Sunday, April 22, 2012
The Battle of San Jacinto
The weather was beautiful yesterday. Instead of staying home we decided to head out to the San Jacinto Monument to watch the reenactment of The Battle of San Jacinto. San Jacinto was one of the decisive battles of the world. The freedom of Texas from Mexico was won here and resulted in the acquisition by the United States of the states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma. It was a pretty important battle and led to the capture of the Dictator Santa Anna. The actual battle only lasted 18 minutes. The reenactment lasted about an hour. We really enjoyed it and got a great history lesson. If you want to learn more about The Battle of San Jacinto there are some great facts here: http://earlytexashistory.com/SanJacinto/sanjacintofacts.htm
The Entrance to San Jacinto Battleground State Park
The San Jacinto Monument
The Texian Army
Conagher? Looks like it to us.
The Soldiers marching to San Jacinto.
Shooting the cannons at the Mexicans
Blowing up the Mexican Camp
Gunfight
The base of the monument.
The Battleship Texas located in the Ship Channel.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
3 months later....It is complete!
I received a new sewing machine from my mom at Thanksgiving. I wanted to do something simple and something I could use later. So I decided on a t-shirt quilt. I have so many shirts and didn't want to get rid of them. I have been wearing the same shirts over and over for years. Some of the shirts in my quilt are from high school. I used all my t shirts but the newest ones or ones that didn't mean anything. I wasn't planning on making it so large but it ended up being bigger than our king size comforter. 36 shirts total. I started after Christmas and finished this morning. It is too warm here to actually use it now so it is folded up in the top of the closet. I will probably add a border but haven't decided what fabric to use. There were a few bumps along the way but I really like the finished product.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Happy Easter!!
Happy Easter Everyone! We hope you all had a great day. We had a wonderful day eating, hiding easter baskets, and watching the Detroit Tigers game. Thankfully they won after 11 innings. Here is a picture of our delicious dinner. Only 7 weeks til summer!!!!
Monday, April 2, 2012
Fall and Winter
Things have been going well since school started. We have been busy working and playing some too. We have spent some time in the National Forest dirtbiking and camping. We also really enjoy the horse races but don't go too much.
Over Thanksgiving we went to Breckenridge and Beaver Creek snowboarding. It was great even though there wasn't much snow. Thanks to the unseemly warm weather we decided to go back to Colorado for Spring Break. This time to Winter Park. Granby Ranch to be specific. We spent one day snowboarding at Sol Vista Basin. This is the best hidden secret. There we no lines and the snow got better as the day went on.The runs were also awesome and really long. If only it wouldn't have been so warm we would have went every day. We spent some time hiking around our hotel and in Rocky Mountain National Forest. Dean led us off the trail when we were hiking around Granby and we ended up postholing quite a long ways. Poor moxie was bunny hoping the whole way. She was so tired the whole rest of the week. That was a good thing. The national forest was beautiful and the trails were great hiking. We didn't see any animals but we did hear one elk. It was a really fun trip.
We are now back to the daily grind of school. The weather is getting hot. Its been in the 80s almost every day. We are looking forward to finishing the school year and getting ready for our summer adventure.
I will try to post more about our life not just vacation adventures and maybe even post pictures. Try being the important word. Thanks for reading! Come visit anytime.
Here are some pics from the Rocky Mountains.
Over Thanksgiving we went to Breckenridge and Beaver Creek snowboarding. It was great even though there wasn't much snow. Thanks to the unseemly warm weather we decided to go back to Colorado for Spring Break. This time to Winter Park. Granby Ranch to be specific. We spent one day snowboarding at Sol Vista Basin. This is the best hidden secret. There we no lines and the snow got better as the day went on.The runs were also awesome and really long. If only it wouldn't have been so warm we would have went every day. We spent some time hiking around our hotel and in Rocky Mountain National Forest. Dean led us off the trail when we were hiking around Granby and we ended up postholing quite a long ways. Poor moxie was bunny hoping the whole way. She was so tired the whole rest of the week. That was a good thing. The national forest was beautiful and the trails were great hiking. We didn't see any animals but we did hear one elk. It was a really fun trip.
We are now back to the daily grind of school. The weather is getting hot. Its been in the 80s almost every day. We are looking forward to finishing the school year and getting ready for our summer adventure.
I will try to post more about our life not just vacation adventures and maybe even post pictures. Try being the important word. Thanks for reading! Come visit anytime.
Here are some pics from the Rocky Mountains.
Costa Rica
Our last big adventure of the summer was to Costa Rica. We got a great deal on flights and accommodations so decided to go for it. We were definitely in for a big surprise when we got there.
As soon we arrived it was raining. Every afternoon it seemed to rain for an hour or two. We went through customs easily and went to get our little rental car. We decided on a 4x4 Jimny since we didn't know what kind of terrain we would encounter during our week. When we got to the rental car it was VERY expensive. There were all these hidden fees, gas, insurance which ended up bein way out of our budget. We had to pay it since we needed the car and our hotel was 25 miles away. We were not off to a very good start.
It got much better when we arrived at our hotel. It was a great little studio with a kitchen and we could see the ocean. It was lovely.
We spent alot of time exploring the little villages and shops. Dean found a delicious mango juice and strawberry cereal. For me it was Tangerine soda and the fresh fruit. Groceries were still very expensive. More expensive than we pay here.
The best part of the trip was the day we spent doing an adventure tour. It was a combo package that included ziplining, horseback riding, whitewater tubing, and a spa. The ziplining was pretty cool. Not as good as when we were in Mexico but still fun. There were more climbing elements which were challenging and a little scary. The best part of the whole tour was the tubing. It was so fun. You sit in your own tube and go over these small rapids and even small waterfalls. If you aren't careful you will fall out or get stuck on the rocks. I got stuck once but was able to wiggle my way out. Dean ended up falling out when he went over a waterfall. Right before that we realized that the cap had come off our waterproof case so if any water got inside we would have some major problems. And what happened? Dean fell out and soaked the camera. Luckily, we had taken some pictures before that because after that point the camera was dead. It was really fun. After the tubing we got lunch and then went horseback riding. It was nothing like Camp Foster. You were supposed to stay in a line but everyone kept passing eachother and bumping other horses. It was awful. I was just waiting for an accident to happen. We rode to the waterfall about 15 ft high. The water was freezing but it was awesome to jump off. I was so scared but did it a few times. Dean of course was diving and acting dangerous. It was fun. Our tour was over after that. We had the option to go to the Hot Springs and Spa and it was fun. First you sit in the sauna, then you go to these mud pits and rub or brush mud all over your body. It seems like something you should do in private but it was open so everyone could see you rubbing mud all over your body. Slightly wierd. It really did exfoliate your skin. After you rinsed it off you went and sat in the hot springs. It was very relaxing. It was a great way to end a great day. Even though we broke the camera.
We spent another day exploring the beaches. Dean even tried surfing. The surf wasn't great the day but he did manage to get up a few times and get swallowed by a few waves. It was fun to watch.
We also went on a great river tour. We were hoping to see alot of monkeys, birds, and alligators. My phone could still take pictures so we were hoping that would capture our experience enough. We were lucky enough to get in a boat with a couple from Pennsylvania. They were nice enough to take some pictures for us and let us take them from their facebook. Right when we got to the boat we saw lots of howler monkeys hanging in the trees. We were so excited to see more monkeys up close. Once on the tour we spotted lots of birds and iguanas. Some of the iguanas were so large. We even fed them some banana peels which brought them out by the dozens. We were also fortunate enough to get the only guide that brought bananas. He took us to a spot where we could find lots of white face monkeys. As soon as we pulled up to the bank they started to emerge. As soon as we brought out the bananas about 15 monkeys came out of the trees. They jumped on the boat and then started climbing all around. I even had one sit on my lap. It was really cool. I never thought they would be climbing on us but they really loved those bananas. It was a really fun tour.
It seems like we didn't do a lot while we were there but we really did get some good sightseeing in and two really great excursions. I don't know if we would go back but it was a fun experience and a beautiful country.
As soon we arrived it was raining. Every afternoon it seemed to rain for an hour or two. We went through customs easily and went to get our little rental car. We decided on a 4x4 Jimny since we didn't know what kind of terrain we would encounter during our week. When we got to the rental car it was VERY expensive. There were all these hidden fees, gas, insurance which ended up bein way out of our budget. We had to pay it since we needed the car and our hotel was 25 miles away. We were not off to a very good start.
It got much better when we arrived at our hotel. It was a great little studio with a kitchen and we could see the ocean. It was lovely.
We spent alot of time exploring the little villages and shops. Dean found a delicious mango juice and strawberry cereal. For me it was Tangerine soda and the fresh fruit. Groceries were still very expensive. More expensive than we pay here.
The best part of the trip was the day we spent doing an adventure tour. It was a combo package that included ziplining, horseback riding, whitewater tubing, and a spa. The ziplining was pretty cool. Not as good as when we were in Mexico but still fun. There were more climbing elements which were challenging and a little scary. The best part of the whole tour was the tubing. It was so fun. You sit in your own tube and go over these small rapids and even small waterfalls. If you aren't careful you will fall out or get stuck on the rocks. I got stuck once but was able to wiggle my way out. Dean ended up falling out when he went over a waterfall. Right before that we realized that the cap had come off our waterproof case so if any water got inside we would have some major problems. And what happened? Dean fell out and soaked the camera. Luckily, we had taken some pictures before that because after that point the camera was dead. It was really fun. After the tubing we got lunch and then went horseback riding. It was nothing like Camp Foster. You were supposed to stay in a line but everyone kept passing eachother and bumping other horses. It was awful. I was just waiting for an accident to happen. We rode to the waterfall about 15 ft high. The water was freezing but it was awesome to jump off. I was so scared but did it a few times. Dean of course was diving and acting dangerous. It was fun. Our tour was over after that. We had the option to go to the Hot Springs and Spa and it was fun. First you sit in the sauna, then you go to these mud pits and rub or brush mud all over your body. It seems like something you should do in private but it was open so everyone could see you rubbing mud all over your body. Slightly wierd. It really did exfoliate your skin. After you rinsed it off you went and sat in the hot springs. It was very relaxing. It was a great way to end a great day. Even though we broke the camera.
We spent another day exploring the beaches. Dean even tried surfing. The surf wasn't great the day but he did manage to get up a few times and get swallowed by a few waves. It was fun to watch.
We also went on a great river tour. We were hoping to see alot of monkeys, birds, and alligators. My phone could still take pictures so we were hoping that would capture our experience enough. We were lucky enough to get in a boat with a couple from Pennsylvania. They were nice enough to take some pictures for us and let us take them from their facebook. Right when we got to the boat we saw lots of howler monkeys hanging in the trees. We were so excited to see more monkeys up close. Once on the tour we spotted lots of birds and iguanas. Some of the iguanas were so large. We even fed them some banana peels which brought them out by the dozens. We were also fortunate enough to get the only guide that brought bananas. He took us to a spot where we could find lots of white face monkeys. As soon as we pulled up to the bank they started to emerge. As soon as we brought out the bananas about 15 monkeys came out of the trees. They jumped on the boat and then started climbing all around. I even had one sit on my lap. It was really cool. I never thought they would be climbing on us but they really loved those bananas. It was a really fun tour.
It seems like we didn't do a lot while we were there but we really did get some good sightseeing in and two really great excursions. I don't know if we would go back but it was a fun experience and a beautiful country.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Aloha!
June 8-17
First on our summer agenda was Hawaii. We got a free trip for going to a timeshare presentation and it was awesome. The free trip was only 3 days so we booked our own hotel and stayed for 7 more days. Before we left, we took Moxie to Iowa. She had so much fun chewing things up and terrorizing their dog and cats.Anyways....
We were so excited to arrive in Hawaii. We were staying on the Big Island in Kona. We finally landed about 7:30 Wednesday night. When we stepped off the plane it was dark. Probably the most disappointing thing was that it gets dark so much earlier there. We took a taxi to our hotel and then decided to walk around a bit. Of course we couldn't see but we couldn't just sit in our hotel room and watch tv.
Thursday
The next day we decided to explore the area. We didn't have a car and the taxis were super expensive so we walked. It was about 8 in the morning when we headed out and there was no one else out. We thought that people would be awake and starting their day but that was not the case. We had fun window shopping and getting acquainted with the area. Hawaii is still very similar to the mainland just much more expensive. Everything was atleast twice the price as here. Milk and eggs were the most expensive. We had fun comparing everything to the prices at home.
Once things opened up we got suckered into going to another timeshare presentation. This was the best one ever! There were not enough sales staff so we only stayed 20 minutes or so and we still got great discounts on all the activities we did. Awesome!! After that we went snorkeling. This is some of the best snorkeling in all of Hawaii. The fish were so colorful and even the coral was nice. We took a taxi after we got finished snorkeling and the taxi driver told us all about vana. They are like sea urchins and if you step on them it really hurts and you could have to go to the hospital. So the rest of the week we were so worried about stepping on things in the ocean that I almost hated stepping into the water. For the rest of the night we just hung out, watched the sunset, and enjoyed the beautiful Hawaii night air.
Friday
First on our summer agenda was Hawaii. We got a free trip for going to a timeshare presentation and it was awesome. The free trip was only 3 days so we booked our own hotel and stayed for 7 more days. Before we left, we took Moxie to Iowa. She had so much fun chewing things up and terrorizing their dog and cats.Anyways....
We were so excited to arrive in Hawaii. We were staying on the Big Island in Kona. We finally landed about 7:30 Wednesday night. When we stepped off the plane it was dark. Probably the most disappointing thing was that it gets dark so much earlier there. We took a taxi to our hotel and then decided to walk around a bit. Of course we couldn't see but we couldn't just sit in our hotel room and watch tv.
Thursday
The next day we decided to explore the area. We didn't have a car and the taxis were super expensive so we walked. It was about 8 in the morning when we headed out and there was no one else out. We thought that people would be awake and starting their day but that was not the case. We had fun window shopping and getting acquainted with the area. Hawaii is still very similar to the mainland just much more expensive. Everything was atleast twice the price as here. Milk and eggs were the most expensive. We had fun comparing everything to the prices at home.
Once things opened up we got suckered into going to another timeshare presentation. This was the best one ever! There were not enough sales staff so we only stayed 20 minutes or so and we still got great discounts on all the activities we did. Awesome!! After that we went snorkeling. This is some of the best snorkeling in all of Hawaii. The fish were so colorful and even the coral was nice. We took a taxi after we got finished snorkeling and the taxi driver told us all about vana. They are like sea urchins and if you step on them it really hurts and you could have to go to the hospital. So the rest of the week we were so worried about stepping on things in the ocean that I almost hated stepping into the water. For the rest of the night we just hung out, watched the sunset, and enjoyed the beautiful Hawaii night air.
Friday
Here is Summer 2011
So I have done an awful job updating or even keeping this blog current. I had really good intentions but then life started and things just got away from me. I am going to try again and hopefully I can write about our summer and the things going on now. Thanks for reading!!
Dean and Rachel
Dean and Rachel
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