Jelly Stone Park Guadalupe River Resort and Camp

 We love the Texas Hill Country and recently took a trip down there, to the Kerrville area.  We stayed at the Jelly Stone Park Guadalupe River, our second time there in fact.  The last time we visited this fun resort was in 2019.

The temperature was a 103 degrees (which is rather hot for even south Texas in early June).  We had our choices of six water features (one was an indoor pool) to cool off in.  I have to tell you though, even the pool side is too hot to be at when it is that warm out.

Miss Clementine entered a canon ball competition.  She didn't win, but had fun trying!

This resort sits along the Guadalupe River.  It's a beautiful piece of property filled with walking paths, hanging swings, and ancient Bald Cypress trees.  

The best way to sum up the activities at this resort is that it is somewhat like the way activities on a cruise ship are set up.  Each day, every day, all day long, there are a list of activities for children and families to participate in.  Most are free, some cost a little bit extra. 

One evening, there was glow stick tag for children.  The next night, there was glow stick volleyball for the teens.  Another day, there was three-legged races.  David and I attempted that.  Ha ha!  Boy are we old!

We loved visiting the ice cream shop in the resort, and the rec hall was a great place to cool off.  

Some of the activities that Miss Clementine participated in where the tie dye shirt day.

There was a sun visor painting day.

You could catch a movie at the rec hall on movie night.  There was also glitter tattoo night that all the girls enjoyed.  

And s'mores down by the river was a hit with the kids.  Miss Clementine made a few new friends and hopes that they'll be pen pals.

Stan the man did have fun even though I did not get many photos of him.  Teens.  He is taking (3) online classes this summer, working toward early high school graduation.  He was able to work from the camper on his classes and still swim, play volleyball and basketball, and sign up for laser tag.

The diesel was $$$$.  We had booked this trip late last fall and had no plans to cancel.  With the destruction of the economy and how the current policies have affected the fuel industry, we ended up canceling 3 out of 7 nights this past spring.  I canceled the remaining 4 nights and rebooked them under a sale price that came through.  There was a small cancellation fee, but the savings was worth it!

We are grateful that we had this opportunity, that the trip was a safe one, and that the kids made wonderful memories.  

Until the next time...

Patty

June - Dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

 Here is an easy and delicious snack for your family!

We are at a time when our country is completely broken, human beings are broken, God has been abandoned, and there doesn't seem to be any hope in the future, only despair.  However, never forget how much Jesus loves you! He will never abandon you.

Catholics are not full of pride.  Instead, we trust in Jesus, our Savior.  He is who we celebrate the month of June.  His mercy is never ending.

Celebrating Our Faith at Home in May

May is filled with so many beautiful feast days in the Catholic Church.  We started out right away on May 1, with the feast of St. Joseph the Worker.

We decided to have an outdoor, family movie night and ate gelato. :)

May 4 is the feast day of St. Florian, the patron saint of firefighters.  May 4 is also National Firefighters Day.  Since I know a few in my household, I gave them each a challenge coin of St. Florian on one side and a prayer on the other side of the coin.  

Challenge Coin: "Custom challenge coins are an august means of honoring law enforcement officers and other public servants. This includes the brave firefighters who continually risk their lives for the safety of others."

Good Shepherd Sunday is always the fourth Sunday of Easter.  On this day, we focus on how Jesus is our Shepherd who is always watching out for us.  I ordered this beautiful Good Shepherd beeswax candle for our dinner table that night. Isn't it beautiful?

I found it from a pro-life store that was started in 2020 by a single mother.  She has a powerful story, and God has a definite hand in it!  Stop by Kerygma Candle & Co to see for yourself. :)

It's always a joy for me to find new ways on how to bring the faith alive at home.  Just like seeing someone's name written down on paper helps me recollect it in the future,  sharing the faith while using all of one's senses helps my family members retain what they've learned about the faith.  Perhaps, someday, one of these activities will be of use for someone else.  We have such a beautiful faith to share. 

Patty

Ping Pong Retractable Net, Electric Skillets and Roll Out Drawers in Camping Gear / Storage Solutions I Love (Part 12)

* A friend passed along some ping pong paddles and balls that her family did not use anymore.  I gladly took them knowing that I could find a portable, retractable net on Amazon.  

It EASILY attaches to the sides of the table.  We had so much fun with this set up on our last camping trip.  I know we will get so much use out of this, and it isn't just for camping.  You can use this at home as well.

* We purchased this electric skillet for the camper, and it has been a game changer!  Wow!  We cook every hot meal in it in our outdoor kitchen.  It cooks evenly and is simple to clean up.  We found it on Amazon, here.

* My husband finished off the new camper pantry with some handy-dandy pull out drawers.  They are small, but I'm definitely using the pantry space more sufficiently with them rather then without them.

And with these installed, the broken RV fridge mess is over.  

Our little home on wheels is used quite frequently, so keeping her well-maintained and stocked is important.  Our next trip is coming up soon, God-willing.  We plan to be heading to the Texas Hill Country, and if you are from Texas, you know how beautiful this region is.  

Until the next time,

Patty

Bluewater Rv Resort 2022

 

I'm sitting here still thanking God for such an amazing trip.  The weather was GORGEOUS, the fishing was incredible, and everyone enjoyed themselves.  Most importantly, we had safe travels.  (Hauling this camper long distances always creates a little anxiety for me.) Our travels took us back down to Bluewater RV Resort near Freeport, TX.  We were there back in June of 2020.  

The shark fishing was incredible this trip.  Our daughter Emma reeled in this 75 pound black tip shark!  (Above photo) Not only was it the biggest shark that family members reeled in, but this shark was tagged by Texas A&M.  She called in for her reward (a t-shirt and all of the data on this shark - her name will be added to the data), and spoke to the biologist for 30 minutes on the phone.  It ended up being a rather fascinating education.  They will be sent tags to tag sharks in the future, part of a collaborative effort between fishermen and marine biologists.  

These were all catch and release, because if you are not going to eat it, why kill it?  My husband kept one smaller black tip shark, which we ate for dinner one night.  

We couldn't have asked for better weather.  

The older girls came down later in the week and rented a condo in town for that weekend.  I am glad they had that sister time. We did enjoy one evening dinner together though.  We missed our son-in-law who was working at his fire station.

Because of the insane price of fuel, we did not eat out.  However, our meals were quite delicious! We had chicken salad, rigatoni, chicken fajitas, black tip shark, and pulled pork on the menu. Oh! It was all so good!

Since I have posted on this resort in the past, I didn't add any more photos of the resort here.  You can click on this  link to the resort's website.

The unjustified shut down of our own fuel pipeline naturally has created a ripple effect in the economy for everyone, including these resorts that build their business on the rving industry.  Sadly, many RVers cannot afford the travel which, in turn, creates a hit on the livelihood of the resorts.  The resorts are trying to stay afloat by posting price cuts on their website. It is incredibly disturbing to watch in slow motion everything fall into ruin. 

God-willing, we will be able to make it to our next destination.  

Until then,

Patty

Living the Faith Intentionally with Feast Days in April

 We are officially 1/3 of the way through 2022.  Oh my goodness does time fly! During April, I was more intentional about celebrating feast days.  

 ~ Emma's Baptism birthday and her Confirmation Saint's feast day were very close to each other, so I went with one, bigger gift instead of two, small ones. I also enjoy supporting small, Catholic businesses.  This was a perfect opportunity to gift Emma with a beautiful candle from  Kergyma Candles. 10% of the proceeds goes to Students For Life.  Kergyma means to proclaim or preach the Good News. 

 The shipping box comes with a Psalm written on it as does each candle label, and the candles smell divine! 

~ Our Easter was just wonderful!  All the young adults had the same shift off, so I had a table full, including our nephew who recently moved to the area.  

~ The feast of St. George is a great one to celebrate with boys, but Miss Clementine and I still had fun.  We found this idea from an old friend (who no longer blogs).

St. George crispy treats!

We made these easy, crispy treats that represented the shield of the fearless defender of the faith, St. George.

~ Divine Mercy Sunday is one of my favorite feast days.  The cake I made was NOT the prettiest, but the family still loved it!

I love this feast day.  

Remember, never forget how much Jesus loves you!

Patty