That time we went to the swimmin' hole

A few weeks back, Justin begged me to set up a camping trip...
and I agreed that it would be great to get out and spend some "quality time" together
but reminded him that it is the middle of summer....in Texas.
We compromised on a one night trip to a state park just outside Austin, so if it was a total bust we wouldn't be out a bunch of money or travel time.
That, and they have great pizza at the Mellow Mushroom in Austin.
And great pizza can make all the difference sometimes.

So we made the reservation, and counted down the days.
Once Saturday came around we packed it all up (so much stuff to pack....)
and hit the road to McKinney Falls State Park.
The Upper and Lower Falls are the parks main attraction, and they are quite pretty.
BUT, upon closer inspection, in the summer they more closely resemble a slimy, stinky swimmin' hole.
Now before you go and judge me, you have to understand a few things.

#1 If there is any creepy tummy bug to be contracted from a water source, I will get it!  Trust me.
#2 I have watched too many episodes of Turtle Man to be happily wading in a cloudy murky pond of sorts without being paranoid about what is under the water.
#3 I am very smell sensitive....and getting my whole body in something that smells rather suspect is nearly impossible for me.

I did get in, and take a swim, with Justin and kids close behind me. We watched people jump from the rock ledge, and heard people squeal as something under the water was biting them....fish, turtles???
I lasted about 30 minutes and knew it was time to move on. On the swim back to the shore, a turtle popped up right in front of me to amp up my anxiety....oh, my.
I know I am a "spoiled valley girl", but I couldn't help but feeling so proud of myself for conquering my fear (temporarily), and setting a good example for my kids.
Paige was in tears about the whole thing, so I knew I needed to play along like I was loving it!
River loved every minute of it...he even jumped off the ledge with Justin into the water below.
Should I be nervous about this......

The Upper Falls

 

 

A quick picture with the kids.....but Justin always goes paparazzi style and takes about 20 more before I rip the camera out of his hands.

The Lower Falls....more user friendly....no slime.

Back at camp, we all enjoyed our turn in the new hammock.  It is a two person hammock, so it is actually comfy to share with a friend...or a brother!

I personally enjoyed a little time all by myself....but then the paparazzi took over.

River wanted to go off exploring, but a cautious Momma kept him close by.
Texas has too many creepy things out and about this time of year....snakes, scorpions, and tarantulas.

Cutest Daddy/Daughter shot ever.  Two peas in a pod for sure.

Always art to be made, wherever we go.

And we managed to squeeze in a family game of SORRY.
Paige won.

We headed over to the park as the sun was setting.  We wanted the kids to have some free time in a safer setting, where I didn't have to worry so much about their every step!

And then it was time to take one last hike to watch the sun go down.

There may or may not have been a Bobcat track on the trail....
I wasn't about to disagree with the 4 year old expert.

Mr. Turtle came up to check us out...

All in all it was a great time. 
I will spare you the details of how hot and uncomfortable it truly was....
but this is Texas.
And camping in Texas in the summer may not be for everyone....unless you have an air conditioned trailer.
But this is about making memories with our kids, and they had a blast.
I will be a hot, sweaty, stinky mess of a mom to make them happy....
and let's face it....it makes my husband pretty happy too.

We ended the trip with a morning swim at the Deep Eddy Pool in Austin (which is super cool and historic),
and lunch at the Mellow Mushroom. 
Till next time....

Monday

Morning!
So....a few things...

1) Thank you so much to all of you for your supportive words for Justin.  It makes his race wounds not hurt so bad.....well, not really...but you know what I mean.  He is always appreciative of the support!

2) Justin did so well for his first Full Ironman, and let me just say that he did it on 2 weeks of training...literally.  We don't recommend that method...but it just kind of worked out that way for him.  Participating in an Ironman race is not inexpensive, but the HITS Triathlon Series is trying to make them more accessible to people who are on a budget....like us.  The race staff was amazing, and so helpful.

3) Here is my workout for the day.  Your butt will thank you later, if you choose to follow along.



4) LOVING this project idea...

5) We are off to the Library!

XOXO

Target Tablecloth

We all know Target has great clearance prices, and I can tell you SO many things I get there are from the clearance isles.  It is something I check every time I am there, because you just never know what you might find!  Here is a video about how I recently have used my Target Clearance purchase to make two large pillow covers, for $5.38.


In other breaking news....
the kids wanted me to upload the photos from their "kid cameras" from their Nana they had been playing with a lot over the holiday break, and it was hilarious to see what we found!
We had not downloaded any of the pictures from Paige's since the summertime, and River had only had his since Christmas, so there weren't as many, but he did take a few videos.  Funny to see the world through their lens. 
Here is a sampling!

Hope you had a great weekend!
Trying to sort out housework after enjoying the long weekend....
Hello Laundry!
xo

#250

250 posts deserves something....
so imagine me doing a cheer...
Gimmie a 2----2!
Gimmie a 5---5!
Gimmie a 0---0!

Can you tell I wasn't a cheerleader??

Anyway, I kind of can't believe I have posted that many things...
Or also that I haven't posted more...because you know I have
LOTS to say....
BUT, I am just happy you guys are still coming back to see what I'm blogging!
THANK YOU!!!
Here's to many many more posts!

So, in the spirit of milestones, I wanted to share an idea with you...
I love the idea of scrap-booking...but not necessarily the time it takes
to plan out a page, or the cost involved to make your ideas a reality.
I do however like the idea of time-capsuling....if you will.

I have a few journals/time-capsules/notebooks where I collect things and keep them safe.
I have been Journal-ing  for a very long time...
and kind of die when I read what was on my mind back in 1996
But, I am so glad I have that to read and see how I handled certain situations in my life...
Like when I found out my parents were divorcing....

Like when my heart was broken over a relationship....
or when I saw a rainbow...

I wrote it down
So I would remember.

And journal-ing  doesn't have to be so serious either.
I do it now to remember, but also
so I can show the kids when they are teenyboppers...
-what was "IN"
-what was "FASHION"
So I can FEEL like I am supermom...
although the kids baby books are half filled-out
and they are 6 and 4years old!

So, here goes....

This is MY time-capsule where I paste/tape/attach things that I love...

magazine clippings
quotes
recipes
pictures
dreams
etc.

Here is a book where I keep my favorite Kid-Art....
It is hard to choose since it is a daily thing around here and at school, but I just can't keep everything.
And this is my compromise for now.
It is a book that has clear plastic sleeves instead of pages, so I just slip them in, and can put more than one in each slot...
win-win!

And here is a journal I started for Paige before she was even born.

I felt like there were going to be so many things I wanted to tell her along the way, and if I could just write them down somewhere a few times a year, then I would feel at peace if something were to happen to me....or her Dad.....
MORBID, I know.....
And, she is tough when it comes having serious chats now, and I know things will only get tougher as she gets older....so I figured if she could see how much her Dad and I  loved her and wanted her to know THINGS...and she could read them when she was older then maybe....just maybe it would be a tool to help her.
Justin has also written Paige and River "Just-In-Case" letters so that they would KNOW he thought the world of them and wants them to know how much he loves them, etc.
Maybe it's the military life that makes us think this way, or maybe it was reading The Last Lecture...
whatever the reason, I believe in capturing the moment and putting it in some kind of time-capsule
for you
for your kids.

So get out the scissors and glue and get to it!
XO 

How do you keep track, write down, and remember??

Goodwill Goods

I made a stop at the Goodwill yesterday, with some time to kill
and I found some great things!!
If you have a Goodwill in your area, you should check them out (more than once), because there could be some treasures waiting there for you...
and they could be the color of the day!
In my case, nothing was the color of the day...the elusive yellow tag was nowhere to be seen!
But, you can't beat $0.99 for books, $1.99 for kids jeans, $3.99 for tops and $5.99 for dresses. 

I apologize for the quality of this video....I am on the old camera today and it starts getting really choppy later in the video, so hang in there if you want to see what I found!
Have a great Friday!

Hey 2013!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Here's a little intro into what I am thinking about for this year on this blog!
I hope everyone had a great New Year, and has mentally started fresh for 2013. 
Let's get our goals clarified, and start putting our plans in to action.
Talk to you soon!!

Signing Off....til' 2013

Keeping it brief....

I still don't have much to say that I think can adequately express my feelings surrounding the recent events in CT, so I won't even go there.  I am holding my children tight, cherishing EVERY moment, and making this holiday so much more for them, and for Justin and I.  We will hunker down, and watch movies, play games, snuggle, craft, and enjoy a few fireside nights together.  

We are beyond thankful for this life we have together, and feel immensely blessed to be supported by loving family and friends, wherever we may be.  Our children have amazing teachers who we are certain could not be any more perfect, and we are thankful for the job Justin has that provides for our family.  

This picture was taken on our way to River's Nativity Pageant yesterday by the paparazzi (Justin).

We were moved to tears as one boy in River's class was reunited with his Father, who had just returned home from Afghanistan, and surprised everyone.  What an amazing thing to behold! 

I am truly moved by the sacrifices that our military families make, and am honored to be among them.  Another amazing sight was our little man, dressed as a donkey in the manger scene, singing his heart out and hands-down the loudest voice in the group.  We giggled when we realized that kid who was BELTING out "Away In A Manger" was ours.  What a gift!

Merry Christmas Hot Mommys.

I love you.

XO, A

DIY- TOMS transformation

So, I have these shoes....
(remember these from the 30/30)
that I NEVER wear,
and they get dirty sooooo easily,
and they don't clean well because of the color...
and I just can't bear to donate them....
plus nobody would want them anyway,

SO, I decided to DIY these suckers
into something a little different.
Not too too different,
just a minor facelift.
An Navy TOMS are much more easily inserted into
a summer wardrobe.
White t-shirt, cutoffs, and these....
yes please.


BEFORE:

And I just went for it.
No taping, no prep.
Just carefully and slowly started painting.


This is the size brush I opted for
but any will do.

And the paint I used was Tulip brand, SOFT fabric paint.
The SOFT part is important so it doesn't dry stiff, like regular paint would.

Yellow vs. Navy

I'm happy with my kamikaze DIY.
You never know how these things are going to turn out,
but a little paint can go a long way!
If I grow tired of these, I can always add polka dots
or stripes to them using the same Tulip Soft fabric paint
to extend their life yet again.

Happy painting!