“Manly” Cards

Yippee! I have used up another set of scraps!!  I really liked this paper and made a number of layouts for “guy things” but once again I had too many scrap pieces to just through them away, so I made cards. 

I really like how they turned out.  This puts me at close to 60 cards made this summer.  Now I just need to start sending them to people!!   

That’s it for today.  I have a really bad back tooth that has needed a root canal for a couple of years.  I am finally doing it on Thursday.  That tells you how I am feeling.

Family Fun at Fossil Rim

Today we loaded up the girls and went to Glen Rose, TX to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.  After spending all of these years just a half hour from such a cool place and having never been there before, we decided we should check it out.
On arrival, we got our car pass, our bag of animal food and settled in the van to see some animals in the WILD!  Kylie and I moved to the back of the van and I let her crawl all over me and she pretty much wore me out!  All of the girls had a ball.
We saw lots of cool animals.

 
At the half way point we were more than ready to get out for a little while and THANK THE LORD, go to the potty!  We even got our picture made.  Hey, look…. I’m in a picture!

Then we headed back to the car to check out the rest of the wildlife.


 

We also had a good bit of WILD LIFE in our car.  It was a lot of musical chairs and crazy girl chatter!

 
    
Next adventure?  Ma camp for Maddie and CTFAC Fancy Nancy Tea Party for Lexi!

For the Love of Reading

 

Don’t you just love to see a budding reader!  We read lots and lots in our house and have a great many books.  I love to see Kylie already engaged in pre-reading activities!

Have you ever noticed

Have you ever noticed that there are some people in the world who just can't be happy?  I happened to have a conversation with someone this afternoon that truly can't be happy.  I don't get it.  It makes me sad.

There are so many things I want to say to this person, but I can't.  I just hope that he/she eventually figures out that no matter what, life is meant to be enjoyed, whatever our circumstances.

I wonder about myself after having conversations with people like this.  I wonder if I am that negative.  I wonder if I complain like that.  I truly hope I don't. I'm afraid I might.

A couple of years ago Doug and I saw a story about a pastor who challenged his church to stop complaining and start changing the world through a good attitude.  They have the rubber bracelets that help them to remember to be grateful.  It's called A Complaint Free World. The challenge is to go 21 days without uttering a complaint. 

I tried it before.  It's HARD!  I didn't make it.  I gave up.

But I'm going to try again.  I don't want to be the kind of person that causes others to shutter when I walk up.  I don't want to be a joyless person.  I want to enjoy life.  I want to embrace the grace that I have been given.  No that doesn't mean I expect everything to be perfect, but it does mean that I choose to not dwell on the difficult.

So I ask those of you that seem me everyday, hold me accountable.  I'm gonna do my best!  Cause' I've got too much wonderful in my life to focus on junk.

More Museum Fun

Last Saturday Doug and I took the girls to Fort Worth and enjoyed the Amon Carter Museum and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.

The Amon Carter was great.  They have a tour treasure hunt type game for kids and Lexi was so excited to find all of the pieces.  One of my favorite artists is Louise Nevelson and a couple of her pieces are on display here! We really enjoyed the art and Doug and I fell in love with a couple of new artists to us as well. 

Here is Lexi in the front gallery. 

Then we walked over to the Science and History Museum.  It’s only a block away but in 105 degree summer it was HOT!

The museum is a wonderful mix of kid interactive stuff and fun adult learning.  This was Doug’s first visit and the girls enjoyed showing off their favorite areas of the museum.
       

Next up… Fossil Rim.

Visiting the Greats

My grandad has not been feeling well this week and that reminded me of how time with my grandparents is incredibly precious and fleeting.

This morning, we went to see my Grandad and Grandmother in their new senior residential living apartment.  They moved their a couple of months ago.  Grandad and Grandmother are both over 90 years old. Moving was very hard on them, but they chose to do this themselves.  What an incredible example of growing old gracefully.

Here are a couple of pictures from today.  I am so happy to have the group picture!  It means so much to me today and I know that in the coming years it will be a beloved treasure.

Sweet Kylie Faith, another name for determination

Kylie is almost 11 months old.  She thinks she’s at least 5. I’m sure. 

This morning while the big girls slept late, Kylie conquered the fire truck!

It included numerous tumbles into the yard, but she was absolutely sure that she could stand on that truck.  And she did.  She is the picture of determination. 

How fun it is to find those rare moments of sweet play.