Fall Camping Trip to Lake Texoma

With the lazy days of summer long gone, and the "busy"ness of school in our midst, we felt the need for some family fun. Though it is still a bit early in the fall, and therefore still quite warm for hiking, we decided to "tough" it out and head to the campground for hiking and hotdogs. :) The nature trail was full of glorious surprises including butterflies, snails, fossils, and other intriguing delites. We even took a little time to climb on some rocks and attempted to skip a few stones across the lake. After our hike, we grilled hotdogs and told a few stories around the "campfire" which did not want to stay lit. I guess it was tuckered out as well. :D Still, we enjoyed some peace and took in the stars, a welcome treat for Jack! Here are a few memories of our weekend away.


Man versus Wild (Arbuckle style)...Jack exploring the rocks and looking for a good flat one to skip on the water.



Sofie had a blast pretending the log was a bull and she was a cowgirl. She is such a little stick of dynamite in a tiny little package!


Lily is quite the "fashion plate". Here she is designing "fairy dresses" from leaves. They were extremely creative and actually looked like the types of clothing a well dressed fairy might seek. What a little princess.


Marty enjoyed playing catch with the kids. It was great to see him relaxing. He works so hard to provide for our family. But you know what they say about "all work and no play"... so glad my sweet hubby took some well-deserved time to play. He is the world's BEST husband and daddy. Hands down! <3



I particularly loved hiking with the kids and seeing them discover the wonders of God's creation. Here we are catching our breath on a bridge over a small ravine. It was absolutely gorgeous.


"The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of earth." (Isaiah 40:28) This time of year always serves as a reminder that God loves to show off! Many blessings from our family to yours. <3

It's As Easy as Riding A Bike...

Lily was eager to ride her bike without training wheels and did a super job being brave! And anyone who knows Sofie well also knows that whatever her big sister does, she wants to do as well. Enjoy the videos of our gals riding on two wheels. Before long, we will be riding bikes to school. :)

First Day of School-2009

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It's Back To School time! Today was a big day for us, as Jack began 6th grade at Dowell Middle School, and Sofie started Kindergarten at Glen Oaks Elementary. All three of our kiddos are now in school...CRAZY!

Jack was up before Marty and I were this morning. We laughed as we heard him stumbling around preparing for his day. He was really excited, didn't look even a little nervous. Marty walked him to school today, but from now on he will walk alone. We live right behind the school, so I confess I will probably sip my coffee and watch him some mornings. He is growing up so fast!

Lily was completely thrilled and ready to go back to school. She said that summer was getting boring! Ha! She already loves her teacher, Ms. Johnson who moved up to second grade from first grade this year. Lily has several friends in her class from last year as well, so she feels right at home already.

Sofie on the other hand is a bit worried about this whole Kindergarten business. I think she would prefer if we home schooled at this point. She is not very excited to try something new (that apple fell right next to the tree), and she is nervous about getting a report card for the first time. Saturday was "park day" for the Kinder students. They had a chance to eat popsicles and play together at the Glen Oaks playground. Helped to break the ice a bit and it seemed to help her a lot. This morning, she and Lily walked hand in hand down the hallway where Kinder, 1st, and 2nd are found at Glen Oaks. It was so precious! When we got to the Kindergarten pod door, there was a little boy having a total meltdown. Sofie looked at him like "dude...NOT HELPING!" I gave her a miss you kiss and quoted Joshua "be bold and courageous for the Lord your God goes with you." She nodded, let go of my hand, and took her first steps of independence into her classroom like a big girl.

I am so glad that was here this morning to witness these special moments and encourage my kiddos to make it a great first day. If I was teaching this year, I would have missed it all. So glad I didn't miss it! Can't wait to hear about the first day of school when they get home this afternoon.

Okaloosa Island, Florida 2009

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We had an amazing time at Okaloosa Island, Florida! Our condo was right on the beach, so we really enjoyed taking in the beautiful sights and sounds of the Emerald Coast. Every morning we watched the waves come in from our balcony as we ate breakfast. It is now my favorite place for coffee...even better than Starbucks!

While we were there, we took a dolphin cruise. The crew on the boat used the 2 hours to also teach the kids a bit about ocean life. The kids got to identify fish and other sea creatures caught in a fishing net and even met their very own Mr. Crabs (a blue crab actually) that was caught in a crab trap while we were on the water. Lily's favorite part was holding a live shrimp. She carried it up to the second level of the boat to show it off to another curious passenger. Ha!

We also enjoyed the Okaloosa fishing pier. There we watched the birds, including pelicans and herons mooch a snack from eager fishermen. We were also excited to watch some dolphins swimming right up by the pier. One of them was kind enough to show off for us a bit.

Of course, there was the beach. We all had fun splashing in the waves and playing in the sand. The kids especially loved "body surfing" on the wave board. It was great being right on the water, and we spent as much time as possible in the surf. We also enjoyed looking for sand crabs at night. They are so tiny and blend right in with the sand, but they are no match for Lily. She pounced fast every time we spotted one. Jack and Sofie were a bit more cautious, but were also getting more daring at the end. We caught about a dozen crabs and then set them free.

My favorite part was the peace I found walking on the beach. On one excursion, I even found a hermit crab. Lily named him Hermie and helped me set him free. On my final morning walk at dawn, I saw dolphins swimming just a bit off the beach. It was truly magical watching them.

We had a fabulous time and the kids are begging to go back to the island. I hope we make many more memories at our favoite island getaway.

Texas Twister 2009

Jack participated in his first Regional Taekwando tournament this past weekend at Southfork Ranch. There were tons of competitors there, and even Marty was a bit overwhelmed by the chaos of the day. However, that was all quickly forgotten as we watched Jack compete and win 3 bronze medals. He got third place in forms, weapons, and sparring. When the judges announced his first placement, he looked back at us with the biggest smile I have ever seen on his sweet face. He even beat out his buddy Jonny , in the forms competition. Jack and Jonny usually seek each other out in class and definitely bring out the best in each other. It was a wonderful moment for Jack, really boosted his confidence. We celebrated by going out to a late lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings (the ultimate in male dining). Jack is setting his sights on World's next summer...we'll see! Congrats Jackman. We are so proud of you!

Jack doing his blue belt form for the judges. Check out the face...definitely had his inner ninja goin on!


Jack and Jonny...


I pity the fool...!

Happy Birthday America!

We enjoyed a busy weekend of food, fireworks, friends, and FUN right here at home this 4th of July. Friday night we watched fireworks at Adriatica from our very own front yard. The kids enjoyed making necklaces out of glowsticks and Brian Reck, our dear friend, made Key Lime pie for us to enjoy during the show. It is Marty's favorite and it was YUMMMMMMY! Here are some pics highlighting our evening...


My very own American Girls...



Sofie had a great time sitting by Michael and Molly before the show started. Michael and Sofie were playing with glowsticks and giggling on the blanket together, while Molly took in some R&R with her mama. In this picture, Sofie was giving herself a mustache and Michael was making the number 10. They are so cute together, and Sofie says she wants to marry Michael when she grows up. <3



He's a Yankee Doodle Boy...



Lily and Ava Schwab...Two Peas in a Pink Pod.



"God, when we celebrate the birth of our nation, help us to remember why it began in the first place." "Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations." (Isaiah 51:4) Happy Birthday America...Land that I love!

Farewell Fifth Grader

It is hitting me really hard that my sweet angel boy is heading off to middle school. Truly, it seems like I blinked and the innocence of elementary school is behind us. Ahead, we enter a new world of middle school, filled with endless possibilities, new challenges, and personal discovery. I am amazed at my son, and I am undescribably proud of the boy he is, the young man he is becoming, and the man of faith he will one day be. And among the many prayers I send to the Lord on behalf of my Jackman, is that he will dare to dream to become all that God has created him to be. So Jack, middle school is waiting..."dream deep".

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