Davis is Nine- Hyatt Lost Pines weekend

Davis is nine today. My little baby has grown so fast. He is an independent young man now. We have intelligent conversations. He understands subtlety (though he isn't very good at it yet). He is incredibly responsible and cares about doing the right thing. He is still strong willed, but this has been a great year in that we talk about most things rather than butt heads about them. Davis is still obsessed with going fast, whether on foot, on roller blades or ice skates or on his bike. He is also constantly creating and engineering things in his mind. He sings on pitch and has great musicality. He plays the piano and choreographs fantastic dances in his room. He reads biographies like they are going out of style and is engrossed in Anne of Green Gables which I am currently reading aloud. He is still extremely independent and brave. He doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve, but he is deeply sensitive. He can still throw a mean tantrum, but his recovery is swift.
Now on to the birthday weekend! Friday afternoon, I hosted a playdate after school, allowing Davis to invite three friends from school to come over. My friend, Elizabeth, picked them all up from school and brought them over. They changed into play clothes, had a quick snack and all went outside, loaded up with nerf guns (bought as birthday presents from Grandma and Grandpa last week on a special birthday shopping trip) and headed off into the gully. Elizabeth and I sat on the porch swing with a glass of wine until the boys came charging up the hill, sweaty, exhausted and hungry. I made a bunch of frozen pizzas and then the boys went home and Michael and our boys loaded up the car and headed to Hyatt Lost Pines. I totally forgot to take any pictures of this and I was so mad at myself.

Davis had requested a weekend trip to the Hyatt Lost Pines instead of a birthday party and I whole heartedly supported that decision. I decided not to have a birthday party either and that this could be our joint celebration. I allowed him to bring one friend and he chose Violet which suited me perfectly as that would mean, Samuel could have Graham to play with and I could have Cheris. Rob and Michael could also hang out in a manly fashion.
We checked into our junior suite (we upgraded our reservation using our suite upgrade that came with our Hyatt Visa card). We dropped off our stuff and went back downstairs to walk around and have smores at the fire pit. The Hyatt Lost Pines is an incredibly beautiful property and the staff is amazing. There are gorgeous flowers everywhere and hills of bluebonnets.
After our smore's we made our way back up to our room and settled the kids on the pull out couch to go to bed. They resisted, but eventually, we got them down and had a great nights sleep.

Saturday morning we woke up ready to party, but it was only 7Am and super cold outside. We placated the children with cartoons and homemade dairy free muffins until nine when we burst free of room and headed out to experience the resort. We stopped and got starbucks and then wandered around, checking on our trail ride reservations for that afternoon and perusing the menus in the different restaurants. We made our way down to the Plantation lawn where Davis and Samuel played some pickup soccer and then under the Pecan grove where Michael and the boys participated in some water color arts and crafts time. Next the boys checked out some bikes and zoomed around the property. Michael and I saw in the rocking chairs by the fire pit and enjoyed the sunshine and now quickly warming day.

The Liffords arrived and I don't know who was more excited, me or Davis! I took them up to our room and they dropped off their stuff and the kids quickly ran off to play and we got a cocktail and all sat by the fire pit catching up. We wandered over to the horseshoe pit and tried to play a game, but my back resisted all efforts to play and so I watched and took pictures.

We rounded up the kids and had lunch on the porch of Shellers, which was lovely and delicious, but the service was slow. We let Davis have his dairy free chocolate mint cupcakes from Capital City Bakery and blow out his candle.
Then Michael and Davis and Violet left to go on their trail ride (Davis' special birthday treat) and the rest of us continued to hang out on the property. Cheris and I went to change into our swimsuits and Rob took the boys to the Pecan grove to paint wooden snakes which they absolutely adored. Then we all went to the pool!

The pool at the Lost Pines is pretty fabulous, with a beach, water slide, lazy river, pool side service and heated water. I could have stayed out there for hours. I talked Cheris' ear off all day and monopolized her attention and even got her to do the lazy river with me! Michael and Violet and Davis joined us and I reveled in the fact that my kids are big enough to go off and play in the pool and the lazy river without me watching them every second. Woohoo to nine!

We ordered dinner by the pool and afterwards, went up to change. We came down from the room and went off in search of bluebonnet patch to take pictures in. We got some really cute ones, especially of the kids. Then we went back to the fire pit for more smore's!

After full marshmallow overload, we walked over to the front lawn to watch a movie. They had a big outdoor movie set on the lawn with a popcorn machine and over size towels to use as blankets. Cheris thoughtfully brought some wine to the movie and I was very grateful. I ended up drinking more than my fair share and was heard to announce loudly over and over again how very happy I was. We all settled in to watch Despicable Me 2 in the twilight. Davis and Violet snuggled together under their towels and Graham and Samuel snuggled under theirs. I loved it. After the movie we were all exhausted and we said goodnight to the Liffords and fell immediately asleep.

Sunday morning we woke up late and went down for breakfast. Then the kids got to meet and sit upon the longhorns that live on the property. Davis especially enjoyed this activity. Then the kids had to ride bikes again and entreated Michael to ride with them. He did and I saw in the rocking chair outside reading my new south america travel book. We whiled away the morning until it was time to lunch on the porch of Shellers again. We kept extending our check out later and later. After lunch we managed one more walk around the property so we could visit the hummingbird garden and then we packed up, said goodbye and headed home.

That afternoon we met the Gardners at the Railyard for another birthday dinner so that Davis could play with his dear friend, Rowan. The weather was perfect and the kids played outside to their hearts content while Michael and I got to catch up with Stacey and Chris. It was so nice to spend an unrushed afternoon with our friends.

This morning Davis woke up to a birthday banner and several presents. He opened up his gifts and proudly posed with his birthday hat. I went to meet him for lunch at his school and brought two dozen cake balls. All his classmates sang to him and lined up for cake balls. Davis was very popular with his classmates and very pleased with me.
Hooray for birthdays!