A Texas Thing to Do

Wanna have fun in San Antone?

Get 17 or so kids together and go to the Alamo......... Spend the afternoon on the grounds. The Oak trees are majestic and the atmosphere respectful and a little somber. We watched a movie on the Alamo produced by the History Channel, then listened to a docent recap the events. This is a Homeschool dream of history made alive. The kids here are 3 Guillory's, 3 Dyer's, and 3 Crocketts. The 7 Murphy's joined us just minutes after this picture...

After several hours reliving the Texas war of Independence from Mexico, the group was hungry. So, we put on our Texas walking shoes (see pic) and walked "the River".

We ate dinner at a great Mexican restaurant on the river where we could wave at the boats going by and the kids could throw food to the ducks.  We were thrilled that no one fell in, as they pushed the limits as only kids could do. 

See the water and the boat passing by in the background?  Our waiter was fun, handling this group of 21 with ease.

Walking the river and visiting the Alamo are 2 "must do's" when in Texas.  

One of the kids got brave enough to play a joke (or fib) with Vicki.  This is her reaction!!!  (She'll kill me for this)  Vicki was our fun, fearless leader for the weekend.  She coached the kids in Consumer Decision Making at the San Antonio Stock Show the next day.  To see more photos of our Alamo and River Walk and to see photos from the CDM contest the next day, click here, photos of CDM San Antonio.

Our evening was filled with memory making moments.  This scene clintched the atmosphere for me. 

Christmas Day 2009

What a fantastic day.  It opened up with the clearest blue sky against a white canvas of left over snow from the day before.  It was the kind of cold that would bite your nose, but we could stay out in it since there was no wind.  An incredible piece of artwork by our Father.  Before breakfast we met our great Texas friends, the Noltes (picture of Jason with daughter Ariel).  They admired our chickens who were seemingly unaffected by the cold.  John the Baptist, our rooster, heralded the day over and over with his deep convincing crow.   

The kids rode their horses, Joel even "stick-and-balled" a little on the snowy field.  It was just a phenominal morning, full of God's Creative handiwork, expressing His Goodness, Faithfulness, Presence and Love.  (I mean every morning is this way, actually, but this particular morning, full of Christian symbolism, imprinted our hearts and minds).

At one in the afternoon we headed up to our friends, the Murphy's, for skeet shooting and a Feast.  Now, LeighAnne is an incredible cook and a very gracious hostess.  Their home is cozied in with some huge, elegant Texas live oak trees.  It is a beautiful place with every kind of animal that the 7 Murphy kids manage.  We enjoyed huge platefuls of ham with all of the trimmings.  The Mitchells and the Benskins joined us and we shared family stories.  There were tons of laughs mingled with tears when remembering past times.
God is Gracious, making a happy memory of our 2009 Christmas that was surrounded with friends from the moment the rooster crowed until past sundown.  We were filled with food, church family and friends.     

Winter Weather in Central Texas

Opposite from Jody, I LOVE variety and change.  The more, the better.  For now, God appeases this need in me with changes in the weather.  Last October, for the month, we had 35 inches of rain.  Some say more.  Grass grows inches in a day, so when it finally dried up enough to mow, I was thigh deep in it.  And because of the humidity, bugs were PROLIFIC.  All kinds of bugs.  Not so good bugs.  Chiggers, fire ants, mosquitos to name only a few.

Anyhow, in December we had 2 snows.  The best one being on Christmas Eve.  This lifted our spirits for sure.  I mean look at these snow angels!  The roads got so icy that we couldn't get out to go to Christmas Eve service.    Nothing like a White Christmas, for sure. When was the last time you made a snow angel??   Yep, there was Joel, signaling to Santa to "land right here" with his Snow Angel.  Reagan got up Christmas morn to play in the left over.

Only in Bosque County

We were driving through Clifton the other day.  Now Clifton is in a very rural county.  The county does not even have a Wal-Mart, but it does have 1 Brookshires and a Sonic.   So, in town, we've learned NOT to be surprised by unusual things, such as this:

Now, Marigrace and I were stopped at one of the 2 stop lights and here comes this truck, this rusty old sky-blue '72 Chevy LUV truck.  It crossed the major intersection.  We had to do a double take.  But, due to being late to pick up Reagan from her piano lesson, we went on....


But then, 30 minutes later, the 3 of us saw him AGAIN!!!  Going the other way.  I had to get my camera.......so through the windshield, with Reagan holding the steering wheel, this is what my camera saw!  UNBELIEVABLE!!  So we followed him.  Sure enough he pulled over to a gas station.  And of course me, being me, wanted to meet this man.....and take another picture.  I mean really, he loves his truck, he loves his dog, and really LOVES life.  This is how people are in this county.  Not really in a hurry and could care less what anyone has to say.

So, this kind man introduced us to "Sally" who has been riding on the rooftop for years.  They come to town occasionally and on nice days, not too hot, not too cold, Sally rides along.  Not in the bed of the truck, but on top to enjoy the scenery.  She LOVES to people watch!!
Yep, this is Bosque County.  Never a dull day and it usually always offers up something to smile at.