Family Time at the Lake with the Bluebonnets

The bluebonnets were out this spring but our usual spot by Grapevine Lake didn't have many blooms.  The ground seemed extra muddy so maybe there was just too much rain.  But we still had a nice time going out and exploring the area and taking pictures.

Rachel found this dead tree to sit on and asked us to take this picture.  She is developing a good eye for setting up pictures.

Of course, a little play is always fun too.

We found a few patches of bluebonnets.  The kids stayed still and posed for us for a little while.  This is probably the biggest patch of flowers that we found.  We were also a little late in getting out here so there were probably more flowers a week or two ago.  

I can't believe how quickly these sweet kid are growing up.  I try to cherish the time with them but it still seems to just slip right through my hands.

This guy especially is getting too big!  I blinked for a moment and he now he will be starting eighth grade next year. How did that happen?

These two are so precious to me.  What a blessing it is to be their mom and to watch them grow and learn new and exciting things each day.  

Aww!  I was just going to pose with him and he surprised me with a kiss on the cheek!  What a sweet boy!

Stuart handed over the camera to one of our budding photographers so we could get a picture together.

We rarely get pictures of the two of us together.  This is shadowy and we were wind-blown but I love any picture with my sweet hubby.

Our kids are always discovering neat things in nature.  I never know what they will find but I love how they show each other their finds and they try to help each other identify them.

Nicholas found a little caterpillar.

I even found a pretty butterfly.

It's always fun to just explore around here.

My boy loves sticks so he is often carrying one around when we are outside.  This is the mack daddy of all sticks though.  Look how gnarly it is.  He was using it as a magical staff to shoot laser beams at things.

I love how there are still glimpses of a little boy in him.

Look how tall Nicholas is getting!  It won't be long before he is as tall as Stuart!

This little one is a sweet heart and she loves to give kisses.

She loves her Daddy.

Of course we can't go to the lake without Rachel bringing home some cool rocks and fossils.  She gathered them up in her dress to carry them back to the car.  She was a little sad when we made her go through her bounty and limit it to her three most favorite treasures to take home.

On the way to the car, Rachel fell and got hurt.  Big brother scooped in and saved the day by giving her a piggy back ride to the car.

Seize the Day: Make a Bucket List

Do you have a Bucket List?  You know, a is a list of things you'd like to do before you "kick the bucket". 

A Bucket List is more than just some ideas in your head or thoughts like, "Hey that would be cool to do some day".  The idea of a Bucket List is to actually have a written list of things you'd like to do before you die.  You have to write them down so that you constantly see them before you and therefore (hopefully) you are more likely to actually take steps towards accomplishing some of those amazing things you'd like to do with your life.

A Bucket List is a way to help remind you to live life to the fullest or "Seize the Day".  The dearly beloved Robin Williams explains this so well in this video clip from the movie Dead Poet's Society:



So what goes on a Bucket List?  Think of places you'd like to travel, meet a famous person, learn a new language, accomplish a goal in your current sport or hobby, or take on a new activity.  Anything that you've ever thought would be a cool thing to do should go on your Bucket List.

Last week I was inspired by a friend of mine who wrote down her own Bucket List.  I decided to actually write down my list and at first I couldn't come up with anything at all.  I feel very blessed in my life and typically don't want for much.  But once I started brainstorming a few ideas, the list just kept growing.  I imagine a Bucket List is a living list that will grow and change as I move through this life.  For now, here's the list I scribbled down as the ideas came to me so they are in no particular order.

My Bucket List (2014)

1. Watch my two children get baptized.
2. Visit all 50 states.
3. Learn how to sew. - completed at a basic level, always more to learn
4. Homeschool my children through graduation. - in progress
5. Learn how to use power tools.
6. Pass the ham radio Technician exam. - completed Sept 2014
7. Get my Concealed Handgun License. -  completed October 2014
8. Get down to a size 10. 
9. Go on a second honeymoon.
10. Raise chickens. - completed 2017
11. Write and publish a book.
12. Learn how to can food. - completed but still more to learn
13. Drive Route 66.
14. Grow a garden that actually feeds my family.
15. Make a significant impact in the life of a child outside our home.
16. Own some Sacred Frankincense (Boswellia sacra) essential oil. - completed 
17. Go on a mission trip.
18. Join the Daughters of the American Revolution.
19. Complete my genealogy research on all of my ancestral lines back to when their family first arrived in America.
20. Find the parents of Thomas Owen, born: 19 November 1809 in either Georgia or South Carolina; married Nancy Weldon on 29 November 1840 in Pike County, Georgia; died: 24 September 1876 in Three Creeks, Union County, Arkansas.
21. Make a bowl on a pottery wheel.
22. Have a library in my house. - completed
23. Take the kids on an off road trail in Bluebell (our Jeep).
24. Learn how to clean my gun.
25. Make something cool on a lathe.
26. Take a cruise.
27. Hike in the Grand Canyon.
28. Learn American Sign Language.
29. Learn how to read Braiile.
30. Take piano lessons (again).
31. Visit the Holy Lands.
32. Take a family trip with my family including my parents and brother.
33. Invent and patent a great product.
34. Win more than $100 in a lottery.
35. Read all the books on my shelves.
36. Spend a day just sketching with a sketch pad, pencils, and maybe charcoal.
37. Start up my soap making business again.
38. Take painting classes.
39. Be debt free.
40. Read the entire Bible from cover to cover.
41. Compete in an archery tournament.
42. Play with my kids at Disneyworld.
43. Learn about different kinds of wine.
44. Visit early American landmarks like Plymouth Rock, Independence Hall, and all the historic sites in Washington D.C. with my family
45. Go to a play or symphony performance with my mom
46. Go to an LSU game with my Dad - completed

Life on this Earth is brief and we need to make the most of the time that God has blessed us with.  There is a quote from the movie Braveheart that always speaks to me..."Every man dies...not every man truly lives".

Now grab a pen and some paper and start writing your own Bucket List!

18 Years of Love and Happiness

Stuart and I are celebrating our 18 year anniversary today.  

It may not be the dreamiest of anniversaries since we have spent it buying a new alternator for the van, painting the interior of the house while all of the furniture is still out, and of course, we are working on 3 weeks of living out of suitcases in a hotel.

But we have had a blessed life and wouldn't change a thing...well, not much at least.

We met in 1991 while we were both going to LSU.   We were first introduced to each other at a college bar called Ernie's through mutual friends we were hanging out with that night.  

Stuart was working to pay for his college and his only transportation was his motorcycle.

He was smart, cute, ambitious, and very charming.  But as I got to know him I realized that he was also kind, genuine, and honest.  And he also had some other great characteristics like ambition and a desire to learn, and an interest in building and fixing things himself.  Yes ladies, he is a total package.  After we had been dating for a while, I recall a special night when I was visiting him at work.  I was just sitting to the side waiting for him to finish up his work and I really watched him and thought about whether this was The One.  I remember thinking about all of the great qualities that he had and of course how cute he was.  I knew at that moment that I wanted to marry him and spend the rest of my life with him.

Fast forward 5 years when we gathered with our friends and family to say "I Do" on May 25, 1996. 

What a beautiful day that was!  We were so busy loving on our friends and family that had come to celebrate our special day that I don't think we ever had time to actually eat the cake or food at the reception.  But there is this picture of us cutting the cake!

About a week before the wedding we had learned that the company Stuart was working for was downsizing and that he would no longer be employed.  We had already planned our honeymoon to Hawaii and were committed to paying for it so we kept our plans and had a great time.  We relaxed, enjoyed some scuba diving, a helicopter ride, a trip up a volcano, and lots of boat rides (that explains the wind blown hair!)

As a special treat, we even rented a Ferrari to drive around for a day.  I think this may be one of Stuart's favorite memories from the trip!

God is good and we came back from our trip with a great job lined up for Stuart in Houston.  We had already talked about where we wanted to settle down and had decided on Dallas but Houston would be good to get us half way there.

My dad took these pictures the day we were leaving on a road trip to Houston to look for an apartment to live in.  

We lived in Houston for just two years and then Stuart had a great opportunity to transfer up to Arlington with his company.  Yay!  We made it to the Dallas area!  A few years later he transferred to another job that brought him to Plano and we bought our first house in 2001.

Since we are currently doing major repairs in our kitchen, I thought it would be fun to show how the previous owners had decorated their kitchen.  It was totally pink!!

I painted the walls two different colors over the years since then.  Stuart replaced the pink counter tops many years ago.  But I can't wait to show you what the new kitchen will look like when it is all done!

Ok, I'm supposed to be painting downstairs so I've got to fast forward a little more.

In 2004, God blessed us with our precious son Nicholas.

He was specially chosen for us by God to show us the joy in all the simple things in life.  He is full of wonder and happiness and even the mundane can be an exciting adventure for him.

We had hoped to have another child about 2 years later but God's plan was so much better.  In 2008, we had our sweet little Rachel.

She is quiet and shy like me.  She loves to cuddle and she loves to sit in our laps just to be a little closer to us.  She is such a sweetheart.

Now it is 2014.  We've been married for 18 years today.  Our lives are full and overflowing with blessings.  It has been hard and challenging at times.  But God has had His hand in our lives from the beginning and it has been better than I could have ever imagined.  I love our little family and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us in the years to come.