Great, Too Short Camping Trip

So, so glad it worked out! We all had a great, relaxing, adventurous time. Of course, it was way too short. But, the upside is, it was only 50 minutes away. Such a motivator to just go whenever! Plus, we are getting to be pros at the packing and unpacking thing. So that helps. Which is good, because we have three camping trips planned in the next 3 months. We are determined to get our monies worth!

Anyway, the following are highlights in words and pictures . . .

After we got set up, Daddy took out the telescope and he and the kids watched a squirrel nest way up in the trees. Not just for stars, I guess.

We decided to check out what was around the campsite. There was a short trail that led to the spring fed swimming hole. The kids were disappointed it was closed due to heavy rains. EG insisted on wearing her bike helmet. Actually, that kind of worked for us. A little more protection.

We were excited to find a young Gopher turtle.

The kids took turns checking him out. And then they gently put him back where they found him.

The spring fed water was an incredible blue. So, so clear.

EG admiring her "favorite" purple flowers. The stillest she sat all weekend.

Something, not sure what, went to town on the bark of the tree. The kids think it was a beaver.

Nature Girl and her new best friend. See the green thing in her hand. She tried to convince me to hold it. Ha, ha!!

Nature Girl's obsessive compulsive behavior is very apparent here. :) Notice the bikes.

The best breakfasts ever are those cooked outdoors. Eggs and venison sausage. Yummy!! Loved by everyone.

Entrance to the caverns.

While waiting for our tour of the caverns, we decided to take a little hike around the visitor center. It was beautiful. The kids enjoyed seeing all of the different types of trees and flowers.

I didn't bring the camera into the caverns. I was a little sketch about going myself. And then to EG in the mix. Needless to say, I just felt I would be able to get pictures anyway. It really was pretty neat, though. Hubby kept on pointing out the cracks in the ceiling. I am pretty sure he was being funny. Anyway, the kids thought it was cool. And EG did real good. She only touched the stalactite she was suppose to. (Apparently if you touch them you can stunt their growth for hundreds of years.) Thankfully, we avoided a natural disaster. ;)

There was a big open spot by the swimming area, which was a perfect place to doing a little batting practice. Everyone got a turn and EG was the official ball fetcher. As you can see, she took her job very seriously. Not.

What would a camping trip be without S'mores.

We Are On Our Way

An executive decision has been made (by Little Mama), we are going. No ear infection, no strep and, as of right now, no fever.

See you all on Monday. With lots of pictures, I hope . . .

I Could Just Cry

And probably will, by the end of the day.

Little Mama is sick. Really sick. We haven't slept in two nights. Her ear hurts. Her throat hurts. We have an appointment tomorrow morning. I am praying it isn't the flu. I am praying the others don't get it.

We are suppose to go camping, for the weekend, for her birthday. The plan, right now is, we get ready to go. She goes to the doc in the AM. If she is not feeling horrible, we go. If she wants to. We are only an hour away, so worse case scenario, we come home Saturday morning.

If we have a rough night and she doesn't want to go, we will stay home and make the best of it. I have faith it will all work out the way it is suppose to. Whether we go or not. ;)

I am going to try, real hard, to just keep on keeping on . . .

Random Thoughts

I use to think I was organized. Now, not so much.

I have let my hair "grow out." Which means it has not been highlighted in many moons. I think I have actually spotted three gray hairs. Yikes!

Little Mama is not well. She is complaining of a sore throat and an ear ache. We are to leave for camping in two days.

We are desperately trying to find a camping place to go for Nature Girl's birthday.

Three of the four are taking actual naps. Haven't decided if this is a good thing or not. Check me at about 9PM.

I am so hoping that spring has sprung.

I have been praying about going to Ethiopia where our sponsor child is from. The trip has been postponed until November, tentatively, but they are thinking about doing a VBS there. (Doubtful hubby will let me go, but it is kind of cool to think about.)

I finally finished Emma. Very, very good book. I just love my Kindle. Not sure what to read next.

My friend, the author of Confessions of a Prayer Slacker has had another book published. Well, published in hardcopy in March. But, it is out on Kindle now. It is titled The Runaway Pastor's Wife by Diane Moody. And it is really, really good!

I think (I think) we are going to do this year's Science Fair. The girls want to do something with birds. I am impressed that they are still interested in them. Usually it is a couple of days and on to something else.

There never seems to be enough time. Period.

So, that being said, I better be moving along . . .

Birthdays and Parties

This is the second year in a row we haven't done kid birthday parties. For a multitude of reasons. But, that doesn't mean we don't make the best of it! I think Little Mama has been celebrating for about a week now.

Grandma came last Tuesday. We had family party on Friday night. A whole day with Sissy and Grandma on Saturday. And we are going camping for her birthday this weekend.

I hope the almost two week celebration is a memorable one for my special girl . . .

Silent Sunday

Happy Birthday Little Mama!

Little Mama is: sweet, thoughtful, bursting with love, a servant's heart, a mature sense of justice, a lover of babies and all things domestic, a nurturer, a comforter, a homemaker in the making. Sensitive, kind and selfless. She would much rather be with her family then any where else in the world.

Around 8 o'clock, eight years ago, God delivered us this most precious child. A blessing to us, and I believe a blessing to our whole little world . . .

Grandma's Here

She came late Tuesday night and is here all week to help celebrate LM's 8th birthday!

Yesterday we took her to do Meals on Wheels and introduced her to some of our favorite clients. Then she went and had lunch with friends. Then she came with us to to watch EG tumble. Well, at least watch EG in the class. EG is still trying to get the hang of her purpose for being there! Then it was dinner at church and Wednesday night service. I think we sufficiently wore her out!

Today was book club and then she and I went to the mall to do a little shopping for LM's birthday tomorrow. She was going to watch the kids with hubby tonight. But, the kids found out their friends were going to be at the church where my meeting is, so now they are coming with me.

Tomorrow she will help us clean and help me watch kids so I can run some last minute errands for LM's family dinner/birthday party tomorrow night. Little Mama requested nachos.

Then Saturday is the BIG DAY. First thing, at 10AM, Little Mama is getting her ears pierced. A right of passage at our house for 8 year old girls. (Both my sister and I had to wait until we were eight.) Then Grandma and Sissy will take her to a birthday lunch (and Nature Girl because LM invited her along.) Pictures to follow.

Then maybe by Saturday night, Grandma will have some time just to relax. But, I think she realizes around here, there isn't much relaxing. Well, at least not until about 9PM . . .

Happy Valentine's Day

It is a low key event around here. But, there are a few things worth mentioning, I think. Little Mama has spent the whole week thinking of gifts and making cards. Nature Girl did hers last night about 9PM.

We don't do much as far as candy and stuff but we do use it as an opportunity to get a little something worth while for the kids. This year it is a t-ball stand for Boop, considering he will be starting t-ball in the spring. EG got Play-Do, which was banned in the house for the middle two children. NG and LM got a really nice bird feeder to put outside their window so they could continue with their bird watching.

As for hubby and I, we went out to a steak dinner on Friday. But, other than that, we agree not to exchange gifts or anything. I don't think either of us need a specific holiday to share how we feel about each other. It is crazy, we have known each other for almost 20 years.

The kids thought it was like a real holiday where other kids don't go to school and we don't get mail. I thought that was funny. It took us almost the whole day to convince them that people had to work. Mail would come. And, more importantly, that other kids were in school. I think they were so hoping we would take the day off!!

Anyway, happy belated Valentine's Day . . .

Silent Sunday

Pictures by Nature Girl

The other day, Nature Girl, teased and teased to use the camera to take pictures of some of the birds in our yard. I was reluctant. I just didn't want to buy a new camera. But, hubby said it was OK. So off she went to take pictures.

She took a bunch and I just picked out the best. I think she did a great job. Some photos of frequent visitors to our yard. The top to are cardinals. And the last one is the Red-shouldered Hawk.

He is probably the most fun to watch. He comes in our yard a least once a day. He stalks and swoops. Last night, the kids said he came so close to them, they thought he was going to take one of them away . . .