Oh, the people we meet.....

We love being able to see our family on our adventures and experience life with them.  Willow is our cousin and she is an amazing musician.  Recently accepted to Baylor University on a music scholarship, she is finishing her last performances of her high school year and we got to watch!

Willow on the bass guitar and her fans 

A dip in the pool finished off that very hot day at the carnival

Darius, Alison, Abby, Marina, Adrian, Ella and baby Ivy

We also met a very unique and fun family who invited us to dinner in their rental on the lake.  They also travel with their family to different homes around the country during the year, working and schooling in amazing places.  We've loved getting to know the Sitzman family.  

Check out Elise and Ella (their 4 year old).  Already completely bonded

Family, new friends, and then old friends.  Mandy and I worked together in Boise in therapy practices and remain the best of friends although she now lives in SA.  We escaped to Fredricksburg, TX for a girls day of shopping and lunch.  It turned out to be such a fun day with her.  I adore my true deep friendships so much. And, Fredricksburg ranks up there with SF, as far as fun, unique and affordable shopping experiences (on a much smaller scale)!

Hamilton Spring Pool...another hidden treasure

Another Friday adventure was hiking down to Hamilton Springs Pool in Dripping Springs, TX.  It's this spring that was privately owned land for many years until the government took it over and began to manage the land and make it a state park.  You hike in 1/4 mile down an 80 foot drop to a previous cave.  The cave had fallen in and this gorgeous warm waterfall feeds the spring pool below.  

Elise and Mom walk down the trail

 A small beach hosts this cool spring .  Note the layers in the upper cave wall

Matt prepares for turtle and fish snorkeling below

Beautiful warm waterfall from above draws us all in

The hike down

How many National Parks can we visit?

We just discovered the Jr. Ranger program in all the national parks.  I highly recommend having kids go through them.  Matt and I have enjoyed the amount of learning we all take from the programs and they are free.  The kids get much more out of the park experience than just another day out.  

Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico

17 stories down we explore the caves

Notice the Jr Ranger badges.  Even Elise got one in this park.

Arches Ntl Park in Moab Utah

Sit and star at that wonder of the world

White Sands Natl Park, New Mexico

By far, the kids most favorite park so far....wonder why?

Is the Easter Bunny real?

 Alex is growing more and more suspicious every year about the whole idea of the Easter bunny.  He wants to believe, but finds many holes in the story.  Tanner is in more denial than Alex and although we don't say either way, they both still love waking up to eggs and baskets each year.  So the story goes on....

A note left by Alex the night before Easter

The boys search for eggs left by the bunny (aka:  Russ, Jae and Willow)

They still help their little sister find eggs

Even Papa Frank joins in the fun

Willow and Sage relax together after the big hunt

Love this photo of Papa Frank and the boys....all with those beautiful blue eyes glowing

And ALL the kids with Papa Frank

Granmimi doesn't like it when Mimi steps out of the photo with she,  Uncle Russ and  Aunt Jae

Willow joins in on the super human one contact bag grab....and wins!

This is how we roll....LEARNING

 Although it's taken me a while, I'm coming to the conclusion that learning this way....out in the world, applying our book knowledge to real life and having fun is by far the best learning experience I can give my kids.  Every Friday is known as "Fun Friday" which means field trips or some other exploration for the day.  These are a few of our adventures while here in the Texas hill country.

Picking fresh strawberries at the farm.  The difference in taste is undeniable.

Each child got a lady bug to release and watch it naturally go after the aphids on the leaves.

Feeding the overstuffed goats makes me want goats!

On the other days of the week, we sit outside and complete lessons in math, social studies, bible, reading, writing and drawing.  This is our full table in the park.  We have many other campers curiously stopping in to see what we are doing.  The kids are learning to converse with all sorts of people.

Elise can not wait to learn to read.  

 One of our best learning days was joining Mimi at the Pregnancy Center and volunteering for the afternoon.  She presented a whole lesson on fetal development, biblical proof of life from day one in the womb, and what support the pregnancy center offers women.  Here, they saw actual ultrasound photos from different stages of development.

Mimi teaches from scripture verses about God's view of babies.

 

The kids receive this 12 week model of a fully developed fetus.  Makes that baby feel very real and very much a living being.

Volunteering by filling up the baby bottles for future fund raisers

Tanner had to take the 3rd grade math, language arts and reading tests this year.  We found a proctor at a local library who graciously let him test under her watch for three days.  Love those small town librarians!

Sledding on White Sands, NM

New Mexico is a vast desert land and driving through it reminded me of southern Idaho.  In between the bigger cities, there is really nothing but sage brush, flat terrain and road.   The main cities are, however, very unique in geography and quite beautiful.  The drive out to the White Sands from Alamogordo was uneventful for 10 miles.  Then, we began to see this white glimmer in the distance.  Driving through the dunes, I began to picture a winter wonderland, but with warm, soft sand instead of snow.  White, everywhere. 

There it is.  The beginning of the Park.  Can be seen from 275 miles in outer space.

Shirts off....the girl wants to be just like her Daddy

Ready to go at the top of the hill.  Sleds and wax needed.

The pose

Football catches to soft landings.  Dreams of being a star<>

Or high fives in the air.  At this point, they are best friends.

My favorite photo of the trip so far.....pure bliss

The writing on her tummy is of her own doing, quiet and creative

Shade picnic areas that are popular all over NM

Up, up and down over and over again

 Cool facts about the Park. 
1.  The sand starts out as a gypsum mineral and the wind blows it over and over again to become as soft as talcon powder.
2.  The other half of the Park is shared by the military where they test missles. 
3.  The same military base has F22 planes that fly faster than the speed of sound, making us believe we are under attack at 9pm each night.  A boom and shake to the RV.
4.  There is a very shallow water table.  You can dig a small hole and it will fill with water.  So, the undersand is quite hard.  Elise has a pretty good bruise from a flip to prove it.

Truly in the Heart of Texas

We arrived at the Heart of Texas Resort truly in the middle of Texas in the hill country.  It has all the amenities that any kids would LOVE at camp.  A full miniature golf course, pool, lake front, playground, shuffle board, arcade games and dirt to ride bikes all around.  

Hanging with a fun family, the Sitzman's from Austin TX.

We've met many amazing new people while staying here.  Our favorite has been this family of seven who also is venturing out and traveling while schooling their kids.  They rent homes all over the US such as a farm house in Washington state, a cowboy ranch in Colorado and beach front property in Oceanside CA.  Such incredible experiences have encouraged us to stay the course and enjoy the journey.  We don't seem to be alone in this venture to school and live outside the box.

Our home for 30 days at the resort.  Five people bring a lot of stuff to camp!

Elise shows off one of the permanent resident's RV here in the park.  He is a veteran with an impeccable lawn, gorgeous flower beds and US pride all over the place.  Right next to him lives a hippy couple who also have a beautiful site with a huge poster that states, "sure you can trust the government, just ask the indians".  Wonder how that's played out over the years. 

Alex showing off a bike jump down by the lake.  Nice view of LBJ.