Springtime in Texas

Had a friend take some great pics. The bluebonnets are always lovely. They just don't last. I think they make it about 3 weeks and then the heat gets them or, I guess, they just have a short life span. Connor is so handsome. We will surely miss him next year.

Spring Break

This scary animal is staring at me.


So much sisterly love that I can't stand it!!! They were very hungry at this point and waiting for lunch.
Connor is thoroughly entranced with the Houston Zoo. Kate is wondering why does Dad have to keep taking pics.

Jaylen and Kate with Dad in the background. Oops, that is the elephant. Shane knows I love him.

Kate with another great face.

It has been spring break here in Texas. We didn't do too much because Shane is now writing a book. Can you believe it!!! But this will make more sense. It is a book about Utah Football!!! A book company is writing a book about a lot of colleges' football programs. Some guys up at the U recommended Shane. What were they thinking? Just kidding.

We did take one day for Houston and the Houston zoo. Our kids weren't that impressed.
Reason #1
It was very very crowded.
Reason #2
"There are no gorillas!" Jaylen
Reason #3
"There are no penguins!" Kate
Reason #4
Some of my kids think they are too old for a zoo. (Connor) But he was a very good sport. He always is.
But we had fun. Why? Because we were with each other.

TEXAS BLUEBONNETS
On the way home we found a beautiful field of Bluebonnets. They were everywhere. It was gorgeous. I hope this weather lasts forever. We don't know what we are getting into because we weren't living here last year at this time. The weather is absolutely perfect right now, but we keep thinking - "How long will this last?" I hope for a long long time. We do not want the heat like we moved into last July quite yet.

That is just unbelievable!

Cute kids with cute flowers.

Christmas Card 2008

We are sending Christmas Cards and are gladly accepting Christmas Cards but. . . . we have a problem. Amy was going to send Christmas cards early so that everyone would have our address. I WILL get on the ball. 2009 is the year of great organization and the end of procrastination. Procrastination ends - organization begins! But, that doesn't solve this problem. If anyone still reads this blog. You WILL get a card. But please send us one soon, we are very very lonely.

Hinckleys

2143 Rockcliffe Loop

College Station TX 77845.

Here is our pic for our card that is coming. And by the way, I am not trying to hitchhike. That is a gesture down here meaning "gig'em" for Texas A&M. I don't know why we do that or what is really means. But that was my best explanation. Anyway, Merry Christmas, and gig-em!

What were you for Halloween?

Texas experience: Trunk r Treat. Where Texan Mormon kids can see their Mormon friends in costume at the church. Because, unlike Utah, they can't see them living right next door. I got to hand out the candy this year. Can you spot me?

Jaylen decided to draw her costume/character from the local landscape. She was a Texas Hillbilly. I'm just kidding we haven't seen any Texas Hillbillies. . .well hardly. I am just kidding. I'm really going to get kicked out of this state.

Kate decided to go completely out of character and be a Princess/Queen. When she visited the Rennaissance Festival this week she picked up a pink mask to complete the costume and instantly became Princess On Her Way To A Masquerade Ball. What a gorgeous gal!

Sadly we have no pics of Connor. He went to a band Halloween party as Sexy Thing #1 and a friend went as, you guessed it, Sexy Thing #2. This coming from a crazy offshoot of Dr. Seuss. I really would have liked to see the costume. He must have looked completely different from himself.

Hinckley Halloween

We barely got the pumpkin carving in. We ended up buying and carving the pumpkins on the day before Halloween (Thursday). We had fun and Connor still was willing to carve with us. I don't know how long that will last. But he's a pretty good kid so we might be lucky enough to have him always willing to be with his family. If you will notice Connor is not wearing any BRACES! He got them off the day before. It has been a total of 2 whole years that he has worn those. He got them put on Halloween day two years prior and we definitely celebrated this milestone.

A Texas learning experience: The Halloween pumpkins were carved on Thursday. On Sunday (only two days later) Jaylen pulled the lid off one and the whole entire pumpkin was full of white fluffy mold. It looked like a spider's den. The other two looked exactly the same way. Ain't humidity grand!!!

Texas Football

Last week I was fortunate enough to spend three days on the campus of the University of Texas. I toured their facilities and spent most of my time in the new suites built in the north end zone. This weekend I was able to watch the Miami Hurricanes play Texas A&M at Kyle Field in College Station, TX. If those five days aren't football heaven I'm not sure what is. To go along with the photos here are some interesting facts.

University of Texas = 48,000 students
Texas A&M University = 48,000 students

Royal Stadium = Seats 97,000
Kyle Field = Seats 82,000

Between the two schools they have 5 national championships and 3 Heisman Trophies. The Longhorn football facility was simply amazing. The video board is the second largest in the world...talk about your big screen TV.




Godzilatron






When the elevator doors close you see the logo and the fight song plays while you ride.





This display shows which teams drafted all the Texas players that have played in the NFL



Me giving the Gig 'Em sign in Mack Brown's office




Earl Campbell's Heisman trophy




Darrell K Royal- Texas Memorial Stadium






TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL


The Corps of Cadets marches before the game.




The view from the President's box. It's more fun in the stands




The Mascot, Reveille, runs loose in the President's box during the game.

More Home Pictures

We love having a bigger table for all to sit around without sharing eating space. The bigger table is also for all the guests we will have staying with us. Hint Hint. We also have Connor's room, Jaylen's room and the hallway (kid's study area).

Starting to Look More Like a Home

We have actually got all the furniture in the right place (I hope.) Really Shane hopes we have got it in the right place because he is tired of moving it. Oh well, these are important decisions. Now comes the part where we have to start making holes in the walls and make things more permanent. I dread putting up pictures because I never feel I am putting them in a place Martha Stewart would approve. Please comment with advice. If you see an empty wall tell me what needs to go there. Shane and Connor love having a TV on the wall. I have to admit I like watching TV while I am slaving away in the kitchen. But I'm afraid we lost any hopes of looking like intellectuals that abhor TV watching. Oh well. Kate was my official model. See if you can spot Hank in any pictures. Instead of Where's Waldo it's Where's Hank.

Another Week in Texas

Well the first week of school is over. The weekend included Connor's first marching band performance in Round Rock, A trip to Houston for soccer games, watching the Utes win on TV and seeing Texas A&M lose in person. A few of the pictures are from Kyle Field. It truly is one of the places you must experience if you are a college football fan. Connor might look like an Aggie fan but he just wore the colors so we wouldn't be killed wearing our Ute red to the game. The other pictures show Amy and Jaylen washing Hank, Kate doing Karaoke on the tramp to Hannah Montana and Jaylen at a soccer game.

Time to Breathe?

It has been absolutely nuts! I would love to post more often but it seems I never have time. This might be a little long but I'll try to catch everyone up to speed.

Hot, Hot, Hot and more Hot! It saps your energy, makes you stay inside, keeps your AC on max in the car all the time. You always sweat, want something to drink, and complain about the heat. I'm sure that will excite many of the people who SAY they want to visit.

We moved into the house just fine. Amy and the kids unloaded over 350 boxes in about two weeks. It took Shane five weeks to unload 8 boxes. The highlight of our move in was the four inch scorpion that crawled out of the master bath drain.

Getting ready for school has been a chore. Amy has registered our three kids for school six times. That includes the three times they lost or messed up our paperwork. Jaylen has PE this year and had to have a white shirt and maroon shorts. Of course everyone else knew this but the Hinckleys. When we went to the five stores in town that carry athletic shorts, guess what? No maroon! We finally found a pair of women's shorts in the return rack at the campus bookstore and saved the day at the last minute. There are more rules down here than you can shake a stick at. They say the TEXAS PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE every morning and then the regular pledge of alegiance. The younger kids don't get to leave school when the bell sounds. They must line up in the "pick up" or "walking" lines and then proceed orderly out of school. The kids all say "Yes Mam or Yes Sir". They all look you in the eye when you speak to them as well. After dealing with the Utah kids for the past nine years, it is a little unnerving when a 5 year old looks you straight in the eye, listens to everything you say and then answers you in clear and precise sentences ending with Mam or Sir.

Connor's life is hetic. A typical day for him is as follows

5:45 am - get up, get ready for the day
6:30 am - leave for marching band or seminary
7:45 am - Arrive at school do last minute homework
8:20 am - Start School
3:45 pm - School is out, go to unsupervised basketball practice (Informal but required by coach)
5:30 pm - Arrive home, grab a bite
6:00 pm - Arrive at church for seminary home study (due to missing class because of band,)attends evening band practice or has trombone lessons depending on the day
7:00 pm - Attend Youth Church Night, pick up basketball with the school team or still at band practice depending on the night
8:30 - 9:00 pm - Arrive home, complete 2 - 3 hours of homework
11:30 pm - In bed and start all over again.

On top of all that Connor is on Student Council, Does WEEKLY fundraisers to pay for band expenses, Attends Texas A&M football games and performs at High School football games.

Amy runs around trying to coordinate three kids and three different schools, soccer, piano lessons, and all the things a Mom does to create a wonderful home.

I just show up and do what I'm told (hahaha don't kill me Amy).

Overall the kids miss their extended family and friends something fierce. We read your blogs, hope for e-mails, and generally comfort each other knowing that we have people who love us all over the country. I've posted a few pictures but they are not of any special significance to the blog. Just stuff that the family did while they were in transition between Utah and Texas over the summer.