Trip to San Antonio with Mom

We were so very elated to have a visit from my mom over Labor Day weekend!! It has been over one year since we have had any visitors to Dallas. Probably because Dallas is not the most fun or exciting place that anyone wants to spend their vacation dollars on! Since we saw most of Dallas last time Mom was here, and also because we were aching for a weekend getaway, we headed 4 hours south to spend the holiday in sunny San Antonio. It actually took over 5 hours to get there because everyone in Dallas had the same idea as we did- horribly long car ride!!

Mom was such a champ entertaining both kids in back. One of my favorite quotes I have seen recently states, "The only thing better than having you for a mother is my children having you for a grandmother." This is so true with my mom. She is still like Mary Poppins, bringing crazy toys and fun games and songs to every situation. All children are magnetized to her caring, positive, enthusiastic personality. If I can be half the mother she is, I'll have accomplished the greatest of tasks in this life!

After checking into the hotel, we headed straight for the Tower of the Americas in downtown San Antonio. We arrived much later than expected due to the horrendous traffic, just missing the sunset from 720 feet, but the views were still awesome! Zach was really excited to go to the top. There was a fun family "4D" film about Texas that we saw there also, which we all enjoyed.

There was a band playing and Zoey and Zach had a blast dancing to the music. As a sidenote, the following week, we went to an outdoor Beatles tribute concert, and, to my dismay, Zach was not amused. He said he wanted to listen to "building music" like he had heard at the tall building in with Grandma Nettie!! Luckily, Zoey dug the Beatles band!

Priceless look on Zach's face!

 We headed to our kind-of-ghetto Hotwire deal hotel on the east end of the Riverwalk and bedded down for what turned out to be a sleepless night because Zoey kept waking up screaming, possibly due to our inability to maintain a regular temperature in the room. It was either sweltering or freezing. It was very unusual for her, and I finally snuggled her down in bed with me after trying for over an hour to calm her. I felt so bad for the people in the adjacent rooms!! 

 We woke up and were excited to transfer from the cheap, smoky-smelling place to our nicer Marriott accommodations at the opposite end of the Riverwalk, only to find that our car would not start. Corey sacrifices seeing most of the Ohio State game working with the hotel staff to fix things while Mom and I headed out in the 100 degree weather to take a lovely stroll along the Riverwalk.

 For some reason, this is one of my very favorite places. We visited last year, and I have been wanting to return and stay closer by ever since. It reminds me a little of Venice and Amsterdam, with scenic bridges crossing the waterway. Some of the Riverwalk is lined by shops, hotels, and restaurants, while other parts are near quiet, old buildings. One of our favorite stops this sunny day was at a cafe in La Villita where we loaded up on Bluebell ice cream. Zach begged for more scoops! We were also big fans of the cool air in the old cathedral in town.

 We walked about a mile or two to the Alamo, which was also very cool. I've heard many references to the Alamo, but never knew what it was all about. We got a short history lesson on the structure and battle fought there, which was enjoyable...

 ...But not as great as finally checking into our air-conditioned 28th floor room at the Marriott with tired feet and even more tired babies!! That night during our prayers, while gazing at the gorgeous view below, Zach thanked Heavenly Father for our "new house" and "this new town"!! He also asked my mom where the kitchen was in our "new house"! He completely cracks me up!!

This is the view of our hotel from the boat below.

Corey watched the OSU game while Zoey slept, and Zach, Mom, and I took a tour boat ride on the river. I loved that part of our last trip, and it was a lot of fun this time too, though much hotter.

 We had a wonderful time with my mom on this trip. It was quick, and there were many, many hours in the car. I honestly cannot fathom how people lived in the South before air conditioning was invented, though. It gets so, so hot and humid down here that I can barely breathe! The weekend ended all-too quickly for us, and we sadly sent my momma home on the airplane. Thankfully, we get to see her again soon at Michael's wedding in Oakland next month.