MEMORIES OF HOUSTON

We had an opportunity to visit Dane and Bridget in Houston and also visit some of Bill's old mission areas. We made memories and shared in some of Bill's memories. He's a great story teller and his memory is amazing. We kept the iphone busy looking up directions to places and looking up information as we conversed.

Our first stop was to see Dane in his element and the reason they are in Houston through May. He is not paid for his internship but one of the perks is being able to get instruction in the simulator. His instructor let us come in toward the end.




You can't visit Texas without experiencing a Bar-B-Que eatery. One was recommended to us and we staked it out. To me it was a bit disgusting the amount of meat people were eating but some people just love a good bar-b-que. As for me - - - I could never have it and be just fine. I was a good sport and let the 'guys' do their thing.


You were served your meat on pieces of butcher paper. You could buy side orders of salads but you had to eat it from the bowl or on your butcher paper. The place was busy with lines going out the door. I guess people come from miles to this specific place. It was an experience. The treat for me was the Girl Scouts selling their cookies outside the building. YUM


Our next stop was New Braunfels where Bill served his mission. It is a quaint town with a little bit of a theme like Leavenworth. We found where Bill used to live and loved hearing the stories of living there.

San Antonio was the next mission stop. Our first stop was the temple. It is the same size as the Columbia River Temple and looks very similar. The stained glass windows were beautiful. It was up on a hill and had a gorgeous water fall in front. Worth the extra 20 miles we drove to see it.




Our last stop in San Antonio was The Alamo. So interesting. History makes so much more sense the older you get. You could really get a sense of the lives lost there.


Sunday was Valentine's Day and tradition came into play. I always made the kids a huge/layered valentine cookie with candy decorations etc. Bridget and I made them on Friday while Dane was at work and froze them until the big day. Dane was a happy camper and Bill and Bridget benefited also. It was fun to be able to carry on that tradition again. I have missed that.

We went to church with Dane and Bridget and as it turns out, it is the building that Bill attended as a missionary. That chapel was dedicated while Bill was serving there. It was a neat experience to have with Bill. On our way to the airport, we drove by the Houston temple.

When you are in the company of an aspiring pilot, what trip to the airport would be complete without finding some place to watch planes fly in and land. We did that with the spare time we had before our flight. Dane would tell us what kind of plane it was but for me a plane is a plane. :)


Although I would love to have our kids live closer, the perks are that we get to visit places we might not normally go. Thanks for a fun weekend Dane and Bridget.