My New Life

So inspired by this awesome lady.

Fun with a Tire and a Rope

Down on the Farm

One of the coolest things about Texas is there are a lot of really cool farms run by really down- to-earth, unassuming, good people. So I had the fun opportunity to go on a field trip with Isaac to Heritage Farms which is over 500 acres and run by 45 families who are all part of a Christian community. They build homes together, harvest corn, potatoes, and wheat together. It was like stepping back in time and being a part of life similar to our pioneer ancestors... only they had cell phones and mini-vans, and thankfully... flushing toilets.

Sometimes I think we could use a life more like this, where kids learn to work, and work hard, and at the same time, play hard. No nintendo or TV's on this farm :) Doesn't that sound refreshing?

First we saw a sheep herding demonstration. By a very cute, very obedient Border Collie.

Next the kids got to pet the animals... poor animals were pretty traumatized :)

They even got to hold a baby chick... Oh man I thought this little chick was going to be squished to death. Can't imagine what it must have been thinking being passed around to a bunch of sticky- handed kindergarteners who are a little TOO adoring when it comes to little, soft, feathery things. Thankfully the chick narrowly escaped death... only to be passed around another day.

One of the things kids learn early working on a farm is all about the birds and the bees. On the hay ride, one of the kids asked the tour guide ... "Where do baby horses come from?" When he tried to skirt the issue saying that they bred lots of horses on the farm. She said, "yeah, but really, how do they get out of their mom's bodies?" "Uhhhhh....."

It was so fun to spend the day with Isaac, just the two of us.

Birthday Season

Spring is birthday season at our house... Isaac in March and Mason and Jackson in April. I missed posting Isaac's birthday pictures, I'm not sure why, I think I lost the camera or something... Anyway didn't have a friend party this year because he has had a friend party for the last two and it was time to take a breather.

Sometimes we just need to make it nice and easy and do the family thing. I didn't put much thought into this horrible looking cake (just used what we already had in the house), but Isaac loved it anyway :) We got the boys out of school early and took Isaac for a birthday lunch. Followed by a nerf gun battle in the back yard with Shane who had a rare day off. It was so fun to watch them all out there battling, in the middle of a school day.

Isaac also got a bike and Shane spent the rest of the afternoon running up and down the street holding the seat. If you've ever tried to teach a child how to ride a bike you know how back breaking it can be...

Finally Shane got smart and tried a different approach to teach Isaac balance. It was actually really effective... but kind of frightening for Shane. I think this is the same expression my parents had when they were teaching me how to drive a car.

Inevitably there were a few crashes... but Isaac was tough and finally persevered... a very Exciting moment for all of us.

Happy Birthday Isaac! You are a hilarious, sweet, entertaining, wonderful kid.

Jackson's and Mason's Birthday

Mason and Jackson's birthday was kind of a bust for them because we went to Dallas that weekend for a wedding. Thank goodness for Aunt Sarah and Uncle Tim who saved the day and made the boys their own little birthday cakes! They are so thoughtful!

The boys also spent time with their cousins, Lewis and Stanley. Two of the cutest kids ever.

So last weekend we threw them a birthday party... they haven't had one for 2 years, so we figured it was time to invite friends.

This is a great group of boys. Just really good kids.

Food... roasting hot dogs over the fire pit. The boys loved that!

Shane and Isaac

Jackson (in the cap) with his friend Jordan

the lopsided baseball cake that I made...

opening presents...

Happy Birthday Mason and Jackson! I can't believe you're 9... really, I just can't. It makes me sad to see you growing up so quickly and turning into young men. But nothing has given me more joy. You are fantastic kids, always there to help me out. Trying your best to make good choices. I am proud of you!

The tour de Texas

We had a nice Easter weekend... it was a little busy because my parents came out to see us and when we have company we go, go, go!

My parents got here on Wednesday night and on Thursday we took the kids to see "How to train your Dragon" The kids loved it...to me, it was just okay. I think I need to take a breather from kid movies because the more I see, the less I enjoy them. Or maybe it's just the smell of the theatre that I don't enjoy, not sure.

A few weeks earlier though, we took the kids to see "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" I read the books with the kids so it was kinda fun to see it play out on the big screen... but as always, the book is far better. Shane and I laughed our heads off in parts when everyone else in the theatre was dead silent. I guess we're still working on developing a mature sense of humor... or maybe we just relate well with geeks... either way, I think we embarrassed the kids.

Anyway, the next day we visited the Texas Rangers museum... on account of the fact that the children's museum was closed. It was actually really fun for the boys who were really into the guns and the dressing up. Literally the whole place was Cowboy heaven... the boys loved it. If you want to enjoy some authentic Texas history, this is the place for you.

Cute little outlaws...

Saturday it was off to the Alamo. We took a trip down there a few years earlier and it was mighty underwhelming, especially for kids. I was expecting to see some huge fortress... in reality, on the outside, and inside it doesn't look like much. But, the story of the Alamo is so moving, and central to Texas history, and the history enthusiast in me, loves stuff like that.

Here's a picture from our last trip that really captures the excitement of the children at the Alamo.

The night before we went to the Alamo, Jackson wrote in his journal, "Tomorrow we are going to the Alamo. Grandma and Grandpa thinks it's going to be fun. " Then he drew a picture of us all at the Alamo... the adults have smiles and the kids have frowns on their faces. That cracked me up. Poor kids would rather spend all day at home playing video games or running around at Chuck-E Cheese (gag). Lucky for the kids we hit the Alamo on the right day and there were tons of kid-friendly activities that the boys loved, involving guns, branding irons and such.

Isaac looks a little too comfortable with this wooden gun...

Below: The newest recruits of Santa Ana's Army...

We also went on a boat ride along the famous San Antonio River Walk, which is basically a river that runs through a bunch of commercial properties, restaurants, hotels, malls. etc. It was really beautiful and really enjoyable for all.

Me and my beautiful Mom... man, I look tired.

Mom and Dad on the river...

Jackson and Mason, such good boys. :)

Career Day

Shane recently had some time off and was able to participate in Career day at the boys school. I have to say that he did such an awesome job, and I loved watching each of his presentations. He dressed up some of the kids in their sterile gowns and masks, and taught them how to do a surgical stitch and use a staple gun.

The kids had a lot of great questions like, "what's the grossest thing you've ever had to do?" Shane dodged that question like a pro, I don't think the kids would even understand the word "dis-impact" anyway... also I don't think describing taking a tent pole out of a kids head would've been appropriate for Kindergarten or 3rd grade. But more than asking questions... the kids all wanted to tell him about how everyone and their dog had this surgery or that surgery. Finally, Shane just told them they couldn't say anything else about their families surgeries because we want to keep those thinks private... especially things like your dad's vasectomy.