Memorial Day Weekend

For Memorial Day we did not make any set plans and that is just how I like it! We got to visit with lots of friends and family and even participated in several fun Houston activities.

Ashley seems to introduce me to all activities kid related. I rely on her a lot for the best places to play, eat, etc. Sometimes I wonder what we would do without her expertise. Then I think... well, we would be Ashley! She is such a great mom and surely paved the way for all us moms coming up behind her! She first introduced us to the Children's museum here. Liam wasn't even crawling at the time! Bill and I thought Liam would be the perfect age to try it again and we were right!

Liam went running from one activity center to the next. He first had to get behind the wheel of the car. He probably could have stayed there all afternoon.

In the spirit of sharing, we moved on to the peek-a-boo windows. Liam's favorite was the bathroom scene where he could flush the potty over and over! Let's just hope he is that interested when we start potty training!

Of course my button pushing machine was ringing doorbells and flipping light switches which he could not be more excited about since they looked like the real deal, except he was allowed to touch them!

The over-sized light bright was also a huge hit! He was so determined to put all the light sticks on the board. Do they make these for sale?

There were spinning pinwheels.

And tunnels to climb through.

There were stairs to climb to the top of the fort to look out over the entire Tot Spot and slides to get back to the ground.

When we realized no one was on the deck playing with the tricycles, we thought we would take a break from the crowds and obey a few less traffic signals. Liam took a turn on each tricycle. He doesn't know how to pedal yet, but that did not stop him from operating the trike.

It was the perfect venue for play when it is 100 degrees outside and we all had a really great time. We broke down and purchased the season pass for a fun-filled summer. The Children' museum is incredible and I cannot wait to discover the older worlds it has to offer as Liam grows.

Memorial Day Weekend would not be complete without dipping into a swimming pool. We are so grateful to have access to Grandmother Margaret's pool whenever we like.

And swimming is made so much better when you can enjoy a cocktail and cheese straws from your great grandmother's lap!

It was the perfect way to celebrate Memorial Day... maybe with a little cherry on top! How is a new car for a cherry topping?

We have been in the market for some time now to upgrade my sedan. It seems like when you become a mom, an SUV comes with the territory. I however, did not think I would ever be an SUV kind of mom. After bonking Liam's head on the ceiling a few times and twisting my body into a pretzel just to strap him into the car seat, I gave in and joined the club. Just not the Mad Moms in Minivans club. Now that is where I draw the line. I can tell you that after driving my SUV for a couple of weeks now, I am NEVER going back.  I feel like I am on top of the world. Not to mention my stroller and my groceries fit in the trunk and I can haul all kinds of stuff!

If you know me at all or my husband for that matter we tend to analyze everything. When we rented our first apartment we physically entered 42 apartments, then entered them all into spreadsheets... calculated work routes... and finally made the decision. You can only imagine the process for buying our first home. We do not take this stuff lightly. We are perfectionist. We research and analyze... and over-analyze. But 9 times out of 10, we do end up with a near perfect decision for us. That being said, buying a car was no different. We sized up each class and then went on the hunt! We drove the Chevy Equinox and the Traverse, then the Ford Explorer, then the GMC Acadia, peeked in the Touareg, and reviewed my sister-in-law's Acura MDX. On to the Lexus RX and the GX, the Toyota Highlander and the Forerunner, the Volvo XC90 and rounded out the day with the BMW X3 and X5. When I got asked about the Audi I threw my hands up in frustration. I wanted a little bit of this from one vehicle and a little of that from the other. Answer was to keep my car and enjoy the no car payments for a while. (Which I have someone to thank on that front as well... wink)

But then, almost as if it dropped into my lap... who am I kidding... my father is the best car salesman I know. Between him and my brother there is no car they have not met. They know cars. And lucky for me, my dad knows numbers and ALWAYS... and I do mean always comes out of the dealership with the car he wants at the best price. BEST price. Which is why I am happy to announce that my mother and I are both now the proud owners of 2 new Mercedes... The GLK and the ML

Did I mention how much I loved the Mercedes yet never thought possible? It is truly a dream car and my husband is incredible. He put every bell and whistle I could possibly think of in my new vehicle. Nothing to grand for his wife. A true Princess 'Kathryn' Elizabeth and he... my amazing Prince.

*If you are wondering about any of my vehicle research and why I did or did not choose a certain car or even my personal opinions on top choices, I will be happy to share the spreadsheet.. haha!