A Boy Named Conan

Exploring more of Texas!

Last night, we slept really well. We set an alarm for 5:30 in the morning, so that we could hit the road, to travel to a different city in Texas. The one we're going to is 3 and a half hours from here. So that's why we had to get up early this morning. We're tired but it's nothing we can't handle. Especially with the 7 hours of sleep we got last night. And that's why we honestly had a relaxing day yesterday. Because we wanted to rest during the day, sleep at night, so we would be ready for an early start to a nice day trip.  Today we're visiting the "Big Bend National Park.  They have a hiking trail, beautiful water in between a beautiful canyon, Over 400 birds can be seen throughout the trails, and in the water.  Supposedly we might see roadrunners running the trails! I've never seen a roadrunner in real life! I just thought they were made up for that one cartoon! I would really love to see one! And are they as fast as the famous roadrunner in the cartoon? I wonder. I'm so excited!  It'll be so much fun!  Conan seems excited too.  As we lay there in bed, Conan says: "I'm so excited, Katie!  I have never explored the part of Texas we're going to.  Or any other city that we're gonna visit during this vacation. I've always driven around my city, this city that I lived in. It'll be fun exploring more with you! It'll be so much better than if I had explored on my own when I lived in this state." Conan says. "We have some really exciting days ahead of us! And aww! It's so sweet! I look forward to us both exploring these cities with you for the first time." I say. "This is gonna be a vacation of a lifetime! It already has been! Just from yesterday! We'll get out a lot. Expand our horizons." Conan says. "I have never had so much fun on vacation. And have never been this excited about the days ahead of me, because when I'd go on vacation, we usually did the same thing." I say. Then I say "Alright, we gotta get up so we can brush our teeth and hair, and get dressed." I say. "Good idea. The sooner we get ready, the sooner we can head on our way." Conan says, smiling. So we head into the bathroom. It doesn't take more than 5 minutes. I am not one of those girls who spends hours in the bathroom, applying Make-up. I love my natural look. I think that natural beauty is the best beauty! Kudos to those women who do apply makeup for long hours. But also, don't they realize they don't have to? I mean the people who do it to make themselves prettier. I always say "If god didn't put you in this world with a filter, why put one on? Now, only the makeup kind. Not Snapchat filters. Those are for fun. Ashley doesn't wear makeup either. Yes! Confident girls club! Self love club! Natural beauty club! "Good morning Ashley!" Conan and I say, greeting her as she walks in front of the bathroom door. "Good morning!" She says, smiling. We exit the bathroom, since we are ready, and let Ashley get ready. While she gets ready, we pack a backpack with diapers, and other diaper essentials, and 4 outfits, just in case. We also pack baby bottles in a lunch box with a large bag of ice, and also a couple ice packs. There's a super cool compartment under the stroller, so I can put the lunch box there.  "Hey Conan, we should buy a cover for the stroller, that's safe to have while the babies are in it. There's this one in Target. It has netting. I just want to protect the babies from the Bugs that will lurk in the hiking trail in the woods." I say. "Aww, you're a good mama. I would have never thought of that! Good job! We'll stop at Target on the way." Conan says. It is now 6:15 A.M. Ashley is ready to hit the road, and we are too. The backpack is all full of the things we need. "Also, we should go to Buc-ee's to get some turkey wraps. So we can have something for lunch while we're hiking the trail. And grab some snacks. Maybe some trail mix, chips, things like that. And definitely some water. We'll get a whole entire jug of water." Conan says. "That's a great plan! Also, we need to get bug repellent. And we need lotion. I need it right now actually." I say. So I quickly but carefully applied lotion on all exposed skin. My face, neck, arms, thighs down. "Here, let me just apply it for you now." I tell Conan. So I grab lotion, and apply it all over his face and everywhere that's exposed to the sun as well. I also put lotion on the babies skin. I nearly have a breakdown. "Oh my god, I just realized, I haven't been putting lotion on the babies skin before we take them outside! They're at risk for skin cancer, because I had it! How could I be so careless with such a precious life as our babies?" I just sob. Conan walks behind me and hugs me from behind. "Hey, baby. Listen! It's okay! We've got enough on our hands and minds with their constant needs. I wouldn't expect you to think of that." "Sure, you wouldn't expect it. But if they get cancer one day, I'd probably think it's my fault." "Katie, baby, they don't have skin cancer now. So if they get it when they're 3 or 5, or 15, or 28, are you gonna blame yourself because you didn't apply lotion to them for the first month of their life? If they don't have it now, then by starting now, you're protecting them from it. If they get it in the future, which I pray they don't, you can't say it's your fault. You started the routine late, but it's better late than never. Okay? Listen to me. Let's say they do get it... I wouldn't blame you, or be mad at you. Please understand that." Conan says. "Conan, I swear, you know just how to make me feel better. And I don't feel like I'm a horrible mom now, literally just from you saying those simple things. They're simple, but very meaningful to my heart. And okay, now that you pointed that out, if they do get it in the future, I will not blame myself." "Good, I'm glad I am able to help you! You should NEVER feel like a horrible mom. As a parent, we try our best. We're not perfect. But we're as good as we can be. And if you need, I will let you cry. I'll just hold you tight as you do so." Conan says. So we stand there for a few minutes, and I Squeeze a little tighter, and rest my head against his chest. He rocks me back and forth slowly, and said "shhhh... shhhhh... it's okay. You're a GOOD mom." He whispers. I soak his shirt and he says "oh, Look what you did, you soaked my shirt!" He teases. I laugh a little. My tears are slowly falling now. I'm ready to hit the road. We grab the backpack, the lunchbox, and get the babies in the Car. I stay and sit in the car as Conan grabs the stroller to put in the trunk. Ashley comes out with Conan, and Locks the door. I sit in the front passenger seat again. "On our way we go! First we're going to Buc-ee's for some turkey sandwiches. And maybe a pulled pork one! I think that sounds good." Conan says. "I agree. I would love a pulled pork sandwich!" I say. "Alright cool! And we'll still get all 3 Turkey ones, so we can have one sandwich tonight or tomorrow. And after we get out of Buc-ee's we'll stop at target real quick, for a stroller cover, so the babies don't get bit by any bugs. And we need bug repellent. And did you pack the lotion in the backpack? Or do we need to buy another bottle?" Conan asks. "I remembered the lotion. It's right on the side pouch." I say. "Okay. So just the stroller cover and bug repellent for us." Conan says. "Correct." I say. "Okay. We have a good plan going!"
Each place we stopped at, was in and out, super quick! It's easy when you know what you want and need. We acquired all the goods, and we are officially on the way. The babies are asleep within ten minutes. Just as I suspected.
     On the Highway, I see so many Billboards!  All advertising the cities of Texas, that I didn't Even hear of before!  And all the greatest tourist attractions that they have to offer.  "Wow!  I haven't heard of even half of these cities!  It's pretty nice that they have so many.  And so many things in each city.  That leaves us to have many countless places to explore every time we come!  At least for a good 10 or 20 years.  There will be something new each time.  For TWENTY YEARS!  Maybe more!  Because we obviously can't go visit all the places in that one city in a day.  We could do 1 or 2 things a day.  Then for the next year, we can do other things in that city.  It's mind blowing!"  I say.  "I know!  It seems there are more cities here than any other state.  Texas is a great state to love."  Conan says.  "Oh yeah totally!  It's like, my love for Texas keeps building, as I see all the things there is to do!  And my excitement is progressing, Just blowing up!"  I say.  "Yeah same, and I've lived here for 10 years, and still haven't explored half these things!  Not even a quarter of these places!  And the coolest thing about this, is the fact that we get to bring the children with us every time.  They can explore everything with us!  I'm excited to make this a yearly-Bi yearly vacation."  Conan says.  "Same here!  And the crazy thing is, this feels like home.  Like, my second home.  Or maybe 3rd.  Because I also love Traverse City.  We've gone to the cottage since I was a baby!  So that's my second home.  But I still love Texas in a way I can't comprehend or even explain!  It's because I have so much love for you, and you grew up in Texas for 10 years."  I say.  "I have so much love for you too!  You're a huge part of my life!  So it really means a lot that you love Texas so much.  Cause that's another big part of my heart.  But you're a bigger part of my heart though."  He says.  "You're the biggest part of my heart!  And I'm glad it means so much to you for me to love this place so much! And it means so much to me that you want this to be a part of your life." I say. "There's Just a good feeling all inside of me! Im home with Ashley, And you're here, the babies, we're all here together! It fills my heart and body with so much joy and love, that I've never felt in my entire life!" Conan says. "I feel the same exact way, Conan. And I think we all feel that way." I say. "Yes, the feeling is mutual." Ashley confirms.
A few hours pass by, and we stop in the bathroom real quick. It's in a building right next to the park. Conan locks the car before we go in, and of course, get the stroller out, unbuckle the babies, then place them in their stroller. I have my backpack on, and we set up the cover over the stroller. I put the lunchbox under the stroller. Conan puts the jug of water there as well. It can actually hold a lot in it. Thankfully it didn't break. So we finally head to the bathroom. We take a few minutes, and meet back outside the bathrooms. "Here we go! This will be so awesome! It'll be peaceful, and beautiful!" Conan says. "Yeah, and I've never been on a hike before." I say. "Wow! Well you'll love it!" He says. "I'm sure I will! I've always wanted to hike. My family Just isn't that type. They don't hike. Ever. I bet it's way better than a regular walk around the block." I say. "Oh yeah! It's SO much better and more than a walk around the block. Especially this place. It seems so peaceful. There's something Just so relaxing about hiking in the woods. I Usually hike in more rocky or dirt trails. This is my first hike in the woods. I want to mostly enjoy silence. Not much talking. And if we do, let's talk quietly. Let's enjoy the beautiful sounds of nature. Cause there's a lot of it here." Conan says. "Okay, I can respect that. I love nature!" I say. "Yeah, I agree as well. We need to enjoy it and take in the serenity." Ashley says. We're almost in the entrance of the woods. Conan offers to carry the Backpack. "Sure, thank you!" I say. "You're welcome! I'm happy to. Sometimes extra weight on the shoulders can be painful for the back. I don't want you to be in pain." Conan says. "I appreciate that, a lot. But do you promise you will tell me if your back hurts? Because I don't want you to be in pain either. I mean, even if neither of us are in pain, we can still take turns carrying it. Maybe let's say every hour that we're here. And if we are in pain any sooner, we'll switch early." I say. "Okay, that sounds good. I appreciate you caring about me so much." Conan Says. "By the way, I love that tank top on you. It shows off your arm muscles and abs. You so sexy in that tank!" I say. He blushes. "Aww, thank you babe! Such a nice compliment!" He says. "Aww, I made you blush! And I wouldn't say something if it wasn't true. My god, it's so attractive." I say. "Well you look pretty good yourself, my love." Conan says. "Thank you! I don't have the abs or muscles though." I say. "Baby, your curves are just as beautiful and sexy as my abs and muscles. And I also wouldn't say something if I didn't mean it." "Literally I am so lucky to have a man like you. Not every man hypes their woman up about their looks. I already love them as I said, but you make me love them even more! More guys need to be like you." I say. "Do you wanna pose right there, and I'll take a picture, and I'll pose in the exact same spot, and you take a picture, and I'll post to Instagram with what you just said to me? I want other girls to know what kinda man they should have and deserve." I ask. "Sure!" Conan says. So we stop to pose. I will post the pics later, when we get back home. I am going to enjoy my day without my phone. I say "wait. Hold it, we need to spray each other with the bug repellent." I say. "Oh yeah, thanks babe for looking out for me." Conan says. "Of course! And this isn't just for mosquitoes. It says on the label, it repels all bugs! Which is why I chose it. Especially when we're in a wooded area, where ticks live. So make sure you get it on your feet, too. There's more than just ticks, which can cause Lyme Disease and many other diseases. There's also poisonous beetles, and all kinds of poisonous bugs." I say. We get it all lathered on each other. And we of course cover Ashley entirely in the bug spray. "Okay, now we're good to go!" I say. So we continue on the path. On both sides of us, there are huge trenches. Beautiful! With water running through it at the bottom, and flowers along the water. Conan and I take pictures of it. "You know, we could take pictures during the hike. We just don't need to post yet." I smile and nod. "Yeah, because who wouldn't want to take pictures of such breathtaking views from nature?" I ask. "I don't know who wouldn't. I mean a picture only takes a second to take. Even if you take multiple. It's no big deal." Conan says.  "Exactly.  It's a good point.  We want to capture the moment."  I Say.  We continue walking after we take a few pictures.  Ashley took some pictures too.  "We can also go on Snapchat to record and take pics.  I feel like I definitely want to post vids of the trees, with the birds in them.  I'd love to catch a roadrunner on video.  That would be so cool!"  Conan says.  "It would be cool!  I just wanna see one in general!  But yeah, catching it on video sure would be cool!"  I Say.  As we keep walking, we look up and on both sides of us, constantly. 
     An hour and a half in, we see a roadrunner!  I laugh.  "Ohhh, it's so CUTE!  I can't help but laugh!  Like it's so adorable!  The way his little tiny legs run, and how his feet hit the ground."  I Say.  Conan and I took the opportunity to record.   And then we save the videos for later, to post.   "This is a really truly gorgeous view!  All throughout the trail so far!  Nature really is breathtaking at times.  Which is a weird thing to say, because nature gives us oxygen to breathe.  So how does it also take our breath away?"  Ashley wonders.  "It truly is!  We should camp out here, when the kids our older.  At least 1 night during our trips.  I'm not saying let's stay here instead of your home.  It's just that, I love nature so much!  It's my most peaceful place."   Along the way of our incredible nature walk, we saw so many birds we have never even seen or heard of before!  One of the prettiest birds ever that we saw was A Vermillion Fly catcher.  We know that because before we entered the woods, there was a pamphlet of certain birds, that aren't that commonly seen or heard of.  That's helpful, and it helps us know of different bird species.  Even the name of the bird is beautiful.  It's the prettiest shade of red, with black wings.  Another bird was round, and fat.  We couldn't determine what that one was.  There were some scary animals.  Such as Coyotes, bears, pumas, Panthers, no pink ones.  So they definitely seemed threatening.  They're no friendly, cartoon panthers.  If only they could at least talk.  All of them.  Panthers, bears, coyotes.  Just like in Finding Nemo, and all cartoon movies with sharks and such, that are otherwise very scary.  But they didn't bother us.  They didn't try to attack, or show any sign that they wanted to hurt us.  They just kinda leisurely walked in the woods.  Some walked into our path.  It was actually really cool!  And some animals walked up to us.  Animals we had never heard of or seen before.  One of them looked like it was a cross between a mouse, and a chinchilla.  It had white spots all over, and it was tiny, like the size of a mouse, but as fluffy as a chinchilla.  "Conan, I want one."  Conan laughs.  "What?  I'm sure we could get one.  My parents had ferrets when I was a baby."  I say.  "We'll see.  I'd be willing to get you one, or even 2 or 3, but we can't just take them out of the woods."  Conan says.  "I know.  They're so cute though!"  I say.  "I know baby.  I agree.  I hope there is a way we can get some.  Because I know you really want one."  Conan says.  "You're so sweet.  But it's probably gonna be expensive."  "Yeah, but aren't all animals?  You said your parents had ferrets.  I'm sure that although they're tiny, they costed at least a couple hundred dollars."  Conan says.  "That's a good point.  But hopefully it won't be that expensive.   Ideal cost would be up to $175.00 total."  I say. At one point, a cardinal flies down from a high tree, and lands on my shoulder, and stays for a bit. I record it on Snapchat and say "Hi Baby! Or should I say Hi Gaga?" The cardinal tweets. "Okay, Hi Gaga, You want to enjoy the hike with us?" I ask, tearing up and smiling. The bird starts singing. It sounds like "You Are My Sunshine." I continue to record and I tear up even more. My eyes are fully welled up with the tears. They start to roll down my cheek. Conan also records the cardinal singing. He just started recording seconds before it started singing, so he didn't miss any of it. "Amazing. This is the second time a cardinal has stayed with me. We were just saying that the other day, remember? Where the cardinal stood above us from the tree up north, Then it followed us into town, and back to the cottage? He sat on top of the car for a bit, then eventually he came and Flew the window and sat on my hand." I say. "I know. That was so amazing! And this is equally amazing! It makes me happy for you. Getting signs from your Gaga." Conan says, smiling. "It makes me happy too. And it's like, I wish the cardinals wouldn't ever leave me. It's a sign Gaga is around. And I know she is always around, but to me, a cardinal makes me feel closer with her, physically. I don't know. But I'm just gonna enjoy the company of the cardinal. God I miss her." I say. "I know you do. I know I never got to meet her, but I love to hear you talk about her. And I can tell that you two were very close." Conan says. "Yes, the closest! I literally went everywhere, and I Mean EVERYWHERE with my mom and Gaga. Even if they were just going to get prescriptions from Walgreens. And we had our special things. We would color together, and our song way 'You Are My Sunshine.' Which is why it makes me believe even more that this is her spirit in this bird. It tweeted to the tune of That song. And the funniest thing was 'The Hand wants you' game. She also bought me that bear blanket I have. It's actually a rug, but I didn't know that, so I always used to as a blanket, so I still use it as a blanket. We spent lots of nights cuddling. And there are just so many special things that make us this close." I say. I record again, with the bird on my shoulder, and record Conan and Ashley, then I flip the camera to show the baby stroller. I caption it "Enjoying a nice, family hike. 💛😌" "oh hey, do you want to eat our sandwich wraps?" Conan asks. "Oh yeah! We completely forgot!" "Yeah, when you're so caught up in such beauty, you kinda forget to eat and stuff." Conan says. I take time to feed the babies first. Although Conan insisted I don't. "Come on, you should eat first." Conan says, anxiously. "It's okay. The babies need nutrition sooner. How about if I take a bite of my sandwich, and I give the babies a drink of milk?"  I suggest.  "Fine. I get that. It's a good point. Although they haven't even cried yet." "You're right. It's just my instinct to take care of the babies first. I mean, I never cried when I was hungry, and would therefore only eat 2 times a day. So if you'd prefer, I will take time to eat my food." I say. "Good, thank you." Conan says. "You're welcome baby. Thanks for looking after me." I say. I ask for some Doritos. I unwrap my pulled pork wrap, and put Doritos on top of it. The pork wrap doesn't have any barbecue sauce. Just a simple sprinkle of spice. One I thought Nacho Doritos would be good with. And I sure was right! It tasted So good! The spice was like a hickory flavor. And there was some lettuce on it. It was like no other before! I finished my sandwich, and chips, and fed the babies their bottles of milk now. At this point, the cardinal had flown away.
We finished the hike 10 minutes later. And right out of it, was a Petting Zoo! At the very end of the trail. We got to pet Coyotes, and Wombats, and all kinds of the same animals we just saw all throughout the trail. And you Wouldn't believe it! There's a sign. They were selling those Quolls as they are called. Those animals I talked about that look like a cross between a mouse and chinchilla. We walk up to the stand, and the guy standing behind it offered one to hold. I held my hands out, and he placed the little animal on them. I instantly fell in love! He crawled around on my wrists and arms. There were 2 cages, both with 2 floors, and they had about 5 on each floor. "How much are these Quolls?" Conan asks the man. "They're $75.00!" The man said. "I'll take at least 1, I think 2. "Okay, take a look at these here in the cages. And you choose whichever calls to you." The man says, bringing the cages to the counter. There was a beautiful white one, with brown spots. It's gorgeous. With bright blue eyes! I point at it. "I'll also have the one that Is crawling on me." I say. "Okay. Now what cage would you like?" He asks. I look at the options. They don't have much of a difference in the cages. So we go with the cheaper one. "Okay, that'll be $15, and they eat any insects, which you can buy dead insects at the pet store. So, your total comes to $165.00." The man says. Conan decided to use cash. Because even though him and I both checked his credit card and bank account, and we have plenty for this months bill at home. But as I mentioned earlier, Conan is very conscious about the money he spends on his card. Since he grew up with poor parents. He doesn't want to give us that life. He doesn't want us to wonder if we're gonna eat one day or not. He went through those wonders. It's really sad. When we pay for everything, the guy puts them in the cage, and we carry it. Gee, how smart.... we're gonna have to carry it around for 3 and a half hours, to get back to the car. But I'm not complaining when I have those two quolls. They're worth it.
Of course, we have a beautiful walk back. But our feet were killing us by the time we got back. "Oh boy, we're gonna have to change the babies diapers. We need to do it now!" I say, before we get in the car. "Oh yeah. Oh no. I guess an adventure like this is a good idea, with Babies. Because now what if they get a rash?" Conan asks. "Yeah, it's not the best idea. Their diaper hasn't been changed in 7 hours! Although, now that I think about it, they've slept 12 hours straight the past 3 days. So that means no diaper changes in the middle of the night. No diaper changes at all for 12 hours, so it's gonna be okay." I point out. "Oh yeah, so they shouldn't get any rashes." "Right. And if they do, we have ointment for it." I say. So we head to the restrooms again, and go do our business, and then change the babies diapers. We wipe their butts really good with the wipes. And we are headed back to the car, to go back home to Ashley's house. Here comes a 3 and a half hour drive back. It's 7:30 in the evening. The sun is still setting, so part of the sky is dark, and part of the sky is lit up. "We're gonna sleep good tonight." I say, totally wiped out, with a quiet voice. "Yeah, we sure will." Ashley says, her voice was also quiet. "It was so worth it though. And I love my Little Quolls! Thank you so much, Conan!" I say, smiling. "So what are their names gonna be?" Conan asks. "I think I'll name the white one Angel. The white one looks like a girl. And hmm, I don't know what to name the other one yet." I say. "Oooh, maybe Cocoa! Cause he has like a cocoa brown color fur." I say. "Okay! I love those names!" Conan says. "Me too. I think those names suit them." I say, smiling. "I think the same thing." Conan says. We enjoy our ride home. Poor Conan. He had to drive, and he wanted to sleep so badly. I could have, but Conan couldn't. So I stayed awake with him. So did Ashley, for part of the time. She was on her phone, scrolling through social media. Then she eventually fell asleep. Conan and I can barely keep our eyes open. We unbuckle the kids, and we move sluggishly. Our eyes feel heavy. We change the babies diapers again, and change them into their pajamas. And we took the cage with the Quolls in the bedroom. We then got our pajamas on. Tonight, I decide to wear my Maniac Shirt, and leopard print Pajama pants. I think that was a bit much for us. But it was totally worth it." I say. "Yeah, I'm pretty wiped out. And I can tell you are too. I hope it wasn't a bad idea going on such a long hike, with all the things you have to do to take care of the babies."  Conan says.   "Conan don't even worry about it.  It's fine."  I say.  "I know, I'm too tired to worry.  I was just saying.  That thought only crossed my mind."  Conan mumbles.  "Good, because there's no need to worry.  I love you, and I hope you sleep well."  I say.  "Thank you babe, I love you too.  Hope you sleep well.  Also, the next day trip we're gonna go on is gonna be to Port Aransas.  That will be the day after tomorrow.  We can still get out tomorrow, and travel, but within the city.  I don't want to get up early tomorrow.  I feel like we need to take a day break, then go on a day trip the next day, relax the next, get up early for a day trip, etc.  and we might plan a day trip one day, and end up being totally exhausted from all the other trips, even though we'll take a day break between them.  In which case, we will just spent the last week or so here.  In this city."  Conan mumbles.  "Okay baby, well you just go to sleep.  That sounds awesome though.  We're both exhausted."  I say.  He falls asleep within 5 minutes of us finishing talking.  I then fell asleep another 5 minutes later.