Our Stay-cation....Part Two

We're ready....what's our next adventure!!!
(Whatever it is...it certainly seems to require lots of stuff!!)

Whooooo-weeeeee!!!

On to the next part of our stay-cation. After spending the day at Fossil Rim....it was on to Dinosaur Land (pictures to come later when I find them :) We had a great time walking a mile-long path and passing more than 100 life size Dinosaurs. The kids did a fossil dig, played on the playground...then it was home and straight to bed before we headed out on our next adventure....
We spent 2 nights in this fabulous cabin on Grapevine Lake!!

These cabins are perfect...air conditioned (a must) with 2 bedrooms, a fully stocked kitchen, full bath and ...satellite TV!!! They also had a nice area outside with a fire pit and a grill...and we were literally a stone's throw from the lake. The kids loved every minute of it...we swam, fished and rented a boat so they could go "tubin".

We fished, swam and played off the dock right behind our cabin.

They spent lots of time trying to catch the little minnows that were everywhere.

The kids loved the boat...we all enjoyed just boating around the lake, looking at different areas and seeing all the huge houses built in that area.

Weston's favorite part...the inner tube. This was only his second time and he couldn't wait to get after it!! It was the perfect day because the lake wasn't crowded so we didn't have to worry about other boats.

Avery would only go if Weston went with her....she actually enjoyed it once she got on and was only a little nervous.


Another favorite activity....covering themselves in mud from the lake!!

And this picture....please...don't even ask me about this picture!!!


The best way to end the day...smores around the campfire!!

Things my kids came home with from the neighborhood garage sale....

--Strobe Light
--Playboy Bunny Visor (now in the trash)
--Metal pictures of the Tasmanian Devil, Tweety Bird and Sylvestor
--450 Baseball Cards (the best buy of the day)
--An old Alarm Clock
--Another Skateboard
and saving the best for last.....
--A Ricky Martin Key Chain
(guess what I'll be selling at the next neighborhood garage sale)

I "heart" Cupcakes

I love cupcakes....and I love fall colors.
These...the perfect combination!!

Weston loves football...and loves to throw the football with Doug any chance he gets. They spend lots of time just throwing the ball back and forth...sometimes with each other...sometimes with other boys on the street. Our house backs up to an empty field which is perfect for "football throwin"...and the cooler temperatures we've been enjoying makes it perfect football weather.

He'll run routes and catch the ball.....

Then throw it back to his dad.
Although this isn't a trip to Disney World or Six Flags...something tells me Weston will remember these times as some of his favorite. They definitely are for me!!

Goodbye old friends...hello new ones!!

Over the last two weeks we've lost both our hamsters...lost as in they are now playing in that great hamster cage in the sky. We've had them for about 2 years but knew their time was short. Both had developed cysts/tumors and were definitely slowing down. It was sad...the kids took their deaths pretty hard...this was the first time they remember that a beloved pet has died. So, with great ceremony, we buried each one in a separate box in the field behind our house. The kids helped dig the hole, we placed the hamsters in, and covered them with dirt. We had a moment of silence, said a prayer and then....on to new hamsters. Oh how quickly they forget!!
Our new hamsters are robo dwarfs....meaning tiny and fast. We lost one the second day we had them...luckily I found him after the kids went to school. It will take awhile for these to calm down and become as friendly as our last hamsters...they allowed the kids to hold and carry them, rode around in their pockets and enjoyed a variety of homes carefully built with wooden blocks. Our new hamsters don't have names yet...or rather Avery's has had about 20 names and she's just narrowing it down to her favorite. We'll see....in the meantime we'd all like to get some sleep because these new hamsters...they love the squeaky wheel in their cage...especially at 2:00 am.

Pirate Day

Today is Pirate Day at school....the kids love it!! They each wore skull shirts...Avery's with pink bling and Weston's glows in the dark....pirate hat's, earrings and eye patches. All the teachers were dressed up...the men teachers especially!!! We took pirate napkins and popcorn (Pirate Booty) as a snack to share.
Aaarrrggghhhh Maties!!

First Day of School....Pictures

Up early for the first day of school

Checking out things in the "hood"

Weston

Avery

Weston and his buddy L heading into school

Avery's working hard in 2nd Grade

We've made it through the first weeks of school...the kids just got their progress reports and both are doing great. They've caught up with old friends and made some new ones. We've started walking to school in the mornings together (actually I walk and they ride their bikes/scooters). In the afternoons, Weston has a key so he rides home with his friends from our street. This allows him some independence but I'm not far behind. I meet Avery and she and I walk together, usually stopping by the waterway across the street to feed Lucky...a duck with a permanently injured wing who has made that area his home. He is well feed by all the neighbors and quite friendly, so I usually pack a snack for him and Avery to share. We are really enjoying this cooler weather...we don't often get a fall season in Texas.


A first day of school treat....Go Gaters Cookie

Happy First Day of School
(and all the mama's say...Amen!!)

Avery and Montana

We lease a horse named Montana.....Avery loves horses and this is an awesome way to "own" a horse without the huge expense. He is 19, an ex-barrel horse and such a sweetie. He takes wonderful care of Avery, is very patient and allows her to brush, braid and even paint him to her heart's content. (Yes paint...Montana has been covered in sparkles with blue hooves and a red glitter heart on his side...he's a saint) This also gives me a "horse fix" as I grew up with horses and still love to spend time at the barn. This is also something very special Avery and I can do together.

See ya'll next time!!

My Dad

I was looking for our "first day of school pictures" and came across this picture of my dad. I love this picture of him....this was the one we choose to put at the end of the video we did for his funeral. We had all gone to Tennessee for a family reunion...the 4 of us, Uncle Chris, Aunt Pepe and Katie, Uncle Paul and Aunt Karen. We had an awesome time visiting with Dad's family deep in the hills of Tennessee. We ate delicious, home cooked food, tye-dyed t-shirts and listened to a variety of cousins and other "kin-folk" play guitars and banjos while singing old church hymns. There was a huge storm that Avery, unbelievably, slept right through. Afterwards the kids all played in the puddles left by the rain.
The next day, we all hiked a trail that took us to several sets of waterfalls...Dad found a stick that he used as a walking stick, the kids ran back and forth and threw rocks into the woods...it was one of my favorite memories of the trip. I am so, so very thankful we took the time to spend with Dad and his brothers and sisters. He enjoyed showing off the grandkids and we enjoyed spending time with him. It's so hard to believe he's been gone almost 3 years.

The Birds....

Seriously....check out the birds on our roof...and our neighbors houses
were all full too!!

Our Vacation

Fossil Rim....here we come!!!

This summer, we decided to go on a "staycation". We stayed in the area and enjoyed some of the wonderful things Texas has to offer. The kids didn't know what we were going to do each day...and it was fun to surprise them as they discovered each adventure. The first day, we got up early and headed to...FOSSIL RIM WILDLIFE PARK. It was a beautiful day...actually cool enough for us to enjoy the ride through the park. The animals were amazing, often standing in the middle of the road to force us to stop, while others came right up to the window for food.

My animal-lovin' girl was in heaven....she couldn't get enough of the animals and even named quite a few of them. This is "Buddy"...her favorite!!

We spent the morning driving through the park, feeding the animals and enjoying the amazing scenery...it truly is a beautiful area.
We saw everything from deer and ostrich to zebras and giraffes. One of our favorite moments...watching the giraffe trying to reach leaves from the top branches of the trees with his super long tongue.

In addition to the drive-through area, Fossil Rim also offers an animal petting area, hiking trails and..of course...a gift shop. Weston bought a walking stick..perfect for walking the trails. Avery, always the glamour girl, choose a leopard print scarf.

One of their favorite parts of the park...a rock!!
You can pretend to shoot your brother......


Keep a look-out for wild animals...
Stand and survey your kingdom....

and even test your strength.

But...you can't take it home (thank goodness)



Good-bye!!
Tune in tomorrow for more vacation updates!!