Hanging out in Houston

Alternate blog post title: Never Hungry in Houston.

We arrived in Houston on Friday night and stayed with my cousin Kuya Danny and his family for the first two nights in their beautiful humongous home in Rosenberg or Richmond, TX. Kuya had cooked for us delicious caldereta and bangus. After dinner we settled in to our rooms that my nieces had so generously given up for us.

Olivia and Kuya Danny

The next morning we had a Filipino-American breakfast of eggs, red hot dogs and Panera bagels. We hung around the house and out in the backyard while the family prepared for the house blessing party. After lunch of kare kare and pancit, mom, dad, Vince, O and I went for a walk around the development where Kuya Danny's house is and toured around the model homes. We love doing this, it's like window shopping for another life. I doubt we'll ever leave the city, but sometimes it's nice to imagine living a domestic, suburban life in a huge house that costs way less than a 1 bedroom apartment back home.

Ready to stroll

That night was the house blessing party. Olivia had on her party dress, unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of her in it. It was a great party from what I hear, I wouldn't know since I fell asleep putting Olivia down (which happens 90% of the time).

Sunday morning we went to church, then headed over to Katy, TX to visit our friends Sherry, Eric and baby Aidan. They also have a huge beautiful home. We went out for brunch at Black Walnut Cafe which was super reasonably priced (did I mention how much cheaper cost of living is down here?) and caught up on life with a new baby.

Baby introductions.

The Sarmiento Bunch

O with her cousins Kuya JV, Ate Danielle and Ate Danna

Throwing up gang signs

After brunch we said our goodbyes to the Sarmientos and then headed up to Humble, TX to stay with Vince's cousin Hector and his family. They also have a huge beautiful home.

Cousin Dajsha

Mama and Lolo living large

O with Auntie and Tio

 Hector cooked up a feast of ribs, wings, fried fish, macaroni and cheese, rice and salad. The next day after we woke up from our food comas we ate some more then looked at one more model home. Before we left we had homemade peach cobbler and Bluebell ice cream. Then we headed back to New Jersey and a snow storm, but at least we faced it happier and fatter.