Hiatus

Hey. So I was gone. For a while. But now I'm back.

I took a bit of a hiatus from blogging for the summer. Just needed a break. Life was busy. I had lots to say but then again, felt I had nothing interesting to say. I felt burned out.  So I took the summer off. I love blogging and hope that the time away will have served to rejuvenate me. 

It wasn't a terribly busy summer, quite the opposite in fact. But there was still a lot that happened. So, I'll probably spend August recapping the events of June and July. Just to bring things current. 

Hopefully that will only take a few posts because school is less than 2 weeks away!  I returned to work this week as my report date was Monday. Amy has been home with the kids this week, spending a few hours a day in her classroom and running last minute errands. She officially reports next Monday so we are within spitting distance of getting fully back into our routines and schedules. Crazy, but there's some comfort in that as well. 

So, I guess that's about it for now. Just a quick post to explain the hiatus and jump back in to the blog. I'll have to look at my calendar to begin reviewing June and July in proper chronological order. Because I'm particular like that you know!  Until then!

All is well, back to our regularly scheduled programming, in Drosche Land. 

Life's A Beach

I feel like I've used that title before. Maybe?  Maybe not?  Well, there are worse things than a recycled post title. 

So we are coming off of a long weekend, Memorial Day!  We always go out and this year it was much needed since it has been a crazy/rough/long year. Plus, we haven't taken the camper out since New Years so we were long overdue for a trip out. 

This year, as we often do, we headed to Galveston. Now I know it's not white sands and clear water, but a beach is a beach and any true Texan is just fine with a trip to the Gulf of Mexico.  After last year's disastrous camping trip to the bay side of Galveston State Park (recall that's when we were attacked by a million mosquitos and Stella ended up with a staph infection), we were so excited to be staying on the ocean side of the park!  The drive out was fairly uneventful, with the exception of Mickey, who seems to get severely carsick everytime we take him out, always resulting in an unpleasant bought of intestinal distress in his kennel. Other than that though it was good. Thanks to Amy who was riding in the back and somehow managed to clean it up without the need for a stop on the side of the road!  

The stay at Galveston was wonderful. Friday night was an easy setup night followed by our usual hot dogs and s'mores meal. Saturday was spent at the beach enjoying the beautiful weather. Sure the winds were crazy strong, but that's often the case at the beach. Sunday morning brought a bad rainstorm so we spent the first part of the day stuck inside the camper. Luckily Amy and I had just installed our new TV, so we got to give that a go. The afternoon brought about a clearing and we ventured out to the Railroad Museum, which everyone (remarkably) enjoyed. We hitched up early Monday and headed home to avoid the impending weather.  Luckily we made it home by lunch, long before the storms began. I'm sure you've heard of how bad it was/is here in Texas. Crazy rains and floods. We have managed to come through it unscathed (prayers of thanks) but many are dealing with power outages and property damage.  We even had school canceled today due to the flooding, bringing about an added vacation day and some further rest and relaxation.  It seems (fingers crossed) as though the worst is behind us. More rains possible tomorrow, but we shall see. 

Summer is quickly approaching. The kids and I have only two days left, Amy with three as she goes through the end of the week!  Then it's week of meetings before summer begins!  And we have big plans for this summer!  Not Disney big, but tons of fun and adventure nonetheless. But that's a post for another time. Until then I will leave you with some pictures of our fun Memorial Day beach vacation!  Time to prep for the return to school tomorrow!

All is well, beachy keen and safe & dry, here in Drosche Land. 

Ever since they were little, the boys have loved to run in and out of the water. Like a kid-friendly Baywatch opening!

She was pleased as punch to wear her new Hello Kitty bathing suit all day long. This girls loves the water!

Who would have guessed that all three would be enthralled by the Railroad Museum!

We saw the Weinermobile at Wal Mart!  Yes they got whistles. Yes, I did too!

Spring Break

This year it was laid back.  Nothing special or eventful.  But that's not bad, just life.

See, this year Amy and I had Spring Break on differing weeks.  She was last week and the kids and I were this week.  Bummer.  This meant that we could not plan any trips or excursions.  Such is life though.  

So we stayed at home.  Monday and Tuesday were spent lounging around the house.  I did a lot of laundry, finished grading and report cards (they go out next week), mowed the front and back yards, and watched all of Season 4 of Pretty Little Liars (thank you Netflix).  So, nothing too crazy, but it was nice to stop and relax for a bit.

Amy took Wednesday off so we could all have at least one day together.  So we went out for lunch (a real treat as we rarely eat out anymore) and took the kids to see the new Cinderella movie.  Granted Braeden, in all his pre-pre-teen 8-year-old angst was not as thrilled as the rest of us, but he still managed to enjoy himself.  It didn't hurt that we sweetened the deal with a chocolate chip cookie shake for him to enjoy during the movie.  Jackson is always up for a movie, regardless of what it is.  Stella, ever the princess of the family, is now insisting on a pair of glass slippers and seeing the movie again!    Alamo Drafthouse was giving free admission to teachers for this Spring Break week so we took advantage of that!  Score!  Hopefully that will be something they do in the future and we can plan this to be a regular occurrence.  

Then yesterday and today it was back to binge watching TV shows via Netflix/Amazon/Hulu and relaxing around the house.  I am currently switching between The Slap and Bates Motel.  Equally awesome.  

Hopefully this will be the only year (fingers crossed) that we spend Spring Break apart.  the calendars for our schools are set for next year and we will once again share Spring Break!  We are already beginning to plan a trip to make up for this year's missed fun.  We're thinking Disney World again!  We have been wanting to return since we left last summer so if all goes well in the planning and budgeting departments we will be able to visit Mickey and friends again!

Well, that's it here.  Sounds even less impressive when you write it down but all is well.  It did force us to stop and relax a bit though, the kids have enjoyed the break.  Next week we are all back to normal though so we will see how easily we slip back into routine.  But, until then we will enjoy the last few days/hours of Spring Break.  Depends on if you include the weekend or not?  I do, I think.  May as well make it as long as possible!

All is well, on break, in Drosche Land.

2014 Year in Review

Happy New Year!

We did something a little different this year in Drosche Land for New Years!  We'd been hoping to get out and do some camping over the Christmas break, but there were no available spots where we wanted to go. Oh well, life moves on. Then, as luck would have it, Amy found us a spot at our all-time favorite state park - Stephen F. Austin State Park. It's nearby, within 45 minutes, and is our favorite go-to spot. Lots of a great memories made and many more waiting to be made here. So we booked it and began packing and planning. New Years in our camper!  Beginning 2015 out in a relaxing way together as a family. Sounded just like what we needed.  So, yesterday we arrived and braved the cold weather to enjoy some hiking, playing outside, and a campfire where we roasted hot dogs, our usual first night out dinner. The kids went to bed early, as did Amy and I. A busy day outdoors made us tired so we skipped ringing in 2015 at midnight, opting instead for some wine to celebrate at about 9. But enough about this trip, I'll post more later. On with a review of what 2014 brought us here in Drosche Land. 

January

I joined a blog hop to review the Top 20 Photos from 2013. This was fun. I'll have to head over and see if Duncan is doing the same. Or maybe I will again anyway?  January also brought a month filled with adoption classes, twice weekly, as we continued the pre-adoption process. We learned a lot about both the adoption process and the foster care system through this.  We also were busy readying our house for the Home Study process. The weather in January 2014 was wicked, with many freezing days and even brought the city to a stop for some unprecedented Ice Days!

February

February was kicked off by the burglary of our home. Yikes. That was rough. Very emotional for us all as we dealt with the emotional and financial aftermath of such an occasion.  It was a bumpy road but we made it through. Definitely something we hope to never experience again. The adoption process halted to a crawl and we were getting quickly impatient with how slowly everything seemed to be moving.  One fun part of the month included Braeden landing his first, albeit small, part in the school Spring Musical!  We were so proud of him for even trying out and getting the part as an extra. A great accomplishment for him!  So much fun!  February also brought us through the process of having Jackson evaluated for ADHD.  We weren't vocal about the process at the time, but it was emotional and tiring.  Overall February was rough and we were all too happy to see it end. Crazy how such a short month can pack a wallop!

March

March started off ok. For about a month. Until we discovered that our beloved pet dog Lucy was diagnosed with cancer. It was untreatable and aggressive. We made the horrible decision to end her pain and suffering, but just beginning ours. She was an awesome dog. Amy and I got her when it was just the 2 of us in New Orleans. She was our first baby. We will always cherish her and the memories we have of her.  Spring Break brought us an awesome family trip to Dinosaur Valley State Park. We had a blast. It also made us realize that we wanted to trade up our small popup camper for an actual travel trailer. The process was long but we ended up with our wonderful Fireside where I sit right now blogging and listening to rain. Best decision ever!  We love it!  March also is when we decided to sign the boys up for swim team with their cousins!  Something new. Something fun. Well, looking back, not so much, but it seemed like a great idea at the time!  We also received Jackson's ADHD diagnosis and began the process of finding the correct dosage of medication that would help him. More emotional rollercoaster time for us but it was beneficial. The month was brought to a close by our first Home Study visit. It had been postponed once that month, but went well once it finally happened. We felt like we were getting the ball rolling in the adoption process, finally.

April

April brought another year for me to join the Blogging A-Z Challenge where I wrote about TV shows. Good posts. Good tv shows. It was a fun month for the challenge!  The month didn't hold much else for us. We continued the process of medicating Jackson, finally finding a doctor and dosage that we were happy with. Braeden performed wonderfully in the school Spring Musical and swim practices went on, although not as smooth as we would have liked. We did fall even more in love with the Fireside as we took her out on her inaugural run, with much success!  We also were in the home stretch of planning our summer vacation to Disney World as we made reservations for rides and food!

May

Braeden turned 8. 8?!  Seriously?!  Wow.   We also ended our brief foray into the world of competitive swimming after much frustration and miscommunication with the swim team Coaches. Ugh.  Our boys love sports and we want them to be active in something. That something just isn't swimming. I finally blogged about Jackson's ADHD diagnosis on Children's Mentak Health Day.  I'll continue to blog about it as it is an ongoing syndrome that we are always dealing with. But there's no shame in it. We are proud of him and will continue to support him and advocate for him so he is successful. May also brought some shocking news as our adoption agency brought up Fostering and Amy and I, after prayerful consideration decided to become dual track as we proceeded onward with the straight adopt/foster-to-adopt process.  Another school year ended, my first (and awesome) at St. Mark. I also won an iPad mini via a contest with my favorite station 104.1 KRBE!  Holla!  The month ended on a great note as things with the adoption were looking promising and Disney World was getting closer!

June

Stella turned 2!  What?!  2?!  Wow. She was, and is, a hoot and keeps us on our toes daily. Disney was the name of the game for the month though as we spent a week there!  We did Disney World hard and were bus every minute of every day. But we had a blast and enjoyed it all. We made it to every park and ate some incredible food. While we don't have a definite date set, we are always planning, prepping, praying about, and waiting for our next trip!  I led VBS at St. Mark again and had a blast, so much fun and I always enjoy it. We spent the rest of the month relaxing and resting up from Disney while we awaited the all-important adoption phone call!

July

A busy month to say the least!  We started off the insanity by purchasing a new truck!  I love her. My beautiful blue Ford F-150. She is an awesome truck and has been such an improvement as a tow vehicle over the Sequoia (who is also a great vehicle as well, just not the same as my truck!). We took the Fireside out again, pulled by my truck, on vacation with my family. A few problems with the air conditioning occurred but we handled it and all ended up well.  After vacation we adopted not one, but two miniature schnauzer mixes. Twins. We named them Mickey and Minnie because we were, and are, still on a post-Disney World vacation high. They are adorable and we love them to pieces. I will say though, that everyone's is right when they say house training small dogs is way different than big dogs. Much harder and frustration. But it is slowly improving.  Speaking of house training, my awesome wife managed to potty train Stella in just 3 days. This is when she did with both boys and she ended the fun with a 3 for 3 success rate!  She is awesome. We started running. No seriously, we did. I know, I can still hardly believe it. But thanks to inspiration from friends and my wonderful wife, we because runners. We started off very slowly. But have gotten much better and actually, gasp!, enjoy it. The holidays and colder weather have seen fewer runs from both of us but 2015 will bring a change to that as we are excited to get back in it and put some more 5Ks under our belt!  Oh and we got Fitbits!  LOVE them!  Then it happened. At the very end of the month. It happened. We got the call. 2 girls. In need of placement. We talked and prayed (both quickly because you have to be quick) and accepted.  It also changed us. Forever. 

August

August was a blur. We had 5 kids. The foster care process was a lot. Meetings. Doctor's appointments. Meetings. Amy pulled the lion's share of it all. I will be the first to admit that. She was amazing. I saw in her the determination that made me love her. Determination to get things done. Determination to do right by these two little girls. Determination to care for her family, no matter what life threw at her. She was, and still always is, amazing. In the midst of all of this, school was starting back up.  We now had 5 kids to enroll!  Amy celebrated her birthday in the middle of everything.  School started and all 5 were at St. Mark since we'd made the decision prior to placement to move Jackson over. They all thrived. We also had our first home visit with T & L's family. The one where we found out a family member was interested in pursuing custody of them both. Mixed feelings emerged. This wasn't what we'd envisioned with our adoption process. But we continued on, praying and trying (successfully and unsuccessfully) to let Him lead us.  I ran my first 5K!  The FoamGlow Run!  Initially it was supposed to be Amy and I but the girls couldn't be left with anyone other than the two of us so I ran with Amanda instead. It was awesome and I loved it. Amy and I are currently looking into 5Ks this year to do!

September

Just as suddenly as it had begun, it ended. T & L moved on from our care. They'd been with us for just over a month. About 5 1/5 weeks. It was an emotional process to say the least. We learned a lot. About the foster care world, about our biological children, about our friends and family, about each other. It drained us.  After it was all said and done we decided to halt any further movement with adoption. We don't know what lies ahead for us or where He is leading us. Our hearts are filled with love, compassion, and advocacy for adoption and the entire process. We just still aren't quite sure what the next step for us is. Other than waiting. Waiting. A word we'd come to despise throughout the adoption process but now one we turn to. Waiting. To see where He leads us, what He has in mind for us. Who knows?  We don't, but we have faith in the fact that He does. For now we just heal from the process and wait. But life moved forward and so do we. The boys were both enrolled in soccer for the fall!  Jackson through St. Mark and Braeden through a league near the house where he played on the same team as his cousin Austin!  Jackson turned 7!  7?!  Wow. Our kids are growing up too fast!  He is thriving at St. Mark and in my class!  He's also doing quite well managing his ADHD!  

October

October seemed to be pretty uneventful. I didn't blog much, life was busyish. Amy joined the Handbell Choir at St. Mark with her mom and is enjoying it!  She won't admit it, but she does and is quite good! Our Tuesday nights were overtaken with both boys' soccer practices and Saturdays and Sundays were both game days. It seemed as though we were always on the move. Halloween was fun, we had a themed- family costume with the cousins. All 4 boys were Texans football players, the 2 girls were cheerleaders (with adorable homemade tutus courtesy of my awesome wife), and Amy and I were referees (a simple costume consisting of a white tshirt, black electrical tape, and jeans!

November

I vowed to blog more. Life had gotten too much in the way and posts dwindled. 2015 will be different!  I had a birthday and Amy spoiled me with an iPhone 6 Plus and I LOVE it!  Soccer ended and the season was a success, the boys both doing quite well!  Amy and I hosted Thanksgiving for the first time at our house. With my family members far flung across the country that just wasn't happening. So Amy's mom and grandparents came and my parents and grandmother did also. It was so much fun to host rather than travel. Something I hope we get to do a lot more of!  Black Friday was a success as Amy's Mom and I continued our tradition of heading out to grab some deals!  The Christmas season began as our little elf, Englebert, reappeared!

December

I began the month posting about Santa and believing in the magic that is Santa. We lost Braeden's believe last year but this year everyone continued their belief, with Braeden helping to keep the secret!  We also announced that after Christmas Amy would be moving up to teach 4th Grade at Epiphany. Something totally new, exciting, and slightly daunting. We spent the first few days of Christmas break cleaning and prepping her new room and I know she will be incredible!  Christmas came and was a blessed day as we celebrated the birth of Jesus and spent time with family. It was so much fun to just stop and relax. The week afterward was spent doing more resting and relaxing, in addition to cleaning the house and reclaiming it from the post-Christmas clutter. That brings us to yesterday, the end of December and the end of 2014. More relaxing family time. Much needed and much enjoyed. 

So, that's 2014. A bit long but it's all there, mostly.  It was a whirlwind. A rollercoaster. One heck of a year. But we made it through and can look back to reminisce it all now, both the good times and the not so good times. What does 2015 have in store for us?  Not sure, but we can ruminate about that in another post. One dedicated to the new year!  

All is well, saying goodbye to 2014, in Drosche Land. 

Keep On Truckin'

Hey. So we are on vacation with my family right now. It's the heat of the day which, here in Texas in July, is a good portion of the day. Today we are spending this time inside the camper. Amy and Stella are napping, the boys are having some relaxing time with their Kindles, and I am here catching up on blog reading and now posting. Nothing fancy, but relaxing nonetheless.

We try to limit the kids' video game/Kindle time throughout the school year and even during the summer. Although summer and vacation times are a but more lenient. They get some time each day with it though, I mean after all everyone needs a little down time to veg out right?  But that's not the point of this post, so on with it. 

Back in June we traveled to Disney World. It was amazing. Yes I know my promised posts about it all have yet to materialize, but patience dear readers, hopefully they will come while the summer is still current!  Anywho, we stayed at Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground. We took the camper with us and had a blast. The Sequoia though, did not have as much fun. 

She's a great vehicle and we love her. In fact, today is the one-year anniversary of when we bought her. She hauls around our brood comfortably and reliably.  She was bought for her roominess and her towing capacity. But that was back when we had the pop-up. Sure, she could pull the Fireside just fine, but gas mileage was brutally low. Also, we have grand plans of traveling to the mountains someday, maybe next summer. All the hills though may be too difficulty for our beloved Sequoia. So we began looking for a larger, more powerful tow vehicle when we bought the Fireside last spring. We researched. We toured lots. We compared. We talked. We prayed. We decided. 

A few weeks ago we took the plunge and bought a truck!  We'd originally looked into used as we had with the Sequoia, but given the fact that it will serve as a day-to-day vehicle as well as a workhorse tow vehicle we decided to go the new route. To save an wear and tear and get the most out of it. 

What did we get?  We happily bought a Ford F150 with a crew cab so we could have the room for everyone.  Our one an only requirement was that it have a gat tow package, anything else that it came with in our price range was icing on the cake. I'm lucky to have Amy who is such a savvy researcher. She was able to find the perfect truck, in the exact color I wanted - Denim. 

I'm still in love. She is wonderful and we could not be any happier. One first outing with her and the camper didn't go as expected (forthcoming post) but we brought her out for this one and it was so much better towing with a truck than the Sequoia. So, that's our crazy purchase for this summer. Last summer brought the pop-up and the Sequoia. Next summer?  I shudder to think!  :)  If you're in June marks for a truck I highly suggest Ford. It's my first Ford but when we compared the big 3, Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge, Ford just seemed to have everything we needed and wanted at the perfect price point. Plus they are known for their towing abilities and power. Nuff said. Love it. 

All is well, truckin' along, in Drosche Land. 

Last Minute

You know how it is. No matter how much you prep and plan for a vacation, the day before is hectic and filled with a whirlwind of activity as you get ready to leave. 

Today was no different for us as we are leaving super early tomorrow morning for the drive to Disney.  However, our first errand handed us a nice little setback. See, we had to cool the fridge and put stuff in the camper. But the fridge wouldn't turn on. Ugh. Propane was ok so it had to be the battery. Next up, impromptu trip to Camping World to get it checked out. However, they were anything but helpful; providing us with only further frustrations. Luckily we were able to just drive up the road to Holiday World and turns out the battery just needed to be charged.  Score!  So it's there while we spend the rest of the day planning. 

I'm currently blogging from the waiting area at Kwik Kar (I LOATHE stupid spellings of business/product names, must be my inner teacher) blogging while The Beast gets her oil changed. Despite my loathing for the name, the place it close to home and the price is right so I can turn my teacher eye for a bit.  The Beast by the way is our name for the Sequioa. I wanted a name for her, I like naming cars. Weird I know. We couldn't decide on once so this one stuck. It fits. She's huge, she works hard, she puts up with a lot of Drosche Land craziness.  The Beast it is!

So, after this it's back home to finish cleaning and prepping food. Clothes are all packed and loaded into the camper so that's done. Tonight we pick up the charging battery and drop off Rex with my parents who are being awesome and dog-sitting for us while we are at Disney. Woo hoo!  Then it's early to bed so we can early to rise. 

Vacations are awesome and this one is going to be epic since it's our first Disney trip. But they are so much for to prep for, not to mention the recovery work that will come next week once we return.  Such is life. Everyone's vacations seem to be that way. Totally worth it though. Stay tuned for copious amounts of pictures!

All is well, Disney bound, in Drosche Land. 

Trading Up

Spring Break. It's pretty much over. The last few hours of Sunday are waning away and the fun of the past week is quickly becoming a memory. Tomorrow life resumed and things get back to normal.

We had a great Spring Break and truly enjoyed ourselves. As usual we were super busy the entire time and I now need a vacation to recover from Spring Break, but I'd probably just make more plans rather than vegging out like I'd like to do so maybe it's best that there isn't one. But enough about Spring Break. I'll post more on that later, I've got something else to talk about here. Plus I'm not done sorting through all of the vacation pictures. 

So. Trading up. You know that Amy and I love camping. You also know that this past summer we purchased a pop-up camper. We loved it. Sure, our first couple of attempts were fraught with drama and are memorable for all the wrong reasons, but we did love it. 

However, we neglected to get an air conditioner installed when we bought it. Something we almost instantaneously regretted.  Our plans of using an a/c unit we got from Home Depot never panned out the way we wanted them to so the week before Spring Break we began the process of getting one installed. Well, as is the case with us, it was also an ordeal. They had to order the part. Then they couldn't just install it because a hole had to be cut for it. But then they couldn't find any plans for the camper so they didn't know if it was pre-braced or pre-wired for one. Ugh. So we picked it up at the last minute and decided to take it out without one. After all the weather was nice and it would likely not be needed. 

Enter Spring Break. The weather was amazing and we actually used the heater for the first time due to the chilly temps. We did get a little warm on none last day but it wasn't has horrible as we'd experienced. But we quickly realized that we had already outgrown the pop-up. Especially with our upcoming trip to Disney this summer and the adoption. So we decided to upgrade ourselves and get a bigger, hard-side camper. 

Well, easier said than done. The process ended up being several days, several looooooong days, as we went through the motions of what we wanted, what was available, what we could afford, what we could manage, etc.  Long hours were spent at Camping World. We were still tired and exhausted from our Spring Break trip but it had to happen now, we're in a time crunch with spring already here and out weekend filling up with swim team (a post for another time).  Plus we wanted to take it out a couple of times before Disney and we have only a few months left in the one year buy back deal we were taking advantage of. 

But, at long last, the process was finished. Finally. We have our dream camper. One that is big enough for us to use now and grow into with our family over the next many years (we will not be going through this process again for a very long while).  So, on with the details. 

It's 26 feet long. It has a queen size bed for Amy and I, a twin over full bunk, a dinette that converts to a bed, and a sofa bed. Plenty of room for all 3 (soon to be 4) kids to have their own sleeping arrangements. It has a bathroom with a toilet and shower. It has a good sized refrigerator with freezer. And it has a ton, I mean a ton, of storage.  It's huge. Double the weight of the pop-up, triple the height, and about 10 feet longer. But thanks to some awesome tow hitch upgrades and a special brake system installed it drives smoother than the pop-up ever did. It was nowhere near as difficult to pull as I'd worried myself it would be. My only concern is backing it up but that will come with practice so we shall see about that. We are so excited and happy to finally own it.  We are also thrilled to have our garage back since this is way too huge to fit there so we had to rent storage for it. 

Our inaugural trip is set for the weekend after next so I will keep you posted on how it goes. We cannot wait and are counting the days until we get to take her out.  But until then we are happy and excited. I'll leave you with a few pictures we have of it from when we picked it up yesterday!  Woo hoo!

All is well, rv-ing, in Drosche Land. 

Rescheduled

Well. Today was supposed to bring you a post about our first Home Study visit. 

A little over a week ago we finally heard from the person in charge of our Home Study. We were ecstatic. The appointment was scheduled for today, 11:00 - 4:00. A nice long time to get to know us, our home, and build a relationship that will help us to bring home outer daughter. 

We were cutting it close since it is Spring Break and we are reading out of town tomorrow to go camping, but the Home Study visit was so important we knew it had to be squeezed in. Last weekend we began cleaning and straightening everything. That way today would bring a quick once-over and we'd be ready. 

Then we got an email last night. Our caseworker had been out of town and unable to read through our file prior to meeting us. She would have to reschedule. Next Saturday was worked out. 

Argh. Bummer. Not what we wanted to hear. We did not want to push the process back for another week. But, it is what it is and we moved on. Next Saturday. Luckily we will be back from our trip with plenty of time to finish prepping the house and ourselves. 

So now we focus on vacation. Who doesn't love a vacation?  This will be the first Spring Break trip we've ever taken. With Amy being a Director for so long and Stella being so young still last year we have never gone anywhere so we are all pretty excited. Planning is done but packing is not so tomorrow morning will be a flurry of activity as we head out.  Which reminds me that I have to change out the laundry. So I guess I will say goodbye and get to that.  Stay tuned to upcoming posts on vacation, the Home Study, and another new adventure. 

All is well, change of plans, in Drosche Land. 

Top Photos of 2013: 17, 18, 19

Behind.  Again.  

Moving on.

So, here I am on the final day of the blog hop.  Since I am behind, I decided to do 2 separate posts for today.  One to catch up to today and then one devoted to my favorite photo of 2013.  Honestly, I have yet to secure one in mind.  I'm hoping for a sudden epiphany here any minute!  So, on with 17, 18, 19.

#17

Yes, another black and white shot.  This one is of the boys, I decided to play fair since the last one was Stella.  This picture was taken at the beach right at the end of summer vacation.  It was the last little trip we took before school began and the busyness of life resumed.  I love beach shots; there's just something about the sky, water, and sand that makes such a great shot to me.  I love the way that the boys are silhouetted against the water here.  Just a quick snap of them playing and a little editing and I think it turned out great!

#18

This picture cracks me up and never fails to make me laugh.  The memory behind it is something that makes it a favorite.  This was taken at Braeden's 7th birthday party in May.  We were newly thrust into Stella's milk and soy allergy and were still learning how to wrap our heads around it and find alternatives for her to eat.  She obviously couldn't have cake and ice cream with everyone else so we bought her a fruit sorbet.  This was the reaction she gave us to the fruity tartness.  Everyone died laughing as Amy fed it to her and Stella squinted and puckered.  I started snapping.  Despite the face she loved it and enjoyed quite a bit.  Good times.

#19

2013 was also the year we began gardening.  We had some initial success with tomatoes (seen above) as well as a bountiful harvest of herbs.  However, our numerous attempts to grow vegetables have failed miserably.  For a brief and fleeting moment we had visions of growing a wider variety of our own fruits and vegetables and enjoying them year-round.  Then reality set in and we enjoyed very sporadic treats from our garden.  2014 will prove to be the year of the herb garden only here in Drosche Land as that is what Amy and I have decided we do best.  But we do have the picture above, and a few others, to show that we gave it a good try!

Ok, so are you salivating at what might be my favorite picture of the year?  Kids?  Food?  a selfie?  I'll keep you wondering just a but longer and will post it later tonight.  I have something in mind.  Nothing earths shattering but definitely a favorite that keeps coming to mind.  Hope you've enjoyed the first 19.

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

Top Photos of 2013: 14 & 15

So another catch-up post.  Such is life.

The pictures for Days 14 & 15 both come from July.  From the exact same trip actually.  They may even have been taken on the same day.  Every year we get together with Amy's side of the family for one big family reunion/vacation over the summer.  This past year we traveled to Beaver Lake in Arkansas for the second time.  The first time was 2 years ago, before we had Stella, so this was her first time to go.  It was really her first big road trip and vacation ever.  She did very well, far better than either of the boys ever did for any car ride (long or short) at her age.

Anywho, it is a beautiful place and we love it.  We always have so much fun hanging out at the lake house and at the lake.  Swimming, boating, lounging, laughing.  It is always a fun and relaxing time.  So, I chose 2 photos from her because I couldn't decide which I liked best.

#14

Like I said before, sometimes I like to take pictures of things other than myself, my kids, and food.  This is Beaver Lake.  I always think lakes make such beautiful pictures.  Serene, quiet, picturesque.  This was a photo I posted to Instagram.  I love me some Instagram.  Partially because it is photography, partially because it is social media, and partially because you can quickly and easily tweak and edit photos to enhance them or make them better.  I love this one.

#15

And now we're back to pictures of me.  And my family.  But I love this shot of Amy and I at the lake.  Just relaxing and easy-going.  I think it captures the whole feeling of the vacation.  Plus, I always enjoy having a new picture of the two of us.  

So there.  5 more left to choose, hundreds left to choose from.  Here's to weeding through pictures and attempting to post on-time!

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

Campy

We bought a camper!

Shut up!

Yes, we did!

So, that's pretty much how July began.  But I'll back up a bit and run you through the whole story.

Picture it, late June.  We made plans to take the kids and dogs out to Lake Livingston for 2 nights and 3 days of camping fun.  Amy and I love camping.  Needless to say, it's been a while since we've been.  What with having a baby and all in the last year.  But we decided it was high time we went.  Stella had obviously never been and the boys hadn't been but a scant amount of times.  So we booked it.

The weather, up until then of course, had been quite nice.  Warm, yes, it is Texas after all; but not too bad.  All that changed the week we headed out.  As the end of June neared the temperatures began to rise.  Crap.  But we proceeded out anyway.  The Lake is not too far away, about an hour and a half, pretty much one movie (yes, that's how we measure car trip times here).  We got there and got everything set up.

Then we realized just how hot it was.  The dogs were unhappy.  Rex had never been camping and he is so timid and scared of everything the entire event was enough to send him into a panting, shedding frenzy.

Stella got fussy.  And red.  And sweaty.  Did I mention she was fussy?  But we proceeded with our day.  However, as the time passed Amy and I began to question our decision to camp.  Was it wise?  Would we survive?  What have we done?!

A campfire was made and hot dogs were roasted.  We were all hot and exhausted.  Stella was a mess and the boys were getting a little whiny.  Things started going downhill.  Fast.   So we surrendered.  We packed up and headed home, cutting our trip short.  Very short.

We still love camping, but not the heat.  I mean, who does?  On the ride home Amy and I joked with the idea of getting a camper.  That would allow us the ability to camp, but with some temperature control.  It wasn't long before it wasn't a joke anymore.  The next day was spent researching campers on the Internet.  Long story short (too late), we bought a camper.

Not a huge one.  A small pop-up.  But we love it and the boys do as well.  The best thing? We have an air conditioner.  Ahhhh.  The hardest part was backing it up into our garage. This wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the ridiculously steep incline of our driveway' but we finally managed to get it in.

However, since our purchase our attempts to camp have been slightly unsuccessful.  A week after purchase we headed out on the camper's inaugural run.  However, the first night was beyond peaceful for Amy and I as Stella fussed the entire night.  She was running fever and was not a happy camper (pun intended).  The next day Amy took her into town to the doctor (we were again near home luckily) and she had some crazy throat infection.  So, Amy took her home while the boys and I remained at the campsite for the next night.  Then, this past week we intended to head out to Galveston to camp at the beach, something we were all excited about.  But on the morning before our trip both boys awoke complaining of stomach aches and spent the entire day down and out.  We cancelled the trip thinking the heat of the beach would not be a great way to follow a day of sickness.  So that trip was rescheduled for October, although we did make it to the beach for a day trip by the week's end.

So, there you have it. A somewhat long story about the purchase of our first RV.  In true Drosche style it was an adventure from start to finish.  We haven't gotten to use it as much as we'd originally intended but we have big plans for our little pop-up.  2 upcoming trips are scheduled, a Spring Break trip, and we will be taking it to Disney next summer (post forthcoming).  So we are sure to become experienced RV campers sooner or later.  Despite the initial craziness surrounding the camper we are still super excited and very pleased with it.  It's a lot of fun thinking about all of the great family times we will share in it and the memories we will make with the kids that they will be able to share with their families when they grow up.  

All is well, happy campers in fact, in Drosche Land.

A picture of the one time the entire family was able to enjoy the camper together!

The boys hanging out on the first camper trip!

Amy and I, fireside, on the first camper trip.

The boys sleeping in.  They love their side of the camper!

The 2nd time backing in went much smoother, hopefully this will be the trend and I'll be a pro!

Break & 500

Hey!

Long time no blog.

A month to be more exact.  No major reason or drama though.  Just on summer vacation and thought I would take a break.  Not that I don't love to blog and there has been plenty of material this summer, but it was nice just to have a summer.  

Remember this is the first summer Amy and I have had together in forever so it was kind of a big deal in our family.  And it's been a great summer.  We have done a ton of things and I've taken pictures of most of it.  However, summer is rapidly coming to a close. Tomorrow is our official last day.  I report back on Monday and Amy will be returning to her classroom then as well to begin working.  Granted, school doesn't resume for another couple of weeks, but there are meetings to be had, classrooms to be set up, lessons to be written.  Oh, and let's not forget that little thing about all of the CHANGES coming for the Drosche family this school year.  Amy teaching 2nd (had I mentioned that?).  Me moving to a new school (I'm pretty sure I mentioned that).  And the kids being split between the two schools (I know I said that, right?).

Anywho, I'm back.  I thought what better way to mentally prepare for the end of summer and return to the real world than to relive the past summer here with you?  Catch up on the month-long break.  A recap of the adventures we've been on this past summer.  There have been some great ones, just you wait and see.  I'll walk you through July and all of her happenings so you can get back into the swing of things with me.  Hopefully the pleasant reminiscing of this awesome summer will help me transition back into school mode!  AAAHHH!

Oh and this post is also special not only because I'm back from break, but it marks the 500th post!  Woo hoo!  500!  Here's to 500 more!  :)

So, that's about it for now.  I'm back.  I missed you.  I'll leave you with a few pictures from today's adventure.  To end summer we headed down to Galveston to the beach!  Stella's first time at the beach to be more precise.  She loved it.  Splashing. Running around.  Eating the sand.  The boys had a blast too.  You could tell it was a great day because Amy and I enjoyed the car ride home in complete silence since they all fell asleep before we even left the island.  It was the perfect end to a great summer.  Tomorrow we relax and recover.

All is well, even with summer break ending, in Drosche Land.

Stella LOVED the beach and everything about it!  Definitely made us realize we need to get there more often!

My beautiful wife and I.

All 3!

Braeden and Jackson goofing off at lunch!

The girls enjoying lunch!

Me!  Seafood!

My girls!

Chocolate covered potato chips!  YUM!

The sign of a great day!

Good Dog Hot Dogs

So, to be honest, I'm not a huge hot dog fan. I mean, they're alright.  Every now and then but they're not something I'd eat frequently.  It's something I have to be in the mood for. However, not everyone in my family shares my sentiments.

Amy loves hot dogs, as do Stella and Jackson.  Braeden sides with me a bit and would prefer a hamburger over a hot dog any day.  However, since I chose the last food truck, Monster PBJ, this time Amy got to choose.  She was stoked about Good Dog from the get-go when we began tracking down local food trucks so I knew that she would choose it.

Despite not being my first choice, I was pretty excited too.  Some of the offerings sounded great.  So last Friday we headed out for our usual Friday routine - a morning at the Zoo and lunch at a food truck.  

From the smell when I got in line I knew that I would be enjoying lunch.  This isn't your average supermarket variety of hot dog (sorry Oscar Mayer) or even one you'd get at a sports venue.  Nope, as the advertisements promise they're gourmet.  

Their standard dog is 85% beef and 15% pork but 100% beef and tofu options are available.  I thought about the tofu dog given our June vegetarian kick, but decided to splurge and went with the standard.  My choice was the Sloppy Slaw Dog.  I liked the name.  I liked the description even more.  Apple-horseradish slaw with Swiss cheese and whole-grain mustard?  Um yes please!  It was awesome.  The slaw was crisp, flavorful, and amazing.  I love the pairing of the apples and the horseradish.  Their 85/15 dog is handmade for them and you can tell it is fresh.  Another awesome part of the food is their bun!  Top loading (not your typical bun) locally fresh made!  Yum!  

Amy got the Guac-A-Dog which is pretty self explanatory.  She loves avocados so this jumped out at her.  She didn't get the jalapeños though, to avoid some heat.  Hers looked amazing and I think I will have to try it next time, complete with jalapeños because I love them!

So, in short, this was another epic success in our Food Truck Summer.  We were super pleased and even though the kids opted out of this stop (they wanted McDonald's) a great time was had by all.  It's fun to support local businesses and who doesn't enjoy food that is cooked fresh for you.  Throw in a fun park picnic and we have a recipe for a fun family outing.  

The next stop?  Hmmmm, there are a few contenders but I'll keep it mum for now.  If you're here in Houston I highly suggest you track down Good Dog Hot Dog.  It'll be the best dog you've had!  Trust me!

All is well, and hungry, in Drosche Land.

Our dogs, lovingly packed together.  Mine's on top!

A close-up of mine because yum!

Monster PBJ

You know I love me some food.  Sure, I mentioned yesterday that Amy and I are going vegetarian (mostly) for June and we will likely be incorporating it into our lives in some fashion after that due to the fact that we have loved it so much and Stella's milk and soy allergies.  But that doesn't mean we can't have our splurges!

Lately, as within the last year, Amy and I have become slightly obsessed with food trucks.  Now, granted this isn't a new trend, but it's new to us.  Houston has thousands of great restaurants but who knew we also had a tremendous amount of delicious food trucks?  Who knew food trucks could be so awesome?  Well, we didn't know these things until recently.  

We haven't been to a ton, yet.  Our location out in the suburbs, along with the fact that we don't eat out a lot has kept us from building up our food truck repertoire.  However, we (Amy's great idea) have decided that this summer we would track down and try one food truck a week.  We missed the Food Truck Fest in May, so this is our compromise!

This past week I made the choice as to where we would visit and I chose Monster PBJ.  After reading great reviews on Facebook/blogs/online I knew I wanted to try it.  I love me some peanut butter so this sounded great.  We looked up their location, they seem to stay in the Museum District a lot, and we made the plans for a fun day.  The Zoo in the morning followed by a trip to Monster PBJ and then Hermann Park for a picnic with said sandwiches.  Sweet!

First of all, this is about as simple and basic as food gets.  They have a fun way to order as you mark your choices on a brown paper bag.  You choose your size, then your bread (white, wheat, gluten-free wheat (great for Stella!), nut butter (peanut, cashew, almond), fruit (apple jam, blueberry jam, strawberry jam, sliced apples, sliced bananas, sliced strawberries), sweetener (agave, honey, Nutella), crust (yes or no), grilled (yes or no), and even how you want it cut!  Turn in your bag and in a few minutes you're good to go.

I chose wheat with cashew butter and blueberry jam, kept the crust, grilled, and triangles (the only way to eat a PBJ).  OMG!  Awesome.  I have to agree with the reviews I've read that grilling is highly recommended.  Trust me.  I've never had cashew butter before so I had no clue to what I was missing out on.  Luckily Amy chose almond butter because that was my second choice, also delicious.  The boys weren't impressed (but they can be picky) which surprised me because they are peanut butter fans.  But it was lunch and they were tired from the Zoo so who knows?

I'll admit that it was the best PBJ I have ever had.  It's a good thing that they aren't too close to our house as I don't know if I could resist the temptation to visit regularly.  But I will definitely revisit.  Their prices are great and it is a lot of fun.  Who knew that a simple, plain old PBJ could be so gourmet and fun?  

Head on over to their website to check it out for yourself and maybe track them down for a bite to eat.  I noticed that they do cater private events/parties.  I pointed this out to Amy but she rolled her eyes at me!  :)  Well, writing this has made me hungry so I may have to sneak downstairs to eat a spoonful of peanut butter.  We're currently tracking down this week's food truck, Amy's choice, but I'll leave it a mystery and tell you in a later post.  Do you enjoy food trucks?  If so, what do you love?  If not, get out there and eat!

All is well, hungry for PBJ, in Drosche Land.

Make your order!

Tell me that doesn't look awesome!  YUM!

Stella playing while we wait for our order!

The boys!