A Texas-Sized Texas Post

It’s a Texas-Sized post from our recent trip to Texas! It was a bittersweet (but heavy on the sweet) experience. We came together with family for my father’s memorial, and then our little family of four did some traveling and catching up with wonderful friends.

Both of the kids were champs throughout all the travel. Isla knew the drill and moved through all the transitions of packing, airport procedures, loading/unloading effortlessly. We weren’t sure how well Cole would do with the confinement on the plane, as he likes to keep moving and hasn’t proven to be quite as flexible as his big sister yet, but he did great! A little wiggly and resistant to napping on the plane (Mommy snuggled him into submission- ha!), but otherwise he was totally happy and easy going. Well done, little wayfarer!

Brush your teeth! Ch-ch-ch-ch…ch-ch-ch-ch-ch! Cole thinks brushing his teeth is one of the greatest pastimes in the world.

The first evening we were all together, we met for a long dinner. It was a wonderful time to come together and catch up on life.

Isla playing the maracas- and loving it!

Cole bonked his head and was trying to be so brave about it! His little lip!!! Luckily, Uncle David gave him lots of comfort.

Snuggles and fireside storytelling with Uncle Mark!

Cole thought cousin Matthew was just the best! The night they met it took Cole only a few minutes to feel comfortable enough to steal beans off of Matt’s plate!

Isla and cousin Clara became fast friends and played non-stop while they were together.

Everywhere we go, she is collecting. This is Papa Sam’s Memorial Weekend Collection. Agates and a snail shell from the gravel at the cemetery parking lot, pecans from Isla Avenue, and crystals, acorns, and pine cones from our walk with Auntie Mary and Uncle David.

Over the weekend I faced so much of the sadness I had been able to push down and avoid this past year. I cried every time we drove through my dad’s neighborhood; the realization that those familiar roads would no longer lead me to him was incredibly painful. Standing alongside my dad’s grave, hearing my uncle read the Lord’s prayer, and my mom share a loving and honest eulogy that highlighted Dad’s goodness and struggles, solidified the painful reality that he is gone. My heart breaks knowing I can no longer call to see how he is doing or share the details of my life. We’ll never talk about photography or travels or reminisce about our happiest days spent hiking, skiing, movie watching, and adventuring together. I’ll never hear his hearty laugh again. That really, really hurts.

Thankfully, along with the sadness, I experienced so much joy during those few days. The time I spent with my sister and brothers was absolutely priceless. We shared stories about Dad and caught up on each other’s lives. My heart nearly burst watching them meet, and dote on, Isla and Cole! I was blown away how quickly both of the kids connected with them. I met my uncle, my dad’s only brother, for the first time and marveled at the incredible wonder of genetics. My dad and uncle haven’t spent much time together since they were teenagers, yet they shared so many similar traits and mannerisms! Their hands were identical, and their posture, movements, and phraseology were surprisingly similar. The first time I saw my uncle shake is head in disbelief and exclaim, “Really?” I nearly burst into tears, because I’d swear I was staring into my Dad’s face. These glimmers of my dad, through my uncle, were such precious gifts to me this weekend. The way we all connected as a family was really amazing. It filled my heart with so much love, and I know it would have made Dad so, so happy.

As we were arriving at the cemetery in Beaumont, Texas, we were absolutely shocked to drive past an Isla Avenue! We made sure to stop for a photo before we left.

As a little tribute to my dad, I made this shirt for Isla. My dad always called her, “Isla Wila, sweeter than apple cider.” It sounded more like a rhyme with his southern drawl! I absolutely loved that he made up this sweet little nickname for her, and that even as his memory faded, it was something he remembered. Isla wore this to his memorial, and it brought a smile to my face every time I looked at it. I have found myself unintentionally using this nickname with Isla all year, and I love that it has helped her maintain a connection with her papa.

Isla had so much fun playing with (and teasing!) her Uncle David.

Walk and lunch with Auntie Mary!

We rounded out the weekend with a dinner with Mom. Emotionally, we were exhausted, but also energized. Our eyes were puffy and tired from the tears, but our hearts were so full from the time we spent together as a family.

The next day, our family of four headed to Galveston to visit Moody Gardens. I have such happy memories from Moody Gardens when I was a child, and I couldn’t wait to share the magic of the aquarium and rainforest pyramids with Isla and Cole.

The experience was every bit as magical as I had hoped it would be- if not more! There is really nothing more heartwarming than seeing the wonder in your children’s eyes as they explore something new. This tank alone- literally the very first thing we saw- captivated the kiddos for a solid 15 minutes.Go ahead and add “stingray whisperer” to Isla’s list of magical traits. These cow nosed rays kept coming back to her for pats, and were jumping out of the water towards her. Even the volunteers commented on how much they liked Isla.

Isla was absolutely captivated by this moon jelly touch tank! She described them as, “kinda slimy.”“I don’t want to be anything when I grow up. I want to be a little bit of everything.” Isla Grace Marshall

Up next was the rainforest!Isla was tickled pink to see these salmon colored birds.Cole kept calling out, “Caw! Caw!” when he would hear the birds.

Isla drew a picture of us in the rainforest, looking at the pink birds.

The next day we visited NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Isla watching a launch simulation. Love that sweet little face!Mission to find resources on Mars. Success!Just taking brother for a spin in a Mars Rover. No big deal.

Isla taught herself to draw cylinders on the trip!

Next up, was a trip to Waco to visit all of the Magnolia stops.We enjoyed lunch at Magnolia Table. It’s just as beautiful, tasty, and wonderful as you’d expect it to be!

The cupcakes were divine!

The light was so beautiful in the common area at The Silos I had to run to the car to get our good camera. Isla befriended a group of kids almost instantly, and they spent a solid hour running around together, giggling and playing soccer. Cole found this extra ball and was in love! He kept hugging it and saying, “Oooh. Ball!”I can’t get enough of this little guy in his badger outfit. I’m pretty sure every baby outfit should come with a tail!

Cole is all about cars these days! The minute he sees one, his eyes grow wide, he points, and enthusiastically shouts, “Beep! Beep!” He can say car, but I love the fact that he prefers beep beep. Side note, he calls remotes (or any technology with buttons) a “beep boop beep.”“I took a deep breath, and from determination, I won.” -Isla

After our day in Waco we moved on to Austin for the remainder of our trip.

We connected with our photographer friend, Amanda, and her darling daughter, Allie, for a playdate in the park and enjoyed an impromptu pigeon hangout as well.

One of the biggest highlights from our stay in Austin was our visit to Thinkery. What a fabulous children’s museum! It was incredibly engaging, with countless opportunities for hands-on learning. Plus, everything was SO fun! We all played happily for hours and hours.

Isla absolutely loved the sewing center. First she practiced her hand stitching and then used the sewing machine- all by herself! I see a new passion developing!This room was pretty much a giant lite-brite. We were all mesmerized!

We wrapped up our stay in Texas with a weekend at the Johnston’s. Our time together was filled with heartfelt conversations and creative inspiration. So grateful for friends who are family.

Thank you for a wonderful stay, Texas loved ones. See y’all next November!