Starting Where I Am

The last event I posted about was from October...  I keep not posting cause I feel like I need to catch up.  I missed Lane's Chef costume for Halloween and the story about how he ran around the neighborhood giving his candy to kids parents saying, 'Trick or Treat'.  I missed posting his 3rd birthday party pictures, Liam's birthday, Thanksgiving, baby shower at work for Brooke, Christmas, all the fun stuff we did, and now Brooke's birth.  I've decided to follow my friend Maria's advice and 'pick up where you are'.  Maybe I can adopt Fly Lady's approach to catch up on at least some of the stuff I have missed... 15 minutes at a time.  Reading old posts and remembering is motivation to make time to post.

Vacation to Buffalo National River in Arkansas, Oct. 18-22

Pregnant mama needed something to eat, right now, on the way to Arkansas.  In true form, Chad found an out of the way BBQ place that was really good!

We left Texas later than expected and ended up not getting to our destination til 9pm or so.  We decided to spend the night in a cabin instead of trying to find a site and set up our tent in the dark.  We stayed at the MacIntosh cabin at Silver Lake Cabins.  Nice, cozy place.  I AM pregnant, and Chad DID have pneumonia.

Lane and I took a short hike, from which I had to CARRY him back, but it was nice to go for a walk in the woods.

Me and Lane in front of an abandoned mine shaft in the mining ghost town of Rusk, near the Buffalo River.

Lane is certainly showing promise as a photographer.  Nice job, sweety!

Lane and daddy cooking hot dogs at our campsite.

Unexpected visitor kept us on our toes.

Cozy.

Steel Creek, on the Buffalo River, where I used to go as a kid.

Elk Lane at the Elk Visitor Center in Ponca, Arkansas.

Chad and his knack for finding unique restaurants.  I think this was Fort Smith, Arkansas.  Inside Lane rode a Razorback for 25 cents.  Was kinda hard to stomach as a Longhorn :)!

After camping two nights in Arkansas, we got to Beavers Bend State Park in Oklahoma after dark, again.  So we opted to stay in their 'lodge' on the lake.  It was a motel with a very nice view of the lake.  We considered camping another night, but ended up coming home and getting some much needed rest.   I am determined to camp at Beavers Bend State Park one day!  It's such a nice, scenic, family friendly place.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Grandpa!

Thank you, Grandpa, for coming to spend the day with us and bringing Lane a special pumpkin for Halloween!  And apricots!  And get well flowers for Chad!

Celebrating Wedding Bells

Aunt Charlene, Cousin Reisha, Aunt Jo and Riley and Jack.

Cousins:  Bailey, Lane and Bode.

Sharon and Jack.

Jack and Sharon got married on October 10, 2010 in Las Vegas.  A party was held in their honor at their house on October 16th.  Chad couldn't make it cause he had pneumonia.  A group picture was taken and I'll post it if I can get a copy of it :)!  Congrats to the happy couple!

Just Because

"Space" Class at the Dallas Museum of Art

After talking about space, the kind you occupy - not the kind rockets go to, the teacher, Leah, took a paper chicken through a painting.  The chicken went across the river, through the bushes, around the houses, over the mountains and back across the river so she could go home for dinner that  night.  This was all based on a book she read at the beginning about a chicken going through space (over the haystack, under the fence...).  A great lesson and fun playtime afterwards in the new Arturo's Nest.  The DMA does a good job of welcoming little ones to the museum.

State Fair of Texas 2010

You take what you can get when you ask a random stranger to take your picture in front of Big Tex.

This is actually a 'corn dog' toast to Jack and Sharon that got married in Las Vegas about the time we were taking this picture.

The Backyard Circus really held Lane's attention although he showed no interest in volunteering to be a lion or a tiger or anything else :).

The Children's Farm at the State Fair was one of my favorite things to watch Lane do all day.  He got an apron and basket upon entering and as he travelled the path he watered a peach tree and collected a peach, gathered grain, fed the chickens and collected an egg in his basket in the chicken coop, fed grain to the cow and milked her and took a carton of milk with him, planted what looked like okra seeds, collected some vegetables, fed the sheep and collected some wool, and rode a tractor around a circle to take feed to the pigs and cows.  At the end he put all his 'gatherings' back into bins in the farmers market and received paper money which he got to redeem at the store for a snack.  AWESOME exhibit.  By far, my favorite for him from the entire day.