Spring Break!

We just spent an ah-MAZING week in ah-MAZING weather in ah-MAZING Texas! Ah ... it was so good. It was wonderful to soak up the sunshine and 80-degree temperatures. It was great to sit at the campfire and look out over the lake. It was fun to watch my two kids and my brother's three to play in the sand and water for hours on end. It felt good to sink into a comfortable bed at night and wake up to the rooster's crow. Okay, maybe the rooster wasn't so wonderful, but the rest was great!

This was our view from the campfire. You can see that we had a great view of the kids and where they played. They were so busy and played so well together!

This is the view from the front of the house, through the wrap-around porch. Gorgeous!





The chairs at the top of the hill is the scene of the campfire where we congregated day and night, and roasted hot dogs and made s'mores. Ah...


There was also a pen of farm animals that the kids thoroughly enjoyed. (Remember I mentioned a rooster???) Chickens, ducks, and goats! The kids had a ball feeding them and watching them.

One day the lake house owner admitted the kids into the goat pen. They really liked that--getting up close and personal with the animals. They thought it was funny that the goats tried to eat their clothes and were butting heads with one another. Owen was telling this nanny goat something really important, can't you tell?

Those silly chickens and ducks just would not come to the kids and eat the non-existent feed out of their little hands. I just didn't understand that. (Read that last comment sarcastically, please.)

Again, Owen has important things to tell the animals. This "baby kitty" got an earful.

Then there was the fishing. Ethan went with Grandpa and Jason every day on a quest to empty Cedar Creek Lake of its fish population. I'm sorry to say, they didn't come close. The first day they reeled in several in about a 30-minute period, but overall it wasn't overly successful. But, we had enough to have a fish fry/grill Thursday night. So, not too shabby!

Owen caught a little green rubber fish over, and over, and over, and over again. He hasn't graduated to real fishing yet. Go figure; I just don't trust a 2-year-old with a hook.

And, boy, was I glad I threw in a bag full of trucks. That's what Owen spent the majority of his time doing -- moving the sand with his trucks. He'd eat breakfast and go out and run his trucks.

He'd eat lunch and go out and run his trucks.

I'd make him come in and take a nap around 2 p.m., and he'd cry for his trucks.

Then, he'd get up from nap and go run his trucks.

Then, he'd come eat supper, then go back and run his trucks. The boy needs a sandbox. He LOVED that sandy beach! Oh, and his trucks.

Then, there was the kayaking. They supplied us with 2 children's kayaks and several adult kayaks. I never knew that was so fun! Corwin, Ethan, and Emerie spent a lot of time kayaking the cove. It didn't take them long to perfect the act, either.

Here they are on the first day, preparing the fleet.

Here's Corwin fixing to captain his maiden kayak voyage. Very exciting!

It took just a couple minutes for him to become a pro!

Here he is one evening rowing, rowing, rowing. He loved that kayak! Oh, and look! There's Owen running his trucks! :)

And, occasionally they'd capsize. Well, OFTEN they would capsize. I thought they were crazy for swimming in the cold 70-degree water, but they didn't seem to mind.

Even Owen got in on the action. Daddy took him out one day, then I took him out another. He didn't like that I stayed in the cove. He wanted me to "go out to sea" and take him for a l-o-n-g ride. I was not prepared for that, nor were my upper arms, so we stayed close to home. He loved the ride, though.

Then, there was riding in Uncle Shelby's new boat. This, my boys enjoyed almost as much as the other activities. And we had amazing weather for simply taking a ride. Well, Uncle Shelby's driving was a little wild at times, but that's what made it even more fun. (And, that's why we wear life jackets.)

Good Times!

A Bend in the Road

Many of my readers (ha! I have "readers") know that our family has endured a rather ... abrupt change recently. Jason endured some really ugly stuff in his work and was forced to resign in the middle of the school year. It was not our plan, nor do I believe it was God's plan, but He has worked it to the good. His promises in scripture are true, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) Jason has been called to coach, I believe, and God has worked a very ugly situation--that could have been very bad--into the good.

So, all that is to say that we have moved back to our house that we own and were renting out. It's nice to be "home". Jason and I have moved a lot in our 11 years of marriage. This makes the eighth move, to be exact. But, I have found that home is where your stuff is--where your family is. And, it's good to be home. It's always hard to say goodbye to friends, and it was even more so this time because Corwin has real friends now. But, we have our health and each other, so all is good! And the boys are resilient. They adjust very quickly.

I am thankful for God's role in our life. Without Him, this whole situation would have been very dismal and dark. And, don't get me wrong, it was for a time. But, "He brought me out of the miry clay! He set my feet on the rock to stay!" He is good!

Please be in prayer for us as Jason is on the hunt for a new job next school year. Pray that we go exactly where God wants us to be. Thank you.

Ha Ha Tonka

We recently enjoyed an amazing day at an amazing Missouri State Park, Ha Ha Tonka. I felt like we'd better take advantage of this unusual, amazing weather and spend a day outdoors. I am so glad we did.

Ha Ha Tonka State Park is the site of an old "castle" built around the turn of the century up in the hills of mid-Missouri. A wealthy businessman from Kansas City bought 5,000 acres that he'd fallen in love with, and began construction of a European style mansion (or castle). Unfortunately, he never lived in the home. Only one year after he started construction, he died. But, his son finished the home about 15 years later. Then, it burned 20 years after. Anyway, the ruins are still there, and it is magnificent. It is perched up on the peak of a hill overlooking a large spring and creek. Now, the tail end of the Lake of the Ozarks runs into this large creek as well.

The view from this building is amazing!!! The boys loved it, and so did Mom and Dad. I'm so glad we went!

This is a picture of the boys sitting at the home site. I wish I could have gotten a picture of the whole structure, but it's just too big!

This is taken from the castle site, too. In the background you can see the water tower. They pumped water from the spring below into the tower, then ran pipes to the castle. The water tower also housed a family in the lower stories.

This is the view down to the spring below from the castle. How would you like to have to look at that gorgeous site every day? I bet this place is unbelievable in the fall.

Corwin and I hiked from the castle, over to the water tower, down the mountain to to the spring. Daddy and Owen went back and got the truck and met us down there. It was a long hike, but Corwin and I loved every minute of it. We even tracked back up the mountain to check out the old post office, then back down to meet Owen and Daddy. Corwin had some interesting questions and comments on the way down.
One was, "Mom, did people have food back in the black-and-white days?" "Yes, Corwin." "Oh. I thought that maybe, you know, when there was no color--well, sometimes there was a little color--that maybe they just lived on water." Ha ha. All the photos of the old castle were in black and white. I guess he thinks everything was void of color back then. :)

Anyway, here we are at the spring (which you cannot see, unfortunately) where we met back up with Daddy and Owen.

Headed back to the truck.

But, Jason and Corwin had to do a little rock climbing before we left. You can't see from this picture, but they are on the peak of a very rocky ledge. Owen wanted up there too, so I went as far up as I could go with him, then Jason hoisted him up to the top.

Then, we finally went home. We spent a good 2 hours, plus, exploring the place. If you are ever in the Lake of the Ozarks area, you must go see this place. It's very unique. We are thankful God blessed us with such an amazing day!

Mystery Object

We did a scientific experiment the other day, and Corwin wanted me to post it on the blog so everyone can see. He was very proud of this project.

Can you guess what they boys have in their hands?

It is an egg without its shell. We placed an uncooked egg in a jar of vinegar. In two days' time, the acid in the vinegar ate away at the calcium-rich shell until it was gone. And, this is what was left. A jiggly, soft, 'balloon'-like egg.

Corwin wanted y'all to see. :) Hope you enjoyed it!

A Week and a Half Later...

...And we STILL have a ton of snow on the ground. So, what do you do with two small children, in the dead of winter, cooped up because of snow?

PLAY IN IT!!!

You dig tunnels,

... and build snow-ball players. (Why we can't have a plain snowman, I don't know. Ask my husband. Almost all our snowmen have been baseball players.)

And, don't forget sledding, and rolling in the snow (Owen's favorite).