Juli & Co.

What we're eating this week...

This week is a crazy week.  We have a lot going on with the kids school, I'm chaperoning two field trips, the laundry is out of control, and I'm just trying to get things back in order since our trip to Costa Rica.  Dinner has to be quick and easy this week. Last night we had Green Chile Chicken Tacos in the crockpot.  We put the chicken on corn tortillas with a little guacamole and lime.  They were quite tasty.  Tonight it's round two of the same, but this time I'm serving the chicken on top of a salad with corn, cheese, black beans and cherry tomatoes.

What I'm loving...

I am absolutely LOVING this age with Emi.  She just couldn't be any cuter and she says the funniest things.  She loves Barbies and baby dolls.  She loves Lucky Charms cereal.  She loves watching Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. And if you ask her what she wants to do for the day...she'll quickly say "let's just go to the mall".  She loves bracelets and necklaces and BIG sparkly bows.  She loves wearing skirts the best.  She loves pretending to be a ballerina or princess or ice skating girl and puts on shows for me.  She is sassy and sweet and everything in between.  I am soaking up every last bit of three before my baby girl turns into a big four year old.

What we've been up to...

Luke had STAAR testing last week.  Olivia has decided to do competitive cheer this year instead of rec.  She had her tryout last week and has her first practice on Sunday.  She is very excited about winning trophies. ;)  Olivia is finishing up her second season of soccer with the Sparks.  She has improved so much this year!  She consistently gets "a foot on the ball" and has even been close to scoring!  She loves it.  Nick and I spent 5 days in beautiful Costa Rica sans kids...it was glorious.

What I'm dreading...

One of my goals for May is to schedule dentist appointments for Nick and me.  I hate the dentist.  Totally dreading it.  I'm also dreading my annual well woman exam next month.  I can think of about 72,000 other things I'd rather do...like swim with alligators or break a toe.

What I'm working on...

SPRING CLEANING!  Every room, every closet, every nook and cranny needs work.  So far, I've tackled the girls' closets and four kitchen drawers.  This is another one of my goals for May so I'll be working on this every day for the next...er, a really long time. ;)

What I'm excited about...

SUMMER!  I'm so excited about summer.  No schedules.  No alarm clocks, no places to be.  Just lazy days in the pool, cool naps on the couch, and plenty of fresh air and playtime.  And, of course, our trip to Florida with The Whitfields!

What I'm watching...

Wow.  Okay, this is going to be embarrassing.  This is what's on my DVR right now.  Little Women LA, Terra's Little Family, Survivor, Grey's Anatomy, Teen Mom OG, Dance Moms, Born In the Wild, Secrets and Lies.



I can't wait for new seasons of Walking Dead, Sister Wives, My Five Wives and My Big Fat Fabulous Life.

 

 

 

 

Day 3...

We decided to visit The Natural Bridge Caverns. After standing in line for over an hour, we finally reached the ticket counter (with our e-tickets) only to be redirected to another counter with NO LINE. Apparently, you do not need to wait in line if you already purchased tickets online. However, that is not what the teenage workers will tell you when you enter the park. In fact, they will tell you the exact opposite. So consider this your public service announcement. Buy your tickets online, and then walk right into the park. Ignore any teenagers that try to divert you to the back of the hour long line. ;)

The caves are always so fascinating. My hair may not agree, but I love seeing these beautiful, natural creations...it really is just amazing.







In this picture you can see the natural bridge in the background that gave it it's name. Pretty cool.

After that, we needed a refreshing, sweet treat. They have an ice cream shop there where they make their own waffle cones and they smelled too good to pass up. And they were HUGE. Emi's was bigger than her face! We found a shady spot and enjoyed every last bite.

Next, we did the maze. It was so much fun! Emi and I were a team, Nick and Sis, and then Luke was on his own. You had a little punch card and you had to find several treasures before you could exit and punch out. It took us about 30 minutes to complete. The kids thought it was great.

For lunch, we ate at my ALL TIME MOST FAVORITIST PLACE IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD. Hula Hut. It was divine. And pssst...we're getting one in Little Elm this summer! CAN NOT WAIT.



 

After grubbing down, we ran through the San Macros Outlets so we could hit up the Pottery Barn Outlet and the Vans Outlet. We found some great deals and ended up getting Luke a new duvet cover and lamp for his room.

Then it was time to go see PawPaw. We spent the night at PawPaw's house (Grandma was still in Kentucky) and were able to get cleaned up and recharged for a trip to Fort Hood.

Day 4...

We made the long drive out to the base but before we went in we decided to grab a bite to eat.  Our options were limited so Sonic it was.  My tummy does not agree with vacation food, so I decided not to participate. Instead, I took pictures.









We toured the museums, looked at all the old army tanks, and enjoyed the sunshine.



After snagging a few souvenirs, we said goodbye to PawPaw and started the long trek home. SPRING BREAK = SUCCESS

This Spring Break we decided to take a little trip down to San Antonio.  We contemplated going somewhere different and new, but in the end, our total lack of planning left us with few other options.  And, it would be all new to Emi since she was just a teeny tiny baby the last time we went.

On the drive down, we decided to make a stop in Gruene, TX to have dinner at the Gristmill.  It was a really pretty evening and we were able to watch the sunset and enjoy a delicious dinner on the river.





I'm not exactly sure why Emi was so upset in this picture, but I'm guessing it had something to do with her wanting to pour salt and pepper on the table. ;) And, did you notice the empty chips and queso?? We were all starved and it was like a feeding frenzy just before we snapped this pic. One of Luke's "goals in life" is to eat chips and queso around the world. Haha. I think this is just his clever way of getting us to order it when we are on vacation. But, whatev, who doesn't enjoy a little C & Q every once in a while. I know I sure do!



And since Olivia got a picture with Daddy, Emi wanted a picture with just her and Daddy, too. I was happy to oblige.

After dinner, we walked around the little town center of Gruene and checked out some of the local shops. It's such a neat place.

We got to our hotel pretty late, so Emi got a bath and went straight to bed. Meanwhile, the big kids and I went up to check out the rooftop pool. They were able to get a quick swim in before hitting the sack.

The next morning, we woke up bright and early and headed to Sea World for the day. We watched lots of shows, ate junk food, and just enjoyed a beautiful day in the sunshine.





We took way too many #seaworldseflies because what else is there to do while you are waiting for a show to start?





Wait time for the mini ferris wheel = 1 hour

Time ride was actually in motion = > 30 seconds

Wait time to get off the ferris wheel = 15 minutes

Excitement on their sweet little faces as they went around and around = PRICELESS :)





Luke and I opted out of the Loco River Ride...for obvious reasons (see below).  So we waited and waited and waited outside the ride...and more #seaworldselfies took place.



They were soaking wet!  Apparently, there were other people on their raft that did get a drop of water on them.  Lucky for them, they were drenched.  So glad they have a Daddy who will do these things with them so that I can stay nice and dry.

After this...it was time to go.  The sun was setting and it was getting colder outside and so we headed back to the hotel.  We got cleaned up and then enjoyed one of the best Italian dinners on the Riverwalk.  We were all so tired from the long day that it might have been one of the quietest dinners in Evans' family history.

Day 3 and 4 recap tomorrow...

Do you guys ever feel this way?? Like all you really want to be doing is sitting on the couch watching 'Terra's Little Family' (am I the only one who loves this show??) but instead you have three kids to take to the dentist (yes, I said THREE!), homework to help with, dinner to make, soccer games to cheer at, bills to pay...you know, grown up stuff. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE being a mom, I ADORE my children, and I EXPLODE with pride watching them play sports. But...dentist appointments, grocery shopping, dinner making...sometimes I just need a DAY OFF!

I am going on just about 6 hours of sleep (compared to my usual minimum 8 hours) and I'm definitely feeling it. My mood is just off. My sweet Sissy Monster "couldn't sleep" last night. So at midnight, I found myself being spooned by my very cuddly, affectionate 6 year old. And while I couldn't sleep a wink, it only took about 2 minutes in this position before she was breathing heavy and sweaty and I knew it would be safe to escape slip out quietly. As I laid there last night, I realized these moments with her are getting further and further apart. She is needing me less and less and becoming more and more of a big girl. And this makes me all sad and happy at the same time. Being a mom is such a roller coaster of emotions. Sigh.

Okay so back to life lately... We are on the home stretch of school and the countdown to summer has officially begun! I am so excited I can hardly contain myself. This will be the first summer we have a pool in the backyard and I can already hear the giggles and splashing and smell the hamburgers grilling. CAN NOT WAIT.

Luke is enjoying his first season of lacrosse. It's such a fun game to watch and we've all enjoyed learning the rules. Olivia is in the middle of her second season of soccer with the Sparks. She is consistently getting "a foot on the ball" and gets in there and fights with the other girls. She has come so far since last season. Emily is doing swim class once a week to prepare her for summer and she is doing so well. In the last two weeks, I noticed a big difference in her ability and she even goes under and swims for several seconds by herself. She has two little friends doing the class with her which makes it even better.

And finally, the last and probably BIGGEST update as of late...OLIVIA GOT HER EARS PIERCED!!! I'll do an entire post on how that went down later, but I will say I was quite impressed with this little girl.