American Summer: Texas

"We're pregnant!"

After visiting family and friends in the Northeast, and splitting up for a week while Jake spent some time in Arkansas, we reunited in The Lone Star State. My flight was a bit delayed so the arrival was drug out until nearly 2AM for Maggie, Reza, and Jeanne. Jeanne, Jake, and Chase, picked me up at the airport and we headed straight for Maggie and Reza's. Jake and Chase had been working on a plan all week, for sharing our news. So upon arrival, Jake asked Jeanne to come inside "to take a picture of us all together so we can send it to Emily!" Despite her reservations and the time, Jeanne came inside so we could quickly snap a photo. I was so nervous I assumed everyone could tell I was pregnant just from looking at me. Chase held up his iphone and said, "Okay....1, 2, 3..." and Jake and I immediately chimed in, "We're pregnant!" Either the time of day or our delivery caused a delayed reaction and everyone but Reza took a minute to process the news. Reza said, "Yea, see! I told you! I knew you guys were pregnant." Meanwhile, Jeanne and Maggie kept posing for the picture until finally, "Wait...what? Right now? You? You're pregnant?!?!" Ha ha. It was awesome. Chase captured a series of photo to document it. And then Jeanne understood why we made her go inside for a picture at 2AM.

Chase dressed up as America ;)

Texas was filled with family time, good food, and sharing our news with everyone along the way. We spent a lot of time catching up on business and bills, as we receive all our mail in Texas. We also researched strollers and car seats until we felt confident we had found one of each that would work best for us. We experienced Buy Buy Baby for the first time, which was an experience in and of itself. On one trip there, Jeanne, Jake, and I, even ran into Maggie, which was just perfect. Maggie is the expert on strollers and pretty much anything baby, so it was helpful to do our research with her input. She also gave me a whole tub of maternity clothes- nice maternity clothes! This was so helpful, as I had not purchased any of my own yet, and I have managed to use all of them. Especially being back in Qatar at work, they have been extremely comfortable. 

Mary & Jake

Our first week in Texas, Chase was there visiting, which is always fun. Chase is Jake's long time friend from Arkansas and him and I like to give Jake a hard time ;) Mary Steiner drove her sweet self down from Arkansas to spend a couple nights with us, and I am so glad she did! Mary was in Jake's youth group as a high school student, and I helped out there so we got to know each other. She has been a dear friend since 2008/9, and I usually see her every summer in Arkansas. We had plenty of Chick Fil A and Starbucks, got in some shopping, and walked around downtown Dallas. It is always a treat seeing Mary, so I am grateful she made the trip!

Mary & I downtown Dallas

At the end of our first week, we headed to DFW airport to pick up Bryan and Emily, who had gotten engaged the night before! Bryan told us about it a couple of weeks earlier when we were in New Jersey so we had been anticipating it, and waiting eagerly for Emily's phone call. We congratulated them and then jumped in the van and headed to Galveston for a week at the beach. None of us had told the Curtis cousins the "big news" yet, so we spent a good portion of the drive discussing how we would share the twin's big news. Mine was getting hard to hide! But not as hard as the ROCK on Emily's finger!

The future Mr. and Mrs. England! 

Emily shared their news.....Jake and I attempted to wait until we started a game of Fish Bowl, but it seemed to have leaked by then. Ha! When it was our turn to describe a word to each other and guess it, Jake described pregnancy/having a baby, and I pretended to guess until we said, "We're having a baby!" Everyone was excited, but not as excited as I was to be done hiding it! Ha!

At the beach in Galveston

The whole Curtis Clan

The week at the beach was just as lovely as I expected. Jeanne rented a big, beautiful home, and it was filled quickly with kiddos and cousins. What could be better?! That is my kind of vacation, for sure. All of Jake's dad's family made it to the beach. They live in Houston so they were all able to bring their families and spend time together all week. Jake and I love this because it's the only time of the year we get to spend with them, and they are a pretty fun bunch. By pretty fun I mean we laugh our asses off and thoroughly enjoy our time with each of them. I got pretty lucky with the whole "in-law situation," and this includes the entire Curtis Clan. 

Galveston family photo :)

Maggie and Hanni at the beach

We drove from Galveston to Houston and got to stop and see Mary Sue, Jeanne's dear friend since 2nd grade. We spent the rest of the day driving back to Fort Worth, hitting up Starbucks and Chick fil A, the whole way home ;). Man, it was good to be in America! Robert and Paul, Jeanne's cousin and his husband, had invited us over for dinner to their new home, so we ended up there after a long day in the car. What a treat, to spend time with them! They are just lovely, and I always enjoy our conversations with them. Jake and I were able to visit them in Singapore our first year in Qatar, and since then, they moved back to Texas. We got to see their gorgeous home they have been fixing up. It was such a beautiful escape! The decor, the layout, the music, the candles...it is like somewhere you go for a yoga/meditation retreat. Ah, my happy place. Ha ha. The backyard and the pool are just phenomenal, but the company is the best part. We had a perfectly lovely evening with them, eating delicious fajitas outside, swimming in the pool under the stars, and experiencing Steel City Pops for the first time. Seeing their lovely home had Jake and I fantasizing about our other life, one in which we live in the states and have a place where we can host and entertain. We love the idea, but it doesn't seem to fit with our plans quite yet. Robert and Paul spent most of the last few decades away from home, seeing the world, too. So we don't have to give up entirely on the American Dream, yet. ;)

At Robert and Paul's beautiful home

Jeanne and the kiddos

We went to church with Jeanne at Cathedral of Hope which is always a highlight for us. That always involves some day dreaming for me, too, because I know how unlikely it is to find anything like that overseas. It is nice that we can access each Sunday online, though. We got to spend time with Ginger and Donnie, and Stacey and Johnny, and the Zamanians. Jake took each of his sister's and Jeanne on dates, and I got to go on one with Reza and the kids! Cameron and Hannah are just precious, clearly, and we loved getting to see them almost daily. Cam's silliness keeps us all laughing. It was especially fun to watch his confidence grow daily in the pool, swimming further and further, and jumping in off the ledge. Cam shared my love of Steel City Pops, too. We'll have to make that a date for next summer. Happy Hannah is just too much, a bundle of sweetness. She's honestly happy at all times, even while she's saying, "no," her favorite word this summer. She is sweet and cuddly, and way too cute. It was so fun getting to know her more and watch her personality shine through. I know we miss so much of their lives being away, but we treasure this time in the summer immensely. 

Jake and Hannah

Fourth of July

Texas was refreshing. Jake and I love being there, catching up with family, and a couple friends, and just living comfortably with all the American amenities. We build up anticipation of 'Merica all year long and Texas always fulfills our hunger for the red, white, and blue. Ha ha! The food, the southern hospitality, the grandness of everything...it's America just as we left it. And you can bet we are already looking forward to our next trip.

Reza and Jake

Emily and Hannah

The Cowboys crew