Palo Duro Adventure

The Palo Duro Canyon - "Grand Canyon of Texas" - second largest canyon in the U.S. - who knew!? It far exceeded our expectations, and we are glad we went. The pictures just don't do it justice. Here's the story of our journey.

We stopped on the way to Amarillo in a little town called Groom. It is the home of a weird leaning water tower, a sculpture garden that depicts the crucifixion of Christ, and the biggest cross you have ever seen! This is Jonathan telling Judas that he is a horrible man. He made a point to tell him off! :-)

Home Sweet Home! What a beautiful view from our campsite! The sun rose each morning over the ridge, and it was beautiful. This thing........whatever it is........crawled about one inch from Richard's foot, and it scared us both to death! (Okay, I did some research. This is a 40-legged centipede. I always thought they had 100 legs, but I guess not. Anyway, the dude online that got stung by one said it felt like a hammer smashed his hand. So, it's a good thing Richard didn't step on it!)

Richard walking near our campsite - it was very big and open - good for watching for rattlesnakes and little kids, we thought.

The munchkins enjoyed the firepit and sitting near it like two little adults chatting.

The deer here were very friendly....a little too friendly at meal times. Here they are trying to figure out what Richard is getting "for them" out of the car!

On the trail toward the Lighthouse. This is the beginning - everyone is clean, happy, and not exhausted! Jonathan was fascinated by his whistle that his Dad gave him in case of an "emergency." He blew it once because his legs hurt, but we told him that was not an emergency - even though he was CONVINCED that it was.

Below you can tell we're a little farther along, and Alyssa is starting to wilt. Jonathan found a stick, though, and he was excited to be like Dad with a walking stick to use to kill snakes! What a tough boy! He talked and talked about how he would kill one, and I know if he saw one he would probably run like crazy blowing his emergency whistle the whole way!

Below, in the distance you can see two little spikes - that is our goal - otherwise known as the Lighthouse. This was the first time we saw it, and we were a good mile and a half into the hike at this point.

We're getting closer - and the zoom lens doesn't hurt, either! We ate a snack and rested in the shade on the plateau between the two pillars. The boys climbed to the top of the one on the left, but it was too dangerous and tricky for the girls, so we sat and rested with some German tourists.

The kids and Richard at the base of the Lighthouse. This was a bit longer than 3 miles to get here, and we really had to climb the last portion - quite tricky for little ones because there was a lot of dirt that made it slippery.

Resting and posing at the top. What a cute pair! And what troopers they were! Everyone who passed us, including a large group of police officers, said they couldn't believe they were hiking the trail.

Jonathan hanging over the top to wave at Mom! AGH! Thank God Richard had him by the legs!

Richard and the kiddos on the way down - this was the trickiest part with all the slippery dirt. We had to go very slow and really pay attention to where we were walking!

At the end of the hike, we went to the Trading Post and got ice cream and cooled off. Then we went to the top of the rim and viewed the canyon from above. We could see how far we had hiked, and we were very proud we made it.......and that it was over. We were dirty, stinky, and just plain tired. But we had a great time. Richard said he had no idea that it was going to be that hard of a hike, and he was proud we all made it. We drank all the water we carried, and we could have drunk more. We all gulped down an extra bottle when we got back to the car - along with a Capri Sun each! :-)

Below, Jonathan enjoys his pancakes the last day of our campout! What a silly boy!

A is for Apple

Jonathan and his class went to an orchard this year as part of their study on apples. They learned about all the parts of an apple, the life cycle of apples, bees, pollination, cotton farming, and just basic plant life cycles. The presenters also talked about pond life and composting as well. It was a fun trip.

Enjoying an apple with his class........and the scarecrow!

We even bought two apple fritters. Jonathan enjoyed the rest of one in my office after school, and we gave the other one to Dad and Alyssa......they thought it was yummy, too!

Open House was a good time for Richard to catch up on what Jonathan does all day. Alyssa always enjoys visiting school - she can't wait until it's her turn!

Something Fishy!

We finally got the tank ready for fish, got the water tested (it was perfect), and then we got three sacrificial fish that cost us 12 cents each. But I think we forgot to tell them they were the ones we bought to get the tank ready for future fish, because they are still swimming strong..........and they go nuts like dogs when they see us walk into the room. It's pretty funny for the kids to see. Anyway, they are enjoying their fishies.

Long Time, No See

Well, it has been a long time since we posted anything, so here it goes.......a lightening speed update:
1. Jonathan got the stomach virus last Monday and missed 3 days of school. He got sick again today with a fever - it seems the first grade is learning to share.
2. We survived the first grade field trip to the orchard last Friday and had a blast - lots of learning and lots of fun.
3. Alyssa played soccer well on Saturday and had several assists - which is HUGE for age 4.
4. Jonathan is executing his football plays with extreme perfection........even if the team does something else, he will go to his spot, turn, and put his hands in the ready position - very cute video!
5. I have missed five days of work in the past two weeks for workshops (4) and field trip. I have been learning a lot at my workshop, and I even used my new coaching skills with a teacher and it brought about great results for her. That made me feel good.
6. Boy Scouts has been keeping us busy - mostly the boys.
7. We are now running two fund raisers at the same time - Walkathon (again) and Boy Scout Popcorn. Dust off your pocket books - we'll be calling soon! :-)
8. The church where I grew up (the early years) celebrated its 120th Anniversary last Sunday. Richard and the kiddos were very good sports about going with me and my family to the celebration. We left at 9:30 and didn't get back until almost 5:00. And they all behaved well!
9. We decorated my Dad's grave on the way to the church on Sunday and got it all pretty for the fall - I still miss him everyday, and I cried like a baby when I bought the flowers.
10. Alyssa has been snoring like a freight train lately, and her doctor said we need to see an ENT to see if her tonsils need to be removed.
11. I took the children for A's checkup, and decided to go ahead and get flu shots while we were there. Big Mistake!!! A family of four kids was apparently next door getting theirs, and when they gave the first shot, they all went nuts! It sounded like something from a horror movie, and the furniture in that room starting moving, too. I could hear it. And, unfortunately, my kids could as well. Their eyes got huge, and they both started crying and whining. I tried to distract them, but it was like distracting someone from an earthquake. It just didn't happen. So, the male nurse came in (thank God!), and we had to hold each kiddo down. Alyssa went first, and she got 4 shots. Jonathan hid behind a chair and had to be torn loose for his one shot. He screamed, turned red, and fought like a loon. But, it's done, I don't have to take them back, and they should stay healthy!
12. Alyssa failed her hearing test 4 times on one ear because she just wouldn't say "beep" - I don't know what was going on with her, but she finally did it correctly. The nurse says that happens often with first timers, but when I take her to the ENT, I will have them do it again, I think. I still have to make that appointment, but I need to talk to the cardiologist first to see who he would like us to use - in case we do have to yank those tonsils! Yikes!

And that's about it.......at least for now. I'm tired of typing. More another time - with pictures.

Pictures are worth 1,000 words.....

......so no words, just pics!

High Lows

At dinner each night, we do what is called "High Lows." This ritual involves each member of the family sharing a high from their day (sometimes more) and one low from their day (sometimes more). It is a good way to see what the kids thought about their days, and for all of us to bond.

So, here is my version of our "High Lows" for this week.....

Let's start with the positives....
1. Jonathan lost his second tooth tonight, so the tooth Fairy is coming.
2. Jonathan got great grades on his progress reports this week, 98 and 99 in every subject!
3. Alyssa enjoys school each day and has made some cute little friends.
4. Jonathan spent a whole hour climbing trees during his sister's soccer practice on Wednesday.......a skill he didn't have before.
5. We've been enjoying spending time at home as a family this week.
6. Jonathan is doing very well in his behavior this year. Only two yellows so far, and four super stars on his chart!

Now for the Lows that correspond.......
1. The tooth fairy has no cash and is worried about what she will leave for the sweet little Pense boy since he lost it after the banks closed and everyone was settled in for the evening!
2. Mom has an ulcer from all the homework and organization it took to get Jonathan to actually do his reading!
3. Alyssa hates the actual "going" to school each morning, and has cried three times this week.
4. Jonathan has been so tired from climbing trees and football that he slept through his bladder nudging him out of bed and he peed in the bed!
5. The house is now well-used and a mess!
6. One yellow mark came today when JC locked all the bathroom stalls in the boys restroom and then crawled out leaving the problem for someone else.

And, even though we had some lows, the highs outweigh them, and we are so blessed. The kids are finally in bed, TRYing to go to sleep, and maybe, just maybe, Mom will get a bit of rest, too!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Weathering the Storm

Lots of wind that blew all the petals off our roses, just enough rain to make a river in the road in front of our house, but a Saturday off at home with nowhere to go - Thanks Ike! Ike was really a blessing in disguise for our family. We played two new games that Jonathan and Alyssa just got for birthdays, made more aliens, watched movies, rested, read, built a tent/playhouse out of blankets for the kids, did laundry, filled the fish tank and decorated for fall - it was a relaxing yet productive day. We also cooked a huge pot of beans and sausage and made cornbread - it was just like a wonderful fall day. Tomorrow, however, we must go forth to inspect our roof for missing shingles and to fetch toilet paper.........sort of a necessity!

However, we are reminded by the news reports that many in our state were not so blessed. So tonight we remember them in our prayers and ask that God will help them in the days to come.