It's been a long time.

You are all so wonderful, those of you that are checking back with the Falzon blog despite the fact I have abandoned you for about four months! Our family has been doing great and having a great time since I last posted, and here's a little bit of what's been keeping us so busy:

Houston Half Marathon

In January Jason and I ran in the Houston half marathon. Our good friends Andrew and Kelly came in town from San Antonio to watch us compete. The night before the race we ate dinner at the downtown Aquarium.

Here are Jack and Kelly on the Ferris wheel and pictures of Jason and I finishing. (Don't be fooled into thinking that we finished anywhere close to the same time! It took Jason 1 hr 29 mts and me 2 hrs 29 mts to go the 13.1 miles.)

This was a trip Jack and I took to the zoo. I just couldn't resist posting it, it's too cute.

Swing Set!

We have some great friends! Valentine's weekend Nathan and Nicole and Jeremy and Nicole came over to help Jason set up Jack's swing set (the one we've been talking about getting him since his birthday in July). He LOVES his new swing set. He asks me all the time if his friends can come over to play on it. Every boy's dream! Below are two pictures of him on it on Valentine's Day followed by some of him and his cousins, Makenzie and Maddie.

Helping Mom wash the car.

Rodeo Houston

In early March we took Jack for his first trip to the Houston Rodeo. Jason and I have been going to the rodeo together every year (this year makes the 8th year). Jack loved what he called the "radio."

Zoo Fun

So if you've been reading our blog for any length of time you've probably noticed that we go to the zoo a lot. I mean a lot. So much so in fact that when Jack turned two last summer and went from being free to costing $6, I went ahead and bought the year membership. The zoo is smack in the middle of our house and Andrew and Rachel's, so Rachel and I meet there with the kids every 6 weeks or so.

Here are Jack and Makenzie in the tunnel in one of the aquariums.

And our three cuties on the zoo's playground.

Jack absolutely loves the tractor that the Cook's got him for his second birthday. He rides it around and around the cul de sac, and, until recently, always in the same direction (clockwise).

Here are two cute portraits I got the day before Easter.

Easter

We started Easter at our house with a little egg hunt followed by church. Then we went to Blaine and Michele's for another egg hunt and dinner.

San Francisco

Jason's company is a member of an International organization that has annual meetings. This year's meeting was in San Francisco, so he asked if I wanted to come along. I flew to DFW and took Jack to stay with my parents so we could take a trip alone together.

Our hotel was in the Fisherman's Wharf area. If you are planning a trip to San Francisco, I totally recommend this area to stay.

Our first day we took a tour of Alcatraz. SO cool! This is a picture of the area next to where our ferry docked.

Jason and I inside cells on the island. If you ever get the chance to go to Alcatraz, take the audio tour. It's very eerie because it's narrated by former guards and inmates and they play a background soundtrack of creepy prison noises.

Jason and I on the island with San Francisco in the background.

The view from a restaurant we ate lunch at on the Wharf.

While Jason was in meetings I walked around the Wharf area with my camera and a book and enjoyed the warm afternoon (after sleeping in until 9 am!!). This is the view of Alcatraz Island from the shore.

Ghirardelli Square was only about half a mile from the hotel.

In San Francisco, of all places, an Impeach Obama sign. We saw two different groups of people, one in Union Square and one on the Warf, with these signs.

Our Trusty Steed

Our last day in the city Jason and I rented a tandem bike to ride over the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito. Tandem bike, you ask? Well, I had a scar revision surgery on my stomach about two weeks before our trip, and was under doctor's orders not to exercise. I figured that with as steep as the hills are in this city, it would probably be better to rely more on the legs of my Ironman husband than to bust open my stitches. :)

As it turns out, a tandem bike is the ultimate test of a marriage. The person in the back (me) has absolutely no steering control whatsoever, and must completely rely on and trust the person in the front. We had a great time, and with both of us peddling we really went pretty quick on that bike. We even passed some people on electric bikes!

A view of the bridge from the San Francisco side.

The cafe where we stopped for lunch.

Rather than climb the steep hills on the way back to the city on the bike, we hopped on a ferry in Sausalito instead. This is the Sausalito coastline from the ferry.

Jason and I on the ferry.

And, back here at home, Jack has found a love for fishing. He is the cutest little fisherman around!