Galveston Island State Park 2019

This trip was our first long-distance trip with the new camper, and let me tell you, my guy (and anyone who pulls a camper) is awesome.  You don't realize how awful (as in rude, inconsiderate, and in a hurry) other drivers on the road are until you are pulling something big behind you.  Ugh!

He pulled it like a champ!

We could see the ocean from the kitchen window of the camper.  Not a bad view!  Miss Clementine had a view of the sunset from her bunk window.  Just as pretty.

The last time we camped here was exactly six years ago when we had the tear drop and the tent and all the kids :)

And check out that sunrise picture below!  (No filters - God is amazing!)

This was a fishing trip for David.  Clementine and I went along for the fun. 

*Emma had class at the college, Miss Mabel didn't want to go, and Stan the man had public school.

And that fish I'm holding?  It was the FIRST fish I have ever reeled in!  27" Red Drum

The weather was not the greatest, but the fishing was amazing!  David said it was the best fishing trip he's experienced.  (It Must have been all that lady luck ;)

This girls cracks me up!  Check out her determination - ha ha!

It wasn't all fishing though.

And there was schooling to do.  (I'm a stickler about staying on task, much to her dismay.)

One evening, we took her over to the bay and bayou side of the state park to hunt for crabs.  The alligator signs had me on high alert, so I didn't quite relax over there.

My little sunshine!

The last beach-combing walk the night before we left.  Our camper was so close to the beach!

And we wrapped this trip up with an overnight stay in Houston with Sarah.

She headed for Europe (study abroad) the next morning and we finished our trek home, safe and sound. 

I'm so excited we have this camper because of all the experiences it has allowed us to enjoy.  The state parks are great because of the (typical) $20 a night fee - seriously.  You can do one week in a camper for the price of one night in a hotel (and you know no one else has slept in your bed - ha ha).

Out next adventure is in June when we take Stan and Clementine to an RV Resort in southwest Texas along the Guadalupe River.  They are pretty excited about that one since it is a camp and has (3) pools, water slides, and so much more.  Until then, safe travels!

Patty

Mid-May Daybook Post 2019

Outside my window ~

We had a peepin' tom a week ago ;)

I am thankful for ~

* all the joy that the month of May has brought so far

* homeschooling

* my husband and children

The only pictures I have from Mother's Day are of the food we feasted on - ha ha!  We were too busy working in the yard.

(Brisket, corn bread, slaw, and cheesy potatoes with Cheesecake Factory for dessert - Yum!)


* safe travels (camping post coming soon)

From the school room ~

Our trip to the coast was planned around Sarah's study abroad trip to Europe.  The parents of the students were invited to spend the night before at a hotel near the Houston airport.  The students left at o'dark hundred the next morning.

We are soooo excited for and proud of Sarah!  She won a partial scholarship for this study abroad (only 5 out of the 20 students were awarded). 

She is studying for fives weeks in Lithuania, traveling to Estonia, Latvia, and Poland as well.  She's loving her coursework and her favorite professor from UMHB is teaching it.  Sarah tells me that it's HARD to go to bed due to the amazing conversations that the American and European students have into the wee hours of the morning.  :)

Last day photos of first grade and sophomore year in high school.



Our homeschool group had a May Crowning on May 1st. 

May is for the month of Mary. and as Jesus' mother, we venerate (not worship) her.  If you have a favorite athlete that you "idolize", why not then honor his blessed mother?  She wants us to love her son, and one way is through honoring his mother. 

The lucky child who was chosen to crown Mary was the the one who picked the Easter egg with the golden stone in it! 

From the kitchen ~

Tea party time!  Our Catholic faith is SO awesome.  There are countless ways to live it in your own home.  Last Sunday, the Church honored Jesus as The Good Shepherd (always on the fourth Sunday of Easter).  We usually celebrate it at home with a cute lamb cake, but that didn't happen with it being Mother's Day.  It is never too late though!  The other day we celebrated Jesus as our Good Shepherd with a tea party.  Always remember how much Jesus loves you!

What I am reading ~

I'm reading nothing at the moment.  I have not had the time, but I am putting plenty of titles on my wish list.  I'll get there again, eventually. :)

Around the house ~

Down on the farm fun!

Our Little Flowers Girls Club had their end-of-year party recently.  Our generous host provided awesome entertainment with cuddly puppies, chicks, pizza, and a movie theater set up in their barn!  Miss Clementine (and all the Little Flowers) had a memorable evening wrapping up a fantastic year.

I am thinking about ~

* packing for Emma's graduation trip next weekend

* always thinking about my Sarah who is studying abroad

* severe weather expected tomorrow (I hate the severe storm season in Texas!)

* Miss Mabel, who begins her new job later today


I am praying for ~

* an end to abortion!

What I am listening to ~

The Wii :()

I allowed Miss Clementine on just so I can get this post up.  It's SOOO hard to find any time to blog anymore. 

Coming down the pike the second half of May ~

* Emma's graduation from Seton Home Study School (Front Royal, VA)

* Stan the man's last day of school

A last photo to share ~

Walks
Splash pads
Magnolias in bloom!

Here's to the second half of May. 

Cheers and prayers to all the graduates out there and to their parents behind them, praying for and nurturing them thus far.  God bless you!

Patty

April's Daybook Post - 2019

Outside my window ~

Miss Clementine planted the packet of Mary Garden seeds that she received in her Easter basket.  Hopefully, we will have success and will see beautiful flowers blooming in no time.

I am thankful for ~

* opening night tickets to the Avenger's Endgame movie (woot!)  Stan the man and Miss Mabel brought along (die hard fans) friends. 

* Jesus' Divine Mercy!

We made our traditional Divine Mercy Sundaes on Divine Mercy Sunday. :)

From the school room ~

* Emma is officially done with senior year!   What an amazing and monumental feat to graduate from the Seton Home Study program.  Exciting times, folks, exciting times!

We fly out to D.C. for the Seton commencement over Memorial weekend.  Graduation announcements have just been ordered.  We will have a celebratory graduation dinner in June.

* We've had some fantastic field trips this month.  One was to the C.R. Smith (American Airlines) Museum.  The students watched a movie, toured the hands-on museum, and took part in a STEM workshop where they created and tested their own flying objects in the wind tunnel.  Super duper cool!

* One of our deacons gave a church walk thru for some of the younger children in our homeschool group.

From the kitchen ~

No new dishes to post about

What I am reading about to read ~

Defending Boyhood:: How Building Forts, Reading Stories, Playing Ball, and Praying to God Can Change the World

Around the house ~

Emma celebrated her Baptism birthday.  This child LOVES her some crazy socks, so I found these Our Lady of Guadalupe socks at Sock Religious.  Check them out!  They have so many styles to choose from and they make great gifts!

Miss Mabel is now employed with the city's aquatic department (following in her sisters' footsteps).

David and I are HUGE believers in teen employment.  Boredom  = trouble.  In addition to that, way too many teens have no clue how to really work for a buck, how to really sacrifice, or how to really deal with adulting situations (life).  David and I have followed our parents' way by telling our own kids (as we were told), we will buy the kids' needs, but they buy their wants. 

Some little girl got her summer hair cut and it looks so cute!

I am thinking about ~

Sarah's study abroad trip.  It's almost here.  She flies out early on May 10. 

I am praying for ~

* my brother who is dealing with his heart defect and will have a serious procedure performed on Wednesday, May 1

* an end to abortion

* for all those who have asked me to pray for

What I am listening to ~

Miss Clementine sing - She is ALWAYS singing and brings so much joy to our house.

Coming down the pike in May ~

* a beach trip

* Mother's day

* sending Sarah off to Europe

* Seton graduation trip

* Little Flowers' end of the year party

* end of school year

A last photo to share ~

I absolutely love a toothless grin and adore hers!

Miss Mabel continues to do so well with her student driving!

We are about to embark on a memory-making May celebrating some big milestones.  I look forward to the joyful times ahead and remind myself daily to be grateful for each day that dawns. 

Looking forward to May,
Patty

Lake Bonham State Park

I mentioned back here that we took the camper to a new-to-us lake on Easter Sunday after Mass.  We've really been enjoying the weather and tradition of picnicking on Easter Sunday.  With the new camper this year, it made it even more enjoyable.

Texas has (the last I counted) 95 state parks.  That is some serious outdoor time, folks.  Lake Bonham is small, with a very small lake, but it was close enough to haul the camper and enjoy it for a couple of days.

The older three girls only stayed the day on Easter, but David, myself, and the younger two stayed for two nights.

We just enjoyed nature and being away from the rat race for a bit.

The sunset view was from my camper door.  :)

Stan the man did not have school.  He hung out and read from the books he received in his Easter basket while Miss Clementine did her school work.

Two things:

No, those aren't real ants - ha ha! Those adorable plaid melamine plates and whimsical napkins were a birthday gift that I was so excited to try out! 

That squirrel tho...

Our next BIG trip is coming up soon.  David's planned a fishing trip to Galveston Island and it'll be the first time we are hauling the new camper that distance.  Clementine and I have been trying to work ahead in her school work, but we will still have some subjects to bring along.  That's the beauty of homeschooling!

Until then...

Patty

Birthday Trip #2!

Back in early March, I turned the big 5-0 and I have to tell you, it's been pretty fabulous so far. :)

My sweet husband surprised me with a birthday trip that we just recently got back from!  He and some dear friends coordinated an amazing trip to the Texas Hill Country (wine tasting country) which included staying at a quaint and intimate bed and breakfast. 

On the way down, we stopped for coffee and then lunch at some unique spots before hitting a couple of wineries to do some wine tasting.  Yum!

Our B&B was simply stunning!

The guys booked the two front veranda suites upstairs, so we had the entire upstairs veranda to ourselves!  I was astonished by the scenery and the intimate space. 

There was time for a little nap before we headed out to enjoy (my first-ever) five-course dinner.

Day 1 was going to be hard to beat!

On day 2, as the guys went into Fredricksburg for a distillery tour, my girlfriend and I just hung out on the chaise lounge chairs on our veranda, drinking tea and chatting while enjoying the view and the piece and quiet.  I have to say, it was one of my favorite moments of the trip.  I felt like a queen!

When the boys got back, we all headed into town for lunch and to take a walk around the historic town of Fredricksburg, popping into unique shops as we checked things out.

We decided to take a short drive to the famous Luchenbach, Texas.

If you know anything about real country music, you know about Luchenbach. :)

That post office (now closed with a retired zip code) was from the 1860's.  It was a German settlement that was sold to a private owner in 1970.  The old post office is now a gift shop.  The saloon is still in back as well as the original dance hall.  The town is basically a ghost town.

Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson catapulted this place into what it is today.  Other famous names that have come to sit and play a bit are: Pat Green, Lyle Lovett, Kenny Chesney, and Robert Earl Keen. 

On any given day, you can drive up, pay cash for a cold beer, and sit and listen to artists from around the area who just come to play. 

We headed back to our B&B for a special birthday celebration on the veranda, sitting up late visiting and laughing (like crazy), listening to music.

As Hank Williams Jr would sing, "Good friends - good whiskey - good lovins"

Day 2 was just as amazing. 

I snapped some pics at breakfast the next morning.

We packed up shortly after breakfast and started back for home.

The views though!!!

I've had the best 50th, hands down.  Celebrating with my children, my mom and sisters, and now hubby and dear friends, I have no words except sincere gratitude for all of these folks.  They batted a grand slam when it came to helping me usher in this monumental birthday. 

As I sit and type this post, I cannot stop thanking God for all the special people in my life.  I'm so grateful.  God is good, all the time.

Patty