New York City

RJ and I went on vacation a couple weeks ago to NYC. We were gone five nights and had a wonderful time. It was hard to leave the boys, but we enjoyed our time in the big city! We had some friends who were getting married in Long Island, so we made a trip out of it and celebrated it as our 8 year anniversary (which was actually yesterday)! It was very reminiscant as we honeymooned in NYC as well. Damian and Jessica and a few of our other friends were either in the wedding or attending it as well. So, we all flew out together and were able to spend some time out there as a group, too. We were busy every second...here's a rundown of what we did and just a handful of my favorite pics. RJ took a bunch (and by a bunch I mean 1251) of awesome pictures and we'll put them on Shutterfly when he is done editing them. I'll send that info we he's done it.

Thursday
Damian and Jessica picked us up at 5:30 AM. Our flight was early, so we had to go at the crack of dawn. When we arrived in NY, we (there were 7 of us total) took a limo into the city (we flew into Long Island). That was a fun ride! After checking in to our hotel, Damian, Jessica, RJ, and I hit the city. We ate at a little restaurant down the street from our hotel called Georgio's. Then we walked and viewed the sights all afternoon and evening...we didn't stop until 11PM. We saw St. Patrick's Cathedral, which is beautiful, the flagship Apple Store (which I'm sure the boys thought was equally as beautiful! : ), H&M (a clothing store), Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center (which we went to the top of...they call it "The Top of the Rock"), Times Square, and then we had dessert at the ESPN Zone in Times Square before collapsing in a cab back to the hotel. Our whole bodies hurt...this was a very long, but fun day. We saw and did a lot in the little amount of time that we had this day.


St. Patrick's Cathedral



Damian and Jessica in Rockefeller Plaza



From The Top of the Rock


Times Square at Night


Friday
We took the subway to Yankee Stadium and toured the new stadium. The subway ride to the stadium is an interesting one...goes through the Bronx and you get to see a whole different world there. The stadium was very pretty...the tour included visiting a museum inside the stadium, as well the memorial park area, the dugout, and the locker room. We were sad that the Yankees weren't playing while we were there, but this way, we got to see behind the scenes, which was neat. After the tour, we rode the subway to Grand Central Station...that was pretty. It is definitely a lot nicer that most of the other subway stations! We ate lunch at a little cafe outside of Grand Central Station and then walked to the New York Public Library. We looked around inside there...it was really pretty. Damian and Jessica had to go the the island because they were in the wedding, so the festivities got started this night. RJ and I stayed in the city as long as we could, though. After they left, RJ and I went back out...we walked through Columbus Circle, which is very close to the hotel we were in. Then we walked into Central Park and spent most of the evening strolling through the park. It is huge and beautiful. We walked all the way to the Guggenheim so that RJ could take some pictures of the building. Then we took a cab back toward our hotel and ate dinner at a swanky place called Whym...it was very yummy.

In the Dugout at Yankee Stadium


Somewhere in Central Park


The Guggenheim


Yummy Dessert at Whym


Saturday
After eating breakfast at our hotel, we hopped on the subway to go see the Bodies Exhibit. It was in an area of NY called the Seaport...our concierge told us what exit to take to end up in the right spot, but of course, it was not labeled the same as what she told us. So, we ended up in Brooklyn!!! We knew we had been on the subway way too long, so we got off and went above to use RJ's GPS on his phone (it wouldn't work down below on the subway)...sure enough we were in the heart of Brooklyn...it didn't take us long to go right back down and get back on in the opposite direction. This time, we got off at the right place and went to the Bodies Exhibit. I didn't think I ever wanted to see this, but I knew RJ did, so I went for him. It was actually pretty interesting...and I just made myself look at the exhibits as just that and not real bodies! After that we walked around the Seaport area...it had a different feel...water was in sight with tons of boats docked and lots going back and forth, the streets were cobblestone with lots of fun shops around...kinda like being at the beach. We took one of those Duck tours where you start out on the land and then it drives into the water. It drove around the downtown area and then into the Hudson River. This was a fun view that we hadn't seen before. After that tour, we took the subway back to Manhattan to get freshened up for our show that night. RJ had gotten us tickets to Wicked for my anniversary gift (as if the trip wasn't enough!). We changed for the show, ate a quick bite at an Irish Pub in Times Square and then went to the show. We both really enjoyed it and thought it was a very interesting story about different perspectives...the writing was brilliant. We headed back to our hotel afterwards and enjoyed a drink and piece of cheesecake before crashing.

Seaport Area


View from the Hudson River


Sunday
We met one of my old friends, Jason, at a restaurant called Vynl for breakfast. It was good food and even better company. It was great to catch up with him and see where the last ten years had taken us all. After that, we went back to the hotel to get our things and then headed to Penn Station. We took the train to Long Island. The train ride was about an hour and fifteen minutes...it was another fun way to travel and see parts of the state we hadn't seen before. Once there, we checked into our hotel, rested a bit, and then got ready for the wedding. The wedding was at a venue in Long Island that was just beautiful. The guests mingled and enjoyed drinks and music in a courtyard area before the ceremony. The ceremony was outdoors as well, which is totally do-able in July in New York! : ) It was very pleasant. After the ceremony, we went into the cocktail room and enjoyed tons of food (this was not dinner, though) and drinks. Then we moved into the dining room (about an hour later) where we were served a four-course meal. The whole thing was fabulous...quite an experience!

The "Cocktail Hour" Room


The Dining Room


The Bride and Groom, Jenna and Chris


Jessica and Damian


Me, Allison, and Jessica


Just a pretty shot that RJ took...


Monday
We woke up and went straight to the train station. Unfortunately, we just missed the train and had to wait for an hour for the next one. We caught it back to Manhattan and checked back into the hotel we were at originally. We spent the day with Damian and Jessica again...took a double-decker bus tour around the downtown area. We went up the Empire State Building, walked through Greenwich Village and Soho, viewed Ground Zero and the rest of downtown from the bus. We got off the bus in Times Square and went to see our last show...Avenue Q. It is a puppet show and I didn't really know what to expect. But, it was really good...hysterically funny the entire time! We stopped for one more cheesecake experience at a diner near the theater. Then we walked through Times Square a little more before heading back to the hotel.

The Empire State Building


Us at the top


Washington Park


Tuesday
We packed up and got a Suburban to take us and all our stuff back to the airport to head home. I had a wonderful time on the trip...thoroughly enjoyed every second, but I was also ready to see my boys. We made it home around 7PM. It seemed as though both of them had grown and changed in the short amount of time that we were gone. They had a blast with Grammy and Grampy while we were gone...thank you Mom and Gene for keeping them for us!!!

It was an awesome vacation and a great way to celebrate our eight years of marriage...can't believe it's been that long...I love you babe! Can't wait till the next time we get to do this again! : )

4 Months Old

Gavin turned 4 months old this past week! It's hard to believe it's already been four months. His doctor's appointment is not until next week, so I don't have all the official numbers yet. But, I thought I'd post some pics and what he's been up to lately...

He is still the happiest baby ever...it does not take much to make him smile. He greets us with a huge grin in the morning when he wakes up and he pretty much smiles all day long...unless he is hungry or tired. Then he just cries for a second until you give him his bottle or put him to sleep. He loves his bottles, too! We call him our chunky monkey, still...his thighs are pretty unbelievable. As Aidan told me the other day...he has "hills" on his legs! : ) His eyes are crystal blue, and his hair is falling out and coming back lighter. Parts of it look blonde and others are sandy brown...definitely lighter than mine, RJ's, or Aidan's. His skin is pretty light, too. So, the Sanford genes are coming through with this one...in fact, he is a spitting image of my brother when he was little! He is full of joy and we love having him in our family!

4 Months Old!


Big boy sitting up on the couch.


He is really starting to enjoy his exersaucer.


Aidan still adores him and wants to be around him or hugging him all the time. He is a great big brother!

3 Days and 3 Kids

So, I started keeping my niece, Bella, during the day this week. She is 4 and for the most part, she and Aidan get along great. This is a perfect time for her to be here because Aidan wants someone with him all the time...basically, she is saving me from being that someone every day! Don't get me wrong, I love my son dearly, but all you moms (and dads, aunts, uncles, grammys, grampys, etc) know that 12 hours of little boy play every day can get old. Plus, it frees me up to be with Gavin when I need to. And, it takes Aidan's mind off of me being with Gavin...probably the most important piece in this phase of his life.

Anyway, we have had fun so far. The first day was comical...3 accidents (wet underpants) within a couple of hours...guess they were so excited to be playing with eachother that they forgot to go. So, I have been doing a lot more reminding the past 2 days. The second day, the older kids were a littler more testy. So, I decided we needed to venture out of the house today. We went to Inflatable Wonderland and they jumped their hearts out. There was only one mishap...Aidan got bonked in the mouth/nose with someone else's head...there was some blood involved, but he is fine. It was not bad enough for him to want to leave! I was worried about managing all three of them out of the house, but they were great. I know people do this every day with 3 or more...Jon and Kate do it with 8 every day (I don't know how they do that) for goodness sakes. But, it is new to me, so I was a little nervous. But, all went well. And, for 3 days now, all 3 kids have napped at the same time so I've had a good chunk of down time in the middle of the day! : )

Here are a few pics of our time so far...

This is what two 3-4 year olds can do to a room in about 10 minutes! : ) Yes, they are both in underwear...this was the day with all the accidents! : )


Gavin playing with a new toy.


The crew before our first outing.


I promised Aidan and Bella a prize if they went straight to nap when we got home today...no, I'm not above bribery! : ) So, they got a popsicle when they woke up. This is them sitting on the back deck eating their prize!


It's been fun so far...I think parents of twins probably have it harder in the beginning, but better in later years. They really do keep each other busy and happy (most of the time)!

4 Generations

In a recent visit to my grandmother, we took this pic. This is my mom, her mom (Mamaw), me and my boys. The boys really enjoyed going to see Mamaw in her new apartment and visiting all the birds and fish in the lobby. Aidan even got one of the birds to talk to him...he thought that was pretty cool!

San Antonio

My parents took all their grandsons on a vacation to San Antonio, and I got to tag along. It was interesting having 4 boys in the same place, but we all had a blast.

Monday, we went to Sea World. It was hot, hot, hot! But, everyone enjoyed the shows and the water park.

The 3 big boys at the beginning of the day...


Aidan when we were in the Clydesdale Horses Stables! : )


Aidan and Skyler at the water park.


Gavin at the end of the day...he was a real tropper!!!



Tuesday, we went to the River Walk and road the River Boat. The boys thought that was really fun. Then, we walked around the River Center Mall and went to the IMax. We thought they would all really enjoy the "Under the Sea" show, but we were wrong! The boys were all a bit scared...I think Gavin was the only one that watched the whole thing! That afternoon, we went back to the hotel and swam.

The gang on the River Boat.


View on the River Walk



Wednesday, we went to a Wildlife Ranch where you drive through and see all the animals. The boys all loved this! We had food you could throw out to entice the animals...some of them were not afraid at all and would stick their heads right in the car!

Aidan sitting on my lap looking out the window searching for the animals.


Some of the animals we saw...








Check out how close this zebra got...my mom was enticing him with the whole bag of food...at one point, his whole head was in the car!



We drove home Wednesday afternoon. It was three days packed full of fun activities, and everyone had a great time! Thanks Mom and Gene for such a wonderful trip!

One Year Later...

This week marks one year since we moved to Austin. RJ was here longer, but Aidan and I came when I finished school last year. I can't believe it's been a year. We still miss DFW and our family there (immensely), but we also love being so close to our families here. Especially since Gavin has been born, we realize how important it is to have their loving support and willingness and ability to help at a moments notice. And, it is so fun to watch the boys with their cousins...I look forward to watching them all grow up together.

It's almost been six months since I posted and soooo much has happened. I never was very good at posting regularly during the school year. But, I want to be better. I will try to get into a routine this summer and continue to keep it up when I go back to work in August!

I posted last in December, so here is everything that has happened since...

January
I got put on bed rest because I started to dilate a little. That was interesting...bedrest with a 3 year old is not the easiest! But, fortunately, I only had to do it for about a week and a half. I hadn't changed in that amount of time, so my doctor said I could get up, but take it easy.

February
RJ turned 33...we celebrated with friends at Kona Grill and had a great time.


We finished the nursery...we went with a flight theme. I found some cute bedding online and we painted the room to match. We did the bottom portion in a cream and green plaid to match one of the fabrics in the bedding. Then we did blue on the top and Aunt Candy painted clouds for us. To separate the two, we did a star border (also matches one of the fabrics in the bedding). We really like it and were pretty impressed with ourselves...thanks to Aunt Candy for the tips on the plaid and for doing the clouds for us.




March
Gavin was born March 10th. He came three weeks early and was 8 lbs...thank the Lord he was early! I worked up until I had him...literally. I started having contractions the evening before and went to school the next day...drank lots of water and sat down a bunch hoping the contractions would go away. They didn't...they just kept getting stronger. I finished the school day, went home to lay down, and then ended up going to the hospital around 5:30 PM. I guess I was in denial that it was really happening because RJ was in Laredo on business. When I knew it was the real deal, I told him to get in the car and come home, but he didn't have time. He was on the phone the whole time. Gavin came quickly...I was already dilated to 7 cm when I got the hospital! About 20 minutes later, I was at 8 cm and he was born at 9:10 PM. The epidural didn't have time to work either, so it was an interesting experience. I know people give birth every day naturally, but I didn't think I would. Since RJ wasn't there, my mom and Megan (bff from high school) were in the delivery room with me. Mom got to cut the cord...but other than that, I don't think it was a very pleasant experience for her. I know watching me be in such pain was really hard for her. She and Megan were both very supportive and comforting and I'm very thankful they were there.

Gavin Damian Gonzales
8 lbs, 19 inches


Aidan meeting Gavin for the first time...they had matching Big Brother/Little Brother shirts on!




April
I was home the rest of March and all of April. I really enjoyed being home with Gavin. It took us a while to get the hang of having two kids...we're still learning and I know we probably always will be. It has been really sweet watching the boys together. Aidan loves his little brother...there have been some moments of adjustment, but overall, he has done wonderfully. He admires him all the time, loves to make him smile, and already is trying to teach him things. He is a great big brother!

Gavin at one month old with his big brother...




We went to Victoria for Easter and celebrated with the Robles'. Here are few pics of the day...

The next generation...




Hunting Eggs





May
I went back to work. While I didn't like leaving Gavin, it made it much easier that I got to leave him with my mom. She watched him for us until I was done with school. Next year, he will be going to a home day care here in our neighborhood. Aidan will stay home with me this summer and then go back to his school in August. He has done so well there this year...learning a ton all the time. He is learning spanish and sign language and is making some good friends, too. He really enjoys going to school.

Gavin at two months old...


For Mother's Day, we dressed the boys back up in their Easter outfits and took some pics in the backyard. Here are our favorites...




Jason, our youngest nephew, turned one! He is so cute and we all had such a fun time at his party. It seems like yesterday that we were sitting in the hospital waiting for him to come.





After the party, the "big" cousins crashed watching a movie in Aidan's bed.


Skyler (our middle nephew) turned five! I can't believe how big all the boys are getting! We had a fun day at his party, too, but for some reason have no pictures of the birthday boy! I'll post some of the cousins later.

RJ's sister Mari got a job up here in Austin. She and Bella will be moving here in a few weeks! We are really excited for them and are looking forward to having them so close. Aidan and Bella love playing together...in fact, I am going to watch her this summer while Mari works, so Aidan will have a play mate every day this summer! : ) We are really looking forward to them getting up here. RJ's brother and his family are literally around the corner from us and now his sister will be about a mile away!

June
Our oldest nephew, Sage, turns eight this month...I can't believe it! I know my brother and Tiff can't either. We had a good time at his party, too, but I don't have any pics to show it. We're getting ready to take a little trip with them, so I will have lots of pics to show next week.

RJ got a promotion at work! He now carries Dolce & Gabbana, in addition to Prada and Ralph Lauren. He is very excited and has the potential to grow his business with this addition to his lines. Just a little over a year into this new career, he has already been promoted twice. His boss could have picked anyone on his team to take over this line, and she chose him...I am so proud of him!

I just finished my last week of school. I am very ready for the summer and looking forward to being home with the boys. I am also excited about next year. I found out about a month ago that I will be moving to a new high school in the district. I'm excited about the move...the new school will be very similar to my old school in Southlake. And, I will get to be on the original staff and start the school, which will be fun.

Gavin at three months old...




Aidan being cute...




Well, that's it for now. I promise the future posts will be much more concise and frequent.