"I do" and Dippin' Dots

I had to go to Houston last weekend for a social studies conference, so the whole family came along with me. Other than trying to find creative places to change an infant in the middle of nowhere, we had a really good time -- fun Aunt Katie came down from Baylor to see Lucy, Andrew finally got to eat at Chuy's (so maybe he'll stop talking about it now for at least one more year), and we got to visit with our favorite Houston residents, the Nick family! Alpa, Jonathon, & 9-mo-old Aiden met up with us downtown for lunch and some afternoon fun at the Houston Aquarium. I think it was Aiden's first "play date" with another baby, and he and Lucy were equally enthralled with smiling at each other and trying to hold hands. Very, very cute!

Lucy fell asleep on the thrilling Shark Adventure train and missed out on the carousel ride but I think Aiden really enjoyed it! We laughed a lot at the expressions on our littles ones faces as they watched the colorful creatures swim around the tanks, but... I think the award for the funniest sight went to the newly married couple parading around the Aquarium grounds (in ballgown/veil & tux) posing for photo ops and buying popcorn and ice cream from the outdoor vendors. I really can't explain the full weirdness of this scene, but Alpa & I had a good giggle fest over it. Thanks for the Texas-sized hospitality, y'all!


P.S. The highlight of the conference for me was an award-winning documentary about the historic Faubourg Treme district of New Orleans co-produced by Winton Marsalis. I thought the film did an amazing job of capturing the real spirit of the city and the soul of its people, and I highly recommend checking it out if you get the chance!