A Summer of Firsts!!

This has been a summer of firsts.  The previous post showed you our first fireworks. 

We had our first snow cones. We went to Aunt Stelle's in Oak Cliff. Gary remembered going there as a kid, and it is still open!! I couldn't believe the line!

We've also had our first bowling experience. Club 300 has free bowling for kids every day during the summer. FREE.

We were SO BLESSED to have Macee and Madi come spend the night with us. My nieces are so sweet.  We took Emma and Nathan  to the movie theatre for the first time. We saw Winnie the Pooh. So fun! Nathan ate his entire bag of popcorn AND gummy worms. (bad mommy). 

At the end of the month we will go to the beach for the first time. I can't wait!!

Independence Day

I've seen fireworks over the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and sitting on the lawn of our Nation's Capitol Building. I've seen them over several Texas lakes, with the Colorado Rockies in the background, and from my own roof. But never, in all my life, have I seen fireworks like I saw last night.

We went to the Coppell Fourth Celebration. Coppell does it up right. After a great afternoon of facepainting, bounce houses, train rides and kettle corn (okay, yes... and lots of sweating, heat, cussing in our heads about the heat, two much of this yummy rootbeer Gary found, and more sweating), we settled down to watch the fireworks. We had a perfect spot, right on the edge of the pond/lake. The fireworks were great for small town Coppell...they lasted for a good 30 minutes. But all that is not what made it so great.

 My little firecracker at breakfast.

 Train ride with Daddy.

Nathan on the BIG slide.

This was the first time Emma and Nathan had ever seen fireworks. I actually sat on the blanket in front of them, with my back to the fireworks, my eyes fixed on theirs, for a good part of the show. Words can not express all the questions, wonder, joy, excitement...and even a little fear....I saw reflected in their eyes and on their faces.


. Emma kept her ears covered for the first 10 minutes.

Started clapping, then just froze.

I will never forget our first fireworks!!

i can't stop....camping #3

Their favorite thing to do, no matter where they are at, is DIG.

Obligatory picture of fossils.

sweet Emma.

More Camping

Saturday night we climbed a little cliff that Emma named "Hilltop Mountain." It was the perfect place to watch the sunset. This was, by far, my favorite event of the weekend.

Sunday morning we went for a hike. It was a beautiful morning. Until this point I was unimpressed with Cleburne State park, this changed my mind. It was a great hike. Not as much wildlife as I was hoping to see, but we did see several caterpillars and a snake, and that was enough for Emma and Nathan. This was my second favorite event.

Really. What can I say about this?

Other than, this right here is my soul purpose for living.

Okay, here is my other reason.

RoAr!!!

A few of the many (105) dinosaurs we saw on the hike/walk at dinosaur world.

Camping!

This past weekend, we ventured out to Cleburne State Park and Dinosaur Valley. Emma had just finished a 3 week unit on dinosaurs, so I used this as an excuse to go look for fossils! It was a beautiful weekend and we had a blast. (Unfortunately, I haven't mastered this whole blogging thing yet, so these are not in chronological order.)

Paluxy River Turtle.

We spent one morning at Dinosaur World. Very cool. Daddy and Nathan had a great time gig 'em, I mean diggin' for fossils.

Uncle Keith, the fossil expert, and Nathan resting in the river.

Worry

This year for Lent I have decided to give up WORRYING! No, it is not because the priest at church today said giving up chocolate was what 3rd graders do. I have given up chocolate for the last umpteen years, and I had already decided that because of my pregnancy I was not going to give up anything food related. I knew I'd fail miserably.

I decided to do this yesterday when I was was so worried, I coudn't even pray. I couldn't even get the words out. I have worried so much the last few days that it has actually made my head hurt. I know I do have a legitimate reason to be concerned, I was told on Wednesday that my baby's heart was not beating. I am 10 weeks pregnant, but my body is not showing any signs of a miscarriage, so I am holding out for a mistake and a miracle. It is my responsibility as this baby's mother to have hope, and my responsibility as a Christian to believe in a miracle.

We as parents worry. That's what we do. In a day's work I could worry about: money, did I serve enough vegetables?, should I have spanked Nathan?, did I spend enough time with him?, did I listen to Emma?, did I make Gary feel loved?, the earthquake in Japan, gas prices, will we ever get to take a family vacation, why can't I find more time to pray?, did what I say offend my coworker?...blah, blah, blah. I do it all day long! "You are worried and distracted by many things: there is need of only one thing." Luke 10:41-42

So during Lent, and hopefully from now on, I am not going to worry. I realize for a person with as natural a gift as worrying as I have, this is pretty much impossible. So what i am going to do is, when I find myself in the middle of a worry, I will STOP and thank God for a blessing in my life. Turn my worry into praise. If I truly have faith in God, if I truly believe He will take care of me, then I can't worry. Right?

Just give up.

Give up me. All of me. And all my illusions of control. Do I really want to be in control anyway? Wouldn't it be better for all of us if God were in control? What is worry anyway? Can I hold worry and trust in the same soul? If my soul is filled with worry, if I am anxious about the things of this world, can it be filled with Him? If I am worried, am I really able seek God's kingdom and His righteousness? (from blog In the Heart of my Home)

Be content with what you have: for He has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

Winter of My Most Content

4 days. 4 days of ice, snow, and cold, cold, cold. "Where is the sun?" asks my husband. "Another bitter day! " says the weather man. "I'm ready for some warmer weather," EVERYONE says!

Not me. Not me, the-loves-the -sun-outdoors-girl. I have loved every single minute of being housebound. At I sit here and watch the last flurries of snow fall from the sky, while the drips simultaneously melt from the rooftop, I hope for another blue norther to come through. It makes me sad to think of having to go back to our busy routine. And I don't know why!!

It could be the bottom-less pot of hot chocolate we've had going on the stove. It could be that Gary's work has been closed so he's been home to play with us. It could be the indoor obstacle courses, popcorn afternoons, movie nights and trying to teach the kids to play charades.
I have had so much fun just playing.

It could be that I've also had extra time to get things picked up and done around the house. Or the fact that I've taken a nap pretty much every afternoon. That could definately be it!!

But I think it something else. Not more than that....because nothing could be more than that. Just the feeling that comes from doing those things. The feeling that time has stopped. The feeling that I've been given an opportunity to just be without feeling having to go somewhere, or feeling like I should go somewhere. No one has complained of being bored. No one has asked to go anywhere else. I know this won't be so in a few years. I know next year, when we have a 4 month old in February, will be completely different too. I am just so thankful for this time to be together, for this time to do nothing together. We are all healthy, we are all happy, and I know this is a time to not take for granted.