The Week(s) in Pictures

I think I am back to blogging on a regular basis again!

 

At my old job, I used to utilize my lunch break to blog, but since changing jobs, I have been hesitant use the Internet for personal use.  To make things more complicated, our home desktop computer has been very tempermental! And, the laptop that I bought over 5 years ago for grad school finally died once and for all.  Luckily, I've resolved these issues by buying a new Dell laptop...complete with a pink cover!  So now, I think I have my routine with the new job down and a new computer, so I am good to go!

 

It's been awhile since I've had my "week in pictures" post, so I thought I would get all caught up!  So here it goes...



First, the kids started the "Juniors" program through The Woodlands Running Club.  Between September and March, the kids will run 25.2 miles.  Then, in March, the kids will run the kid's 1 mile race that is held in conjunction with The Woodlands Marathon and Half Marathon...this will complete their 26.2 mile journey.  Not only will the kids receive a medal for the kid's run, they will receive an official medal from the full marathon!

The first two rows of pictures are from the 1st day of the program.  The bottom two pictures were taken last weekend when it was pouring down rain!  The kids braved the conditions - the Kiddo ran 2 miles and the Munchkin ran 1 mile! 

I am sure you all know that the space shuttle made Endeavour made its final journey a few weeks ago.  As you also know, I am a HUGE space nerd.  Ironic that this space nerd seems to be the only person who DID NOT get to see a flyover of the shuttle.  The picture on the left below is one the Hubby took at work.  After work, I rushed home and we loaded up the kids and headed to Ellington Field to see the shuttle up close.

 

And so did the rest of the city of Houston!

And everyone in all the surrounding communities!

 

The picture on the right is a picture of our attempt to see the shuttle.  We made it to our highway exit in less than 45 minutes.  Then, we sat in the car another 45 minutes and only drove about a 1/2 mile.  Sigh.  Honestly, the only reason we even drove a 1/2 mile was because several cars decided not to wait and left the line of traffic.  The Munchkin had to go to the bathroom (to be honest, I did too) and both kids were complaining that they were bored.  After another 15 minutes, we decided to leave.  The Kiddo cried, because she wanted to see the shuttle (to be honest, I wanted to cry too).  We headed to the nearest Chili's and had a nice family dinner before driving home.  Yes, I did have a grown-up beverage as a consolation prize. :-)

 



 

We've had a couple of awesome cool fronts come through, so we've been spending more time outdoors trying to enjoy it!  The Halloween costumes have been purchased, the swimsuits have been put away...bring on Fall!!

 



Clockwise from top left:  The Munchkin trying out his Hawkeye costume, the kids enjoying time in the Munchkin's cool wheels (center), one last trip to the pool, the Kiddo getting ready to practice the violin, the Munchkin feeding a goat at a nearby petting zoo, the Munchkin on a zip line, and the Kiddo ready for "National Walk to School Day"

And what would Fall be without Oktoberfest?  The hubs and I went to an Oktoberfest celebration last weekend at a friend's house. That friend also happens to have his very own microbrewery in his garage, so there was lots of sampling going on through the night. 

Oktoberfest...complete with these very cool aprons!

Fall is my favorite time of the year here in Houston.  It's when all that running in the extreme heat and humidity finally pays off!  It's also a great time for local festivals - Greek Fest,  Old Town Spring Wine Fest, Bayou City Art Fest, etc.  Not to mention Wings over Houston and Halloween!  Good times!

What do you have going on in the Fall?  Have the cooler temps hit your area yet?  Any Fall races?