The Costumes - 2022

Gumball machine with a sassy red lipstick

Parisian Artiste!

Understated Donetello, so as to dress up in school without getting caught. genuis. 

The shabby pirate. Possibly the cutest in the history of the high seas. 

I'll never get sick of this!

 

A bit of carving

 Some years we love a good carving party. 

Some years we're lucky to snag a couple pumpkins on the way home from the gym and get them on the porch. 

But we did it, by dang.  I am not a bad mom...I am not a bad mom.. I am not....

Sweet heaven, I'm tired. 

The end is near

Megan has loved marching band. 

And the season is coming to an end. Its bittersweet...mostly bitter.  I think she'd be happy to participate in a front ensemble of some type for the rest of her life. 

Tonight was her Lights Out show....they play the entire piece in the dark, from memory!

Check it out...I spy a cute clarinetist in the stands!

My days of crying at football games aren't over!

Pack it up

 Is it even October if you aren't rushing home from camping to make it to a marching band festival?

Wallace Highlights

You know I love going to Wallace. I love the cool weather and I love hanging out with my kids and cooking and building all the fire. 

This year was just like all the years. 

With a few notable exceptions. Let's hit the highlights!

We have a tent heater and it is FABulous. It does require that I get up about every 3 hours to fire it up and then lay there in fear that I might fall asleep and kill us all in a fiery blaze, but it's so worth it. 

Camping with daughters. It's a glamorous undertaking. 

The Guenther's surprised us by driving up from Texas! 

The three amigos are reunited! Everywhere I turned, they were huddles somewhere catching each other up on their relationships. 

The kids hours and hours at the clay wall. Either chipping away at it to make a place to sit or hauling back big chunks to put in my one good cooking pot and turn into a huge mess on the concrete slab under our picnic table. I love it. 

I took the time to precariously load myself into a hammock with a pillow and blanket and had a wonderful snooze. 

Feeling cute in my hobby lobby beanie. 

And putting my new camping cast iron to the test. 

Verdict: LOVE. 

Until we meet again, Wallace. MWAH!

Homecoming for Laney

 Wouldn't you know it? 

I missed Laney's homecoming while I was away on the girls trip. 

I can't win for losin. 

But doesn't Laney look like a million bucks? And she agreed to send me some pictures so I wouldn't miss out totally. 

I am so glad that these kids get together and go to the dances in these friend groups. I think it's so fun! I wish my generation had done more of this. 

Girls Getaway

 Mari moved to Texas and we miss her.  What better way to reconnect than a tiny little cabin in Missouri?

We cooked and talked and walked and went on adventures to the cheese store. 

I forgot my reading glasses back at home. Luckily I found some skinny little Amish ones at the shops. 

Girls Camp 2022: Day 3

Girls Camp: Day 3

We went for a trail ride on one of the hottest days of the summer. Still totally awesome. 

 

We stopped at the Short Stop for those famous ice cream cones. But for the second time this weekend, we were robbed of the experience. Ice cream machines broken just as we got to the front of the line. 

There were lots of votes on what we should do instead, so we ended up going over to Eureka Springs for a little window shopping and a visit to the Thorncrown Chapel.

It was brutally hot and we were wiped out from camping and horses and travel. But my kids were pretty excited about this artsy town. Megan made plans to move into the community as soon as she can. 

Finally back at camp, we settled into finishing up crafts, enjoying nature and making a yummy dinner. 

One of my favorite things about being with these girls at camp is seeing what they do when they have time to just be bored. They never disappoint. 

Our final devotional. I love the glowy string light at night. 

Group hugs!

Our lovely girls after packing up the next morning. We were up bright and early to beat the heat!

We learned alot and grew a strong bond. I was so grateful for the way my daughters stepped up for me and for Mark overcoming his strong aversion to camping and heat and sleeping in a tent to come and support me when I needed him. 

And when it was all said and done, I think these girls had a great time and they learned that even when the ice cream machine breaks, you can press on and go find ice cream at the Redneck waterslide.