Camping with our Community Group :)

We had a super fun weekend camping with some new friends from our Community Group at our new church!

Camping...it really brings you together...if we weren't friends before...we sure are now :)

8 families...20 kids (I think...3 of them babies)...1 dog...

...lots of fun!

Steve took Friday off and we headed out to Robbers Cave, OK that afternoon.  The temps were cool and it had rained, but the storm was moving out and the rest of the weekend promised to be pretty weather.  

By early evening, many of the families had arrived, tents were pitched, and dinner was under way.  We had a primo camp spot...by the lake, near a playground, and close to the restrooms.  The view of the lake was really beautiful...nestled in the San Bois Mountains in southeastern OK...I didn't even know that OK had mountains (hills really, c'mon, I did live in Colorado :)...it was so pretty!

Bella loved helping Steve set up the tent...good job, Bella!

Our tent~

Blessings~

I think she's telling an exaggerated fish story :)

Along with being amazingly welcoming, this group is brilliant as well...we were all assigned a meal to prepare, so we could focus our energy and resources on one big meal...it worked out so nicely.  For dinner on Friday night, we had sliders...gourmet, no less...yes, this group knows how to eat well :)

We weren't "roughing it" in the food department!

Of course we had a campfire that night...and talked and shared...and laughed...and ate fire roasted apples.  Some of the guys brought their guitars so we sang too.  I marveled at the night sky filled with stars...it's been a while since I've seen night skies that dark and clear...breathtaking!

Gathered together~

Eventually we all climbed into our sleeping bags in our tents...and wished we had heaters!  It was cold that first night...low 40's was what the forecast had called for...someone told me their car temp said 36 degrees in the morning...either way, it was cold!  Baby Gray was in her pack-n-play wearing 3 layers of footie jammies and wrapped in a big comforter.  She woke up in the middle of the night and her poor little hands were so cold...she spent the rest of the night with me in my sleeping bag...baby snuggles, so sweet :)

Baby Snuggles :)

We enjoyed a great breakfast...pancakes, eggs, fruit...and the ever-so-important french press coffee :)   Then we all gathered for worship and devotions...pretty awesome stuff!

How sweet is this...our littlest worship leader looking up to his daddy~

The gang gathered for morning worship~

Steve sharing a kid's devotional from The Gospel Story Bible...Marty, you went camping with us~

We hiked to Robbers Cave later that morning...what a neato place!  The terrain was rocky and we all had a blast scrambling around...especially the kiddos.  We found a few little caves on our way to the "big one".  The area was absolutely gorgeous...it reminded me of some areas of Colorado and it really reminded me of my visit to Vedauwoo in Wyoming.  Robbers Cave got its name because it was, in fact, used by outlaws back in the day.  I don't mean to be a name dropper, but I did spend time in the same cave as Jesse James and Belle Starr :) 

Historical graffiti....this guy was seriously devoted to his graffiti...wonder how long it took him to carve this?

Our littlest camper and her mommy :)

Sophia inside Robbers Cave~

Baby Gray had a sweet ride!

My girls were hoping to find some long forgotten treasure...their search was fruitless...bummer, 'cause that would have been really cool :)  But they still had a blast...climbing, scrambling, searching, sliding... 




Saturday afternoon was spent enjoying the beautiful weather...paddle boats, canoes, a walk with new friends, kickball, and even some swimming.  This mom (yes, as in me) forgot towels and really didn't want her kids in the chilly water...but fun won out...and I'm glad :)

Having fun on the lake~

Friends on the water~

These guys had a really cool old paddle boat :)

Kickball!

Escapee :)

We were part of the dinner crew for Saturday night...fajitas, baby!  It was fun to plan and prepare a meal with friends...and the rest of the gang seemed to really enjoy the meal...yummy! 

The Griller~

Oh yeah...the fajitas were yummy!

Sweet friends~

That evening, around the campfire, the crew shared different things about God's creation that we had enjoyed so far...precious to hear kids and adults sharing...really, really precious.  


S'mores later that night...another glorious blanket of stars...and kids in bed much earlier than the night before :)  The adults all pulled our chairs around the campfire and continued to enjoy stories and laughter.  

This camping weekend marked four months since we left Pennsylvania...just a couple days over four months since our Community Group in PA had gathered around us and prayed for us.  They had prayed for so many things, but one thing they had especially lifted up to our Lord was for us to be knit in quickly to this church...for God to quickly grow friendships.  I marveled that we were here with this group camping...here with this group sharing life.  I marveled at God's kindness...I am so thankful, Lord, so thankful.


Our second night was much better than the first...it wasn't nearly as cold.  Steve and I got up early on Sunday and began breaking camp...we wanted to get back to Frisco so we could attend our New Members Class after church.  

And heaven knows we all needed a shower!  Note to self:  next time bring towels and you can use the camp showers :)

This kind of trip was not possible for us while Steve was in school.  Steve couldn't just take a day off whenever he wanted and he had to work most Saturdays as well.  To be able to take a day off and enjoy a three day weekend camping would have been near impossible.  And the few times he did take off for a family visit or a holiday were still stressful...school always occupied his thoughts...chemistry always traveled with us.  To watch my husband...to see him so relaxed and enjoying life...it was a beautiful blessing.  To watch my girls running around and having so much fun...it was wonderful.  Thank you so much, dear Lord, for this perspective...thank you, for this gift...thank you for times such as this.

A great weekend!

We are looking forward to many more camping adventures...and hopefully some more with this group~

God bless~
Rach 

Bloomin' Bluebonnets!

Aunt Carol had told us to plan on seeing the bluebonnets.

I love wildflowers (and I love photographing flowers), so I filed that little sightseeing tip away.

Then I saw a picture of a field covered in blue on a magazine at the grocery store checkout.

Oh...so those were bluebonnets...wow!

So I asked a neighbor about bluebonnets and got a little Texas bluebonnet education :)

And we waited for the event...the bluebonnet bloom.

We began seeing small patches of them here and there.  Steve learned from a co-worker that there is a field of them in north Frisco near an old cemetery...thanks for the tip, J :)

Did you say wildflowers and old cemetery?  Two of my favorite things...yeah, I'm weird like that...I find cemeteries to be fascinating.

So, one late Saturday morning (March 31st, to be exact), we headed out to find the bluebonnets.

We were not disappointed...isn't this just beautiful! 

Bluebonnet girls~

We had a wonderful time enjoying the bluebonnets...and we weren't the only ones out enjoying the blooms.  We watched lots of other families taking all sorts of pictures...lots of professional photos were being taken also.  Yes, I'd love a family portrait in a bluebonnet field too...one day :)

The big girls loved it...they enjoyed running through the field...visitors before us had already made lots of paths through the bluebonnets.  Baby Gray fearlessly crawled through the flowers...it was actually hard to get a picture of her because she was on the go as soon as we put her down :)

Run through the bluebonnets~

Baby Gray and bluebonnets~

There were buttercups too :)

Bluebonnet love~

At the top of the hill is Zion Cemetery.  It's pretty small, but I was pleasantly surprised at it's age...it's a bit older than I was expecting.  Seeing gravestones like these always make me wonder about the times and what difficulties families were facing...there were a lot of children in this cemetery.

"Budded on earth To bloom in heaven"

Bluebonnets through a hole in the side of an old shed at Zion Cemetery~

The lovely bluebonnet bloom...I think we've stumbled upon a new Texas tradition!  Happy Spring and God bless~

Rach

Other Easter Activities~

Just a quick post with pics of our other Easter activities...not all done on Easter, though~


We had a great Easter morning at church!

Two of my three Easter beauties~

My treasures!

We baked cookies...

Easter shapes and lots of sprinkles...and the girls experimented with adding jelly beans too!

The delicious final product :)

We colored eggs...

Good job!

And we made Resurrection Rolls...a simple recipe that helps kids remember the Easter story.  Plus it's always a bonus when your lesson turns into a yummy treat :)

You'll need:  a package of crescent rolls, small marshmallows (the girls decided to squish two minis together), melted butter, a mixture of cinnamon & sugar, toothpicks and a baking sheet.  Preheat oven according to crescent roll directions.

Kids use a toothpick (represents the spear thrust into Jesus' side) to dip their marshmallow (represents Jesus, don't laugh...remember this is a lesson with a treat at the end) into butter...

...and the cinnamon/sugar mixture (represents the oil and spices used to prepare Jesus' body for burial)

Place "Jesus" in the crescent (represents his burial cloth)...

Wrap the crescent around the marshmallow and pinch to close seams...

Finished rolls after spending some time in the tomb (oven)

"Jesus" is gone...He is risen!

Bella enjoying her Resurrection Roll :)

Hope you enjoyed a glorious Easter!


Rach

First Easter in Texas!

Well, we sure did enjoy a wonderful Easter here in Texas...

...gathered with new friends, a delicious feast, kids playing and laughing, music, sharing stories...an overflow of blessings.

We were invited to a friend's home to join a few other families for Easter.   We drove out to Anna, TX (literally, a one stoplight town) and gathered at our friend's mini-farm.  I'm not sure what else to call it...they have a bunch of acres, horses, goats, dogs, cats, bees...and there may be some other critters I missed.  The kids were hoping to go horse back riding, but, alas,  the weather did not cooperate.  But on the bright side, the lack of riding means that we are going out again sometime...so we are thrilled with another opportunity to hang out with the T family :) 

We all brought dishes to share and enjoyed a delicious feast.  One friend brought smoked pulled pork that he had cooked in his Big Green Egg...yep, that was pretty much amazing!  I had never heard of a Green Egg...now I'm trying to figure out how to get one :)  The rest of us pulled our resources and we ended up with homemade rolls, sweet potatoes, green beans, pasta salad, rice salad, rosemary bread...my mouth is watering just remembering it.

And one friend was in charge of dessert...yep, she made these...yep, they were as good as they look!

Hello Easter Bunny!

The kids enjoyed an egg hunt that led them back to the "empty tomb" and somehow they even listened to some of the teaching that Joe had for them...there was a good sized crowd of kids, and they were excited...great job Joe...thanks for caring for our children's hearts.

The day continued with sweet fellowship, kids playing, and music.  Yes, later in the afternoon the guitars came out...and a bass...and a violin made an appearance for a bit, but I'm not sure if it ever joined the others.  Steve had a blast and I think the others did too...it was wonderful :)

The Worship Band~

Here's a clip of the band in action...enjoy!

 
Later in the afternoon, the ladies were gathered around the coffee table, enjoying coffee and conversation, while listening to the worship music the musicians were playing in the other room, and listening to the sweet sounds of our kids playing in the front yard (now that the rain had cleared out) and I was amazed by how much I felt at home...here in this house I had never been to before, here with families we are just getting to know...already sharing life with new friends...and I was overcome with thankfulness.  Thank you, T family for sharing your gift of hospitality...it was refreshing to my soul...it was refreshing to my family :) 

Wiggly Baby Gray and a new friend~

We topped off our trip home with this pretty scene as we left Anna, Texas...so pretty!
 

Thank you Lord, for the new friendships you are growing here in TX :)


Hope you had a blessed Easter!
Rach

Let's Talk About the Weather

Wow...what a crazy afternoon!

Steve called me this afternoon to let me know that Dallas was having some severe weather and he thought there was a Tornado Watch in effect.  I hopped on the internet and the lead news story I saw was about the twin twisters that hit Dallas...okay, now you've got my attention.

I asked the girls to get their bike helmets and put on their socks and shoes and plan for some time in the "safe closet"...our master closet.  They made sure to get their kitties and I scooped up Gracia so she could join them in the closet.  Then I was off to quickly check some things...weather radio: check, filled water bottles: check, diaper bag with wallet, keys, etc: check, flashlight: check, book to read to the girls: check, cards to play a game: check, windows opened: check, laptop: check, iPhone: check.

I called Steve to check on him...I very much wanted him to come home, but also realized that it would be safest if he waited until the storms passed before leaving Dallas.  The sirens went off when I was talking to him...and then I almost panicked.

The sound of tornado sirens is eerie...and I remember well the sirens when I lived in Nebraska.  But back then I was a kid.  I knew how devastating and dangerous tornadoes can be...I would even say I respected them...but I was just a kid.  I remembered spending hours, sometimes days it seemed, in our basement...but I was just a kid.  I remembered being stuck at Independence Day festivities one July 4th while twin twisters headed right for us and being very afraid...but I was just a kid.

...but now I am a Mom...

...and today kinda scared me.

Thankfully the fear didn't last long.  When I heard the sirens, I almost cried.  But I knew that would not help my girls.  I gathered my thoughts, God got me under control, and I joined my girls in the closet.  We all got comfy...except Gracia...she was miserable with her helmet on...see :)

One of these things is not the like the others~

I explained to the girls the best I could without scaring them...I mean, come on, Mom doesn't usually make us wear our helmets and sit in the closet...they knew this was not a regular thunderstorm.  They were great...they did what I asked when I asked...and they were being very brave.  I explained that Daddy was going to stay in the city longer than usual until it was safe for him to drive home.  We called him on the phone just as he got the warning for everyone in his building to seek shelter in the stairwell.  We lost power for a few minutes and used the flashlight for a while.  At one point the flashlight went off too...that made Sophia nervous, but she handled it like a trooper until I got the candle lit.  Gracia, however, did not like the sudden darkness and proceeded to make it known.  And through it all, Bella remained cool, calm, and collected.  

The girls were watching a DVD about weather when all this began...I kid you not :)  I had gotten it at the library the day before because I thought it would be a good science lesson.  So, I encouraged them that we were learning about weather first hand...these would be lessons we would not soon forget.  

But the thing I really wanted them to remember...the "lesson" I for sure wanted them to know was that they could trust God.  I sure didn't want to scare them and this was not the best time for a deep, theological lesson...some simple truths would suffice.  I reminded them (and it was good for me too) that no matter what happened, God loves them.  And no matter how this afternoon turned out, God is good.  I wasn't overly worried about the afternoon turning out super bad, but the thought did occur to me that I would want them to hear these truths and I would want them to know that this is what I believed no matter what happened the rest of the day.  

Even when things look horrible and do not turn out the way we want, we can trust that our Lord sees us, is not surprised by anything, and that He is trustworthy and loving...even if it doesn't make sense to us...this is what I wanted my girls to hear.

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."  Romans 8: 28


Now before you go thinking we proceeded by singing Kumbaya while we had our candles lit...remove that image from your mind:)  We wrapped up this very deep truth by playing a rousing game of Go Fish, talking with Daddy, talking with my parents, talking with some friends who called to check on us, listening to the radio, and reading :)

Snuggled up with a good book~

We stayed in the closet almost two hours...the storms let up enough that I felt it was safe to leave our closet shelter and take our helmets off...yes, I wore one too :)  Gracia took a nap while the big girls finished watching the weather DVD.  And we enjoyed a great big family hug when Steve arrived safely home :) 


Lord, thank you for keeping my family safe...and please be with those whose lives have been sadly affected by these storms.


Hoping tomorrow is a milder day~
Rach