Family & Friends – Page 105

Lost Pines Resort Vacation – Day Three

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Jennifer

Monday, August 9, 2010

Jessica spent some time with Nanny and Papa while James went to get us some breakfast tacos and I started pool prepping. After eating, we met everyone at the pool for a fun morning filled with lots of swimming and floating. We started out in the “beach” of the pool. I’m not sure if it was the texture of the sand or what, but Jessica did not care for sitting in the sand in the shallows of the water playing. However, once we got to floating the crooked river, she had a blast. Aspen on the other hand, loved the beach. She kept filling her bucket with sand.

Aspen and Trevor at the "Beach"

Aspen with her Bucket

Trevor and his Mama

Jessica with her Papa

Trevor in his Whale Float

Jennifer Going Down the Water Slide

Dad Going Down the Water Slide

Trevor and his Nanny

Sarah, Trevor and Jessica

Just Chillaxing

Aspen with her Papa

Happy Girl

Cameron Floating with his Daddy

Jason Trying to Push Sarah Under the Waterfall

Jessica with her Mama

Cool Cat Cameron

Sarah Going Down the Water Slide

Sarah and Cameron Going Down the Water Slide

James Going Down the Water Slide

Lunch was eaten under a massive oak tree beside the crooked river. Lunch consisted of sandwich stuff Mom, Dad and Sarah had picked up from HEB the night before after dinner. Much cheaper than the Old Buck’s Place of the day before and just as tasty.

Jessica, Cameron, Aspen and Nanny Sharing a Lounge Chair

Jason Lounging

All the kiddos plus Jason and Julia then snoozed. Brian stayed in their room and relaxed. The rest of us hung out in Mom and Dad’s room chatting.

We then went and had dinner at Roadhouse. I immensely enjoyed my bacon cheeseburger. Jason had what was apparently the best grilled chicken sandwich he had ever eaten. They did have good food in a hole in the wall location. It often works out that way, doesn’t it?

We then went to downtown Bastrop and ambled down the main street. Only one shop was open, Johns Barber Shop. We crossed the historic Colorado River bridge, a 1,285-foot (392 m)-long bridge with three steel truss spans and concrete piers, which is now a pedestrian walkway.

John in Front of John's Barber Shop

Walking the Bridge

The Colorado River

Main Street Bastrop

Lost Pines Resort Vacation – Day Two

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Jennifer

Sunday, August 8, 2010

James, Jessica and I went down to McDade’s Emporium, the little pastry & ice cream parlor near the lobby, and picked up some breakfast tacos. We then wandered outside to enjoy our breakfast on a bench under a massive oak tree. We then returned to our room to change into our swimsuits.

At the pool, we floated the Crooked River, the resort’s registered name for a lazy river, with everyone except Jason’s family who had already going swimming and went to take a nap.

Jessica in her Float

Jessica Relaxing

Trevor in his Whale Float

Cameron Monkey Crawling Along the Wall

Sarah

Dad Smiling for the Camera

Sarah Enjoying the Crooked River Waterfall

Brian Going Down the Water Slide

Jessica Smiling at her Papa

Everyone then met up for lunch at Old Buck’s Place, the poolside cafe.

Jessica Eating Goldfish

Cameron Eating a Mini Burger

Aspen Taking a Ride After Lunch

While Jessica napped in our room, and Cameron and Trevor napped in Jason and Julia’s room, the adults played a round of Balderdash in Mom and Dad’s room while Aspen played on the floor. Jason won. He had a real knack for guessing the real answer.

After nap time, Cameron rode a pink tricycle that was still too big (it was smaller than the blue tricycle).

Cameron Testing Out a Tricycle

And Jessica and Trevor talked to each other in their strollers.

Trevor and Jessica "Talking" to Each Other

Trevor, Sarah, Cameron and Brian

Jason, Julia, Aspen and Dad went swimming some more.

Aspen, Julia and Jason Floating Along the Crooked River

Aspen, Julia and Jason

Julia and Jason

Dad Relaxing

Jessica and her Daddy

Jessica then rode the horse in the lobby.

James with Jessica on a Horse

We drove into Bastrop and enjoyed dinner at Nancy’s Steakhouse. The bacon wrapped shrimp and chicken appetizers were very good.

Lost Pines Resort Vacation – Day One

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Jennifer

Back at the beginning of August, we went on a mini vacation getaway with the Dzubinski side of the family. I tend to be really picture heavy in my travel blog posts, so I’ve decided to do separate posts for each day. Check out Julia’s post here and Sarah’s posts here and here. I apologize for the delay in sharing our trip. James and I are making some behind the scenes changes to our website and I had hoped to be finished before posting about the trip. Alas, grout sealing has taken up our time until recently so the web changes are still not in place yet.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

After partying with Aspen at her birthday celebration and Jessica’s afternoon nap, we arrived at our travel destination, the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa. Granted, the destination wasn’t far from home, off of Highway 71 just west of Bastrop but it was a perfect getaway. Everyone settled into their rooms. Sarah’s family’s room was on the 3rd floor while the rest of us were on the 4th floor. Dinner was then eaten at the Firewheel Cafe, one of the resort’s six dining facilities. They had a buffet that everyone decided to try. I tried a variety of dishes including salmon, prime rib, and a cauliflower au gratin that would have tasted better if the cauliflower pieces had been more uniform in size. The dessert table of the buffet had many delicious choices. I loved how many of the desserts were bite-sized or small so you could try multiples desserts without feeling guilty.

After dinner, we walked around the grounds a bit. Cameron tested out the covered wagon.

Cameron Testing Out the Covered Wagon

We scoped out the pool. Then we let the kiddos play on the playground.

Jason, Brian, John and Mary Ann

James and Jessica

Jennifer and Jessica

Slide Action

Mary Ann and Trevor

Don’t you love that little tongue sticking out? Ever since this trip Jessica has been sticking her tongue out a lot too. I don’t know if it is because she saw Trevor doing it or what, but it sure is cute.

10 months old

Posted on August 18, 2010 by Jennifer

Jessica turned 10 months old on Monday. Only two months shy of her first birthday. I’m starting to work on little projects for her party. James’ Mom is going to make her the best little party dress. I’m getting so excited.

What Jessica is Up To

Last month, I mentioned that she wasn’t crawling up on her knees yet. Well, now there is no stopping her. She is fast. She also pulls herself up and cruises along the couch or anything really at the right height. She is also attempting to climb anything and everything. She has crawled into her car seat when it is sitting on the floor, her rocking chair, and she attempts to climb the couch, her bookshelf, and many of her toys.

Jessica After Crawling Into Her Carseat

Jessica Standing Up After Crawling Into Her Carseat

And yes, that is a disposable diaper. I decided not to deal with cloth diapers on our trip.

She has started being more interactive with other kids and it so fun to watch her play with her cousins or the other kiddos in the play group.

She recently has started sticking her tongue out. I don’t know if she picked that up from Trevor on our trip or if she is just experimenting.

What Jessica is Saying

Still nothing really concrete.

How Jessica is Sleeping

The tough love approach has worked and she is now back to sleeping through the night 99% of the time. The 1% of the time she doesn’t, her teeth seem to be bothering her, or something is different (we have company or we were staying in a hotel). She still takes two naps a day most of the time.

What Jessica is Eating

Jessica now has four teeth. Both her front top teeth have erupted. This makes meal time even messier, because she has taken to biting everything into pieces between her teeth. Crumbs, crumbs and more crumbs.

She has tried too many new foods to keep listing, but I will comment on a few. She has now had protein. She’s not the biggest fan of beans, but with cheese they’re okay. She enjoyed some of my tuna salad and she went to town on the roasted turkey at Costco last night (so I bought some). Bananas are still her favorite fruit and she will eat almost an entire banana in one sitting. She also loves spinach.

She eats around 4 to 5 ounces of food in any given meal. On our trip, she was eating like 6 to 8 ounces, so she was either burning a lot more calories playing in the pool or maybe she was going through a growth spurt.

She doesn’t like being cleaned up after meals, so sometimes we let her play with the washcloth in an attempt to keep her from getting upset.

Jessica Playing with Her Washcloth

I am sorry there aren’t more pictures with this post, but I haven’t taken that many pictures since my last Jessica update two weeks ago that aren’t related to our Lost Pines Resort trip or James’ family visiting. Posts with those pictures will be coming soon.

Aspen’s 1st Birthday Party

Posted on August 12, 2010 by Jennifer

Our beautiful little niece turned one last Thursday. Her birthday celebration was held last Saturday around lunchtime. We had a blast and I think Aspen did too. Check out Julia’s post and Sarah’s post for more pictures.

When we arrived, Jason, Julia and some of their friends were putting last minute touches on the food. The lunch of kabobs, pasta salad and chips and salsa was delicious. I especially enjoyed the shrimp kabobs. Here’s Grant holding up one of the kabobs he threaded.

Grant and his Kabob

Aspen had a beach themed party. Don’t you like the little lanterns Julia picked up at Party City? You might remember that Julia and I had gotten together for lunch and shopping last week.

Decorations

Aspen had to show off her walking skills to her admiring audience.

Birthday Girl

Of course, I had to get some photos of Papa with his grandkids. Although, somehow, I didn’t get a single picture of Cameron the entire party.

Trevor, Papa and Jessica

After lunch, Aspen opened her presents. She didn’t seem too interested in unwrapping the presents, except for the big one. Jessica was interested in that one as well and helped out.

Aspen Opening her Presents

Then came cake. At first, Aspen didn’t seem to know what to do with the cake. Then she started picking the blueberries off the whipped cream frosting.