Camping Out

I heard those 2 words over and over and over on Friday!  For the past month or so we had planned to go camping on Friday but we were not going to tell the little girls until we were ready to go.  #1 in case something happened and we didn’t get to and #2 because they would ask a million time when we were going!  They overheard us on Thursday so as I knew would happen they asked a million times when are we going “camping out” as they say.  They were so excited and we did have a great time!  There are lots of pics to prove it! 

    

   

   Our site had a little shelter with electricity so it was nice to have b’fast on the griddle This was the area at the back of our site.  Can you tell from all the pics how much the girls enjoyed this area?  The priss really surprised us!  She loved it the most!  

     We camped at Fort Richardson which is a state park and has a historical center.  These are the pics from there. This was the officer’s quarters and I thought this place was beautiful Outside of the old hospital              TIRED girls by the end of our time!

   

We look forward to going again.  A said we had to visit all the state parks in TX.  That could take a while!  It was a very inexpensive way to get away, not far from home and most importantly a great way just to spend time together.

NEW

NEW-normally a word I accept with excitement!  NEW clothes, NEW anything for my house, NEW shoes, NEW jewelry, NEW friends, NEW adventures… You get the picture!  This word has been on my mind a lot lately.  Not because I have gotten NEW things but because it is an adjective that describes our family now. 

Some of the most fitting definitions of new are:  not of long duration, of a kind not seen before (my favorite!), lacking training or experience, unaffected by use or exposure (like that one too!), unfamiliar (AMEN!!!). 

The first few months we were here didn’t feel so new.  Obviously we knew everyone in the church (so thankful!) and this summer we were here more and not in town as much.  Of course everyone looked at us trying to figure out who these people were.  The church put our picture in the paper several times SO we get a lot of “I saw yall in the paper” and “you’re the new preacher”  Since school started we really feel NEW. 

Thursday nt we had meet the teacher at the middle school.  As we made our way to the school I felt so nervous.  Just the whole walking in being NEW, not knowing what to do or where to go, and the list goes on.  I told A that this was just not fun!  Then it hit me, poor Elleigh!  Not that I had not thought about what it must feel like for her, especially in the beginning but it was just very real.  Some people have such a hard time understanding why this transition has been so difficult for Elleigh.  Of course, if you have never moved or moved your children it would be more difficult to understand but a 13 yr old (such a hard age without rocking the boat at all, especially as a girl) in a brand new place, making a transition from homeschool to traditional school, being the NEW girl among girls who have known each other their entire life and being in a small town is just not an easy transition period!  Bless her she tries so hard to be a positive person and to be one who adjusts easily so she has really beaten herself up a lot over not adjusting as easily as she thought she would, especially not easy when people ask, “so why is she having such a hard time adjusting?”  NEW just is isn’t always a fun thing!

This is a pic of the NEW girls headed to the JV game on Thursday night.  They LOVE going to the ballgames.  Sallie is a celebrity.  Seriously!  All the kids are like “there’s Sallie” (and not in a bad way).  They love her!  She just waves and keeps going till she greets the next adoring fan!  It is funny!  Elleigh likes hanging out despite being NEW!  The little girls don’t know they are NEW!  A is just there for the ballgame and well it is strange for me.  The way they do things is different and of course everyone is staring because we are NEW! 

Homecoming was Friday night and these are pics before the game.  Homecoming was different for the NEW people too!  I already knew about the MUMS because A had told me since he had gone to school in TX as a kid.  I can not believe I did not get a picture of someone wearing a mum!  Yall I just CAN’T explain them!!!  I think it used to be tradition that the girl’s date gave them one but now everyone wears them from little bitty girls through teenage girls.   Elleigh did not want one.  She said she would wear one when a boy gave it to her, like it was supposed to be!  That’s Ell!  I found this pic online but it “ain’t” got nothing on the mums I saw last night!  They had a lot more stuff on them.  Some of them even lit up!  It’s a Texas tradition!  Those sure are some pretty NEW girls!  I have to say I don’t mind hearing that! We for sure looked more like Southern Belles than Texas Queens!  Yet another thing that was NEW for us.  They do Homecoming Queen very different.  They have 3 nominees all from the Senior class and at halftime they crown the queen from the 3.  There are no attendants from the other classes.  The little girls did love seeing the girls in their formals.  Lots of people were telling Elleigh that she would be the Homecoming Queen when they are seniors.  Hmmm… will all this be our way of life by then or will we be NEW somewhere else.  Only the Lord knows and I am glad for that!The NEW preacher, NEW preacher’s wife, those NEW people, and mom and dad to the NEW kids!