DeGray State Park - Vacation Days 2 & 3

Tuesday we started the day with Kelsie and Wayne going to breakfast early and then to go get the boat. I got a little later start but after a short walk on a close by trail, I met them at the dock to go out in the boat for the day. The Watsons joined us after their breakfast and we had a fun filled day of tubing, knee boarding, swimming and fishing. We found a little beach spot that was perfect for some to fish while others snorkeled and swam. After a full day on the water, we decided to go into town to eat at Cracker Barrel. Next door was Miller's Rock Shop and we all had fun shopping there - Kelsie bought a few rocks for her collection and the Watson girls picked up some pretty garnet necklaces. After dinner and a trip to Wal-Mart for some needed supplies, we headed back out to the marina for a sunset cruise around the lake. The water in our cove was so still, it really did look like glass. We headed back to the hotel for the kids to take a promised late night dip in the pool. They had a great time swimming and playing and we just relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the evening. Wednesday we started our day with a short trail hike and then a horseback ride. It was Kelsie's first time to ride a horse by herself - his name was Peanut and she LOVED it. After lunch, we went out on the lake a little longer and then back to the lodge for water balloon volleyball and some pool time for the kids. We decided since it was my birthday (35), we would go into Hot Springs for dinner and we ended up at the Fisherman's Wharf on the water - we ate outside, the food was delicious and we had a great time! What a good birthday spent with my family and good friends....God is good.

Kelsie in front of a flower bed on Wednesday morning before horseback riding.

Kelsie, the dragon slayer - this log was laying down and Kelsie thought the front of it looked like a dragon face and the back has sticks that made it look like a spikey tail. So, she sat on it pretending to be the dragon slayer. Good imagination..

Wednesdays horseback riding trail.

Kelsie and Peanut.

Tori on the tube - she was funny and did great.
Brock on the tube - he loved it except when he had to hold his breath b/c the water sprayed his face from the rope. He was just out there in his own world, singing and laughing. Cute.

Brock on the beach.
Wayne and Rob snorkeling to look at perch and other fishies that we couldn't catch.
Brock with his catch of the day.

Kelsie and one of her perch, she caught about 3 or 4 that day.

Our family before going to dinner on Wed. night.
Key Lime Pie Birthday "cake"
All of us after dinner.

DeGray Lake - Vacation Day 1

Well, you know me and I can't summarize our week of vacation in one post so I will give you the synopsis in parts - along with pics of course. Monday, August 6th was the official first day of vacation. We started out early - left our house at 5:30 a.m. (yes, I was awake and fairly agreeable). Kelsie and I promptly went back to sleep which was the arrangement since Wayne was the one that wanted to leave early. Once we woke up for the second time, we stopped for breakfast and gas and found ourselves making it to Degray State Park by around 11:30 a.m. We did all of the necessary things to get checked in and get our boat slip reserved at the marina. While there, we were told that the fishing was good and the thing to fish with was live crickets. So, we proceeded to get our licenses and 100 live crickets in a cylindar container. We headed out on the lake from there - the water was very clear and the lake is quite large. We did some cruising to explore, swimming, tubing and fishing. We borrowed a knee board from a friend for the week so Wayne attempted that and then Kelsie. After a while out on the boat, we decided to get checked into our room - we had a lake view which we were hoping to get. We got ready to eat at the lodge restaurant (pretty good food) and then headed back out for a walk by the water where Kelsie picked up some pretty rocks for her collection and then into the boat for a sunset cruise. The sunset was beautiful and we went into a cove where we saw what we thought was a river otter - it was dusk and we couldn't see perfectly, but we were hoping for that b/c if not, it was a very large snake. We went back to the lodge to get our flashlights and meet the Watson family who was joining us for the week. There was a 9 p.m. night hike with a park ranger. It was fun, just a little one mile trail and she explained various wildlife sounds like owls as well as pointing out several kinds of spiders and such. Of course, after a full day of activity, we were tired so we headed to bed. Ready for the next day of fun - this one went by really fast!

The view from our room window.

One of the coves - beautiful and surrounded by trees.

Kelsie the first day of tubing.

Kelsie about to fall off the tube....the look on her face was so funny.

Wayne showing Kelsie to kneeboard. She did attempt it which we were proud of her for doing that but never was able to pull herself up enough to strap in. She was a good sport and kept trying until she was just worn out and couldn't anymore.

Kelsie fishing off the dock at the marina. The water was so clear we could see the perch biting at her bait. She caught one fish that day.

Wayne getting a cricket to bait Kelsie's hook. YUK
Kelsie picking up some pretty rocks we found for her collection.
Sunset cruise.
Beautiful!

12 Years Ago Today

12 years ago today, Wayne and I were walking down the aisle. Looking back, we were such babies - I turned 23 just 4 days before the wedding and Wayne had turned 22 in June. We had alot to learn and still do but I am so thankful that we learned together. We are so blessed to have a beautiful little girl, the opportunity to serve God in a wonderful church with loving people, good health, a loving family and mostly our relationship with God and each other. The best quality that my husband has is that I know his relationship with God is solid and no matter what circumstances are facing our family, we have the blessing of God's presence and protection because of a Godly husband and father. Happy Anniversary - 12 years and many more to come!

On the Road Again

This week has been a little crazy in between trips. We started off the week going to the doc for stuffy heads, sore throats and general yucky feelings. We got meds and are all on the mend. Needless to say, missing Monday through Wednesday at work put me really behind but thankfully with my laptop it was easy for me to work from home. So, now we are all caught up and ready for vacation. We have a new parent orientation on Sat. for K's new school and then a regular Sunday - then we're off to DeGray State Park in Arkansas with the Watson fam. We are very excited about getting away from it all - spending time on the boat and just relaxing. I'll let you know when we get back and fill you in with pics and stuff of our trip. For now, laundry and general house cleaning calls.

Back to Texas

We are back - got home around midnight on Saturday. It was a GREAT trip, lots of seeds planted in the Kingdom. We will continue to pray for Royal Heights and the people we met there. Well, I hope to publish details with pictures at a later date but in lieu of that today, I give you 10 things that are different in Canada:

1. $1 and $2 are in coins instead of bills - called a loonie and twonie....
2. Sentences are often ended in eh?
3. There are more Dairy Queens there than we have in Fort Worth - isn't Dairy Queen the Texas Stop Sign? But, no Sonic!!
4. 90 degrees is a major heat wave.
5. If you want a plastic grocery sack to carry your groceries in, you will pay 4 cents each for
them.
6. Canada is exceptionally clean and EVERYONE recycles.
7. Pedestrians Rule! All cars stop for humans crossing the road.
8. There is no Mexican Food.
9. There is a reason why everything is green - and it's not the sprinker systems.
10. There are no bathrooms or restrooms - they are washrooms.

Needless to say, we had a great time on the trip. We are praying about going back next summer. We will see what God reveals. Many more details and pictures to come as I begin to sort them out. Thanks for praying while we were gone. Kelsie had fun at Camp Grammy and they took lots of pics too. We were glad to get home and hope to take her next year if we go.

Thursday in Vancouver

We are almost at the end of our week here, in some ways it has been a long week - I guess because we seem to get in bed late every night and are up fairly early to be in the lobby at 8:15 each morning. But, in other ways it has flown by so quickly I can hardly believe that tomorrow is our last day of Music Camp. Our kids are so sweet and have really had a good time and caught on quickly to the music. Unfortunately, I do not have many pictures of the area as our basic schedule has included being at the church until noon, eating lunch and doing our afternoon shopping for the next day's supplies/snacks, etc and then back to the church in the afternoon to cook, then to the hotel for bed. I did get to go with the Servant Evangelim team on Wednesday b/c we weren't cooking - we all wanted to get out and see some stuff. Some went downtown to see the fireworks show but Wayne and I chose to go to the Fisherman's Wharf to eat and "be tourists." It was relaxing and such pleasant temps. Other than that, I haven't seen much of Vancouver but I know my purpose was to come and serve in Music Camp. I do have lots of pictures of our class and kids. I will share all of them in detail when I get back but here is a small taste. Thanks for praying - if you want a more detailed account of the trip, visit the Wedgworship site - it gives you an idea of all the teams.

Flowers right outside the church, it's beautiful everywhere - flowers or trees.....love it.
Our kids outside playing parachute just to have some activity and get outside for a while - weather is finally good - no more rain.
Panoramic view of the front of the church.
Bree, Elijah and Julieahanna.
Sadie, Kyla and Carolyn - all sweet girls!

In Vancouver

We are here in Vancouver. We arrived yesterday and have been very busy since we got here. I have managed to briefly update the Wedgworship blog so if you are interested in more that what I write here, check it out. Also, Holmes Happenings may reflect some of our trip b/c Genny is with us as well as Paige Griffin. I plan to update the trip with much more detail once we get back but for now here are the highlights - in pictures...... Pray for us this week as we serve and share the Good News through basketball and music camps, servant evangelism and prayer walking. We are excited to see what God is already doing here at Royal Heights and blessed that we can partner with them for this short time.

This is Sheila, she is the missions director at Royal Heights Baptist Church, the church we are working with here. She is a sweet lady and has worked hard with us planning all the elements of this trip.

Pastor Alan, the pastor of Royal Heights. He talked with us a little the first night we arrived. The church graciously served us dinner and we learned alot about the area they are serving here in Surrey/Delta/Vancouver area. He shared his heart for this area and the church's vision. He is a servant - and he can preach!

Wayne with the bass player, Craig, after Sunday services.

BEAUTIFUL HYDRANGAS! These are everywhere and they are huge and gorgeous. You don't see these in Texas this big - I guess ours get scorched.

This is the entrance to the Capilano Bridge.

The overall view of the Suspension Bridge from the lookout point. It was fun walking across - beautiful views!

Some of our group crossing over.

The trees all around are huge - it's a little misty in these pictures.

Wayne next to the "Wii" smart car. These look like little toy cars. This was at the Richmond Night Market. Very cute.
At the market, there are all kinds of food vendors. Everything from slushes to grilled eel - mostly Asian influenced cuisine. This guy was making some kind of funnel cake - he was really putting on a show and when he saw my camera, he posed.

Quick Update

Just a quick update that we are all excited and getting ready for our trips. Kelsie is headed to Camp Grammy for the week - we will meet them on Friday. Hailey (K's cousin - she is 4) is excited to see her. Wayne and I are headed out on Saturday with our group on a mission trip to Vancouver. We are looking forward to the trip as all the final details are coming together. I will try and post something about our trip on the blog while we are there - Wayne is taking his laptop so we can keep the wedgworship blog updated each day and I will try and post here too. Pray for us if God brings us to your mind while we are gone. More soon....

Kelsie's Home

Kelsie is home! We picked her up at the church at 11:30 this morning - headed straight to Wal-Mart to get her pictures developed. While we waited the hour, we ate at Mimi's (Kelsie's choice) and came home for Kelsie's explanation of pictures and stories of her week. We also surprised her with a new comforter on her bed in her room - she has been wanting to get rid of Strawberry Shortcake. We didn't paint or anything but the new bedding was a start. After all that, we laid down for a much needed nap. Here are some of K's pics of the week....glad she's home and it sounded like she had a great time - she said the week went by really fast and she couldn't believe today was her last day. Thankfully, she missed us though - not sure who she missed more, us or Bogey. There is no rhyme or reason to the order of these pics.....

Kelsie's bed - top bunk.

2nd grade group - silly faces.

She looks well rested doesn't she - must be day 2.

Kelsie's CIT - Stacy Harvick. Kelsie just loves her although I think she had to pull rank at night to get her and Brynn to go to sleep!!

Christa Fannin - what is she up to?

Jordan - Kelsie's bunk mate underneath - Morgan was under Brynn.

Kelsie made sure we knew these were "staged" pictures and that they were not really fighting. This was Thursday night - they dress up on Thursday night.

Kelsie and Brynn "fighting" - cute.

Kelsie, Morgan and Christa.

The 2nd graders doing their act at the talent show. They did a cute song that Stacy taught them.

The assembly place.

Kelsie on her bed.

Brynn on her bed.

The room.