Back Home!

We decided to stay an extra day with my dad and leave the Valley until Friday morning. On Thursday we went with him to a follow-up eye doctor's appointment he had for cataract surgery he had on his right eye the week before. Although my dad really did not follow the rules about taking care of his eye, the doctor said his healing was coming along pretty well - which was a huge sigh of relief.

On Thursday, I basically did nothing after the doctor's appointment. I seriously just came back to my dad's and took a nap...that's right, you are reading correctly, I took a nap! I probably would've slept a little more, but Sydney had an "accident," and so I was forced to get up and address that.

My friend Erika called me around 3 pm and I headed towards her house in Edinburg to see here before I left. Spent a couple of hours there with her while Sydney played with her daughter, Itzell, who coincidentally was born on the same day - May 4th.

At around 6 pm, I came back home and had Liz take me to the snow cone place to get me my 2nd round of a pick a dilly. Now what on earth is that you might be asking yourself...well let me explain. It's a "raspa," (snow cone) whatever flavor you want, with dill pickles, kool-aid powder and lucas (Mexican chili powder - sweet). I know it sounds gross, but it's so yummy delicious. Don't ask me why, but I love all the mixture of sweet and sour - so sour that is, that when you take a bite into it without mixing it, it literally makes your jaw lock and produces the most horrible expressions on someone's face. I was nice enough to offer Liz and Rebecca some and sit there and laugh all the while they were trying to regain their normal "face." :)

After that I went and picked me up some more tacos from my favorite taco place down there and gulped those down.....yummy.

Bedtime was pretty early on Thursday night, as we had to wake up early on Friday morning to head back home.

Friday morning came around and I awoke around 5:45. We said our goodbyes to my dad and were on the road by 6pm.

The trip back was actually uneventful - thank goodness. We arrived back in Garland at around 2:45.

I had not been gone for that long from "home," since about 3 years ago when I went to Cancun. It was weird coming back home, as I felt I was gone for so long.

I must say, I had a good time at my dad's....other's might have been bored out of their minds doing all that I did....which included a lot of nothing, but I enjoyed it.

I don't feel a bit tired and am ready to go back to my normal schedule.

Glad to be back to be able to sleep in my bed for one, and get back into the sync of things. :)

I should have pictures here posted soon.




This snow cone place is right up the street from my house...walking distance.




The pick a dily is obviously just a specialty to the Valley, as I cannot find it anywhere in North Texas. :(




The famous pick a dily....ingredients for the perfect snow cone: shaved ice, dill pickles, kool aid powder and chilito (mexican chili powder). YUMMY!



Sydney & Grandpa.




My dad, Sydney & I.




Rebecca & my dad.




Rebecca, my dad & Liz.




My dad & Abraham.




Sydney & I on our last night at my dad's....getting ready to crash for the night.

South Padre Island

We finally made it to the beach this time around. I was up bright and early and got dressed and ready to go. By the time we had breakfast and got everything in order, it was around 11am.

We went by to pick Sydney up from her grandmother's house since she had spent the night and then headed towards SPI. We arrived there at almost 1pm.

Contrary to what I thought would be the case, it didn't seem like it was packed. We finally found a parking spot and headed towards the sand. Unless my mind fails me, this is Sydney's first time going to the beach.

We were out there for almost five hours and then decided it was time to head back, as all of us (Liz, Rebecca, Sydney and I) were hungry and pretty worn out.

We got back to my dad's after grabbing a bite to eat at around 6 or so. Because we are still on the hunt for some documents of his, we started looking through old pictures.

Boy did Liz and I crack ourselves up looking at some of the pictures...fun times!

For those of you that didn't know, I was a tomboy growing up..at some point I had convinced myself that I was a boy (and now I've got the pictures to prove it). I'll be posting those as soon as I get back.



Sexy mama...




Rebecca getting ready for the beach.




My cool dad & I.




Liz, my dad and Rebecca.




Sydney and her Grandma Yolanda.




Sydney, Carolina, and her baby.




Ramiro, Frank's brother, & Sydney.




The intention was there when I bought her the hat..didn't quite fit...but you get the picture, don't you?




S.P.I. here we come, baby!




"Welcome Spring Breakers."




The Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge from a distance.




Sydney & Rebecca being silly with their sand pails.




The Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge. This is the ONLY way in and out of South Padre Island. It was renamed shortly after September 11th because it broke apart and some people died in the incident.




These flags were up (red & blue). The red one meant there was a high tide and the blue one was warning beach goers there were venomous sea creatures nearby....ohhh.




"What's this?"




We were ready to hit the water and sand.




Check me out. Her shades are actually her sunglasses, except they are transition. I must say she looks precious.



"La playa," "the beach."




Aren't we just precious?




Sydney was a little cautious of the water, as you can see by the way she looks. She was having issues with the way the tide would move her towards the water when she stood on the edge.




"Look momma, I can't put sand all over me...and I do me all over!"




Rebecca & Sydney working hard to build their sand castles.




Our sand castle, okay you get the picture.




Momma & daughter taking in some rays.




Cool!




Look at her all cool...she was really digging the beach and the sand.




By this time all Sydney wanted to do was destroy our sand castle and well I let her have at it.




Considering it was Spring Break, there wasn't like a ton of people and the ones that were there weren't crazy. It might have still been too early for all the crazy crowd. They were probably still sleeping off the hangover from the night before.




I had always wanted a picture by this sign and finally got it.




This was my parents wedding picture. Interesting fact: It was taken 5 years after they were married and my mom was still able to fit into the dress after having 3 children. My older sisters and brother thought they somehow had gone to my parents wedding.




My parents on their honeymoon. Here they were at a park called "La Cola de Caballo" in Monterrey, N.L.




My parents on their wedding day.




My mom and Liz, Eva, Andy, Albert and myself...I guess Erica was not around yet.



My mom & dad.




Erica & I again at one of my aunt's house.




I wonder what on earth we were looking at?




What's up camera...you want something?




Look at me leaping off of that step....not even the dress was going to stop me.




My family in China, Nuevo Leon years ago.




This was my mom with her parents on her 15th birthday.




Oh, I must have been around 7 or 8 here and already I was self conscious of my smile with my gap in my teeth. That's why I'm on round 2 of braces.




Cutie pie...look at the gaps.




Albert & I....well look at who's actually not shirtless.




Erica & I at the Minyard's way back when on First St. I ran into a tone of pictures of us on different occassions on this carousel...we must have begged to get the $.25 to ride this thing, because it seemed we did get to ride it a lot!




This photo was taken at Central Park. Someone must have done something to me...I was not happy about something.




Just look at those cheeks...man they must have weighed 2 1/2 pounds each, at least. Check out Albert in the background by the door.




Erica & I just chilling beside some rocks...gosh we were tiny here.




This was in China, Nuevo Leon....if I can recall, it was at one of my aunt's weddings....just look at me...I'm like "I don't know!"




We were having Sunday school here at Central Park. That poor Sunday school teacher, I swear she tried but we were all just in another world.



Looking like "I didn't do it!" "Or did I?"




Erica & I outside our house on 817 Beverly. Check a girl out...no shirt and no shame either!




Wasn't I just adorable? Tell me don't I look so cute in that red dress and baseball cap? :)




Liz and I....yet again chilling without a shirt!