July...packed with lots of fun!

Kalyn and Sheldon went to Camp Bandina with the youth from our church this year.  It was the first time for both of them and they were so excited for weeks before they went.  They came back home tired, but full of stories to tell us about all the fun they had and new friends they made.  I am so grateful to God for allowing them to go and enjoy themselves!  Kalyn and Sheldon are already ready to go back next summer.

The group right before they left church for camp...excited!!

Abigail and Kalyn...ice breaker game

Sheldon was so glad his two buddies, Dawson and Mason, were in his cabin too!

What a face Sheldon!

Sheldon's cabin

Kalyn's cabin got the "pig" the very 1st day because their cabin was the dirtiest!!  HA!

KP duty!

Another game...

Kalyn beat all the boys, even Mason, in arm wrestling!

Tug-of-war!

Look at all that mud!

Sheldon's cabin

Kalyn's group did a skit

Youth from Murray Street church of Christ

At bonfire the last night of camp...such good friends!

Happy 4th of July!  Ricky, Ryder and I spent a few days at the ranch in Llano while the older kids were at camp.  Ryder had so much fun riding the tractor and gator, feeding the cows with Granden, visiting with Baby Kessler, and watching the fireworks.  Actually, he slept right through them!!  Thank you Oni and Granden for a fun time!!

Mommy and Ryder

Ryder Wayne sitting on Granden's tractor

Goin' for a ride with Daddy

Feedin' cows with Granden

Just chillin' on the tailgate with Oni

Whoa!

Ryder wanted to help Mommy feed Kessler Jo

Ryder Wayne and Kessler Jo--3rd cousins

Love my boy!

Waitin' for the firework show to start

Our 4th of July picture!

Llano River

Guys setting up for the show

Boom!

Wow!

Falling asleep

Happy 4th!

The weekend after the kids came home from camp, we went to Lake LBJ for a long weekend.  My parents rented a nice house on the lake for our family and my sister's family as well.  It was a wonderful place!  We had a pool right in the backyard and we could walk down to the lake to swim, kayak, and go on the boat.  My brother-in-law brought his dad's boat for us to have some tubing fun.  The first night there we cooked hamburgers then had a fish fry the next evening.  Mom and Daddy took us out for supper the last night we were there...it was great!  We also played a good old fashioned family volleyball game with the kids which was really, really fun.  Thank you mom and dad for a wonderful vacation on the lake and we love you!! (Sorry for the picture overload...there are just too many to choose from!)

view from our porch

Mom and Carie

The older kids' table

Ryder and Granden

Uncle Caleb about to take the kids on a boat ride

Carie and her youngest, Carrys

Mommy and Ryder

Such a cutie pie!

Havin' fun on the lake

view from the pool

Love you mom!!

Ryder and I went for a ride ...he loved it!

Kalyn and Sheldon did LOTS of kayaking!

Aunt Carie on the tube

and now me...

My oldest and youngest

Carie and Carrys on the tube...she did not like it one bit!

Kalyn's turn

Oni with the babies

View of the house/pool/dock from the boat

Sweet dreams!

My Daddy frying up the fish and french fries for supper...yum!!

Carie and I went on the tube together...it was FUN!

Oni and Ry just floatin'

Cambry wanted Kalyn to go on the tube with her

and now the boys...

Mommy and Kalyn!

The kiddos...what a sweet bunch!

Our family...so blessed!

We had just a few days to unpack and relax before we had to pack again for another trip.  Ricky and I decided we would take a trip to Arkansas with the kids this summer.  With Duck Dynasty being a big thing right now, we decided to take a longer route to Arkansas and go through Monroe, Lousiana.  Duck Commander was our destination and it was a really neat experience!  We got one of our books signed by Korie Robertson and then Willie Robertson came out and talked with the fans for a little while as he was leaving the building which was really cool.  Since it was Wednesday when we arrived we decided to go to White's Ferry Church of Christ that evening where the Robertsons attend.  Little did we know that many of them would actually be there!  We saw Jase and his family, Korie and Sadie, Godwin, Uncle Si, Phil and Miss Kay.  It was a neat experience to worship with them that evening.  The kids thought it was awesome that Uncle Si was sitting just two chairs over from us during the service...and they all say he sings LOUD!  At the end of the service, Phil baptized two young men which was a really neat thing to witness.  Afterwards we enjoyed chatting and taking pictures with Miss Kay, Si, and Alan.  It was by far the best part of our trip!!  The next day we drove to Oden, Arkansas and stayed in a cute cabin on the Ouachita River.  Our cabin was surrounded by tall trees and it actually felt like we were in a tree house!!  The boys really enjoyed some good fishing and Kalyn, Ryder and I did some wading in the river and had several good talks.  One day we went to Hot Springs to do some fun things with the kids.  We went to the alligator farm and the Mid-America Science Museum.  The alligator farm was one of the best I have ever been to and we all really enjoyed it.  The museum was interesting and the kids enjoyed it more than Ricky and I did!!  On our last full day in Arkansas, we did some sightseeing around the Oden area.  Arkansas is a pretty state, but definitely does not compare to beautiful Estes Park, CO!  I absolutely loved being with my husband and three kids just enjoying being together and making memories.  Now where to go next summer?!?!

On the road....watching a tractor video!

Only a few more hours to Monroe, LA!

West Monroe, LA...Duck Commander!!

Korie Robertson came out to visit with the fans and sign autographs

The kiddos

Look familiar?

Waiting to see if any of the Duckmen come out...

And here's Willie!!

We had to take a picture of us too!

Cool RV

Phil baptizing a young man into Christ

Uncle Si and Missy chatting

We got a picture with Uncle Si!

And Miss Kay too...she was so sweet!

 

Arkansas...and the speed limit really slows us down!

Finally at our destination in Oden, AR

We're in Cabin #9

"Gone Fishing" was the theme of our cabin

Our home for 4 days...

Surrounded by trees...very relaxing!

Taking a walk to check out the river

Precious Kalyn Leigh...growing up too fast!

The next morning the boys went fishing...

Ryder being extra sweet

Fishin'

My boys...love them!

Kalyn helping her brother bait his line

Their catch of the day...not too bad!

Pet zoo at the Alligator Farm...the goats were REALLY friendly!

Sheldon especially LOVED the goats!

Ry was a bit timid, but got the courage to feed them himself.

Excited boy!

Even Kalyn liked doing this!

Don't let my smile fool you...I did NOT like touching that thing!

Momma and the kiddos in front of the BIG alligators

YIKES

Mid-America Science Museum

This was FUN but challenging...I had to crawl on my knees the whole way through..in the DARK!

Dinosaur exhibit...Ryder did not like this at all!

Downtown Hot Springs, AR

Small waterfall in the Oden area.

Last day in Oden

TEXAS!!

Fishing again...on Lake Palestine

Sweet picture!!

Ryder wanted to help Daddy catch a fish...he had fun "turning it"

Ryder wanted to take a picture with his fish

Love my family!!!

Kalyn and Sheldon spent the last week of July with their dad and grandparents in San Antonio.  They went to Fiesta Texas and had fun just hanging out with their family.  Ricky, Ryder and I just eased back into our normal routine and did some relaxing which was much needed and nice!  On to August....