Family Pictures, 2011. Now with words and stuff.

Last night I started to post these pictures and then got slammed with a rather intense wave of sleepiness so I thought I deleted the post to try again today. I was clearly wrong because the pictures were here all day. Anyway, here are family pictures! Crystal and I dressed up both our families in their best garb and headed out on a particularly windy cold day. Despite some technical difficulties on my part and struggling to find the perfect light, we got some great ones!

I love this one. :)

a weekend of instagrams

 Last weekend I went home. Home. Just the sound of that word calms my soul. It was such a wonderful weekend. Relaxing, easy, fun, simple. I have a rather serious addiction to Instagram and thought I'd share the weekend through the camera on my iPhone.

The drive from San Angelo to Marble Falls goes from flat cottonfields and farmland to rolling hills and sparkling lakes. Every time I make this drive I fall a little bit more in love with Texas.

Love the leg sticking out over the edge of his carseat.

We were greeted with hugs and smiles and mom's blue ribbon winning white bread.

Mom also made her cornbread the next night. It was the side for Nona's Sausage soup. My cornbread never tastes as good as mom's. I use the exact same recipe! What's that about?

Playing Chinese Checkers is a must when I go home. Mason's getting really good, but as you can tell from their forlorn expressions, even teaming up against me is futile. I am undefeated.

Mason made an origami Yoda. He's reading a new book about an Origami Yoda.

Amber brought these little pieces of heaven over. Sweet Potatote cupcakes with browned marshmallow frosting. Um, I ate like, nine of them.

Lucy. She poses well.

On Sunday, we went on an "abenture" as Grant called it. We drove to this very dried up portion of the Colorado River. There was a beautiful hill overlooking the river/creek bed that was shaded by towering pecan trees. We walked down to the water and collected rocks, waded in the water, and soaked in the perfect fall day. It was so completely...peaceful there. I know it was just a day splashing in a creekbed, but it was perfect. I am so thankful for that day. It was...everything I've been needing these last few months.

We stopped at Inman's BBQ on our way out of town so we would have a picnic lunch. I cannot adequately express my love for this place.

There's just something about little boys with their jeans rolled up.

We rock collected. I have such a strange fascination with rocks.

Skippin' rocks.

When Grant saw the river bed, he said, "Look mom! It's a desert!" Texas sure needs some rain...

And then eventually...we had to leave. And while they're all smiles here, Grant said it best when, as we were driving down the last corner of Mom and Don's little neighborhood, he says, "I neber like leaving." 

 I love going home. More than I could ever ever express....

Thankful thought 3

I'm so very thankful for these two sweet cuddly boys.
Especially when they're clean and wearing matching robes. :)

Thankful thought 2

I'm thankful for fall. The howling winds that usher in that oh so wonderful chill in the air. The soups and stews, scarves and boots, coffee and cocoa...I'm so thankful for the magic of changing seasons!

Sent from my iPhone

Thankful Thought #1

I sat in front of the huge pile of dirty clothes. It was Sunday. Laundry day. Ugh. And thanks to the cooling temperatures, which I love, the dirty clothes are now bigger and thicker. The pile grows. And I felt it. I felt the grumbling, ugh, I don't wanna feelings rise up in me.
And then I thought about how...
at least I have a working washer and dryer.
a very large laundry room with room for sorting baskets and hanging racks for my clothes.
I have tiny little jeans and giant 3rd grader jeans to wash. I have shirts that say "DUDE!" and have Lightning Mcqueen on them. I have the cutest little underwears in the world in my laundry. Some people would do anything to have those kinds of things to wash.
I have work clothes to wash because I have a job.
I have my husband's work clothes to wash because he has a job.
I have laundry because I am incredibly incredibly blessed.
So, today, I am thankful for the laundry.

I'm also incredibly thankful for the fact that Mason can put away his own laundry. At least his clothes actually get put away every week. 
Now, I must go get dressed for work.
In the laundry room.