prayer before the ceremony

Source: iloveswmag.com via Cindy on Pinterest

So true!!!

Source: Uploaded by user via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: thecurlyhairproblems.tumblr.com via Cindy on Pinterest

I'm linking up with The Vintage Apple for Oh, How Pinteresting!

Easing Back into Blogging with Miscellany Monday

Wow, I feel like I haven't blogged in ages!  If there's anyone out there still reading this blog, well, I'm back after a wonderful week visiting loved ones in Texas.

I decided to ease back into the routine by participating in a bloghop I've enjoyed in the past...Miscellany Monday, hosted by Carissa at lowercase letters.

Texas was wonderful, as always.  I got to spend time with my family members who live there, including my two sons and daughter-in-law and precious grandsons, my mom, my sister and her family, and my brother and his family.

Thanks to an extremely wet winter, the bluebonnets were already in bloom, and beautifully so!  I had planned on taking some pictures of them but never got around to it.  The lovely purplish flowers brighten everything from fields to overpasses with their beauty.

Of course, one of the joys of being in Texas was spending time with my two precious little grandsons, Payton and Josiah.  They are so much fun and so adorable.  Really, they are my heart!

My grandson Payton shows off his "Mario" costume

A true Texan, Josiah enjoys chips and salsa at Chuy's

Me with my beautiful mom and sister Lisa

So now it's back to reality and work!  Hopefully I'll step up my blogging game too.  Have a great week, everyone!

I'm participating in Miscellany Monday:

Home Again After a Wonderful Vacation

With my husband Doug, celebrating our 33rd wedding anniversary while on vacation in Texas

If you happened to notice that my blogging has been a bit sparse in the past couple of weeks, you'd be right! I was gone for two weeks to one of the hottest, driest places in the country--central Texas, the Austin area.

No matter what the weather is, that area draws me like a magnet because there are a lot of people I love there--including my two sons and daughter-in-law, my two little grandsons, my mother, my sister and her family, and my brother's family (he is currently out of the country.)

While there, my husband and I celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary surrounded by loved ones. We ate at an amazing BBQ place called The Salt Lick, then had cake and ice cream at my mom's house.

I thought I'd share a few pics from our visit to the Lone Star State--one of my favorite places in the world!

My daughter Elizabeth (l) and niece Katie at the Hula Hut in Austin--AWESOME restaurant!

My grandsons, Payton and Josiah, enjoying a splash park--a fun way to beat the heat!

My plate at The Salt Lick in Round Rock. I wish I had this in front of me RIGHT NOW!

My wonderful sister Lisa and her husband David with Doug and me at The Salt Lick. My sisters are my best friends!

Can you stand another foodie pic? This was my stuffed avocado at The Hula Hut in Austin--words fail to adequately describe its scrumptuosness!

My son Justin and his nephew, my little grandson Payton--they're great buddies!

My husband with our precious little grandsons, Josiah and Payton. They. Are. My. HEART.

Thursday 13: Thirteen Things I Like about Texas

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No, I don't live there, but I would if I could! Here are 13 things I like about Texas...

1) The fact that several of my dearest loved ones live there.

2) The fact that it was the birthplace of my two grandchildren.

3) The fact that Texans are so proud of their state, you can get just about anything, from tortilla chips to lawn ornaments, in the shape of the Lone Star State.

4) Texas accents. They are different from other southern accents...a fact that the producers of the show, "Dallas," never seemed to catch on to. Texas girls do NOT talk like Southern belles.

5) Round Rock Donuts--IMHO, better than Krispy Kremes.

6) Tex-Mex food. Amazing.

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7) The fact that criminals should know that Texas is NOT a good place to be convicted of murdering someone.

8) The way that most Texans don't feel the need to be politically correct.

9) Bluebonnets. Breathtaking when they're in full bloom.

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10) Dillard's. Another thing we don't have in Illinois.

11) Austin. A very cool city.

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12) The fact that I can go there in January and wear summer clothes.

13) Dr. Pepper. Yep, it originated in Waco, Texas. Someday I'm going to make it to that Dr. Pepper Museum!

Go here to participate in Thursday Thirteen!