Funny how so much can change in a few days. My last post was about how we weren't going to the Cleveland Browns playoff game; that changed within 24 hours. It was the morning after I had accepted that it just wasn't going to happen. Danny woke up early that day and came in with a 'what if' question. He threw out the idea that maybe we still get two tickets and have him take Hudson along. As we talked about it we then threw out the idea of taking the two boys along. When we saw that you could include a parking fee for $65 we then started talking about using the parking money towards an Airbnb close enough where they could just walk, not worry about parking and the girls and I would join along for our own little girls' trip adventure. We turned our weekend into a little Houston vacation. It was so much fun. Danny and I had only previously drove past Houston on our way to Galveston but this time we immersed ourselves into this big city and I loved all of it. We got on the road Saturday afternoon and headed towards Houston. We stopped for lunch in Katy, TX and saw our sightings of other Browns fans. It was fun watching Danny talk to these strangers who felt like no strangers at all because of their shared love for the Cleveland team.
We parked the van in the parking garage of our Airbnb and walked right up to the stadium. It was fun once again passing by other 'Brownies'. I'm not used to seeing other fans for the same team as us haha. Of course we took some pictures before parting ways. I was so excited for the boys to be able to experience this. It's kind of a big deal. Not only is it their first NFL game but the fact that it's a playoff game makes it even more exciting. The game started off great with a little back and forth on the scoreboard. Too bad that didn't last.
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| Addie took this picture |
Meanwhile the girls and I went off to do our own thing. I'm kind of happy that Addie could have cared less about the football game because there were no hurt feelings there. What she wanted to do was check out Petsmart. We walked there hoping to see some puppies or kittens but they only had small animals like hamsters, fish and birds. The girls still loved it. We then went to a place called Smoothie King and got treats for all of us there. They all especially loved that. Addie then asked if we could check inside our vacation home so we headed there next. I hadn't seen any pictures of our place beforehand and even I was surprised at how nice it was. I usually go for the cheapest option available but this time I went for distance to the NRG Stadium and this might backfire on me in the future because now I don't know if the family will let me go back to booking the cheapest place possible. It was pretty nice compared to what I usually get. Addie got Minnie Mouse up on one of the tv's for the twins and I turned the game on the tv in my room. The score was pretty sad.
Despite the scoreboard, Danny and the boys were having the time of their lives. Danny said he wasn't around any other Browns fans but the Texans fans were nothing but nice to him and the kids. Knowing he was there with kids probably helped with the reason that the Texans fans were so nice (also maybe because they were winning as well) but Danny left the stadium in such high spirits because of how they were all treated. The boys loved how loud it was and Grant especially loved how high he was. Good thing he didn't really care about being close to the field haha. I'm so happy that Danny was able to go to a game with the boys. Because of the amazing atmosphere and the sportsmanship of the Texans fans we are now rooting for them to take it to the end. There are only four teams who have never been to the Superbowl in NFL history. Those teams are the Browns, Texans, Jaguars and Lions. If the Browns can't be there this year then I hope one of these other teams can. The Texans and the Lions are both moving forward. Being Browns fans naturally makes us root for those underdog teams. Danny was able to send me some pictures and videos of their time there that I'll include here.
Addie was so excited for the boys to get back so she can show them around the vacation home. Grant has always loved anything hotel related and he was in heaven when he saw the place. It's funny because it's not even anything luxurious but when the kids make you feel like it is you can't help but feel happy with their enthusiasm. Thankfully the kids all fell asleep really fast which is always nice. The long day wiped them all out.
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| Final Score |
Yesterday we woke up and had breakfast in our little kitchen before cleaning everything up to check out. It would have been nice to check out the pool had it been a little warmer. There were two things I wanted to do and see from a quick Houston search the night before. I wanted to see the Houston is Inspired Mural in downtown Houston and the Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park. Both I thought were pretty cool. The Waterwall was my favorite. We were able to run around and just chase each other around the lawn. The buildings surrounding us were ginormous and the whole setting just made my family time/sight seeing heart happy.
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| The view of the stadium from the roof of our Airbnb |
To make the day even better we stopped at a place called Kolache Factory on the way home and it was exactly what we've been missing. Our opinions on Kolaches here in Texas have not been that great because we compare them to a place in Provo that are just hard to beat. We finally found a place comparable. Better late than never I suppose. Now I'm going to want to stop whenever I see a Kolache Factory because I love them so much. The savory ones specifically. It's probably a good thing for my wallet and fitness goals that New Braunfels doesn't have one near. However San Antonio and Austin both do. We made it home last night in time to get our place winterized for the cold front that is hitting us this week. It's already started. We woke up to ice everywhere today which I'll make a separate post about. I'm betting there will be no school tomorrow which makes me wish we were still in Houston longer. Until next time, and there will be a next time because we still have to cross off the NASA Spacestation off of our Texas Bucketlist.
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