Cousin Lee Lee and Summer Fun

This summer has been amazing. We started it off right with Lo Lo's birthday celebration and its been smooth sailing since. Cousin Leigh and baby Bart came for an extended visit the beginning of June, and we all were looking forward to their company :)

Gessie and her cousin Bart :)

Lorraine LOVED Bart from the moment she saw him...she would have been perfectly content if he stayed for good :)

Leigh is always such a pleasure to be around, her spirit and kindness is refreshing to my soul. How blessed are we to have such a sweet cousin!

And she is such a brave soul...she made the 23+ hour drive from LA with only Bart in tow! I was anxious for her to pull up to our house, but loved all her picture messages of the beautiful sites she was seeing along the way. Road trips through the midwest are some of my most precious memories with my family, I cannot wait to experience it all over again with my two love bugs
(maybe +1 or 2).

While Lorraine was at school one day, Leigh and I traveled just west of Austin to the hill country...aka wine country. We decided to visit Flat Creek Winery in Marble Falls, TX. We were one of three people there so it was the perfect setting for wine tasting and tour of the property.

My beautiful cousin! 

We managed to venture out to a couple of new spots in Round Rock and Austin during her visitit. Gma was gracious enough to watch Lorraine so we could enjoy dinner and some late night entertainment downtown. As always, Leigh had the honors of choosing dinner...East Side King trailer truck was the pick! Delicious and spicy!

We literally had no idea what we were getting ourselves into! 

Leigh and I took Lorraine to Mayfield Park off 35th street. The landscape is breathtaking. Lo Lo loved the wild peacocks roaming the grounds too :)

We scotted down the road to Mt. Bonnell. Leigh and Lorraine hadn't been before, but this spot is one of my favorites. The views of both Lake Austin and the city sky line are incredible. This is the place Nelson and I choose to take our pre-gender reveal pictures back in 2012.

It was so special sitting in the same exact spot holding Lorraine as I did holding that pink balloon that late fall Sunday :)

I had asked Leigh to take some family photos for us while she was visiting, And of course she joyfully accepted. She is such a talented photographer as is, and it's an added bonus she's family :) Nelson and I agreed it would be most fitting to have our family portraits done at the historic "Round Rock" and the original wagon trail crossings...this beautiful landmark/back drop is 2 minutes from us :) The pictures could not have come out any better, I've already ordered several canvas prints to ordain our home!

We missed Lee Lee and Bart the moment they pulled out of the drive way. I am so happy they were able to come visit and I'm praying maybe one day soon she'll be just a stone throws away :)

Much Love,

Nelson & Corri

Grandma Jo's visit and Birthday Festivities!

We are so incredibly thankful Grandma Jo's visit coinsided with Lorraine's birthday! She hasn't seen us in over 8 months, but we all picked up where we left off during her last visit....as if she hadn't missed a beat!

We went to at the Austin Zoo on Lorraine's birthday. It is a smaller zoo, but for a 2 year old, it was the perfect size. We got an early start...before the Texas heat set in and were able to see every exhibit multiple times before Lorraine was good and ready for her afternoon nap.

Fun train ride at the zoo with beautiful hill country views :)

:)

Gma joined us for a lovely birthday dinner at home and Lorraine opened her 'big' gift from Nelson and I after some dessert :) Her face was priceless when she pulled back the blanket on her Disney Cinderella power wheel jeep! I didn't snap any pictuters, but it was all caught on our video camera....that'll be a fun one to watch when she's older :)



 Of course being the procrastinator I am, I was at the grocery store at 10pm the night before getting all the food and adult beverages; her birthday cake came out of our oven at exactly midnight! I have no idea what I would have done without the help of my dear friend Jen...not only has she helped me plan and supply some of the essentials, but she also came extra early to help set up. She gets me and vice versa...she is such a blessing :) And big another big thank you to Gma who came straight from work to help us set up! 

These two will be catching the school bus at the same stop in just a couple of years :)

Auntie Lauren's gift for Lorraine could not have been anymore perfect! XoXo :)

Finally got to hold this cutie pie! Robert III is seriously the sweetest baby I've ever held! 

Sisterly love :)

By the second round she had the hang of it ;)

Melts my heart :)

Lorraine's birthday cake and cream cheese icing I made from scratch! I decorated it with real flowers I got the day of the party at a nursery down the street. Beautiful and delicious :)

All in all, her birthday celebration was perfect! And although it was a bit on the warm side (not nearly as hot as it typically is here the end of May), we managed to completely escape the 30% rain prediction :)
And a huge thank you to Joellen for all the pictures!
She captured everything perfectly :)

Words simply cannot express the immense gratitude we have for all our friends, family and neighbors that came out to celebrate the birth of Lorraine! Occasions such as this truly makes Round Rock, TX feel like home :) And for all our friends and family that showered Lorraine with love from afar, thank you so much. God has and continues to gift us wonderful and caring family and friends. We are eternally grateful for each of you in our lives :)

Blessings,
The Lewis's