Another Busy Summer

Well, so much for staying quiet and staying home this summer. Again we were busy busy busy. Let's start at the beginning. Mason finished his Sophomore year at Wakeland High School and is now officially an upperclassman. He finished the school year with terrific grades and a drivers license. It's been nice to send him on a few of errands for me this summer, when he was home of course.

Travis graduated Preschool (Pre-K if you ask him) in style with a cap and gown ceremony and a reception with cookies and lemonade. He was all smiles and mom and dad were so proud. He's stayed busy this summer with gymnastics and karate and just started the fall soccer season.

The first week summer I was fortunate enough to head to Washington to visit my family for a week. My grandmother had been sick so we thought it an important opportunity to make a trip to the great Northwest. It was wonderful to see family and spend some time with my grandparents. Family is too far away but am grateful for the opportunities I do get to visit.

On a positive note for the Texas branch of the Baugh's, Kohen and Marian continue to pressure Mom and Dad to return while we hope Wes, Amy, Jared and Sarah feel the pull back to the Republic.  Hey, it's my blog, I can be selfish and self serving if I want. :)

Amy, Maren, Jace, Jared, Wes and Alex Baugh

Grandpa Tony, Jace, and

Grandma Juanita

At the end of June we were glad to have Chuck's brother Don and his family stop for a stay on their way moving across country back to California. We love them so much and wish they lived closer. (you might be noticing a pattern by now) Chuck took us all out to tour the new Cowboys stadium and then out for great barbeque. Yum. Nothin' like The Feed Store in Southlake for some great ribs. On the 4th of July we all headed down to San Antonio for a mini family reunion with Chuck's family. A weekend of reacquainting with loved ones. The kids especially had a great time together.

While in SA we all road tripped out to Fayettville Texas in the Colorado River Valley. This is a town that Chuck's 4X great grandfather (James J Ross) helped found as displayed on a monument in the town square. On the right below is a photo of the Texas Historical marker at Ross Praire which is where Stephen F Austin originally granted James J Ross his 4000 leagues of Texas in 1824. We still haven't figured out where it all went.

So much for the history lesson, we continued that trip with a visit to the famous Blue Bell Ice Cream factory, the real highlight of that day!!!!!! I'd say for the kids but Uncle Don and Chuck seemed to enjoy it more than the kids. Travis got an autograph from Miss Dottie who has done the tours there since she was a teenager.

The Wright Children and their spouses...

Kenny and Sue Wright, Lisa and Chris Wright

Linda and Pat Fisher, Norma and Don Wright,

Michelle and Chuck Wright

Linda Fisher, Travis Wright, 

Chuck Wright, Greg Wright and Don Wright

The Cousins

Tamara, Becky, Blayne, Mason, Matthew, Chris, Travis, J.R. and Greg

The above pictures were from a family dinner celebrating Kennuy's marriage to Ms Sue at La Fogota after a day of bowling. Kenny, Chris and Chuck have been eating at La Fogota since it opened, it is a San Antonio landmark now.

From San Antonio we put Mason on a plane to Washington to spend 3 weeks with his other grandparents and aunts, uncles, cousins, and great grandparents. It was a regular hoopla! Mason had a great time hanging out with everyone but really enjoyed his time helping his Grandpa Baugh (or g-pa as he is affectionately known) build bookshelves.

Chuck Travis and I took the opportunity to head to Austin and Fredericksburg for a weekend with our friends Steve and Maria. It was all part of our "eating our way through Texas" tour including lunch at the legendary Salt Lick Bar B Que spot (another pattern you may begin to notice)

Chuck, Travis, Michelle, and Steve & Maria Foxx

Chuck found a great hotel outside the city. The Hanger Hotel is done up as a World War II era/somewhere in the south pacific lodging establishment, right down to the music they play in the lobby, a lounge called the officer's club and the pin up girl t-shirts. They even had a fly up diner right next door.

Travis loved it though he loves ANY hotel. He got to watch a few planes fly in and out. Mom loved sitting up in the morning before the world was up and watching the sun, feeling the cool morning air, and enjoying the quiet.

Airport Diner at the Hangar Hotel

Mason came back to Frisco long enough to sleep in his bed for a night or two, get his laundry washed and the climb into the van with the family, his friend Parker, and Grandma Wright and head to EFY (Especially For Youth) camp in Nauvoo IL. We stopped in Sprinfield Mo on the way up to visit the Original Bass Pro Shop.  I could have spent all day there and then some but alas, I was outvoted by the rest of the tired and hungry crew.  The next morning we then headed to Nauvoo through the Lakes of the Osarks and crossed the Missouri River at Jefferson City (awesome capitol building). 

Sunset on the Mississippi

The Mississippi really is a mighty river. Muddy, but beautiful.

I had planned on hot and muggy but Nauvoo was luckily cool and comfortable the entire time we were there. A couple days of rain helped to keep it nice too. While Mason was at EFY Chuck, Grandma Wright, Travis and I toured the historical sites of the LDS church and even took a short trip over to Carthage to see the jail.  What a learning experience and seeing everything really put things into perspective.  

We also took a day and headed to Hannibal MO to visit the boyhood home of Samuel Clemens. We were able to see his home, the home of Huck, rode the Mark Twain riverboat on the Mississippi, and did a bit of antique shopping too. It wasn't hard to see how the characters of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn came to pass, considering they are all based on real people. Just an amazing piece of Americana.

Nauvoo Temple at sundown

Nauvoo is a small town but full of history and a great opportunity to really get a feel for how settlers in the early 1800's lived. Chuck was most facinated by John Browning's house, the legenday gunsmith. Travis' highlight was spending the afternoon playing with the pioneer toys in the children's area.

Travis dressed in pioneer child style playing with pioneer toys

Leave it to Chuck to find a fellow Marine in a town of less than 400. The bartender at the hotel next to where we stayed was a wounded Iraqi War Marine who worked with the bomb dogs sniffing out IED's. Fine young marine now back and trying to earn his college degree to return to the Corps as an officer and he poured a good drink too.

Even though we enjoyed all our travels this last summer it's nice to be home to our own beds, regular bedtimes, friends, and some sort of ROUTINE!  Next summer we are staying home.........maybe.