Tons of pictures from our vacation to Houston...

Well we just got home from a 7 day vacation in sunny Houston! The temperature was above 100 degrees every day and it was also very humid. That was a shocking transition from the rainy and cold spring/summer weather we had been having in Blackfoot. Despite the heat, we had a great time!

Colby had testing in the Medical Center for the Spina Bifida research project he is participating in, so we made a vacation out of it--no Colby doesn't have spina bifida (he's in the control group) and YES Brett made the trip this year too.

I wasn't very good at taking pictures of everything we did. Brett and I were able to visit the Holocaust museum which is a very humbling and thought provoking place but not a place I felt comfortable snapping pictures. We also enjoyed some good food and shopping at the Galleria Mall which is the biggest shopping district I've ever been in or seen. You can find anything there.

I think we ate every meal like it was our last and that was really fun but now I need to get back to the gym! I just need to briefly mention that Brett will never be the same after all of the options and good food we ate. I don't think I could name a favorite because every place we went was on my list of must eats. I know Brett loved the Tex-Mex and the Barbecue though--how could you not!

The first couple pictures are out of order but anyway, this is Colby and if you can't tell he's ecstatic about this flying contraption he made in the invention section of the Children's Museum.

With our friend's, the Bybee's at the Beer Can House...more to follow

Quintana Beach, TX

We spent a day at Quintana Beach had a ball. Our friends the Bybee's came too and so did Quentin. In these pictures you'll see that the kids made a sea life habitat and found all kinds of creatures to live in it. They had a few hermit crabs, some larger crabs and a jelly fish that had expired, some little fish (live), and more I'm sure!

Grace, Collin, Colby, Quentin--proud of their work! I think Colby must have had something in his eye.

Jolie loved the beach. She loved eating and playing in the sand, feeding the birds and walking in the waves with daddy.

NASA

We also went to NASA--this is a rocket. It was so huge. It was in a football stadium (or bigger) sized warehouse.

Quentin got to come with us to NASA too! Colby had so much fun with him.

On the TRAM ride--such a big girl.

TRAM buds

Houston Children's Museum

In the water and loving it. Even though the water was warm and gross Jolie kept drinking it! It was dross! (That's how Jolie says Gross)

Here's Jolie LOVING the manipulative toys at the Children's museum.

Can you guess who took Jolie to the face painting station?

Here's Quentin, Colby and Alice building different flyers to send threw the air tunnels. As you can see, Colby was in HEAVEN. He loves that kind of stuff and the new "Invention Convention" exhibit at the Children's Museum was perfect for him.

Houston Museum of Health

Sorry my face is blurry in this one--but it was too funny not to post. This is me on a planet Mars walk simulation. It was hilarious.

Here comes the Houston Zoo...

Baby Komodo Dragon with Colby

Here's either the mom or the dad Komodo dragon--they are huge.

Everyone was so hot! We had to stop and get a drink after playing in the splash zone by the petting zoo.

Here's Jolie contemplating whether or not she should brush this goat. She did eventually and she pulled on his horn.

Moody Gardens in Galveston

My whole family in a shark tank! It actually looks like they are under water! I think the setting was wrong on my camera--how funny!

Jolie LOVING the "Nemo's". Nemo was literally everywhere we went on this trip!

Colby checking out the animatronic dinosaur exhibit--one of the highlights for him.

Colby in the rain forest posing with the birds.

Marriott Springhill Suites

I just want to say a little something about the hotel we stayed in. It was great. We loved the living room with the flat screen TV and the hot breakfast every morning. It was really nice to have a kitchen too!

Jolie absolutely loved the pool and she thought she could swim by herself. She was blowing bubbles and doing the back stroke--it was hilarious!

Colby is doing great with his swimming too. He showed us all of his new moves that he learned in swimming lessons.

The Water Wall

The water wall is one of my favorite things in the Galleria Area of Houston. It is the neatest fountain/water feature that I have ever seen. I love it especially at night because it's all lit up, but we stopped by in the late afternoon to check it out.

Downtown Houston Aquarium

This picture should be last. Colby bought this alligator and Jolie loves it. Colby asked her what his name should be and she said "Bubby". She fell asleep with Bubby in the car.

YIKES!

Two little shark faces!

Houston Museum of Natural Science

Hi Frog

BEES! Right now Jolie calls every bug she sees a bee. These really are bees, so she got it right!

Texas MillitaryMuseum

Brett and Colby went in this museum while Jolie and I waited in the car :)

They said it was AWESOME. I took their word on that!

Sheldon Lake Wildlife Preserve

We did not see or get eaten by any alligators this year. We did not have to use the alligator safety manual either. The alligators were smarter than us and knew that it was way too hot to be walking on the surface of the sun--I mean out of the water in Houston.

The Diva walk

The Beer Can House

We went to dinner with the Bybee's and then to Gelato Blue for some crazy good Gelato. Anyway afterwards we drove over to the Beer Can House. Jenny already summarized the story behind the house and it's creator so I'm going to copy her description because I couldn't say it any better:

"The guy who lived here, John Milkovisch, had lived here for 20 years when he decided to repave his driveway and put some marbles in it for decoration. He liked it so much he decided he'd do his whole yard like that and then he wouldn't have to mow his lawn any more. When John got that done, he decided to make use of the apparently many cans of beer that he drank, so he started cutting them up and using them for siding. He figured he'd never have to paint his house again. After he got that done (his wife told him the INside of the house was OFF limits) he decided to do a little decorating around the yard.

Much to John's surprise, after they had covered their house up, their electrical bill went down! Who knew? And no part of the can went to waste. He put the tops and pull tabs in chains hanging from the roof and it makes the prettiest sound in the wind." Thanks Jenny!!

The Orange Show

The Orange Show is another little oddity found in Houston. It was the obsession of a man named Jeff. He built the show in hopes that it would attract people by the thousands. It is a an ecclectic collection of weirdness but it has a strange endearment to it. After the show opened only a small crowd came and it soon died out. You can't help feeling sorry for the man. He died shortly later of a broken heart.

I took this picture down the street from The Orange Show for Colby. It looked like something that should be in War Craft or something. He liked it!

The Art Car Museum

Houston has an Art Car parade every year. These are some of the ones displayed at the museum right now. It was amazing and weird to look at all of the details on some of the cars. Some people are so creative and crazy!

Here's Jolie contemplating whether or not she could get some of those Easter treats away from the crazed Easter Bunny "Rex".

This Art Car has a giant water buffalo head mounted to the front--Jolie is pointing at it for those of you who couldn't see it right away.

The Lonestar Flight Museum

Brett loved this museum--especially the WWII planes. It was a neat exhibit.