Monday, September 16, 2013

Color Me Crazy!


The kids (Ricky and Jessica) had their first softball game of the fall season last Monday night.  They have a pretty good team this season!  The game was great.  Our team stayed in the lead up until time ran out.  The other team was the “home” team, so they got one last time at bat…and scored 3 runs…just enough to win.  Bummer!  But it was a fun game to watch.  Looking forward to game 2 tonight.

I started crocheting a baby blanket for little Jesse last week.  I’ve got most of it done…probably do another 6-8 inches before I finish.  Then I’ll start on the rag quilt I’m planning to make for him.  This will be my first rag quilt and I’m excited to see how it turns out.  It will be done all in flannel, so it should be very soft and cuddly.

We did the Color Me Crazy run on Saturday.  Our team consisted of James and Jared P., Kyler and Kynlee, Jessica, Sheila and I.  Our registration packet included a bag of color, so we “decorated” each other really well before the run started.  I especially liked Jared’s hand print on Jamie’s forehead!  The run started at 8:00.  I had determined beforehand that I’d just stay with the group, walking most of the time.  But once we got going, I got inspired to jog.  Seeing others running tapped into my competitive spirit (which I really don’t use that much!).  It was a beautiful morning to be out and the course was nice and easy (the back 9 holes of the golf course).  It was a lot of fun, and I’m glad we did it!  Trying to get off the color wasn’t nearly as much fun though.  My face was VERY pink and I was quite stained in the bend of my arms and my hands.  It is about all gone now though.  Looking forward to doing it again next year.  (Just 3 weeks until the 5k at Clark Gardens!)

The guys had a study/business meeting all afternoon yesterday between services, so I invited Anita to come home and eat dinner with the girls and I.  She hasn’t felt well for weeks but had been feeling better over the weekend, so she came.  She has been having a lot of abdominal pain, having a lot of tests run, and they still haven’t figured out what is causing her problems.  She is pretty sure it is gallbladder related and is waiting to get test results back to confirm or deny that. 

Dennis has been building a deer stand in the evenings after work for the past week or so.  He is just about through.  He has tomorrow and Wednesday off, so we plan to go to Spur to set it up.  I have CASA work to do all day tomorrow, so we won’t be able to leave until around 5:00.  I’ll be glad to see that stand finished and set up someplace besides my garage!  Dennis has been wearing himself out every day…delivering the mail for 8-9 hours and then spending several hours every evening working on the stand.  He needs a rest!

Looks like cooler temperatures are heading our way…and maybe some rain!  Looking forward to that!  Hope the week treats all of you well!

Pr 4:10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.  11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.  12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.  13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails


Had a wonderful weekend!  Ricky and I met up with Sheila at her place of work Friday afternoon and headed to Paris.  The gender reveal party was supposed to start at 8:30 (with the reveal at 9:00).  We got there right on time.  It was good to see the folks who turned out to help them celebrate...family, friends, clients, coworkers in the community.  We mingled around visiting and snacking until the big moment.  The guy who programmed the lights was a little mean…teasing us more than we liked.  But finally the tower turned….BLUE!  I think we all would have been happy no matter what, but I have to admit that I just prefer the oldest child to be a boy.  I like having a big brother around to look out for the younger siblings.  Stephen and Mandy have picked out the name, Jesse, for him.  It is feeling so much more “real” now!

We stayed up late Friday night visiting and reminiscing.  It was fun to listen to my three kiddos talking about their growing up years.  I learned several things that I never knew!  (Don’t know if I’m glad I didn’t know, or if I wish I HAD known at the time!)  We slept in on Saturday, and then after a good breakfast that Mandy prepared, we had to head home, so Ricky could go to work that afternoon.  When we got to FW, I had Ricky drive my car home, so Sheila and I could stay and do some shopping.  Both of us have been wanting to do some baby shopping but were waiting to find out whether to buy for a girl or boy.  We hit most of the baby stores in the mall and found some really cute things!  Then we went to Hobby Lobby so I could get some yarn and flannel for making a baby blanket and quilt.  Time to start being a granny!

Ps 78:4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

Monday, September 2, 2013

A Bit of History, Mountain Scenery, and a Little Serendipity!



Dennis found out last week that he was going to get his long weekend…tagged onto Labor Day!  With four days off, we decided to take a mini-vacation.  Since our trip out west last November, we’ve wanted to return to the Alpine area to do more sightseeing.  So we did!  We decided to take the scenic route…avoiding the interstate as much as possible.  It added a little time to our drive, but the sights were well worth it!

Friday night, we strolled around downtown Alpine.  Saturday morning, we visited the Museum of the Big Bend on the Sul Ross University campus.  It was well worth the visit!  Then we headed north to Fort Davis.  I loved that quaint, historic little town.  We walked around town, seeing the sites and looking at the shops.  Then we had lunch in the hotel/drugstore soda fountain/restaurant/art gallery.  There was so much to see, and the ½ pound burger we shared was delicious!  I also loved the rustic fixtures in the restroom.                             

After lunch we visited Fort Davis National Historic Site.  Although it was very hot and sunny, we spent a couple of hours looking around.  We both thoroughly enjoyed our tour!          

Since we were planning to spend the night in Van Horn Saturday, we decided to take the east side of the scenic loop of the Davis Mountains.  I love driving through that country…it is SO peaceful and quiet.  You almost never see another car.  There is very little evidence of man throughout that whole region…just raw, natural beauty.          

Sunday morning, we met with the church in Van Horn.  We have known of the Brewster family for years but had never met them “face to face.”  We were made very welcome by the whole congregation.  After the assembly, we went out to eat with Brother and Sister D.H. Brewster, their daughter Twila and her husband, Forrest, and Lane Brewster and his wife.  We felt like we had known them forever and had a wonderful time visiting with them.  They urged us to go home with them, but we needed to head on back to Alpine.  So glad we had the opportunity to get to know them!

We took the western side of the scenic loop through the Davis Mtns. on our way back to Alpine.  I think it was even prettier than the east side!   

We didn’t know it when we planned the trip, but Saturday we found out that Labor Day weekend is when Alpine hosts its yearly hot air balloon festival.  So we got up early Monday morning and drove out to the airport to watch.  What a sight!  It isn’t a huge festival…there were only 9 balloons flying today…but it was a joy to watch.  What a wonderful bit of serendipity!

The drive home was long and hard…it is always the worst part of a vacation!  But all went well and we made it home safely by suppertime.  A lovely weekend that we will long remember!

De 33:13 … Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, 14 And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon 15 And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, 16 And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof…
 


Jeff Davis County Courthouse



Rustic Plumbing


Old Bank Safe

Military Precision!

Soda Fountain