Camping in November--- Our Family First

I love the outdoors.  My whole little family of four does.  Amelia has wanted to camp since she understood the concept and I was adamant that we weren't going.  I am not a tent camper.  I love to swim and hike and throw rocks in the creek.  I don't care to get dirty and go on adventures.  It is fun to eat by the fire, but then, I want to go home.  Or to a hotel.  However, I said that I would camp in a camper and low and behold if the in-laws didn't buy one.  A NICE one.  And so there wasn't much else I could say, other than, when are we going? 

And oh boy was it fun.  Even if it had been miserable for me, it was worth it to see how much fun the girls had.  THEY LOVED IT!!!

We explored Blanchard Springs and it was breathtaking.  Spent a good part of the afternoon there hiking around.

G had pumpkins for the girls to decorate when we needed to warm up.

Amelia REALLY wanted to be brave enough to sleep on the top bunk and the second night she was victorious!!  I was so proud of her because that was a big deal in her book.

Frank was another star of the trip.  The girls cuddled him and walked him and fed him and pet him every second.  They just love that boy.

We also toured the cave.  Amelia was terrified and I just made her go.  Heck, I was terrified too and really dislike the thought of being down in a cave, but I didn't want someone to have to sit out with her.  Thankfully she pushed through and loved it.  Elise fell asleep mid tour and it was hilarious.  Afterwards she said, "It was just so dark in there, I thought it was sleepy time."

 

It was a wonderful weekend adventure and I can't wait for another.  Maybe when it's warmer... :)

Writing

Sometimes, I feel like I have forgotten how to write.  Without the #hashtags and without the pictures and cute captions.  Just write.  With nothing else aiding or distracting.  Just my thoughts- revealing me.  What am I feeling inside without refreshing Facebook or racing off to watch a show on my overloaded DVR? Why am I not wanting to do the very thing I love to do?

When things are going well for me, I don't tend to write as much in-depth.  It is easier for me to release burdens and pains and worries.  Words of confusion and struggle flow quicker for me than those of joy and happiness.  And at the very core of me, I know why.  I don't want it to escape out into the universe how happy I am for fear that something will snatch it from me.  Once I have said and announced how my heart cannot contain the love and joy that I feel each MINUTE, there is fear that chases the release of that information.  Fear that it is now out there for all to hear and at any moment, my time will come to experience tragedy.  With me, it always boils down to fear.  Fear makes me want to delete this entire paragraph and forget about posting it. 

God doesn't operate that way and I know it. He doesn't wait for us to do or say particular things and then strike us down.  His ways are not my ways and that is what makes it difficult to try to figure Him out; he doesn't want us to.  And when I hear stories that shake my very core, I bury my head and weep for those people.  Those families.  Those children.  Those parents.  I wonder why.  I pray for them and my heart breaks for them, but selfishly I beg that it not happen to me.  To my family.  My children.  My parents.

But even if it does, he loves me no less.  Nothing was intended to come my way because I let the world know that my blessings are abundantly more than I could ever ask for.  And that is one thing I do know for sure in this world of very little absolutes.  Although it is tough for me to navigate through Christianity at times, the Lord stands on the absolute of loving us more than we could imagine.  Loving us through our sin and shame and never wavering in the call that we can come back to him when we have strayed.  Standing absolute in helping us admonish our fears; whatever they may be and however trivial they might sound.

I honestly thought by now, at 32, I would have more figured out than I do.  That my faith would falter less and ultimately that I would have fewer questions.  It seems that I have MORE questions and in a way, I think that signals my growth.  The birth of my sweet girls brought about more feeling and emotion than I ever knew I could contain, and with that; questions. 

This doesn't flow seamlessly and is a bit jumbled, but man- I feel better.  And consider this a virtual shout it from the rooftops---- I AM HAPPY.  Things are not perfect and neither am I, but I AM BLESSED AND HAPPY AND JOYFUL.

Preschool Pumpkin

 

  Amelia had a note sent home that said she needed to bring a decorated pumpkin to school for a pumpkin display. She chose a tiny pumpkin and painted some designs on it and her face (the bright yellow is her "long, beautiful hair).  I thought it was cute and that was the end of that.  When we got to school to put her pumpkin in the hallway, I almost DIED.  These pumpkins were INSANE.  There was a professionally painted ninja turtle, a TWO STORY black shellacked cat with pipe cleaner whiskers and the whole nine yards.  There was a clown decorated with pom poms and apparently painted by the same professional painter.  Let me just tell you---there were ZERO children that made their own pumpkins.  And they were all so gargantuan that Amelia's pumpkin looked like it was a small egg that they had hatched.

I waited for her to burst into tears as she surveyed all the pumpkins that morning.  She turned to me with a huge smile and said, "I am the only one that brought a tiny one, isn't that awesome?"  She gently and proudly sat it down and bounded in her classroom.  I almost burst into tears and laughter all at the same time.  She's something special.

This picture cracks me up.  This is one of Elise's very best friends at school.  They get into quite a bit of trouble it seems like to me.  Everything the other one does cracks them up.  I always try to get her to play with the girls, but, nope, she just loves her "wild man Camden" as she calls him.  Hahaha.

Total Besties

Treat bag sunglasses and ring pop

Okay, One More Halloween Post

 I have been blessed by so many things in Mountain Home and one of those is the friendliness of all the women I have met.  You hear of so many mom wars and snooty, adult cliques and everything I have experienced has been the opposite.  The doctor's wives have welcomed me with open arms and it is such a blessing and answered prayer to already have people I can call friends.  They love the Lord and love my children and it is a total win-win.  Shaunda had a Halloween Play Date for the kids and right away they all gathered around Jack Henry to show him some love.

 

 She had delicious snacks and the BEST Chex Mix that I have ever had.  She even brought me a huge bag to preschool the next day and I had it finished by lunch time.  The kids had a blast playing and eating (adorable pumpkin shaped sandwiches and pumpkin chips) and an even bigger blast JUMPING.

 They have the coolest bouncy house/slide and the kids could have stayed out there the rest of the day.  Such a fun day laughing and playing with their friends.  All six of them go to the same school and see each other at recess and Addison, Hadley, and Elise are all in the same class.  These pictures make me so happy and feel so blessed to live in MH.

Halloween Wrap-up

Our church hosted a Halloween shindig and the girls were all geared up to go.  They switched costumes, yet again and ended up as a spider and a strawberry.  Perfectly cute in anything they picked out and off we went to play some games.

 The games were so awesome, but the big hit with the girls was the bubble station. 

 Elise loved throwing these bean bags.  Look at that form.

 We had a really fun hayride around the church and that was by far their favorite thing of the night.

 We then came back and trick-or-treated at a few homes in our neighborhood for the perfect end to the night.  Kids just make everything so much fun.  Loved our Halloween!

Halloween Fun

 Amy Jo invited us to her church for a Halloween fun festival and the girls were so pumped to go.  Amelia decided last minute to be the spider that she was when she was two (and that Elise was last year) and Elise wore her new bumblebee outfit.  Tickled and ready to go trick or treat at Meme and Pop's before heading off.

I cannot express how much I love them living right next door to Mom and Dad.  They never have to miss out on things and we can just pop in to see them or show them the girls' outfits or play for a while.  It is so handy and one of those little things that makes my heart so happy.

Ing and Liv (and their beautiful mom) were ready to go when we got there. We ate some yummy food and then played games.  The workers were so sweet and so nice.

It was my first trunk or treat and I loved how all the kids lined up and went outside to each car- so cute.  Some were decorated and playing music and it was just a really fun experience.  Yeah for best friends inviting us to a night of fun.