family weekend

This weekend Gigi and Cappy came to visit from Missouri and we packed our time full of adventure and lots of great conversation.

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While Trip took a nap on Saturday and J did a little bit of work, the rest of us drove down the road to Sister Creek, a vineyard in Sisterdale, Texas.

After sipping on some wine we headed to Luckenbach to expose my family to some real Texas hospitality.

There are roosters all over at Luckenbach ... if you're ever there, be sure and look up in the trees because that is where they like to play!

The mailbox says "Everybody's Somebody in Luckenbach" which you will find to be true in the following candid photos ...

Later we stopped by some of the festivities going on in our little town this weekend. There were several bands playing down by Cibolo Creek and fun activities, including two bounce houses, for the kids.

Trip LOVED bouncing!

But once we put him down he was not a huge fan of the bounce house.

Just relaxing and enjoying the day and time together.

Celebrating our Veterans and active members of our military - Happy Memorial Day weekend

musical family

(Playing Rock Band with his aunts)

(We had a little wardrobe malfunction and Trip ended up wearing one of his aunt's old Polos)

(Learning to play the guitar from his Auntie Georgia and his Dad)

(Trip's new skater look)

Blah Thursday

Yesterday was overcast and humid, so Trip and I spent the day inside. We had a little impromptu photo shoot to pass the time.

It's Official

This evening J was sworn in as a city coucilman. Doesn't he look handsom? Trip and I enjoyed being proud spectators and meeting some of the people that supported J in this election. His dad, uncle and cousin also came to cheer J on.

We snapped this family photo at the end. Of course, Trip has his eyes closed :(

A Boy & His Balloon

A friend of ours gave Trip this balloon the other day and it has provided hours of entertainment. Most of the time he is not playing with the balloon itself, he simply has it by his side. The few times he has been without it, he says "Boon! Boon!" until I retrieve the balloon for him. This obsession with balloons began with his book "Fly High" that has a page about hot air balloons. At first I thought he was confusing the hot air balloon with a ball, but realized that he knew exactly what a "boon" was when I took him to the grocery store and he pointed out all of the balloons in the flower area of the store. His love for balloons is complete now that he has his very own to take with him everywhere he goes!

Other words Trip has picked up on lately:
-Brush ("Bersss")
-Bat (he prounces this perfectly and knows that the bat hits the ball)
-Lion ("Roooaaar")

Another funny story ... His new favorite book is called "Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What do you see?" and one of the pages has a blue Sea Lion on it. Every time I turn to this page, Trip says "roooaaar" because he knows that is what a Lion says. I'm not sure that I would even know how to explain to a one-year-old that a sea lion is something totally different than a lion.)

New Signs:
-Fan
-Light (he's hit or miss on this)

I think that 1 is my favorite age so far, but then again, I've said that at every stage. Trip is so funny and smart and loving. He is such a joy to spend my days with and I am really trying to cherish this stage of his life.

To Our Mothers,

Yesterday as I was forcing Trip to give me the 1,000th kiss for the day, I wondered how many kisses and hugs I had received from my mom in my lifetime and I asked J the same thing. We both decided that the number is infinite. It really is a wonder that before becoming a mom myself I never contemplated the degree to which my own mother loves me and ultimately the even greater degree to which my Heavenly Father loves me. J and I both have mothers that have loved us wholeheartedly, without hesitation or condition and with our needs placed above their own much of the time. What an amazing example of Christ's love!

We love you Mom and Mom!

Love,

Rachael and J

Proud First Lady

I am the proud "first lady" to my husband, newly elected City Councilman, J Kuper! Congratulations Sauce, I love you and couldn't think of a better person for the job!

sweet boy

Trip & His Aunties

Trip has had the joy of spending lots of quality time with his Aunties Georgia and Clara over the past few weeks. He went with us to the Battle of the Flowers Parade in downtown San Antonio last week during Fiesta and was the hit of the party! The girls and all of their friends took care of him most of the day (along with some help from J's dad). His Auntie Georgia is holding him in the picture above and they are both sporting their super cool aviator sunglasses. I have a feeling that this is only the beginning of the fun times Trip will have with his Aunties.