Clothes helpers

As we were schooling last week I really needed a load of clothes hung on the line. I asked Michael, Matthew and Stella to do it for me. I told them to get stools if they needed them. They are getting too big. Its a bitter/sweet. Big helpers taking on more responsibilities is a blessings except it means they are growing up. And then the next thing you know they are getting married. I have always heard this and now it has become reality in our house. It seems like yesterday and Jenny was Stella's and Amy's age.

I know we have a picture of Jenny in the pajamas that Amy is wearing, I just don't know where. And, that was pre- digital camera era.

Cousin Amanda's wedding

Stella posing!!


We recently attended my cousins wedding in East Texas. It was a beautiful outdoor wedding. Small and simple and fun.
Here comes the bride. And, now introducing Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Bowen.



Our younger children have not been to too many weddings, however after one on the beach and this one out in the pasture they like weddings.



G'Pa and Grammy Mengers with part of the gang.


Isn't Amy so cute wondering in the woods.



Everyone had fun!!

Fun in the pool before a pretty country wedding.

While traveling to my cousins wedding we stayed overnight in Palestine and the kids enjoyed an indoor pool. They swam the evening we got there and again the next morning before we got back on the road.
One Awesome daddy playing in the pool with the children!! They love it when he throws them around. :)
Joshua brought along some of our diving equipment and they all had fun with it.

Fun in the pasture

Definitely some monkeys in a tree



My sweet husband planted a fig tree and Michael and Matthew decided we needed to check on it. They really, really wanted me to go with them, so we strapped Amy on and headed out.
Matthew was insistent on Ergoing Amy.
I had to capture all these monkey's in the tree.

Jenny's Bridal shower

Our sweet Jenny's wedding is just a month away. She had a beautiful wedding shower. Lots of goodies to stock their little abode, lots of fun and fellowship with some wonderful friends.

She had sweet little helpers with the gifts.

We had her pose for this picture since she was wearing purple, the wrapping is purple and the card coordinates too.

Water Fun

A few weeks ago the little's and I were home and they asked to play in the sprinkler. I agreed, they quickly asked if Amy could play with them. They made her a little pool on the front porch. She loved it.
Notice Stella in the Boy's swimsuit. She was hanging with the boys and was totally opposed to wearing a girly swimsuit.



A friend of ours was over and he was in the doll stroller and Stella was feeding him her play food.

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

God is not in need of magnifying by us so small, but the reverse. It's our lives that are little and we have falsely inflated self, and in thanks we decrease and the world returns right. I say thanks and I swell with Him, and I swell the world and He stirs me, joy all afoot.
Ann Voskamp was dared to write a thousand thanks to God and as she has she is abundantly blessed. I encourage you to read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. # 7 on the New York Times best seller list.

Thank you Lord for the simple; lots of clothes to wash and hang on the line forcing me to see and hear God's beauty. The birds singing in the warm April breeze and beautiful butterfly's flitting by. He is so good.

Links to more Monahans sand pictures and a wonderful thought on Sand Dunes

http://mom2countrykids.blogspot.com/2011/04/walking-dunes.html

http://txjonesohana.blogspot.com/

The big hill and lots of fun!!!

We climbed up a really big sand dune and everyone had a great time sliding down. The work was climbing up, unless you had a buddy holding a rope for you to climb part way up.




Run, Patty; all the way to the top, feel the burn, feel the pain. The words of Patty's friend.


Joy, you are way over there.






Mommy, I'm sliding!!!!


Stella going down the big hill. She's so cute!!!!



Our group; we planned on taking a group picture on a sand dune and forgot, so we took one at the visitors center on the way out.


It was a great weekend; making memories!!! With the exception of missing our big girls.

The Petroleum Museum and Boys

We went to the Petroleum museum during the heat of the day on Saturday. It was interesting. And, we really enjoyed the cool. They had a room with race cars and you can see who enjoyed them.

These are our executives!!


Patty are they twins? So cute!!!

Back to the dunes and everyone was ready to roll:) Literally!

Michael showing off his creation. He picked up a hard piece of sand and scraped layers off; it was interesting to see a little difference in the color as the sand packed.

Joshua brought his skate board. He took the wheels off at home and did some sand surfing. It worked good.

Digging holes at the Sand Hills

One of the little's came back to camp to inform us the middle children were digging tunnels. Becky and I thought we'd check it out. We came over a big dune to this.


We decided to help with burying legs as the diggers proceeded.

Notice the legs in the background. Those girls dug that far down.




OK, The girl with sand up to her neck is standing in a hole. We all headed back to camp and she was shouting, "Hey, wait, I can't get out.!!!"