Hamburgers and French Fries

So this post is mostly for mom- so here are the pics! When I saw these I just HAD to try them. Luckily Katie was very obliging to have a birthday at just the right time! So I made a bunch for her and her friends, and despite a few flaws, I think they turned out pretty dang cute! (update: these are cupcake/brownie/cookie treats...and don't think that if you make them you can stop yourself from snacking along the way - believe me I tried but to no avail!)



My favorite part is that we served them in the 50's diner! It SO fits the hamburger and fries theme! LOVE it!



Very Tasty! Actually a little too tasty.

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

So I'm not sure how kosher this is, sharing other blogs. But I'm a not-for-profit organization (although if you wanted to give me money for reading my blog I definitely wouldn't object). But I have to share. This website is, I think, my new favorite in the whole world (besides Twitter during the Tour). If you scroll to the bottom right, my favorite place to start is "Literal LOL's"...then just go from there. It's awesome, I swear and you'll laugh until the water you're drinking starts coming out your nose...um...no, not ME! I wouldn't do that! Someone else woiuld do that. Everyone else! You will!

Where to start...

Kelly and Emily came by for the weekend (do you like how that sounds all casual..."they stopped by"...like it didn't take an airplane ride and a lot of planning just to get them here and keep them entertained. Yeah - it takes a lot to entertain them.)
So Thursday we went to Schlitterbaun - the largest waterpark in the world. I believe the hype. I also am very glad we started in ghetto Schlitterbaun (the original park) with ghetto tubes that stain your swimsuit black whenever you carry them. Why, you ask, am I glad we started there? Because once we got to the other parks, the lines got HUGE and we were able to feel like we didn't waste our time standing in line forever for a single ride. That night we had a very late night delivery dinner and zonked off pretty quick.

Since we were near San Antonio, we just stayed down there and got up nice and early the next morning to hit the Alamo. Em and Kelly had never seen it so it was a good piece of history.
Making wishes in the wishing pond. Any guesses on what I wished for? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Rancid squirrel. Yuck

Yeah...ummm...hmmmm

Emily and I. Obviously.


We then explored everything there, enjoyed a pleasant afternoon and lunch on the river walk until it was time to head back.

Oh - we stopped for a quick looksie at the rodeo queen hats. Yeah - we ARE that cool!


After San Antonio, we decided to return via the Snake Farm. That's right - the Snake Farm.


This podunk little "zoo" filled with snakes, reptiles of all types, ROUS's (Rodents of unusual size)

...and a variety of animals...many who were in a rather amourous mood. If you know what I mean. Right. Awkward. It got pretty hot so we had some Italian ices and enjoyed them while enjoying the company of other all the other animals. Like this giant turkey, who decided to take a seat next to me. Or under me...or whatever.

I think this looks like a Dabbit. Or a Reer. A rabbit Deer. I have no idea what it was.

I did, however, know what these are. There were four of these gigantigus snakes. We held them, and they started wrapping around our necks and almost strangled us...Okay okay - that's not true. They stayed very obediently behind their glass wall and never once tried to kill us. I promise!!

Kelly at the petting zoo. We didn't buy her a bag of feed so it took some work to get the animals to let her pet them. But eventually this little guy held still for her



After returning to Austin, we rounded out the day by having real downhome Texas BBQ where Emily, in her attempt to have a "light" meal, somehow ordered the biggest plate of food I think I've ever seen.



Me, under the talking Longhorn. It did - it really talked. I swear it's not just in my imagination! Ask Kelly and Emily!


After that, we visited the Cupcake trailor (I guess you'll have to visit Emily's blog for a picture until I steal one of hers) and the rest of South Congress (that's a street. Very long, very cool). Then on our way home, we just happened to have the most perfect timing. We passed the Bat Bridge and everyone was gathering. We decided to quickly park and run over to the bridge to see a gazillion bats fly out from under the bridge. I know - why?, right? I have no idea. It's a total tourist attraction that I'm still trying to figure out.

Can you see the bats? I thought the whole sky would be black. But there still were a lot of bats


Saturday we had a leisurely morning swimming (again - you'll have to refer to Emily's blog until I steal her pictures) followed by a fun movie at the Alamo Drafthouse and then some chill time just hanging and talking at home. Oh yeah, and Yogurt Planet, some window shopping and some souvenir shopping. Then we headed to The Oasis - a famous restuarant. The thing is, you're supposed to go to the Oasis to watch the Sunset. That's what makes this restaurant cool. And about 5,000 other people also think it's cool to go there on a Saturday night.

So we spent a lovely evening watching the Sunset with about a gazillion other people. And yes - there was applause when it was over.

I think that was a first - but it shouldn't be the last. I often feel like applauding after a beautiful sunset. I vote we do it every time we watch one. Who's with me?


I am turning into Mikayla - I cry every time people leave me. I'm getting very tired of saying goodbye. But thanks for coming you guys!!! I miss everyone back home and I'll see you soon!!

Side Note

For those of you who are wondering more about this crazy place I live in - this is a view of the back of the house from the perspective of the pool (which is being built). If you look on the left hand side, bottom of the Turret - those are my living room windows. The upper windows of the turret are the Master Bathroom's shower...just for some perspective.

From the front

Goodbye Kimi! I'm really gonna miss....Bailey!!

What? Excuse me Mikayla?? You're going to miss the DOG? And not even MY dog! My boss's dog! Sigh....

So I took the girls for the weekend (in case you hadn't guessed) and we had a pretty entertaining weekend all in all. But sometimes I would just start cracking up over the things these too would say! When Mikayla left, she was all teary..."Bye Kimi" she said. "I'm really going to miss...Bailey." And I said "And who else?"..."And Katie and Emily", and Melissa said, "And Kimi", and she said "oh yeah...sniff...".

So anyhow, Melissa and Grant needed a babysitter on Friday so Melissa brought the girls to me early in the day. We went to Harry Potter since I was going with work peeps anyway (I know - rough life).

Savannah, Mikayla and I getting ready to watch the Movie.



Savannah did great and enjoyed the movie. Mikayla (and therefore me) did not have such a fantastic time. That girl is antsy and I think ADD. Of course it was a 2 1/2 hr movie so I can kind of understand, but it was all I could do to keep her semi-quiet. And Melissa swears she saves her appetite for when she's at my house - she was starving all through the movie poor kid! I gave her 4 cereal bars (hers and Savannahs) plus the sandwich I made her. And still - "hungry"...

After getting turned around a few times trying to get home (yes, I'm still getting lost here. It's very disorientating not to have Mountains so you can see which way you're going. I spin a lot of circles). Anyway, we went to the store for food, got a treat, had lunch and then went out that evening for frozen yogurt. On the way out, we found this great fountain with spouting, or spitting water. At first the girls just wanted to put their feet in...


But very quickly that dissolved into getting completely soaked. It's so hot though, that I was happy to let them in. In fact, I was a little jealous that I was in jeans and unable to join them.




Not sure why they wanted to watch another movie - even Mikalya - but we ended the evening by watching Beverly Hills Chihuahua in "your boss's movie theater" (according to Mikalya, everything is "your boss's...which is correct - but still it's so funny that she says it every time!)

Saturday we slept in, watched the Tour de France (which the girls were surprisingly very interested in), took Bailey on a long walk (from which she is finally recovering I think. Even though I took her plenty of water, when we got back she literally flopped down on her belly, legs spread out at all angles and panted like she was dying!)

It was so hot, the girls were begging to get wet again, so we put on their swimsuits and headed back up to the water spouts where they proceeded to play for hours and hours - making new friends and getting WAY cooler than they had a right to (considering I was there, broiling but way too adult to get in with them).



After going home and getting cleaned up, we headed to my Stake Pioneer Day activity where Mikayla once again showed her huge appetite as she finishes her hotdog, chips and pretzels, watermelon, snow cone and two pieces of cake...


Savannah stuck with mostly watermelon. This was her for about half the dinner.,,


And Mikayla really wanted to do the primary children parade and Savannah decided to accompany her - very reluctantly. I didn't have costumes for them, but as Savannah pointed out, at least they both had "Pioneer braids" in their hair!



When we got home, we read more of A Little Princess (which we started friday) and even had time to watch some...wait for it...CARE BEARS!!!

Sunday - thanks to the braids, their hair was super easy and we found ourselves with a little extra time before church to just hang out (and with 9AM church - I consider that a minor miracle. After church we did our puzzles, read some books, flash cards, fixed lunch, snack, dinner, snack, dessert...

And Savannah was very excited that we managed to get her pyramid puzzle together, then when her dad took it apart and attempted to put it back together again, she had to help him - and in the end finish it for him again!

I figured out my camera!

OK - you can call me an idiot...

Apparently you need a special cord to plug in my camera to my mac mini...unlike my PC that you can just insert the little card thingy. So here we go - I'm actually giving you pictures while I'm on the Mac. Nice....

So I don't have pictures of our 5K - you'll have to ask Melissa to see those since Grant had time to run back to the car and get his camera. I, on the other hand, was carrying Mikayla and had zero energy left to run to the finish, run to the car, grab my camera (which I think I forgot anyway) run back to the finish line and take a picture. But just for those of you who didn't hear the story...here's a brief version.

Mikayla started off running - her little legs churning so fast! She made it a few hundred yards maybe - and then stopped and said "I don't care if I win or not." Then about a mile and or so in, she decided she needed to be carried. Then when we got in and she won her prize "participant" ribbon, she said "they gave this to me for winning. And because I'm so FAST!!"

Riiiiight..... I think my face looked like Savannah's below. Ha!



So - after changing,the girls looked very 4th of July-ish. Mom would have been so proud! We went to a movie because it was just too hot to be outside. Then that evening (while I have to say, it was still too hot to be outside, we went to a carnival up on post.

Mikayla riding her horse "Brownie"


Mikayla in the Fun House. Melissa was with Savannah in line for another ride for quite awhile so Mikayla and I explored several fun houses.



Hanging out waiting for the fireworks...it was finally starting to cool off. We waited in a 45 min. concessions line to get a couple lemonades. It was so SO hot!