Well, the gang’s not here in Texas, but here is the “official” family picture from our Wonderful Christmas….

Left to right (in case you’re wondering)…
Ellie – Tammy – Hayley – Toby – Josiah – Steph – Lara – Gary

A little goofy, but then again, aren’t we all!

Today I drove Lizzie.
Yes, really drove her – not just around the block going 7 miles per hour. While we driving south through the great open spaces of Texas, we decided it was a good time to put me behind the wheel. So we switched seats, I adjusted the seat and mirrors and I pulled out into TRAFFIC! Yes, fast moving like interstate type traffic. OK, so there wasn’t anything coming when I actually pulled out, but you get my drift. After about a mile or so, my shoulders relaxed enough so that I could remember to breathe. (Mind you, the knuckles were still pretty white.) I held it steady, set the cruise control to a mild 55 mph, and drove. Just when I was beginning to feel like maybe I could do this for a stretch, there before my eyes was a flashing sign that said (in no uncertain terms) – NARROW LANES AHEAD. So, that was when I decided to learn how to pull OFF of the interstate!
Stephanie – 8 miles
Gary – 20,153 miles

Hey, it’s a start!

Yesterday and today were pretty busy days for us. Yesterday we went to all of the San Antonio Missions. These missions were instrumental in settling this area – the “mission” actually being the community. We were blessed with beautiful weather and had a lovely day. Here are a couple of shots from those missions…..
Today started out cloudy and cool – but we headed into downtown San Antonio regardless. (It ended up partly sunny and in the mid 70’s so I’m not complaining, believe me!) We checked out the river-less Riverwalk,

walked through the Alamo

and saw the movie that depicted those tragic 13 days in 1836. After we took in a couple of other downtown highlights – the historic San Fernando Cathedral, the Spanish Governor’s Palace, and the Marketplace – we decided to head to the outskirts of town to track down a quilt shop (honest, Gary was the one that asked about it!). Two buses later I had my San Antonio fabric and was feeling pretty good about “conquering” the buses! (I’m such a country girl it’s pathetic!). It was pretty cool though – the trip to the city, to the northern suburbs, and then back to the city and back to the southern suburbs (and Lizzie) cost us less that $6.00. The extra “travel” time was probably no longer than it would have been for us to drive, so it was a good day.
We concluded the day with dinner at the Taqueria Guadalajara – yep, pretty authentic. I think we’ll be pretty expert in Mexican food by the time our stay in Texas is over –should be fun.
Tomorrow we head south again – to Harlingen, TX where our next project will be. We’ll be there for January, and we’re both looking forward to staying put and getting to work!
I’ve been told that there’s not much between here and there, so you might not hear from us for a couple of days. And then again, I don’t know what the connection will be like in Harlingen either, so I’ll just keep you posted as I’m able.

PS – Happy Birthday, Lara!!! =)

We’ve settled in at a lovely campground (yes, a REAL campground!) and are enjoying the blessings of being hooked up to utilities and sewer. We’re good for about a week without needing any outside attention, but it always feels good to put out the slides, set the clock on the microwave and be able to take a non-military shower! After a nice relaxing afternoon (well, I did manage to get the laundry done), we decided to head into downtown San Antonio and take in the Riverwalk. Apparently that was a good decision, because they drain the Riverwalk area TONIGHT and for the next month it becomes the Mudwalk. (And of course some smart marketing person has put together an entire Mud Celebration theme for later in the month!). At any rate, it was a beautiful night for a stroll, and the Riverwalk was a beautiful spot to take it. Temperatures have been about 15 degrees higher than normal (it was 80 today) and we are lovin’ it!
Lot’s more to see while we’re here – but here’s a a true Texas Sunset –

You can tell by the Taco Cabana and Whataburger signs!