Camping at Canyon Lake

      We've been waiting for weeks now for the time for our camping trip with Uncle Garrett to get here, and this weekend it was finally time. We were very excited and the boys and I had ourselves ready, the car loaded and lunch eaten by the time Dalton got home from work early. We left about 1:15 and headed that way. It was a pretty good trip, without too many hold ups. We did have to stop in Burnet at DQ for a break from carseats and to get the boys some grub. It made all the difference!
     About 6:15 we arrived at Uncle Garrett's house, excited and glad to be out of the car. Cooper knocked on the door and was greeted by Garrett with his new pet on his shoulder. He has a baby raccoon, and though she is cute she isn't the friendliest animal I've met.  We passed her around between Dalton and I and let Cooper touch her. We weren't fighting over the chance to hold her because she growled a lot. Ace kept pointing to her saying 'kitty kitty.'

      It didn't take long for Cooper to find the piano and he was making music the rest of the evening. It was a karaoke style so he could have a song playing while he hit the keys too. Ace enjoyed dancing to the music. Later on Cooper told me "Uncle Garrett sure has a lot of instruments!"

His favorite song was Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

      We were ready for supper pretty quick and headed to the Gruene River Grill. It was a great atmosphere and good food. The kids were a little rowdy by the end of the meal, but we still had fun. Then it was back to Garrett's for bedtime. Ace and I took the spare bedroom while Cooper and Dalt slept on the couches. We slept really good but apparently Cooper kept rolling off of the couch in his sleep and slept half the night with Dalton.

 In front of the Grill

     The next morning dawned and it was camping day!! We all got ready and headed to HEB to pick up supplies of the edible nature. It was a new and improved HEB and I was a little overwhelmed and tempted to forget camping and just shop for all the unique goodies they had. I miss having an HEB nearby. They snapped me out of it though and we made it out with mostly only what was on our list.

     By 12:30 we were at the campsite. The boys napped a little on the way so they were semi-fresh. We set up camp and got the supplies unloaded. I was so thankful to have Garrett there. It was nice not having to help set up the tent!

 Camping is Fun!

    Of course we had to take a few photos before we began adventuring.  Then we took a little walk to a pier that was nearby. The lake was pretty low but it was still a pretty view. Then it was time to go fishing.

They were some happy guys

 Cooper insisted on pushing Ace. 

Ace looked a little uneasy the entire time and never quite relaxed.

 Ace had his little coon hands all over Daddy's glasses

     We headed to the boat ramp and dropped Garrett, Cooper and the boat off before we parked the truck. Then we hopped in the boat and headed to Garrett's special fishing hole. He'd found and staked out a spot earlier in the week so that we'd have a place to have success (hopefully). We were so appreciative of his efforts to make our fishing adventure a fun time, very thoughtful.  Garrett let Cooper drive the boat some and he did a pretty good job. You know Cooper and machines.

For the record, we did snap Coop's lifejacket after we got into the boat.

     Before we got to our spot, though, we stopped to see the 'dragon blowing bubbles' from under the water. There were two really strong springs under the water and it was a neat sight to see the water bubbling to the surface. Cooper was disappointed he didn't get to see the dragon.

     Garrett threw a quick line out and caught a little bass. We took it as a good sign, then moved on.

      Once we got to the spot we got our poles rigged up and got to fishing. Cooper was more interested in catching minnows than crapie, so he was our minnow man. Ace preferred the worms and when we set the worm box in front of him it didn't take him long to touch the worms and grab the dirt. Cooper said the worms were nasty.

     Even though Cooper didn't man his pole too well, he still managed to catch a couple of fish on it. Garrett had to put a cork on it because Cooper wanted to put it in and pull it out over and over. The cork didn't help with that much, until Cooper abandoned the pole and we watched it. Speaking of catching fish, we all caught at least one. Not to brag or anything, but I did catch the biggest crapie.

     When the fish stopped biting and the boys starting getting too close to the edge of the boat we headed back, pleased with our success. They cleaned the fish while Cooper and I visited the restrooms…which were very nice and clean. Then it was grub time. We started the fire and got the food ready. We had potatoes in the cast iron skillet, roasted corn, beans in a can, crapie a la lemon, and steak. The boys also had a hot dog. It was all so delicious! The corn was so flavorful, the potatoes buttery and perfect and the steak well seasoned and juicy. Yum!! 

 What a pretty sight.

     Then it was play time. The boys carried dirt from one pile to another and basically just walked around and explored. They did so good, didn't get too far, didn't fight and were just generally having fun by themselves. They liked going in and out of the tent, of course, which Dalton kept monitoring because he didn't want them to jump on the air mattresses. It was a little comical watching him try to control their excitement over the tent. Next time we'll keep the mattresses put up until closer to bedtime.

 Ole! Happy Cinco De Mayo 

 They grabbed an ear of corn and shared it as they wandered around the campsite. 

 Camping chairs worked perfectly by the fire.

 Cooper was trying to capture the sunset on the camera.

     Once the sun set you know what time it was….smore time!! We listened to Cooper tell the story of Pinkfoot, a story he heard on one of his shows, Bubble Guppies. He told it with lots of suspense and we were able to get it on video. Then we broke out the marshmallow roasters. Cooper loved roasting them, or should I say burning them. He would get one flaming, pull it out, wait for us to blow it out, put it in the dirt and then say he needed another marshmallow. We let him do this with three then cut him off.

     We all enjoyed a smore, changed into our pjs and visited by the fire until the kids fell asleep. At that point I went to bed with the kids and the guys stayed up and visited some more. The night wasn't too bad either. It was rather chilly, but our sleeping bags kept us plenty warm. I was especially cozy sleeping between the two little snuggle bugs. Dalton planned to sleep on a separate air mattress but we forgot an extra sleeping bag and after about 10 minutes using the boys' fleece covers, he made us move over so he could get in the big bed. It turned out to be just enough room.

     Morning dawned and we got up and at 'em about 7. It was really cool and windy, so we didn't hang around too long. I put things in the car while Dalton cooked bacon and Garrett got his stuff together. Cooper stayed in the tent as long as possible and Ace followed me around whining until we went and sat in the warm car. We had a yummy bacon tortilla wrap and left the campsite feeling good about our first attempt at camping.
    I have to say though, getting back to Garrett's and taking a nice shower and putting on clean fresh clothes was nice. We stayed there for a little while, visiting and looking at his house plans. He's building a new house on a really neat lot in New Braunfels. I can't wait to see the finished product. The kids loved being in a kitchen with no locks on the cabinets. Thankfully there wasn't much in there for them to mess with. Garrett said they were a couple of little raccoons and I think he is right about that.
     Finally we went to a chinese place for lunch, thank you to Dalton for eating chinese food for me. By the end we about lost control of Ace, the wild thing. He is a maniac! (I'm starting to see a pattern here….I hope we can still manage outings with three kids without them taking over!)
    We said our goodbyes and headed out with full bellies and tired boys. They fell asleep almost immediately and slept until Lampasas, which was awesome. Actually I'm writing this on the road and Ace is still asleep. The Lord has blessed us with a smooth trip!
     It was a blessing of a weekend. Getting to visit Garret, camp, fish, enjoy each other's company was all so great. And Garrett is so great with the boys, which is another blessing. Makes it easier on us because he's right there ready to step in and help us out or take a kid on his shoulders when we need him to. Why do we live so far apart?? I told Dalton we are too close of siblings to live this far apart.
     I'm looking forward to more fun times like this weekend!

"Whoever gives thought to the Word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord." Proverbs 16:20

Children's Museum

   Last week we took a Play group trip to Fort Worth to visit the Children's Museum/Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. I was super excited because I love field trips, and was ready to see what the museum had to offer.

   It was a lot of fun! In the actual Children's Museum area there was a grocery mart, reptiles, a medical area, train tracks and other fun things. I bet you can guess which was Cooper's favorite. But just in case you didn't know….

 Selecting his items

His favorite spot was behind the cash register.

 Reaching for the bagel

 "I want to touch the turtle!!"

"That will be $5 please."

   Then we moved on to the dinosaur exhibit. They had a dinosaur skeleton, interactive learning stations, including a computer with touch pad where you can put a skeleton puzzle together. Cooper really liked that.

Cooper and his good buddy Lucas, in the footprint

    After that we moved on to the invention area. The kids got to see a 'tornado', make paper airplanes and see if they could fly (mine didn't…I've never had that talent), and play with shadows.

Ace really enjoyed pulling out the pegs and putting them back in

     There were also some students showing off their robot creations, to which Cooper was immediately drawn. He sat beside one student while he watched him control his robot car. Then he listened to the teacher while she explained how another robot worked. I think I have a little engineer on my hands. He loves to see how things work and how things are made, and anything mechanical is right up his alley!

He was a little disappointed when, after listening politely, he couldn't touch the robot.

     It was a great experience and we are for sure going back again. We didn't get to see the Planetarium show that I wanted to, but next time!

Tired museum goers!

     After our exploring we were hungry so we all headed over to Chic Fil A for a group lunch. It was crazy with 5 mommas and 9 kids, but we had fun and were re-charged. Then I managed to get a couple of errands run before we headed home. Ace was so tired he fell asleep and slept laying in the top part of a Target shopping cart the entire time we were in the store. I would have taken a picture but he was laying on my purse.

      To top the day off, Cooper had no accidents and both boys slept the entire ride home, including me stopping for gas in Mineral Wells! You can't have a better trip than that!! I can't wait until the next field trip.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Simple Life is Calling My Name

      I'm tired of this 2013 fast paced, brand driven, social media obsessed, technology overloaded, anti Christian culture. Yes, I said it. I'm tired of all the hype and trying to keep up with everyone around me and make sure I'm in style…oh wait, I've never been in style so scratch that, and trying to make sure I'm in touch with the latest activity to benefit my kids, and keeping up with everyone on Facebook and constantly being disgusted by what's on TV, even the commercials. It's just all become too overwhelming and I think I'm missing out on the real business of life. Simply living and living simply.

     There's been a tug at my heart and mind lately, bringing me back to my roots and the way I grew up and I have an intense desire to get back to basics and leave all of this other stuff behind. I really believe we've let ourselves progress beyond what's healthy for us and our relationships with the Lord and others and I don't want to get caught up in all of the advancement and miss out on the true good life God has in store for me.

"Make it your ambition to  lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you." 1 Thessalonians 4:11

     So what are the basics, the roots I'm talking about? Well, I've been pondering that myself lately too. I consider my childhood the best ever…biased I know. It was filled with so much joy, love, animals, outdoors, God, learning, fun, imagination, and work. We spent as much time as possible outside each day that we could, we worked as a family to create a 'home place', lived in imaginary land without much TV, wore hand-me-downs, garage sale clothes or home made clothes, and didn't have a clue what was in style. God was a part of every experience we had, and church was the most fun outing we had..choir practice on Wednesdays and church on Sundays. And we had many pets, horses, chickens and cows that taught us responsibility and were our friends when we didn't have many others. As I write this it sounds like we were a little pathetic, but that's the point I think. That simple life we had helped us to not expect everything in life and to be content with what we had.

    I've been increasingly blessed as I've grown and yet I've also become more aware of what's out there, what people have, what's in style and it's toxic. It creates discontent, confusion, competition and a desire for more than God wants us to desire. And I've already seen how easy it is to give my kids everything they want and to want them to have the best version of a product instead of one that is good enough.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

    I don't want my kids to know what's stylish because I don't want them to desire those things. I want them to be content with the average and realize that spending more on items because they bear a certain name is foolish in the Kingdom we are striving to live for. Because of the way I was raised I have a sort of inner alarm that goes off when I see a shirt over a certain price, or see what people are asking for a purse or shoes or anything that's 'in style.' Though sometimes it makes it hard to walk that line between good deal and quality shopping, I'm thankful to have that inner check so that I don't get caught up in the  lie of shopping for name instead of need. And I know that in this culture it's going to be so easy for my kids to buy into the 'name' is important lie, if I don't protect them from that, teach them the value of thrifty living and teach them what God says about material things in the Bible. That's one of the basics that I want to get back to…simple contentment with having clothes and basic needs.


"But godliness with contentment is great gain…But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." 1 Timothy 6:6,8

     Another basic I want to get back to is enjoying the nature God has given us and not getting caught up in feeling like I need to do all the activities I can with my kids or go too many places with them. Of course it's fun to go on outings…we went to a children's museum yesterday and it was amazing. But I don't want those days to be the only highlights of my kids' childhoods. I want them to remember and relish the moments when we planted veggies, rode the horses, played in the dirt, found caterpillars, built things out of sticks and so much more. If I focus on going and doing too much I'll create in them a desire to constantly be on the move and lessen their appreciation for the good things God's given them here at home. I so admire my aunt who has two kids and homeschools them. I admire her because her kids are so content and happy and seem to always be enjoying the simple things around the house. She has been on my brain a lot lately because she is such an example of being content where you are and loving what God has given you. I want to raise kids who are grounded and love their 'country' life because it offers all they need.

"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, 'The Lord has done great things for them'." Psalm 126:2

     Hard work is another basic that I want to get back to in my own life. I want to be an example for my kids of how to work hard for things in life and to be proud of what you can accomplish when you set your mind to it. I want them not to be afraid to work and to be ready to enjoy the result when they put their mind to something. I think my parents instilled this into my brother and I without even realizing it, and I'm so thankful for that. There were always jobs to be done around the house, projects that were going on and work to share in. We did everything from picking up sticks to driving the hay truck, taking care of animals, and much more. And we did it all without realizing that Mom and Dad could have not had us help. So I want to be more diligent to work here more, in the garden, helping Dalton with whatever he needs, having my own projects to accomplish. I've morphed into a somewhat lazy person when it comes to outside work and I'm ashamed of that. I really want to shed the inside lifestyle that's so easy to take part and live in and get back to the basics.

"She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." Proverbs 26-27

     And a daily prayer for my family is to get back to the basics of not living for this kingdom and not trying to make it rich in life. Oh, this is such a hard one. Not necessarily wanting to be wealthy, but just wanting to have 'a nice place,' so to speak. This is another area where I've been thinking of my aunt lately. They have always been the type of family who is content where ever they are and who make the most of what God's given them at that time. I want this attitude because when you are content where ever you are, then usually it blooms into just the place you wanted to be. I'm not giving up on having our own place to work at and develop soon, but I want to live in contentment here while I'm waiting. And when the time comes that we do get some land, I want to work with Dalton and the kids to make it our own. I'm confident that the more you work together to make a home, the better home it is.

     God has really been putting this idea onto my heart, being content and not desiring riches, or really desiring comfort now and in the future. Not only is anti-materialsim and worldly treasure EVERYWHERE in the Bible (unfortunately so we can't avoid it), but it's also been in books, sermons and thoughts I've had. I think our culture, our own sinful natures and even our friends/family can validate our desire for riches and that's so dangerous. I want to be rooted in the Kingdom so I won't be swayed to those desires. Oh, how I pray for this in my life.

      To this end I have to share that God has been so faithful in Dalton and my life. We always have just what we need and when we are at the end of our rope somehow God blesses us in a way that's totally unexpected and just what we need. Never more than we need though and I think it's because God knows our hearts and He knows that we are striving not to desire riches here. He knows that in my sinful heart I'll take all I can get so he protects us by giving us what we need. And I'm grateful. We were talking about it last night and I feel that God is preparing us for a day when He calls us to do something that makes no financial sense. At that time I think we're supposed to look back on all He's provided in such a timely manner and take that jump. What that is I'm not sure, but it's excited to think He's preparing us for greater service to Him.

"People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction." 1 Timothy 6:9

    Oh, and then there's the whole entertainment and social media thing, but honestly that's another post. I've just about made a decision on this front that I hope will simplify my life further and help rid me of some temptations of pride and discontent. Stay tuned.

It's a big job being a mom and wife, and I think that all of these basics will help me to be a better one. The Proverbs 31 woman, a great example, seems to put forth a lot of effort to keep her family healthy and her household working efficiently. So, I think I'll attempt to follow her example and get busy!

"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation." Psalm 95:1

Growing our Garden

     Spring has sprung around here, and besides there being a few more chilly nights than we expected or needed, it has been really nice. We planted our corn patch a few weeks ago…something we've been preparing for for a while now.

Smoothing out the ground after tilling…the old fashioned way. 

Dalton has a little helper 

Planting the corn…those two in the background really wanted to get in there with him.

The corn as of last Saturday, but it's grown since even then. We are trying not to get our hopes up because there are lots of deer and coons around to undermine our work. Hopefully we can persevere!

   Last weekend we finally put the rest of the garden in. We have been itching to plant for a while, but wanted to wait until the Farmer's Almanac and Neil Sperry said it was a good time to plant. It's a good thing we waited too, because we had a late frost that would have gotten our plants if we would've planted early!

 Farmer Ace hitching a ride in the wheelbarrow

 Cooper hauled the plants to the garden in his trusty tractor

Having a serious discussion about the tiller

 He's had enough! Time for nap.

Carefully planting the cantalope 

Cooper was a big help with the seeds…let's hope he didn't push them too far down.

Counting the seeds before he plants 

Can't wait to see what it all looks like in a couple of months!

Daddy's taking over for the last row

 Tada! The garden and corn patch

"He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows." Isaiah 30:23 (our prayer for the garden!) "O God you are my God. Earnestly I seek you. My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water." Psalm 63:1 (our prayer for our souls!)

Our Family is Expanding by Two Feet

   

    About a month and a half ago we were invited to a wedding in Houston. We were so excited to go because it would be a fun getaway, and my parents would keep the kids. A night away, just the two of us, is a luxury we don't get very often, and having a wedding and reception to attend was a bonus.
     I wanted to be free to have a glass of wine or something at the wedding, so I decided to take a test before we left Friday morning. I have a history of being 'irregular' so I didn't expect the result to be positive…it was just a precaution.
    Well, I got up and took the test and everything was looking normal….until a faint line started to appear. What?? I was shocked and took a second test….same thing, faint line after a minute or two. With that, I asked Dalton to stop by the house so I could 'show him something.' He walked in and looked at the tests and, with a slightly irritated look, said that he didn't even know what that meant. I showed him the test instructions, and he said "Well, looks like you're pregnant." We gave each other a short, tense hug and exchanged shocked looks. He promptly said "I've gotta get back to work," and left.
    Needless to say we weren't thrilled to find out like we were with the first two. We were shocked and confused…..and needed time to let the news sink in. Unfortunately we were about to see both of our parents, half the town of Graham and more that weekend. We tried to talk about it on the way to my parents, keeping it light, but the shock was still there. (Don't get me wrong…we want more kids, and now we are so excited, but to find out we're having another one so soon was not what we expected.)
     Once we got to my parents' house Dalton went to help Dad do something and I finally spilled the beans to Mom. I felt so relieved when I told her, and she was a little shocked too. Later that night we told Dad. He said "Girl, you're crazy!" which was so helpful…not. We all laughed though and went on about our business.
    The next day we rode down to Houston with Merann. On the way we were talking about Ace's birthday coming up and she said "It's about time to have another one, right?" We laughed it off, giving each other a knowing look. After we checked into the hotel, we went to a late lunch with Dalton's parents. We were desperate to get the awkwardness out of the room and so, right before a bite of fajita, I said "Well…" and promptly took a bite so Dalton had to finish the sentence. As soon as the word was out relief settled over us and we could enjoy our lunch. They were super excited, which also made us feel better. We managed to make it through the wedding and reception without telling anyone else, but, at Louis' urging we went ahead and told Merann after the reception. She was pretty excited too.
    After the whirlwind weekend, during which I told my grandparents and aunt because they were at Mom's house, I made an appointment to see the Dr. After that appointment, we guessed I was about 6 weeks and was to come back for a sonogram in a few weeks. We were trying to decide when to tell everyone and wanted to make it cute, and decided to wait until the sonogram.

    Of course before the few weeks passed a couple more people were let in on the secret because they guessed or we couldn't not tell them. One of those people was Paw. Dalton told him at the emergency room during a quick visit and I'm so glad that he did. It's now a special memory we have.
     When we finally told Cooper, his reaction was priceless. We told him that I was going to have a baby, so he would have a little brother or sister. His response: "A sister please." We laughed and told him it could be either one….to which he replied "Ace is my brother, I want a sister." Then I said that that was why I had to go to the Dr. He promptly said "I need to go to the Dr. to get a sister." It was pretty funny and we got it all on video. I hope he isn't disappointed if it is a boy.
    Sonogram day came and Dalton and I headed in to find out the details. The baby was there, with a 143 heartbeat and a due date of somewhere around Nov 19th. Apparently the line was really light on the test because I found out really early. Everything looks good and we are now on the countdown.
    So now that we are used to the idea we are excited about having another little one around! I'm determined to wait until he or she is born to find out boy or girl, but I haven't gotten Dalton convinced yet. I feel like it would be such a special thing, and as fast as time has been passing, it will be here before we know it.  Everyone we see says that they hope it's a girl, or they bet it's a girl, or they assume we want a girl this time. We listen politely and smile, but in reality a third boy would be awesome. But we're happy to let God decide this…..no worries about making the wrong choice!
      It's been a little weird because I keep 'forgetting' that I'm pregnant and then it dawns on me. I guess chasing two other kids around, teaching Bible study, and getting ready for the fun busy outdoor time of spring and summer is distracting me. It's so amazing how different each pregnancy is with regards to how I mentally think of it. And yet this one is so much like the others so far in that I want the same things and feel great. I'm always up for meat, salad, cheese and hearty things when I'm pregnant. Maybe it's another boy? Who knows!

"Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him." Psalm 127:3