The Esparzas On The Road

Our Time Together!!

2012-02-14T18:31:00.000-08:00

More of Valentine's Day!

Today, we also got to visit with Veronica when we picked up Arianna to go to Larissa's party. After the Party, we had made plans to stop by Manuel's office to visit for a little while. We had a great visit. Sure missed seeing Corina but she is in Lake Tahoe with Doug. They are scheduled back tomorrow.

By 4:30 p.m., we were hungry and decided to stop at our traveling friend's favorite place. Besides being Valentine's Day, today is also Richard King's Birthday. So, in His honor, we eat at Pappasitos!! Happy Birthday, Richard! May you have many, many more, Friend.

It is early but the place is packed with everyone celebrating Valentine's Day!

The place is very decorated....

The waiter takes our picture....

To Everyone.... Richard, we also enjoyed the Sopapillias just for you! Wish you had been here, Buddy!!

We had a wonderful day with family and friends....what else can we ask for? We are truly blessed!!

Larissa's Valentine Party!

2012-02-14T18:16:00.000-08:00

The party was set for 1:30 but we arrived a little early to help the room mother set up. Arianna is so excited!

She leads the way up the stairs to Lari's room. The children are in recess so we hurry with our set up.

They are back and all the children are so excited.

Arianna and I are in charge of serving the ice cream sundaes....

She is ready!

One group works on the craft...making their Valentine for their loved one....

Then they work on trying to get as many conversation hearts with the chop stix as they can.

Arianna sits and enjoys her sundae.... Grandpa takes pictures with Lari's ipad.

mmmmm good!

The cupcake is also mmmmm good!

I liked this message in Lari's classroom wall.....so true!!

We had an awesome time with all these children. These are such special times!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Valentine's Day!!

2012-02-14T17:45:00.000-08:00

Before I begin my blog today, I want to mention something that happened to us yesterday that was very very special. After Manuel's cardiology appointment we were so happy that all his results (blood work and stress test) were excellent. After that, we ran errands and lastly, we stopped at Chili's for a late lunch. We had a great lunch and enjoyed our time there. When we got ready to go, asked the waitress for the check. She came back and told us "your check has been paid by an appreciative customer". We asked her, "Who?" thinking it was someone we knew. She said, "He wants to be anonymous but said he appreciates your service to our Country". We were shocked and so thankful. When we walked out, we looked around at the bar and saw no one we knew. Manuel, waved in case that person was looking our way. Aren't people wonderful?!! We are so thankful!

We got an early start today as we have a lot to do. Our first stop was at the Lopez Senior Center. We do not go too often as we are usually busy but try to go when they have functions. Valentine's Day is a BIG day here. We met up with Mr. and Mrs. Adolfo Montero Sr. They are our neighbors, beautiful couple. They are very active here.

While at the Center's Cafe, Manuel stops to visit with his ex-co-worker, Mr. Raul Trevino. They both worked at Kelly A.F.B. for many years.

They enjoy visiting and reminiscing about old times....

Mr. Montero visits with some friends, too. Manuel and Raul in the background enjoying their coffee.

Mrs. Maria Esther Montero is busy on the internet but stops to pose for me. Beautiful smile!!

Meanwhile, we head to the hall where the DJ is all decked out in Red, as well as many, many others.

They have the crowning of the King & Queen, The Princesses and Princes....They all look so nice.

Everyone is ready to begin dancing! Music is always from the 50s & 60s. Great Oldies....

That was fun! Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!!!

Family Time

2012-02-13T20:24:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning, we woke up very early and I mean early...4:30 a.m. We had made plans to drive Corina and Doug to the airport as they had a trip planned to Lake Tahoe.

We dropped them off and came home to sleep. Then we headed to the Rodeo for the day.

On Sunday, we woke up to a pretty cold day. Manuel called us early and said he would come pick us up to just be together. Of course, we said "Sure!"

We head out to his house where Veronica had breakfast ready for us. We all ate and headed out on the town. We were all over town looking at homes they have contracts on. Sorry I forgot to take pics except this one. We like to look at them when they buy them and then when they fix them up. They do a great job and by the time they finish them, they have renters waiting to move in or buy them.

By early afternoon, we were all hungry and decided to go to Sea Island to eat. We had a great meal and enjoyed each others company.

Grandpa takes a couple of pictures. Larissa, Veronica and Arianna...

and again....our two sweethearts!

Another wonderful day! Oh, we are so blessed!

Rodeo Time in San Antonio

2012-02-11T20:04:00.000-08:00

We picked up Larissa and Arianna on Saturday to attend the San Antonio Rodeo. It was a sunny but cool day.

We are off to have some FUN!!!

Traffic was horrible and we finally found a good spot right in front of the AT&T Center.

We are in line to get our tickets....Arianna decided not to wear her hat.....

You can tell that most of the animals have their coats/jackets on. It is old in the shade or inside the barns. This will not stop us from having fun!

This girl stops and poses for me as she is exercising her girly girl sheep.

The piggys are huge! A lot of Ham here!!

All color pigs/hogs....

The cattle wash....They are bathing them to make them look pretty for the competitions!!

Nice and shiny....fresh out of the cattle wash.

Elsie the Cow looking beautiful! Borden had a great display....the girls enjoyed this.

Do not know where we are headed next....to the crafts hall, I think.

Our guides are making a plan....where now! We have covered a lot of area by now.

Great decision....food. They are ready for turkey legs, cotton candy, funnel cake and sausage on a stick!!!

Just love our time with these two little ones. They are having a great time but we still need the rides.....

Manuel is having such a great time with them. His energy level was good even though we had a lot of walking to do.

Lari got to milk this cow !!! Arianna dared not touch the boobies....

Even the chickens, roosters are cold!

What are they planning here? Okay, pony rides next. They wait in line.

They are so excited. They do this every year but still is so much fun for them.

Arianna rides GEM.

Larissa rides CAGNEY!

The girls are on the inner part of the carousel....hard to see.

This is a fun ride....

Back at home, waiting for Dad to pick them up. What a fun day we had.

Thank you for a wonderful day at the Rodeo!!!

Super Bowl Sunday

2012-02-05T18:41:00.000-08:00

Today, we ran some errands in the morning and were supposed to meet family but the weather did not look good at all and it was cold, so we decided to just go home.

We got home, I took a long nap by the fireplace and then we just watched the Super Bowl. We were rooting for the Giants and they Won!

We will see what this week brings....it is cold and wet out so we will probably just stay in. Have a great week, Everyone!

A Visit To Castroville, TX

2012-02-04T18:29:00.000-08:00

We picked Larissa and Arianna on Friday afternoon. They spent Friday night with us. Our plan is to visit Castroville, TX tomorrow.

As soon as they got home, they wanted to set up their tent (their indoor playhouse). We made smores and this is just so much fun for them.

Saturday morning was a pretty cool morning and we had rain all night.... set off to visit the Steinbach House which had been featured on TV this past week. This home belonged to some French.Alsatian immigrants who settled in Castroville.

This used to be the Chamber of Commerce office until not too long ago when they relocated. It is now a museum but we found it closed this Saturday.

We just took pictures outside the home but will make another trip someday to tour the inside of the home.

The Girls did not bring jackets so they are wearing my jackets....it is cool out!

They are both taking pictures with their ipads....they love taking pictures!

Next, we visited the St. Louis Catholic Church which was built in the 1800s. Our Son, Manuel Jr. and Veronica, were married here.

It is a beautiful church. I had told Lari and Ari that we would bring them here to see where their parents were married and today was the day.

Our walk up to the alter....the girls are snapping pictures all along.

Beautiful stain glass....

The alter....

The two side alters are so beautiful, too.

They are so good at taking pics. They want to show Mom and Dad.

Our walk back.

Arianna takes a picture of Grandpa lighting a candle. God is Good!

Arianna, Larissa and Grandpa pose for me....

We pose for Grandpa..... A beautiful crucifix as we exit the Church.

A historic building next to the church....

Several other historic buildings.....

The theater is now an antique shop....

The Keller home....the guy that lives here used to work with Manuel.

The Courthouse...

another saloon....

Another nice old church...

A lot of these old homes are now Bed & Breakfasts...

We are now ready for lunch and the girls selected Bush's Chicken.

Arianna decided to play beautician this past week and cut her own hair. She cut the back pretty straight and the bangs a little too short but it is straight!!

After our late lunch, we headed to the Alsatian Bakery.....mmmm good sweet bread here!

Oh they had such a hard time deciding what they wanted!

We had such a fun day with Larissa and Arianna. We went home and packed their things and drove to meet Manuel Jr. Until next time!

Manuel Jr. and Family Visit With Us

2012-01-29T21:01:00.000-08:00

Manuel, Veronica, Larissa and Arianna came over to visit us as soon as we arrived home on Sunday. Arianna and Larissa were really missing us and we were missing them, so it was a great visit. They wanted to take us out to dinner so off we went.

They first took us by one of the two houses they just purchased as rentals....pretty nice house. Needs a little work and it will be ready to rent out.

They dictate to Lari what items they need to buy for this house....

This house is in very good condition...

This is the second house. This one needs a little more things done to it before renting and the yard needs to be cleaned up.

Arianna poses for me....So good to spend time with them all.

We went out to Pappacitos (Richard King's favorite place). Dinner was great!

We sure enjoyed our afternoon together. Times like these are so special to Manuel and I.

Saturday & Sunday at the Rally

2012-01-29T20:49:00.000-08:00

The Host Team for the January DeMontrond Rally at the KOA in Montgomery, TX. We had a great time!

Manuel Esparza, Joe Bechard, Connie Esparza, Sharon Goodlett, Janet Bechard and Janet Lambe.

The DeLeons provided the Margaritas for this rally.

Gilbert DeLeon, MaryLou Deleon, Ronnie and Troy were the servers....Goooood Margaritas, Guys!

Everyone gathers for dinner....

The Sherriff, Larry Gordon gives his report.

Pat and Mary find something very funny....wonder what they are talking about?!

Sunday we went into Montgomery for breakfast ....

Manuel's favorite star....John Wayne pics are everywhere. The greeter and bus boy/man at the restaurant.

Janet, Nancy & Joe Hollis, and Bob Srutka...

Mary Boggs, Sandy & Joe Huntley....

Our good traveling buddy, Bob poses with Manuel in front of the Old Montgomery Steakhouse.

Nice little shop....

This is a nice town with a lot of old shops.....Had a great 8 day stay in Montgomery.

Friday Night Event

2012-01-27T19:28:00.000-08:00

We drove to the rally room to help the caterers if they needed help. Janet said she was going to walk....

That does not look like she is walking to me..... She and Mark cut right in front of us.

They are cutting corners to try to beat us there.

Mark puts the metal to the pedal and Janet shows us she is going to beat us there!

The caterers are Lone Star Catering. They are almost all set up and we just sit and wait for all to come.

The two ladies catering this event.

Desserts galore....so much to choose from....

After dinner, we play BINGO!

Everyone is very focused on their bingo game.

I was so lucky tonight....I won 2 games but split one. This was great for me....

George Franklin, our Bingo Caller.

All the WINNERS for tonight. Linda won the big jackpot. Great fun with great friends!

Breakfast in the morning at 7:30 a.m. so we, the host team have to be there at 6:30 a.m.

Until tomorrow.

Friday At The Rally

2012-01-27T14:38:00.000-08:00

We, The Host Team, were at the rally hall by 6:30 a.m. this morning. It was sure hard getting up so early but once there, we all had a lot of fun. It was an easy meal to serve, it being continental breakfast. Many came to eat and many stayed in to sleep.

We were done by 9 a.m. and a trip had been planned to visit one of our members' homes. This lady has her home all decorated in Victorian Style. It is just beautiful. Here are a few pics.

She also makes all kinds of Santa Clauses....

Here we go upstairs... She makes all kinds and colors Santas.

One of her bedrooms, turned into a Santa store room....

She also has many many dolls....

I bought these two. One for Larissa and one for Arianna.

The to her workroom. The attic above the garage was converted into her work area...

Every little space was made into storage and she is very very organized.

Her supply room...looks like a small Hobby Lobby.... Santa heads ready to be worked on...

Santa clothing ready to be fitted on a Santa. The lavender Santa....my mom's favorite color.

We had a great tour. Thank you for welcoming us. We will bring more money next time! she did pretty good today, almost everyone that went bought something.

Tonight the dinner is catered but we, the hosts, have to be there at 5 p.m. to help out if they need help. More to come.

Thursday At The Rally

2012-01-26T20:25:00.000-08:00

We woke up to a beautiful, sunny day but it was cool. Early morning huddle.....I bet they are planning where we will eat today.

Jesse, The Wagon Master, checking on things....

Today, it was Magnolia Diner.....good food here.

About 24 of us came out to eat here.

The waiter climbed a chair to take pic. Marge and Lee Helstrom also came to eat at the diner.

Beautiful blue skies....

Bob, Joe and Manuel hang out and chat....

We sat out even though it was a bit cool.

She said she was not asleep, just resting her eyes because the sun bothers her. Okay Janet, we believe you.

The Host Crew (Joe and Manuel) and The Bartenders (Ronnie and Troy). Great Margaritas, Guys.

I do look sleepy, don't I?!

A game of "Pass The Love" after dinner. Steve was the big winner tonight.

Another great day gone by!

Wednesday At the Rally

2012-01-25T20:46:00.000-08:00

We woke up to a rainy morning after getting rain most of the night. News reported really bad weather with tornadoes in the area.

The Franklins, Sharon Goodlett, Janet Lambe and Manuel & I went to the rally hall. We kept a close eye on the news as tornadoes were report in the vicinity.

Took Charlie for a walk outside the building. The rain has almost stopped.

Quincy (in green), Sharon Goodlett's Yorkie and Charlie,our Yorkie share this towel to nap....

We played "Pass The Love" as we watch the weather outside. We played for about an our an a half.

Getting back to the coach, Joe H. is walking his two pups....

Looking out the window....it looks like a river by the playground.

Several more attendees have arrived...

Walked Charlie down by the playground. This low lying area has filled with water by the outdoor theater.

It has drizzled off and on most of the day....

The rain stops and Joe Huntley unloads his Harley with Jesse and Alan's help. Margaret and Linda watch.

This evening we had the Chili Cook-off. Half of the Hosts: Joe Bechard, Sharon Goodlett, Joe Hollis (Mr. V.P.) and Myself.

The other half of the Hosts: From Right: Janet Lambe, Manuel, and Janet Bechard. They visit with the Substitute Sherriff Larry and wife, Donnie.

Ronnie....shake it up Baby....shaking the Margaritas, I mean.

Ronnie and Troy are in charge of making the Margaritas tonight.

Manuel will help them serve Margaritas.

These guys just watching the goings on....

Ladell Gaston gives Janet one of her crafted gifts.... it is tooth pick holder in the shape of a tooth.

Janet Lambe, Ladell Gaston and Pat Franklin.

The Chili Judges hard at work....Jesse Soto, Alan Pettigrew, LaVerne Williams and Larry Gordon.

The three top winners.

1st Place Winner: Dave Ellisor. Jesse Soto, Wagon Master presents him a gift certificate.

2nd Place Winner: Janet Lambe and Jesse Soto presents her with a gift certificate. She is elated!!

3rd Place Winner: Sandy Huntley and Jesse Soto presents her with a gift certificate.

All participants in the Chili Cook-Off: Dave Ellison, Sandy Huntley, Janet Lambe, Sharon Goodlett, Nancy Hollis, and Joe Bechard.

Great job, all chili was delicious!

Eight of us ladies stayed after dinner to play "Pass The Love". Awesome Time!

We had a great day, not matter what the weather is, we always have a wonderful time.

Time With Friends

2012-01-24T17:50:00.000-08:00

We spent all of our day with Janet. Went to her house and by the time we returned, everyone was ready to go to dinner.

We now have about 10 coaches out of the 40 something that are expected to be here.

We arrived at Fajita Jack's....

We were a pretty big group. We all enjoyed each others company....

This was the rowdy group of the night....something must be really funny!

Joe Bechard is celebrating his birthday today. He was so surprised when the waiters showed up to sing to him and also brought him dessert.

George is really enjoying his free ice cream cone....we all joined him.

We all felt like piggies after our dinner....pretty piggy.

More to come.....

Tuesday was a relaxing day. Janet L., Sharon G., Janet B. and I, The Host Ladies, got together and went to buy items needed for this rally. Went to Sam's then Wal-Mart. As we shopped, Manuel & Joe get a little work done. They put a fresh water & black water disconnects....not sure what they called it. Manuel did Janet's and Joe did Sharon's. Great job guys! Thank you George for the pics...

Just as we were leaving, it started to rain. We unloaded Janet's car and headed home. I rested and was able to take a nap. Janet came at 5 pm and told us we would be going to The Old Montgomery Steakhouse for dinner....

Here we are waiting for our food....

George's pics.....

We had the waitress take our picture: 1st row: George, Linda, Shirley, Dean, Manuel, Connie. 2nd row: Dave, Larry, Donnie, Joe H., Nancy, Mary, Jesse, Janet, Pat, Sharon, Janet B, Margaret and Joe B. 3rd row: Allan We had a great time with great friends.

More to come.

Time With The Lone Star Allegros

2012-01-22T19:10:00.000-08:00

We arrived early in the afternoon and I was so touched that several of our Lone Star Allegro members came out to help us set up as Manuel was not feeling very good. Thank you Joe B., and Art B., for all your help. Really appreciate that. Manuel just rested Saturday afternoon.

Saturday morning, he was feeling better and joined us at the clubhouse for breakfast. He ate pretty good for the first time, so I can say that being among our friends makes such a difference in how he feels. Thank you everyone for getting us thru these hard times.

The Lone Star Allegros Host Team for this weekend: Sherran & Bruce Marler and Marge and Lee Helstrom. Thank you for your hard work.

Mid-day Sunday, we moved to the location where the DeMontrond Travelers will meet this coming weekend. Same park, different space. Once again, Joe B. and Joe H. set us all up.

Three of the four host coaches are here: Bechard, Esparza, and Lambe. Goodlet will be here tomorrow. The Hollises (V.P.) and Helstroms will remain at the park all week for next rally.

It was a nice afternoon, although a windy day. Here we are doing what we do best....

Sharon Goodlet stopped by to visit and will drive her coach here tomorrow.

Then on to Magnolia Diner for a late lunch....

Joe, Janet and myself (on left) and Joe, Nancy and Janet (on right).

Pictures around the park as I walk Charlie, Our Yorkie..... This is a really nice park.

This couple has caught a fish!

Charlie does not like the camera.

Which way should we go, Charlie???

They even have a playground for pups!!!

Larissa and Arianna would have liked this playground....

Manuel has just stayed in resting....he is so anxious to get out and visit but needs to rest.

One more coach has come in....the Huntleys.

Until next time....

Drive to Montgomery, TX

2012-01-22T18:37:00.000-08:00

Allan Pettigrew, a member of our rally group, DeMontrond Travelers, was in San Antonio working so we got together with him for dinner at Mi Tierra. We had a very nice visit.

Manuel had been pretty sick for the last few days but on Saturday, woke up feeling pretty good so he wanted to get on the road to attend the last day of the Lone Star Allegro Rally in Montgomery. We took our time getting to Montgomery, stopping to rest a little then driving the rest of the way.

Check out what the Bastrop wild fires of this summer have left behind.... This went on for miles and miles. A lot of clean up along this highway.

Cool day for riding but nothing stops them .....

Going thru Brenham, we see this tattoo shop...very interesting, huh?!

Nice downtown, small town shops....

Been here and the food is delicious....

Nice bikes....Mr. & Mrs......maybe!!

More to come...

2nd Annual Remembrance of Driscoll's Fallen Heroes

2012-01-14T17:37:00.000-08:00

This has become such a special event in Driscoll. My Brother, Jesse Aleman, has committed himself to bring Driscoll Families together to honor the Fallen Heroes of Driscoll. Driscoll has two Fallen Heroes:

PFC Leonel Aleman who was (KIA) killed in action on September 11, 1950 during the Korean War and

SFC Ricardo Garcia who is (MIA) missing in action on March 19, 1971 during the Vietnam War

Today and everyday, we honor them and thank them for giving their lives so we may have a better country.

The Corpus Christi Veterans Band played at this event. Jesse Aleman with his welcome remarks...

The posting of the Colors by the Corpus Christi Color Guard.

Rey Jasso gave the invocation and the Band Director welcomed everyone.

The Aleman Family....one of the Gold Star Family. (Esperanza, Tina and Homer Aleman)

The Garcia Family, Gold Star Family. (Gilbert (third from left) and wife, Debbie Garcia (on right).

Special Guests: Eric Thomas, Retired Navy and The Patriot Guard Riders of South Texas.

Keynote Speaker, Tom Criser, Vietnam Veteran with the 1st airmobile Cavalry. He is also the Author of "The Ghost in the Orange Closet".

The Table of Remembrance...the man in black represents the POW/MIA

Laying of The Wreaths....presented to the Gold Star Families.

We paid tribute to all Veterans. They had each branch of the military stand up and then gathered them in front of the U.S. Flag.

I took half of the group, as the group was so large.

The other half of the group.

Taps by The Veterans Band of Corpus Christi....A Salute!

Memorial table....tribute to Veterans.

The cake...

Jesse and Berta Aleman....

They also served food for everyone....

The back of some of the jackets worn by the Patriot Guard Riders....

Manuel, Robert, Arnold and Olivia.

Attendance was great.

My Cousin, Homer, Manuel and Tina Aleman.

Isabella, Liza, Arnold and Olivia Esparza.

My sister, Alma and husband, Raul.

My Brother with two Holt buddies...

The Garcia & Gutierrez Family.

I am so proud of these two Men. Love them.

The Driscoll Police stopped in to eat....wonder who is patrolling the town?!!

Thank you, Jesse and Berta for making this such a Special and Successful event once again. Love you.

Already looking forward to next years event!!! Hope you enjoy this...

Time With My Brother

2012-01-13T16:21:00.000-08:00

Friday, we left early to Corpus Christi since we were attending the 2nd Annual Remembrance Honoring Driscoll's Fallen Heroes on Saturday. We first visited in Driscoll with Manuel's oldest brother and his wife. While there, his oldest sister came by. We had a nice day in Driscoll. We headed to Corpus Christi at about 3 p.m. We arrived at Holt Company to visit with my Brother, Jesse.

We had a great visit. My Brother has been with The Holt Company for 38 years and you can tell he truly enjoys his job.

We asked him to arrange a meeting with Mark Martinez, a co-worker, as we wanted to thank him for all his thoughts and prayers all these (10) years that Manuel has been fighting cancer. We had always communicated via messages through my brother, but today we got to meet this thoughtful Man. What a pleasure it is to know Mark.

As you may expect, this was a very touching and emotional moment for us. Again, we are so thankful to have friends like Mark Martinez. Thank you, Mark and Jesse.

After about an hour of visiting, we left Holt and will get together later with my brother and his wife for dinner.

We left Holt; went to visit Manuel's younger brother, Robert, but he was not home. Again, his older sister was there and we visited some more. Seems like we were following her.

At 6 pm, we drove with my brother to have dinner at the U & I Restaurant. I took pictures as we drove on Ocean Drive. Corpus is So beautiful!

Food was great and so was the company. Thank you, Brother and Berta. It was awesome...

While we were visiting, Manuel showed them the coin he had received from "A Grateful Citizen" and told them how this had really made his Christmas....

My Brother pulled out this coin that someone had given to him also. My Brother is a member of the Patriot Guard Riders of South Texas and he is assigned to carry the POW-MIA Flag to the functions honoring Veterans. He, too, said that was a very touching gesture by that citizen. He proudly serves this group. Sorry I could not get a good clear picture.

Manuel and I have been researching my Father's Military background since he just never talked about his days serving during WWII. We have found so many interesting things and we made a folder with all the info found. We ordered records, medals and patches from the government but they said they could not get some of them. We visited several bases here in San Antonio and were able to find every medal and patch he received while serving in the Army Air Corp back in the 1940s. This prompted us to make a shadow box and present it to my brother this weekend as he has been honoring our Driscoll Fallen Heroes for two years now. Our Dad survived WWII but Manuel and I thought we would honor him with this special project. Again, this was a very emotional moment for my brother and I. He loved it and had no idea we were doing this. We feel we learned so much from this research.

We got to meet the newest addition to The Family: Jessica. Such a beautiful little girl.

We had a great visit with my Brother and his family. More to come!

Saturday At The Park & More

2012-01-07T20:10:00.000-08:00

Saturday, we slept in and then had a good breakfast. We got ready to go to the park since it is a beautiful sunny day.

We picked up lunch and just tailgated....they sure enjoyed it. Like I say, it takes so little to make them happy!

After lunch, they head out to play and I follow with my camera....

Lari takes out picture....

There are a lot of people at the park today. Many are BBQing.... These pecan trees have shed their pecans...

We took a short walk to the Medina River...

Heading down to the River. They pose for me.... I Love these Girls!!

They are checking how cold the water is.....not too cold, they say.

This guy is really enjoying his fishing here.

Okay, we head back up the hill....hope I make it up!

Our drive thru the RV Park here at the Castroville Regional Park...mostly full timers here.

What a great outing this was. Of course, we could not pass up the Dairy Queen before heading home.

Took the girls home but stopped to shop before getting to their house. Just don't want to let go.

Until next time!

Busy All Week-Fun on Weekend!

2012-01-06T18:53:00.000-08:00

We have been busy all week with doctor appointments and spring cleaning. We made a trip to The Ronald McDonald House to make a donation of all the clothes we have gotten out of our closets. It sure feels good to have all that space in our closets now. I also put up all my Christmas decor and got the house back in order. Come Friday afternoon, we headed out to pick up Larissa and Arianna. They will spend Friday night with us and we always look forward to that as much as they do.

We made a dinner stop at Red Robin's and we all enjoyed our dinner, then headed to the house.

We bought them a small two person tent as they just love to make their tents with blankets, etc. They just loved the idea. They are great little helpers to Grandpa.

They pose for me as Grandpa struggles with the tent....

All done! They set up the blankets and pillows and are ready to spend the night in the tent....

They both empty their overnight bags and are all set....They are so excited!

Then we headed out to finish off some roman candles we had left. That was fun!

This has been a fun night. More to come!

Bringing In The New Year!!

2012-01-01T15:54:00.000-08:00

We all gathered at the clubhouse at 8 p.m. for snacks, drinks, and games. We played card bingo and a game called Loaded Questions and that was so much fun!!

Manuel and I are ready to bring in the New Year!

Our table was lucky....Janet won twice at Bingo!

She is Happy!!

The nights' winners: Dan (won 1.5 games), Pat, Janet (won 2), Laverne and Gunter. Great job, Guys!

The Liebels had some nice Y2K champagne glasses....

The Host Team busy setting up the champagne, snacks, cornbread and black eyed peas, etc.

Midnight came around pretty quick....when you are having fun, time flies!

Thank you, Host Team, for a great time!

We woke up early on New Year Day and headed to Magnolia Diner for breakfast. There were at least 10 couples....

Pat and I trying to decide what to order. (Pics courtesy of The Franklins, again) Thank you.

Our drive home was good....nice river.

The Texas Flag above the trees at a rest area...

Nice old farm with its pond...

Skyline view of downtown San Antonio. Always so good to be home...

There was very little traffic, even when we got to San Antonio....

Home

Sweet Home! Happy New Year to ALL!

Until next time!!!

New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T16:00:00.000-08:00

After breakfast, we just sat out and enjoyed the beautiful sunny day.... I looked out our coach window and took this picture...

the circle grew and grew....

Borrowed this picture from the Franklins since Manuel and I are in the picture. Either, he or I are usually taking pics and are seldom in them.

Manuel and Phil...

At about 2 pm, The Liebels decide to share a Champagne bottle with everyone....Thank you!

Sunny but cool. Beautiful day out!

By 3 p.m., we were out cooking our own steak, chicken or meat of your choice....

LaVerne, Don and Manuel enjoy their conversation.

Everyone enjoyed their meal....

What in the world is Margaret doing....Ed, get her down!!!

After dinner, The Pettigrews wash their dishes....This is Team Work!

More to come. We will take a break to rest and get ready for tonight. We will meet at the clubhouse at 8 p.m. for snacks, drinks, games, etc.

Saturday, New Year's Eve Morning

2011-12-31T09:14:00.000-08:00

We gathered at the Rally Room at 8:30 for a breakfast. It consisted of sausage, eggs, biscuits, gravy, and plenty of coffee. The De Leons made some delicious Mimosas....

Gilbert and Mary Lou take a second to pose for me....

then back to pouring the Mimosas. They are having a hard time keeping up with this crowd.

The Host Team is busy cooking the eggs, sausage etc.

We enjoy our mimosas while we are waiting for our breakfast.

After breakfast, we had a very short business meeting lead by our President, George Franklin.

We will meet up again at 3 pm to begin our steak cook out....More to come.

Friday with The WWWs

2011-12-30T20:22:00.000-08:00

Sherriff Buddy was on the prowl early this morning. Many thought the shirts were to be worn on Saturday but thought we were exempt from using them on this New Year weekend. Anyway, Manuel got a double citation ($0.50). One for not wearing his WWW Red Shirt and the other for not wearing his Veteran cap.... Many others were cited so we can hardly wait for the Sherriff's report Saturday morning.

Manuel went and changed into his red shirt and so did many others....

We took it easy all day, just visiting, others went shopping and yet others just took naps.

At 5 p.m., we gathered at the rally room for Italian pot luck....Food was great, as always!

Now, what are these two up to???!!! They are always getting caught....

Janet and I are just having fun!

Phil and MaryLou catching up on things. She and Gilbert came down for dinner.

Clean up is done. Great job Hosting Team: Ellisors, Fitzgeralds, and Wests. Thank you for your hard work.

We played games after dinner and had a great time.

Tomorrow, New Year's Eve, we have a steak cookout and will await the coming of 2012 together. More to come.

Thursday with the Wamblin Webel Wowsers

2011-12-29T20:26:00.000-08:00

We started our day at the Lambe coach for breakfast. Thank you, Janet!

Some of the ladies headed to Montgomery in search of the Bead Shop....

We found the backdoor....

Now, do they look happy??!!

On to unfinished business....

This evening, we went to dinner at Vernon's Kat Fish Kuntry....Oh, was it good!!! During the Holiday Season, they serve the best Egg Nog. It was slightly spiked and it was soooo gooood!

Dinner was great and so was the camaraderie.... There goes LaVerne....

and there comes LaVerne....

Everyone lines up to pay.....there is a big crowd at this restaurant.

Another awesome day with The Wamblin Webel Wowsers!!!!

Wednesday at The WWW Rally

2011-12-28T19:24:00.000-08:00

Wednesday morning, we woke up to a beautiful, sunny day. It was cool but we were all out and about. This is our spot. Flags went out this morning, as this is a requirement for the Club.

Some of the ladies went shopping. We went to Silk N Twigs for their after Christmas sale.

When we got back to the park, everyone just sat around and enjoyed each others company.

Joe and Sandy's beautiful puppies in their holiday attire....

Nice hair, Ray!!!

Buddy poses with his cough medicine bottle. He feels much better now....

We all headed to the Clubhouse for Burgers and Dogs....nice view of the fishing pond.

Nice view of the cabins by the pond....water is a bit low.

The guys: Manuel, Allan, George and Günter get the pits ready....

Dave, Phil and Buddy prepare the other pit....

Wonderful dinner with great friends.....

Allan and Margaret Pettigrew....

I wonder what Pat and LaVerne are talking about.....hhhhmmmmm!

Everyone is happy!!!

Pat and Troy & Sandy and Joe are having a great time.

George and Pete are deep in thought!!

Then it is game time!!

We stayed and played games. This was a great day! More to come.

WWW New Year's Rally -Tuesday 12/27/2011

2011-12-27T20:55:00.000-08:00

We drove today to Montgomery, TX for the New Year's WWW Rally. We started off on a pretty cold morning (34 degrees) but by the time we arrived in the Houston area, it was in the 60's, sunny and just a beautiful day. We are at the Lake Conroe/Houston North KOA - Havens Landing RV Resort. This is a really nice park....

The cabins...

By 4 pm, everyone has arrived. We all enjoy conversation before departing to dinner.

Wonder what is so interesting??!!

Nice looking couple....LaVerne and Don Williams. Like Don's hat!

We meet at Fajita Jacks for dinner....

There are 37 members present at this rally so far....good group.

At dinner, we found out that today is Maria's Birthday. Beautiful looking couple! Happy Happy Birthday, Maria!

This was a delicious cake....tres leches!

Everyone is waiting for coffee and cake.

George and Phil are deep in conversation...

Manuel and Bobbie had a good conversation, too.

These girls are really into it and who knows what they may be talking about!

Maria takes a picture of the group and Manuel takes a picture of her...

What a beautiful Lady....Happy Birthday, Maria!

More to come tomorrow.....

Christmas Day 2011

2011-12-25T20:22:00.000-08:00

Went to bed at about 2 am and shot a picture of the living room Christmas tree from upstairs...waiting for Santa to arrive.

By 10 am, Santa has arrived and left his gifts for Larissa and Arianna.

We all played games all day. Started our morning with a wonderful breakfast. Veronica made us omelets any way we wanted them, French toast, bacon and ham. She is a great cook! Thank you, Manuel and Veronica for having us over and catering to us. Love you!

Hope that everyone had as wonderful a Christmas as we have. We are truly blessed with family and friends.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T16:01:00.000-08:00

On Saturday morning, Manuel and I went to have breakfast at one of our favorite places, El Rodeo de Jalisco. Just as we sat, there was a couple sitting close to us and the lady got up and came to our table and held Manuel's hand and thanked him for his military service to our country. He was wearing one of his Retired Air Force caps. When she left our table, he showed me what she was holding onto his hand....

We were both so touched by her generous gesture. Manuel said, "She has made my Christmas!" Thank God for grateful people like her and her husband.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-23T22:05:00.000-08:00

We headed to Manuel and Veronica's house on the afternoon of the 24th. She and the girls have been cooking the traditional Christmas Dinner all day. Corina and her family are also coming over for dinner. I made a lemon meringue and chocolate pies.

After grace, we dig in to this delicious meal. Thank you Jesus, for always providing.

Grandpa and his beautiful girls!

We gathered around the Christmas tree for a family picture....

At midnight, we opened gifts....Corina, Larissa and Arianna are passing out gifts.

Arianna and Larissa are so happy with their gifts...

Elijah loved his hat....

We all got wonderful gifts. Thank you, again, Jesus for providing.

More pics after Santa arrives.....

Lari's Christmas Party

2011-12-20T15:59:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, December 22, was the last day of school for Larissa so we arrived a little early to help the Room Mother.

We picked up Arianna and she was ready to go to the party.

We got to Larissa's classroom, where all the children's pictures were posted outside. We found Lari's.

The line up in the hallway so we can go in and set up for the party....

Each child tells what they will be doing this Christmas holiday....

Larissa

Arianna

Lari and her friend.

Arianna and I are done with the set up...

The snack table....

They are making a gingerbread house....

They try to get this gingerbread to their mouth without hands....

The Elf was a good helper....

They decorate a picture frame...

They are trying to hook a small candy cane with the large candy cane....no hands!

She got it!!!

Larissa and her teacher, Mrs. Toomey.

The Loves of Our Lives....

Back at their house, Arianna stands by her Christmas tree.

When we dropped Ari off, we stayed for a while then headed home. There is a Santa at the corner of 1604 and Potranco....

I honked so he could look our way!!!!! He turns and waves. He is advertising for Planet Fitness!

He gives us a thumbs up!!

What a wonderful day and the start of Lari's Christmas vacation....

Girls Spend the Night With Us

2011-12-17T15:35:00.000-08:00

We picked up the girls after Lari got out of school and they were ready for a sleep over at our house. We had dinner at their place of choice and then headed home....

These two girls are the best medicine for Manuel....He and I enjoy their company so much.

I did not set up my big Christmas tree this year since my arm is not up to par yet...but I took a picture of them beside each of the little trees I did put up....

Joe and Janet, as you can see they just loved the train! They had a lot of fun with it....

We played Mexican Bingo (Loteria), dominos and watched movies...Oh, What fun it is!

Then we set up their homemade tent with blankets, pillows and chairs to hold the blankets up...They then set up their ipads, coloring books and toys in their. They have their flashlights, too.

They are eating their smores in there....they have such a good time cause Grandma and Grandpa let them do what they want....

We went to bed late as we watched movies in bed. This was a great day!

Home From The Rally

2011-12-11T21:34:00.001-08:00

We got home early afternoon from Cut N Shoot today. It was nice to see that our neighbors, Brandy and her three girls had decorated our mailbox and gate.

Thank you for doing this. Since Manuel has not been feeling the best, we decided not decorate the yard but that sure was nice to see this done.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to ALL!!

Christmas Gathering

2011-12-10T21:09:00.000-08:00

We gathered in the rally room at 5:30 for social hour then dinner. We had turkey, ham and all the trimmings.

Food was great....

Joe is so happy washing dishes...

Richard is not a happy camper washing dishes!!!

Betty and Charlie pose in their holiday attire.

The White Elephant gift table....

Toys for Tots.....

There were bottles and bottles of wine. Bob seems really happy with his gift.

Mark is always happy and he just loved his purse and his mink collar or is it a toupee?

Everyone had a great time. After gifts, we played Pass The Love. Charlie was the winner tonight.

Happy Holiday to All! Tomorrow we will all head home and may everyone have a safe trip home.

Tour of Srutka Home

2011-12-10T14:34:00.000-08:00

We all posed in front of the Christmas tree at JoAnn's House. Enjoy the rest of the tour....

Santa is watching your every MOVEMENT!!!!

On to her garage sale....Now, the boat is NOT for sale!!! We had fun here or I DID!!

On to the neighbor's house.....JoAnn.

We are done shopping and touring....What an awesome tour. The two JoAnns are so talented! Thank you both for opening up your homes for us....

Marge tries to fit us all back in and our purchases, too! Thank you for driving us, Marge.

Happy Holidays to ALL!

Busy Saturday At The Rally

2011-12-10T14:13:00.000-08:00

We had a good breakfast this morning which included tacos, fruit and pastries with orange juice and coffee. Everyone enjoyed that.

Bob took JoAnn and my picture....

Janet took a picture of us, The Host Team, Esparzas and Srutkas.

The serving line begins....

After breakfast, The Prez, Janet Lambe, begins the business meeting. Lee is the Wagon Master and Allison sat in as Secretary in Cecilia's absence.

Everyone is very attentive....

We are presented our hosting Star. This is the second time we have hosted this year.

Host Team. It is fun to host...need volunteers to host in the coming year!!

After clean up, we just sit around for a while....

Tour of Homes comes next......Don't miss this!

Rally Time

2011-12-09T20:37:00.000-08:00

We started our morning early with Bob and JoAnn, who are hosting with us at this rally. We drove into Conroe.

School children took the morning off from classes to hold a Food Drive on Main Street....

we made our contribution of a case of can food each.

We made a quick stop at Mimi's Gifts on Main Street and bought several items. Nice shop.

Manuel and Bob went in next door to a Pub to have coffee and a snack while they waited on us.

After a while, we joined them....Thank you guys for being patient and waiting on us while we shopped.

Back at the park....Janet and Allison pose for me so I can send pictures to Vicky ( Allison's mom in Michigan).

We play several rounds of "Pass The Love"....Patsy won one game.

Later, Janet and Allison play some card game that I have never played and don't remember the name.

We are preparing dinner....Manuel is busy in the kitchen.

Manuel and Allison....

Manuel, Allison and I.

A table is set up with the crafts that several Rally members have made. Janet made these bracelets.

The rosaries....

She gave a belt or two to anyone that wanted one....

Donna is busy doing her Christmas shopping.

Social hour is over and food is ready!!

Grace by Charlie.

After dinner, games again.....Richard won this game.

Lee, Dave and Ray and the ladies in the background are deep in conversation....

Had a great day today. More to come tomorrow.

Early to bed.....serving breakfast in the morning!

More Rally Members Arrive

2011-12-08T20:35:00.000-08:00

Woke up this morning to frost....it has been cold these past few days. It was in the mid 20s last night.

Went to breakfast at Leijas with Joe and Janet Bechard....

Joe & Janet

Part of the welcoming committee.....Mark and Richard.

More rigs are beginning to arrive....

Janet's new coach. Pretty.

The Shonks arrive.....

Decor in the office is really neat....

The Two Amigos....

Nice line up of Tiffins....

Manuel, Bob, Richard, Art and Lee just chatting.

Some of us had dinner at Leijas.

Then to the Rally Hall for some gaming...."Pass the Love" where I won one game and Bob won the other.

Allison, Janet Lambe's granddaughter from Michigan came down to visit. She joined us in playing.

Norma, Manuel's youngest Sister gave us this Tinsel Tree before we left on Tuesday. We purchased this hand made train from Joe Bechard.

Such a neat train....he uses no nails on this finely finished wood train....

We had a great Thursday and Manuel is feeling much better so that is great!

Time With Friends

2011-12-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

We decorated our coach a little....

Janet is having a few problems with her coach so she is calling Demontrond....

We headed over to Janet's for a tour of the newest coach on the block.....Beautiful!

Open house begin and every one gathers at Janet's....

Thursday, December 7th was Roger Squires' Birthday. Thirty something, I think!!! You think?!

Dave and Sharon Foster had invited them to celebrate his birthday and he invited us all to join them at the Burger Fresh.

The food was great and so was the company. The Birthday cake was delicious....

We all gathered for a group picture. This is not even half of what is expected at this rally....

Our drive through the entrance to the park.....these folks have gone all out with decorating. My pictures do not do the place justice.

Back to our coach to get cards to play "Pass The Love" at the recreation room....

We had two winners....Manuel then Roger won the second game! Another Great day!!!

Travel to Lone Star Allegro Rally

2011-12-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

Manuel started to feel a little better and decided we would leave early to Cut N Shoot to attend the Lone Star Allegro Rally. The day is pretty cold, 40s.

We stopped in Schulenburg for him to rest a little and to eat lunch....as we leave, this Phaeton is ahead of us...wonder if they are heading to the rally, too.

Cat Spring Country Club...

Nice drive through the country roads...

Hempstead is all decorated....

As we traveled through Magnolia, we see what the summer fires left behind. Some of the homes were leveled off....

So sad to see all this....a lot of damage was done through this area.

We arrived at Country Place RV Park at about 4:30. The Squires, Didelots, Bechards and Janet Lambe are here.

Got all set up and visited with Friends here. It is really cold out so we stayed in visiting.

Time with Family

2011-12-04T15:15:00.000-08:00

Manuel, Veronica, Larissa and Arianna came to spend the day with us this Sunday. We took advantage to have our yearly Christmas Card picture taken with Larissa and Arianna. Veronica took our picture....

Larissa, Veronica, Manuel Jr. and Arianna. Love our Family!

Meal Preparation for Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-23T07:23:00.000-08:00

We picked up the Girls on Tuesday and started preparing for our Thanksgiving meal on Wednesday.

They love to work in the kitchen. They are great helpers....

They helped me until every thing was done and they just loved it. I loved our time together.

Then it is play time with Charlie and Quincy....

Manuel and Veronica come over to spend the night with us. We had a great Thanksgiving Day with Corina, Doug, Elijah, Doug's Parents and Manuel, Veronica, the Girls and us.

Very blessed to have a wonderful family and friends. Thankful for all we are blessed with.

Visit With The Dabneys

2011-11-22T21:14:00.000-08:00

Joe and Jan Dabney were in San Antonio for a few days visiting clients so they gave us a call. We met up with them for dinner.

We had a sort visit but it was very nice seeing them. we met them at El Rodeo de Jalisco Mexican Restaurant which is just up the street form where they were staying at Blazing Star RV Resort.

Thank you, Joe and Jan for taking the time to visit with us. Take care and be safe.

Catch Up Time

2011-11-20T07:14:00.000-08:00

I had not had time to post pictures, so here I go.

A few weeks ago, we passed by this yard that is totally decorated. The guys are sitting under the canopy watching the Dallas game.

We arrived at a house that Veronica just purchased to rent out. They will do a complete makeover to it then rent it out.

It was a mess so they all got to cleaning the yard and she hired someone to fix the inside.

Larissa and Arianna are following Mom, making a list of things they need to go buy at Lowe's.

Finalizing their list....

Girls working hard.....

A Family that plays/works together....

Okay, now it is play time! She is watering the tree....

Manuel and I just sat and watched them work. When we left the house, it looked 50% better.

Will be back to take pics when the house is completed.

Sunday With Family

2011-11-13T15:52:00.000-08:00

We got together this morning to have breakfast at Magnolia Pancake Haus. Manuel had told us it was a great place with delicious food and then Corina and Doug saw it featured in The Food Network channel. Manuel and I were the first to get there and they told us it would be an estimated 1.5 hour wait. Everyone is saying it is worth the wait so we will see....

Corina, Doug and Elijah arrive.

We were seated before an hours wait, so not too bad. Lari enjoys her hot chocolate.

so does Arianna...

The waiter takes our picture. Our food is wonderful!

We gathered for a family picture. Elijah takes this one.

I took this one...

Corina and Family went on to the movies, taking Larissa and Arianna so we headed to go see another house Manuel Jr. just bought.

We got there and he already has people out there looking at it. He is doing a complete make over to it before he rents or sells. This lady is really interested in buying it.

Manuel and I have been working on making bead bracelets on our spare time. It is relaxing and they are so pretty.

I have set aside these for me. I made earrings to match the bracelets. Even made a necklace for the last one.

We had a wonderful day with family! Have a great week everyone.

Montero Birthday Party

2011-11-12T19:12:00.000-08:00

Our next door neighbors celebrated their oldest son's Birthday. Adolfo is 15 years old today. They had lots of delicious food at this party, too.

We sat around and visited with all of their friends.

The girls, Larissa and Arianna enjoyed playing with all the girls here.

Happy Birthday, Adolfo.

One of their friends from Columbia brought her guitar and she sang beautifully.

Everyone sits around to enjoy her music.

Our Son, Manuel attended the party too. He is 2nd from right.

Adolfo Jr, with his parents, Adolfo and Silvana.

We had a wonderful evening tonight. Arianna fell asleep so we headed home.

Thanks to all of our friends, we had a wonderful time today.

Two Birthday Parties on Saturday

2011-11-12T18:59:00.000-08:00

We attended Gabriella's 4th Birthday party first.....The Flores yard is beautifully decorated.

The garage is too....

The cake is just beautiful.

Larissa and Arianna loved the slide.... and the Princess Castle...

and the swings....

Our Daughter In Law, Veronica, catered this party.

The set up was just beautiful and the food was very delicious....

mmmm good!

Art and Manuel catch up on things...

Now it is piñata time!

The Birthday Girl!

Everyone watches as the kids have a lot of fun!

Time for the Birthday cake...

then presents and goody bags for all the kids...

We All had a wonderful time at the party! Now we are off to the second party...