Big Orange Pumpkin Patch

We went to the Big Orange Pumpkin Patch in Celina today! The kids were so excited to get to pick out some pumpkins and pet the animals. We actually got some pretty good pictures, seeing as it's hard to get them to look in the same direction at the same time. Can't wait to carve those pumpkins!

Nolen Cemetery

Nolen Cemetery

Our resident spider

Spider! Spider! Spider!

The project forewoman

Our cemetery is up for business, or would that be down?! The kids thought it was so much fun playing with the buzzards and spider. Of course they thought since we were decorating we must be carving pumpkins, too....right?! Unfortunately we didn't have the pumpkins yet, so that was a no go. They are so proud of their yard decorations though!

Camping in Cooper

Enjoying the campfire on our back porch














Checking out the scenery with her new binoculars














Evidence of the resident raccoon that lived under our cabin













Seriously????? I brought enough of those bad boys home on my ankles, I don't think I'm going to go back for the party. Thanks though!















The log house headstone. JP is scowling because he really wanted to stomp all the fireants that called this their home!





Last week we took a short camping trip to Cooper State Park. We stayed in a cabin in the park that was one of the nicest we've stayed in. I say one of the nicest because the air conditioner wasn't working, which would have been nice to have given the rain and humidity while we were there. The lake was 4' above normal, so the fish weren't biting and we couldn't get one of the letterboxes we wanted because the trail was under water. We were able to get 4 other letterboxes that were great. One was in Tira Cemetery and the clue stated to go through the gate and look to your right for an unusual headstone. It was a little log house! Complete with windows, a door, a chimney, and a little metal roof. Definitely one of the most unusual I've seen! We drove through the town of Cooper on our way to a letterbox and came across a banner for their local celebration. The Delta County Chigger Fest! If your county is so bored it chooses the chigger to celebrate in a festival, you might be a redneck! hahahaha

The Great Adventure in Letterboxing

Jacob with the letterbox he found. He's so proud!















Roger retrieving a letterbox out of the hollow in a cedar tree in McLarry Cemetery
















Our signature stamps. Roger is the Firefighter Skeleton, Julia is the purse, JP is the bee, and I am the owl on a branch












Julia stamping her signature stamp into a logbook









We have picked up a new family hobby! We really needed one since archery, fishing, hunting, digiscrap, and sidewalk chalk artistry really wasn't filling all of our free time! The new hobby is letterboxing and we are having a blast! It is a lot like a big scavenger hunt with the prize being a stamped image. You go to a website to get clues on where to find the box. Once you find the box, it contains a handmade rubber stamp and a log book. You stamp their image into your own personal log book that you carry with you, and you use your "signature stamp" that you also carry to put your image into their log book to show you've been there. We've already collected several in the McKinney area, and also some from around Cooper where we went camping recently. The kids always look forward to going on their "adventures" to look for "treasures"!











To learn more about our hobby check out http://www.atlasquest.com/ and www. letterboxing.org

Playing Tonto

JP finally quit sucking his thumb at night!!!! So bribing does work, and we used it to accomplish this monumental task. He said he wanted a bow, so a bow it was. Of course we had to get two and they have a blast shooting arrows like Daddy. Roger let me borrow his bow for a little practice in the backyard, too. Playing Tonto is pretty fun!

Oktoberfest 2009

We took the kids to McKinney's Oktoberfest and they had a blast. Julia was so excited to see the parade, and all JP could talk about was getting his face painted. They had a weiner-dog race and a "wanna be weiner-dog race", so there were dogs just like Leroy everywhere! The weather was warm and sunny, and the beer cold and dark. Just the way we like it!

Beavers Bend

Roger trying to catch some trout. Sorry Honey, I think JP caught them all before you got your hook wet!

The catch of the day!

The crawdaddy that pinched Roger's finger so hard I had to get the plyers to get him off. That little bugger should have gone in a pot and cooked!!

Julia telling Jacob "You have to be very quiet so you don't scare the fishies and they run away!"

The most beautiful place on Earth. The Mountain Fork River in Oklahoma

Roger took a trip to Beavers Bend recently to do some fly fishing with a friend. He left on Tuesday morning and the kids and I left to meet him up there Wednesday afternoon. I rained from the time we left Frisco till we went to bed that night in Oklahoma. It was the first long car ride the twins have taken and they did AWESOME! Roger and I took the kids fishing Thursday morning and JP was the lucky little fisherman. He caught five trout and we took three of them home. When Roger was cleaning the fish Julia was telling them "It's OK fishie, it won't hurt"! The best part is that everytime we have a long rain storm the kids want to "go to Daddy's cabin and sleep!" Fun memories!

Just Tubein'

What's taking you so long, Daddy??

Taking it easy with the little man

Our friends Jeff and Julie invited us to go boating with them this past Sunday. It was the first time the kids have been on a boat, and they had a blast. JP giggled like a madman when he put his hand in the wake beside the boat. When we put the tube in the water, Julia was dying to get in the water. JP....not so much. He would have climbed on top of Roger's head had he gotten a foothold. We docked for a picnic lunch and headed home in the early afternoon. Definately a great time had by all and we hope to go again soon.

They call me The Fireman

We went to the Fire Expo at Dallas Convention Center this past weekend. They had several antique fire engines on display. One of the exhibitors was nice enough to let the kids get in the seat and let JP crank the siren. Definately the highlight of the day for our little fireman!

We were coming home from a dinner out and I took off my shoe and put it on the window to enjoy the breeze. I looked in the side mirror and saw that Julia had done the same. Like Mommy, like Daughter. Little sweetie!

The Zoo

Daddy and the little gophers in the Gopher Dome












It's Spider Boy!!














Ever had a bird on your head?
















Ride'em kangaroo-girl!
















All Aboard!










Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa, the kids got to go their first trip to the zoo. The kids have become interested in trains, so we thought we'd ride the DART train to the zoo since it drops you off at the door now. When we got there, our first stop was the aviary. We bought some seed-on-a-stick for the kids to feed the birds. As soon as we walked in one of the birds landed on Julia's head. She didn't know it was there at first, but soon realized it and WAS NOT HAVING IT! She was sooo upset the bird was on her head, but now she tells us the story and laughs about it. There was also a great play area that has a wading creek and playground. JP thought it was fun to pretend to be a spider on the big rope web. Now that it's cooled off, we're going to make a couple more trips there this year. Fun times!

The Little Mommy

Julia has finally become interested in dolls, and she is such a good Mommy! On this night she told me that her baby was going to sleep with her so she could take care of her if she got scared. She also keeps telling me that when she goes to heaven she wants to help Jesus take care of all the little babies. Aaawwwwww!

4th of July

The coolest kids at the parade!













A little pre-fireworks kettle corn



















Playing with his light bracelets. He decided to piece them together to make a rope and twirl it around. Definately all boy!












Up close and personal with a hot air balloon. The owner let the kids get up close and touch it.











There's a new sheriff in town!










McKinney's annual 4th of July celebration is called Red, White, and Boom. They have a hometown parade and car show in the morning, ice cream crank off around noon, and a party and fireworks in the evening. The kids have such a great time and talk about it until something bigger and better comes along...like Christmas!

"A" is for Alligator

The kids really enjoy craft time and I found a website (http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/) that has great ideas for easy crafts to help with letters and phonics. Of course the best part was putting on the googly eyes. The little things in life that bring so much fun....paper, glue, and googly eyes!

Play Ball!

That was a bad call, Ump!!!

Roger was able to get some free tickets to the Rough Riders minor league baseball game in Frisco. It was an evening game, so we dined on hot dogs and saw spectacular fireworks for the encore. The kids had a great time and did a lot better than we thought they would, having to be in seats that long. The good thing about the Rough Riders is that it is a small stadium where every seat is close to the action, and there is always something going on around you. They are asking to go back, so it looks like this might be a steady thing we treat them with. Summer Fun!