Texas Vacation 2010 Tres

Here we come Corpus Christi! We know hurricane Alex is causing some rain, but how bad can that be? Plus, we have hotel reservations and some girls with hearts set on going to the beach.

Making funny sounds on the ride down.

Sleeping and singing.

Our first views of Corpus. Tropical storms. Are they any different than Kansas thunderstorms?

Yes.

The wind does not stop. It blows sand and sea water in your face. Plus, one of your children might blow away if they let go of you.

We are having a lot of fun!

We got the "hurricane" upgrade on our hotel room.

The sand is still super soft in our toes.

We all want to stay longer.

But. The wind.

Then the waves get too close and I say it is time to head out.

Shopping is calmer.

Then for pizza.

Simple and the craziest vacation yet!

Now I am chilling in my room. Girls asleep. Praying there will be less wind and rain tomorrow.

Texas Vacation 2010 Dos

Our second day in San Antonio we visited the neighborhood pool. Ahhhh! I think I was close to heaven. It had a shaded baby pool and a big salt water pool. We spent most of our time in the big pool teaching the older girls all the pool games we could remember or make up.

Working on my tan was a bonus I was looking forward to on this trip. Freckles, not so much, but they come with a tan, as you can see.

Here is my sweet man before he takes Ava back to the house to nap, while we girls play longer. Notice the shade and the shade clouds.

This is the only picture of the older girls at the pool. The clouds don't even look real.

B-u-ti-ful.

Ava after a nap sitting, or standing at the big table. We went to see Toy Story 3 later in the day, after Nate and I got a lunch date!

After getting that time at the neighborhood pool, I am thinking about moving. Or taking my friends who have neighborhood pools up on their offers to come and swim. It was sooo relaxing. I could really spend all my time at the pool.

Texas Vacation 2010 part Uno

Went to a great park on day one. This is the two girl teeter totter.

Ava is walking! Everywhere. Yeah Ava!

The girls learning to cross the monkey bars.

Here we are on the little train. It is great how exciting the simple things can be. We like simple.

Our dear host made strawberry shortcake with the girls. They helped her bake the shortcake and cut the strawberries. And squirt the ready whip. Just before bed mmmmm :)

We Are Famous

Hey All

Read this post from Whatever. Emily and I are those girls on the track. It was super funny to be all excited about seeing someone I don't really know. If you know me much, you would know that I don't know any actors, or movies, or famous books...but I knew Meg! Even knew her name! Whoa, not sure what is happening to me. We were all giggly and gushy inside to actually SEE her. Glad we made her day :)

Hope your day is Grand! I will be trying to figure out couponing, ugh. I really have a hard time wrapping my brain around it. Maybe I will clean instead.

That sounds funner.

Probably neither. Not much free time since my hubby is out riding the hills of Colorado.

Shopping with three

Whoa...went to Kohls after working out this morning. Just needed some shorts for me and some candles. Should have been easy. I like to think we are pretty quiet, as a whole, as a family. We did not seem quiet in the noiseless department store! Why don't I see other moms in there with three young kids? I can answer my own question.

I kept from getting exasperated or mad. It was lunch time. We left with new candles to make our house smell nice, hopefully, and a pair of shorts for me...that I might return. It is a skirt with shorts under it. Seems like over kill for a thirty two year old. I just want something cool and adding a layer, in case I do some somersaults, I guess, is just adding to the heat.

My search for a new purse is over! It has three layers inside, is the right lemon color, and was $4.20! I knew I didn't need an $80 one to get what I was looking for, just patience. Thank you Jesus for good surprises.

We also left one of Stella's flip flops behind. It is not in any of the racks she was hiding in. Not in lost and found. Not on her foot. It was an accident that it slipped off.

We will stay home the rest of the day.

Piano Lessons and Other Fun Times!

Naomi takes piano lessons every week this summer. She loves them! Really, who wouldn't with her awesome, sweet teacher Amanda.

Stella getting to play a few keys at the end.

They have toys for Ava and Stella to play with while we wait. And Amanda always passes out stickers to all!

Here is Super Band Air Woman!

The girls created her one evening.

The box was gone...that's ok.

Dressing as princess' instead of getting in bed. Making sister memories :)

The Mysterious IT

Today is a "I feel weird" kind of day. Do you ever get those? Where you just don't feel quite right. My legs are hurting and it feels like it might be doing the same thing to my left hand. IT is some mysterious chronic problem that is really hard to explain. I know I haven't blogged about IT before. I keep telling myself IT will go away...but it isn't. Since IT is a big part of my life, I am deciding to take the plunge and write about IT. Medication that I have been trying for two months now isn't taking IT away :( Frustrating! Well, all that and I am thinking that this is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice in it. Yes, I will. Whatever it may bring. Maybe more blogging. That always brings joy to my heart :) Thanks for listening blog friends!

How does my garden grow

Gardening is slow.

For sure a lesson in DELAYED GRATIFICATION! I hope the gratification comes. It is. Slowly. My flowers are blooming. Although small, next year will be better. And then the year after and after.... Constantly picking trees from the front. Hopefully we will be getting rid of the Maple tree this fall :)

These flowers are from a garden planted several years ago. why is this hyperlinking?????

The vegetable garden is stretching me.

I don't know what I am doing! My only experience is in reading books. All college graduates can tell you, that, is not really experience! So, I am just hoping something grows and we can eat it.

It also looks ugly. Even after I have put a lot of work into it. That is not really how I like it. I like little work and looking fabulous :) So this is really beating out some of my perfectionism. It is good. Here are some pics - also to show the imperfection :) I am not perfect. That feels good to tell myself that.

Starting of the elephant ear.

Naomi is proud of it!

Stel took a shot of me :)

FOUNTAINS

We took the girls to the fountains. I spy all three. Do you?

Ava took five steps. The most she has yet!

She rode in our friends car. It is great to run into friends :)

Here is their little boy. His sister came two days later :)

SPRAY!!!

It was having some drainage problems...kinda gross...but you just get over it.

Summer happenings

This summer I have ready several learning and fun activities I want to do with the girls. I am wanting to be intentional with our time at home. Not just sit them in front of videos after hours of trying to ignore them. Unfortunately, I know I have done that :( Not this summer! Here are a list of the things I have ready.

• Watch, weed, water, eat of the vegetable garden - working on together :)
• Go to the zoo, regularly - started
• Swim - big pool twice all ready & bought slip and slide
• Study about God - going through devotions with them
• Teach Stella to write her name - working on it
• Teach Naomi cursive writing - started
• Work on telling time
• Go through how to draw animals/cars books with them
• Read aloud Laura Ingalls Wilder book set - on book two "Farmer Boy"
• Read "The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe"
• Play board games and other learning games - One Candy Land and Fishing game done :)
• Find a favorite Bible verse for our family
• Make stepping stones - gathering supplies
• Paint canvases - 1/2 done
• Some math if Naomi's up for it
• Help Ava learn to walk
• Encourage Ava in talking
• Read to Ava daily - in process
• Have Naomi read aloud