Summer Dinners

We've been eating dinner outside often this summer. It's great because we typically have been cooped up avoiding the Texas heat all afternoon. I love these summer evenings. 

You may notice we're eating bacon for dinner here. I had a sudden huge craving for BLT salad that night. Salad with bacon, tomatoes, cheese, and ranch dressing. Lexa was game. I remember when bacon was her favorite food as a toddler. She'll tell you her favorites are pickles and spaghetti these days. 

Let's go swimming!

There's a swimming pool here at the ranch. It's over next to the house and patio where the hunters stay. Mario, the ranch hand, told us it was ready, so we headed right over to check it out. We brought some drinks, music and pool noodles and spent all afternoon there. The kids never tire of swimming. Lexa dived for rings for the first time. (She begged me for some at the store.) she was too scared to dive for them at her swim lessons. Once I told her she didn't have to try to let herself just sink down to the bottom for them, but actually swim down to them, she had no more problems, and she dived for them many , many times.

Lexa also said she's loves to float because  "it's just so peaceful."

Friday at the River

Sitting in the Frio River, holding Hugh, as he splashes at the water with his hands and tries to grab rocks and sticks that float by, I try to surround him with big rocks, too big to choke on, watching the kids swim in the river, they could swim here all day it seems, I look up and see this view and think how beautiful it is and I should really take a picture.

Lexa snorkeled. Timmy caught a crayfish. They played with some kids from school who were there, ate some snacks, Hugh took some naps.

Garner

I loaded up all the kids and took them on an adventure to Garner State Park last weekend. They did some swimming. They were excited to find and catch some tadpoles.

The ranger had a talk about wildlife in the park. Timmy was FULL of animal facts to tell her. He was so engaged. It was awesome.

Photo booth fun 

Timmy found a kind of caterpillar he said he'd never seen before.

He told me to take a picture of him on the rock he said looked like a throne.

They took a wrong turn on our hike and climbed up there. Lexa helped Will back down.

That's Old Baldy in the background.

We were way up high at the top of the hill. We started at ground level! I didn't realize what a rocky climb the trail would turn out to be at the start. We made it though, even with Hugh riding along in the baby sling.

It was so pretty, so worth the climb.

This was the crystal cave trail. It was a really cool little cave. Timmy found some cave spiders (daddy long legs) he enjoyed.

I forgot to actually take a picture of crystal cave. Here's some from google.

Swim lessons

The kids just finished their swim lessons for the summer. Timmy and Lexa finished up last week, and Will kept going for a 2nd week since he was a complete beginner. Timmy and Lexa loved it. Timmy and Lexa worked on their breathing and taking breaths and improved his underwater swimming and floating. Timmy enjoyed diving for rings, but Lexa was still scared to. She was excited to be swimming around in the deep end. Their teacher said Lexa did amazing and Timmy did great too, although he came into it thinking he could do more than he really could do well. I feel better about them being better swimmers now. They all can't wait to go to Grandmom and Granddad's and show off what they learned in their pool.

Will was so scared of the water. It was like trying to wash his hair. (screaming and tears.) He didn't want to go back again because he didn't want to put his head under water. The teacher was really good with him though and would let him start out just sitting with his feet in the water, helping to throw the diving rings out, then she'd hold him a little while, and by the end of the lesson he'd be doing everything right along with everyone else. During his second week of lessons he'd start talking himself up before the lesson telling me he didn't think he'd have to go underwater this time. But he did it! By the end of the lessons I was so impressed. He came so far from where he started, swimming underwater and floating. (which he also hated with a passion.)

Lexa loved watching Will at his lessons, and cheering him on. She would run and tell me every time he tried swimming underwater, so excited and proud of him.

Here's the video clips I took of him on his last day.

River Summer

I'm looking forward to spending so much time at the rivers with the kids this summer.

 For the longest time we didn't realize that this Sabinal River crossing was literally 1 mile down the road from our house. We just never had a reason to drive south instead of north.

There's usually not much water there, but after all the rain and storms of the past week it was deep and moving fast!

 Hugh and Will in the shallows

 Patrick piggybacked each of the kids across some deeper faster water to a little rock island where they played in the water in the shade.

An interesting plant Timmy gave me while I held Hugh and watched them play

My view of the most adorable little feet in my lap

Lexa enjoyed banging these two rocks together

Water Balloon Fight!

 Timmy wanted to have a water balloon fight. I found these balloon left over from the last birthday party. Lexa was hoping she wouldn't get wet. Ha! She and Will kept staying up on the "safe" porch, so I helped them out to get Timmy. Afterwards Will and Lexa were really helpful running around the yard gathering the broken balloons. I told Will it was a game like picking up Easter eggs. Then we left the bowl of broken balloons on the patio and the winds picked up ahead of the storm coming and blew them back all over the yard..

Frio River Trip

On our way

We got to go on a family vacation to the Frio River with my parents and sister this summer. It was beautiful and fun! The kids loved swimming, roasting marshmellows, and Timmy had a blast catching minnows for a little fish tank that my dad brought. 

Timmy caught a tiny crayfish.

We walked down to look at the water after first arriving. The kids climbed right in, clothes and all.

They put up an new ugly theme park slide at Neals lodges. Timmy went down it once. I think he was a little scared. 

taught Timmy how to play war card game

tie dying shirts. did I cover them up enough?

There were some goats and sheep there. They fed them many times.

Lexa helps to make tacos

Granddad reads Timmy Percy Jackson

Garner State Park dance