A Little Pattern Testing Photo Shoot

 I had the opportunity to test a pattern for Annaliese at The Aesthetic Nest.

 The pattern is called the Bateau Neck Top. The first version has a box pleat and faced neck. The second version is a basic boatneck tee. I really like how both turned out. The shorts she has on are from a pattern she already has for sale called the Flutter Top/Dress and Bloomers. They are my favorite shorts! You can buy the pattern here.

 

Little Miss Daredevil Gets Acquainted with Grandma's Tree

   They just don't make trees like this in Texas, people.

 Climbing a tree is a right of passage for a kid.

I climbed a tree like this one almost every day for 2 years.

 I bet she thinks she can reach the clouds.

 

And to 'wing in a tree. That might be the best of all.

The Joy of a Sunday

  This past Sunday wasn't one of those stellar Sundays in the child behavior department though I wonder if the people that sit behind us ever think we have a stellar Sunday in that regard! We had to go out way too many times. Add in the things like Janey Kate grabbing my finger and trying to stick it up her nose leaving me shaking my head but trying not to laugh! But as always, it is a joy. Let me explain.
   Every day, all week long, she follows me around. She wants to be where I am and doing what I am doing. She is naturally curious and always learning by observing, repeating, and trying things out. She questions all I do wanting to know why I am doing what I am doing, what I am doing next, where I am going, and can she go to. She wants to help and participate. If I am in the kitchen, she is right there with her stool. If I am on my phone, she wants to talk too. If I go to the store, she wants to push the cart and pick out food. She loves to wear my shoes both literally and figuratively!
   Sunday is the best day. It is the day I have the best to offer.  On Sunday, we go to worship the King and I don't have to---but I get to.  I get to help her learn to worship.  I get to let her be a part of a family that worships together. Just like the rest of the week, she is watching, learning, and imitating. Just like the rest of the week, there is work involved.  It doesn't all miraculously fall into place just because we are in church.  But maybe best of all, is that while it may seem like I am offering a lot of do's and don'ts (do be quiet, don't go out in the aisle,do sit down, don't jump on the pew), I am really saying a lot of yes's. There are no distractions and yes, she can participate. Yes, I am not too busy for you to be right on my lap. Yes, you can sing with me right now. Yes, we get to pray now. Yes, we get to listen to Pastor Wade or Daddy. I get to share all of it with her without reservation.
    Sundays are when she gets the best part. She gets the best part of me--relaxed, focused, and without the distractions of daily life. She gets the best part of our family as she learns to be a part of a family that worships the King. She gets the best part of the week spending part of her day with a body of believers. This, all of this and much more, is the joy of a Sunday.

Fishing and Shooting

 That has been a big part of the last couple of days.

 These girls are tireless when it comes to shooting. They shot at targets, clay pigeons, and golf balls.

 Loading her gun.

 That is loud!
















 His target. This was his second time shooting.





 Her golfball...

Jack, Liz, Creed and I built a lean-to.

 Who needs toys when you have the woods. I wish I had gotten a picture of Creed letting a Granddaddy long-leg crawl all over him. Nothing creeps that kid out.

 The campsite where Jack and PopPop are camping tonight.

 The string of fish. Anne Michal and Creed caught the big one, an 18-in catfish.

 More fishing...

Bernheim Forest

   A couple of days ago we visited Bernheim Forest which is outside of Louisville, KY. It was such an amazing place; I am sure we will be going back. We barely scratched the surface!  It was so great to be outdoors surrounded by green, green, green everywhere!!! There were so many different trees and plants.  The kids enjoyed exploring so much and Jack and Emma had a lot of fun identifying some different things they had learned in botany this year. (Hey! You know who! Botany is not boring! ;-)) 

 Walking on a trail...Janey Kate walked a really long way that day up and down hills.

 We passed an area where different faere homes were built. The kids are ready to build their own now.

 Creed said, "Take my picture by this little habitat. (Habitat is one of his favorite words)

 Just because...

 Some people shared some bread with us and we fed, geese, ducks, and turtles.

 We explored the are around a neat little pond. This turtle was sunning itself.

 One of several frogs we saw.  God's design in camouflage is amazing.

 We saw lots of lichen and moss.  The forest was so damp compared to Texas. We were amazed at how wet(and cool) everything was and the wide variety of vegetation.

 Mom! Mom!  It is a squirrel barrow.  We think he meant burrow.

 See the moth?

 We went into an educational center and they had this amazing beehive. I don't know if you can see the tube by the hand but that is how the bees fly in and out.

 Walking across a model of the land in this region.  The knobs region is the area of Kentucky that is characterized by a lot of hills the same size. If you look out across the countryside, you can clearly see rolling hills of the same size. It is my favorite region.

 How Louisville bats are made.

They had all these pieces of woods for the kids to build with.

Creed, being very thoughtful and purposeful about what he was doing. I wish I had taken a picture of his finished product. He built a spider habitat and it was really neat and he explained what each part was.

 We finished up with a picnic snack and play in this great children's play area. There was a playground but even better than that lots of different things to explore and rocks to climb on. If we lived near by, I'd take them there all the time, stretch out with a good book and let them play and explore. The grand finale was JK's first trip to an outhouse, but I have no photographic evidence of that!