in houston

Houston, Texas is not for the faint-hearted. The extreme heat + humidity, the tornado/hurricane/severe thunderstorm alerts, the flash flooding, the constant traffic, the very impatient drivers, the construction on large portions of freeway, the weird freeway feeder road systems, and the strange-looking pests everywhere make for a frightening, intimidating environment. That being said, Houston has a lot to offer as well. There are all of the amenities that come with living in a big city: festivals, endless options for diverse and delicious food, museums, a world-class zoo, major league baseball, farmers markets, beautiful outdoor parks, and a variety of free events to take advantage of year-round.

We have been in Houston for two months. It feels like it has been six. There have been a lot of long hours put in by my hard working husband and we have had plenty of pb&j's, cereal or yogurt for dinner. Brett has 3 weeks of work left, at which point we will either be driving home with smiles on our faces, feeling the stability of a job offer from GE, or making more pro/con lists of various companies he can apply for in the coming school year. I really hope it is the first. The unknown is the worst, but also kind of fun. I think we embrace adventure. I am already planning our next one: a graduation trip to Asia! (just kidding, like we could afford that, we will probably go camping or something.)

Trying to make the most out of our time here, we have seen the city, seen the ocean, visited various museums, have found some favorite eateries and neighborhoods (if future employment brings us back), and have enjoyed a truly Texas 4th of July at a neighborhood BBQ and firework show that had me shocked people were allowed to buy the big fireworks and had my kids scared out of their minds, yelling "hurry get in the car!" Challenging as it is having two kids going all kinds of crazy in a different house without their toys all day everyday, we have entertained ourselves during the summer months by swimming lots, taking advantage of our passes to the zoo and the children's museum and making new friends.

I never thought I would be looking forward to returning to Provo, Utah so much, but I really am. I desperately miss those mountains, the beautiful scenery, weather and most importantly, my bed and my kitchen. This summer has not been without challenges, but I think as with everything in life, we will look back and remember the memories made and laughter shared. We are taking advantage of our trip back, stopping in San Antonio to go to Sea World, maybe staying an extra night in Moab and enjoying all the time spent together in our little Honda Accord, especially when the youngest two are sleeping.

Here is a recap of our adventure, starting with the very long drive.