Life without a stomach bug is so wonderful!! After a stomach bug and then pink eye ran through us all, we were ready to GET OUT OF THE HOUSE AND LIVEEE. So I planned us a last-minute end of summer getaway to Austin/Lost Pines. My mom had taken me and my sisters on a trip to Lost Pines a few years ago and I have such fond memories of that trip. Andrew and I were able to book our room using credit card points, which was awesome, but is also one of those woohoo-yet-oh-crap-why-do-we-have-so-many-credit-card-points lol. We ended up getting upgraded to a suite from a 2-bedroom queen room…it was great. But first, is there anything cuter than a baby doing down dog?

For our trip, Leah stayed with my mom and we took the big girls only for some family time before school starts. This trip was for the girls and I had to remind myself of that because we went hard for them and we were exhausted, but they had a great time.

It felt like not a great time to take a trip (my sister just delivered premie twins (I have two new nephews!!) and I or a child had been sick for weeks, so I was behind on work), but we went for it anyways! Andrew and I oscillated between this-is-the-most-fun-time-ever and I-might-drop-dead-this-very-moment-because-I-am-so-tired. Here are some non-food pictures, if you’d like to see.

To start the trip we hit Barton Springs, which I thought was amazing, but the water was too cold for the kids. I made them a towel tent to chill in and watch PBS Kids on my phone while Andrew and I enjoyed floating. The kids lasted an hour there, which was better than I expected. On the way there I warned Andrew (who hadn’t been), hey I think the kids are going to hate this fyi so steel yourself.

After Barton Springs we turned the focus to the kids and did what they wanted to do: ICE CREAM! We went to Lick and it was fantastic. I think swimming in an ice cold natural spring on a hot day and *then* getting ice cream added to the experience. I got some peach crisp and some orange vanilla in a waffle cup. So good.

Then we headed to Lost Pines for a couple night. The first night we ate dinner at one of the restaurants at Lost Pines. A salmon dish for me! The dish was missing some type of fresh element, but was good overall. I love soba noodles.

We hit the lazy river, pools and water slide pretty non-stop for the next 36 hours. The girls were a great age for it and WE HAD A BLAST!! Will definitely go back!

Other food things: piña colado (aka brief departure from my ride or die, the margarita), chips & dips, and an un-pictured fish and chips.

Then back home.

The day after we got back we had a dinner date out with our very favorite couple, which we hadn’t had dinner with them sans all of our kids in 3 years, which is crazy. It was so fun. We went to Urbe for Restaurant Weeks. Here’s the appetizer + cocktail below. This drink is called Waking in Tulum and I have deemed it my favorite frozen margarita at the moment.

Other foods we’ve had since getting back: parmesan chicken + greek salad.

Pulled pork/pot roast thing + roasted sweet potatoes + tomatoes + mint sauce.

A lunch was the same meat repurposed into tacos + Chobani Flip on the side:

Same meat again repurposed, this time with potatoes + Chick-fil-A sauce.

Andrew made chicken n’ dumplings, which came out great. It’s one of his go-to recipes he makes now and I love it.

One night I popped a premade grocery store meal into the oven, but I took one bite of zucchini and just couldn’t eat. I knew I felt overwhelmed from all the kid time on vacation and the following weekend with a lot of at-home time, so I went for a drive to take a break and maybe go somewhere. Where? I don’t know. Where do you go when you feel like crying, but your house is too loud and you feel like you can’t stay in it one more minute?! I ended up in a parking lot messily crying on the phone to one of my sisters about life. When I got back home, Andrew said his go-to phrase of, “sometimes it be like that.” Yep. I had some oatmeal, went to bed and felt much better.

And now we’re heading into the school year! I am looking forward to having the routine of the school day back. This was our first summer with some of the kids out of school and, wow, the fighting and the noise, Noise!, NOISE! has me maxed out. September is around the corner…woohoo!