camping - colorado bend state park

We went camping over mother's day weekend at a state park here in Texas. It was about 2 1/2 hours from our home. It was beautiful there. Probably the most beautiful of any of the state parks we've been to here. The camp spot we picked was great. Big, roomy, and it also had a big rock wall behind it. There was a spring to swim in. It was a 1/2 mile walk to get to it and the trial was gorgeous. I really enjoyed that walk every day. Watching my boys run down the trail to the spring was magical. But all that beauty came at a price. There were no showers. No sinks to wash up. Just a port-o-potty. That's right... we were roughing it. And I wasn't sure I could be a good sport at first. But I pulled it off and ended up really liking it there. We enjoyed a camp fire each night and told "spooky-ooky" stories in the tent before bed. And each night before we would fall asleep we would hear little critters outside our tent and try spotlighting them from inside... racoons, and armadillo's... it was a little crazy. Aaron put up a rope swing in one of the trees at our site for the boys and that was amazing. Dallon and Dawson loved it. Easton wasn't a big fan. Easton did love camping though. Being out side all day was a dream for him. The boys spent all of the time at the spring trying to catch a fish with their bare hands. The first day they had no luck. Aaron even tried to discourage them and made Dallon think it was impossible. Dallon left the spring that day determined to prove his dad wrong. He and Dawson headed back to the spring the next day with large ziploc bags determined as ever. Dallon caught a fish that day with his ziploc bag! It was one of those great moments of pure joy. He was so happy. My boys were so thoughtful and had hauled their mothers day presents for me all the way to the campground. So I was spoiled rotten with lots of beautiful pictures and thoughtful presents that morning. It was a great mothers day weekend.

sprinkler fun

It's already really hot here! There have been several days of jumping on the trampoline with the sprinkler under it. And a couple days of sprinkler fun. We got a sprinkler system put in last summer and they don't get to use it that often but when they do it's a huge hit! Dallon had so much fun outside running through the sprinklers. I love that he still enjoys that so much and has so a good time doing things like this with his brothers. He is an amazing big brother. And I loved watching him this day... the way he was soaking up all the fun... and the way he taught his brothers how to have a good time too.

First Grade Parade

The first graders get to participate in a parade and they each get to make their own float. They come up with an idea of how they want to decorate them and they make them at home with their families. They do not bring them back to school until the day of the parade so each idea is original. Dawson came up with the idea of a star wars float... since he is totally into star wars right now. Dallon had the idea for them to make the x-wing for the top. Dad helped with that. It was my idea to teach the kids to do all that fun black and red stuff with crate paper on the sides. They loved doing that so much - it's very time consuming. It entertained the two of them for 4 hours one night. It was one of those really good brother moments. Where they worked on the float together... having fun... no fighting. It was so refreshing. Dawson's float turned out awesome. We all went to the parade to watch him. He looked so cute in all the things they had made at school to wear.