Project 16 to 16: Day 13

For day 13, I wanted to hit the lighter side of things when examining our Wonder Boy. And honestly, this is something that tickles my funny bone on a daily basis.

BATH TIME!

Yes, I'm serious. Bath time. Or, more specifically, shower time.

Not a day goes by that the Boy doesn't put up a fuss when we tell him it's time to get clean. We get the stereotypical exasperated sigh, usually accompanied by an eye roll, and the ever constant question "Do I have to...". Every. Single. Time. *sigh*

But once he's in the shower, he steps into another world! We don't really know what is going on in there - some kind of one man play is the best we can guestimate - and it's probably best that we DON'T know what is happening. Even when we warn him to "be quick about it," his showers rarely run less than 20 - 30 minutes as he sings and chats and who knows what else the time away. And while I am so pleased he is squeaky clean, it's something that makes me shake my head and giggle just a little every day.


In our look back to 2013, we see they Boy and his dad on the hiking trail - one of our favorite places to be! This particular snap was taken on Good Friday that year when we visited the Huntsville State Park.

If you were to ask Wonder Boy straight up, he would tell you that he doesn't enjoy hiking. But his actions on the trail usually speak louder than those words.I find there is something really wonderful about unplugging and spending time outside. And while he may not want to leave his screens behind, he always seem to relax and have fun once we are out and about. I hope that, as he matures, he will understand that these trips are the kinds of memories that feed our souls.

And who knows, maybe one day, he'll drag a reluctant teen of his own on the trail as well.

Spring Break '16

This year the University didn't give us as much time off as last year, so we had to table plans for a long trip until this summer. However, that didn't stop us from trying to cram in as much fun as possible for our spring break this year.

For the first couple of days, Wonder Boy got to enjoy some quiet time with the dogs while we were stuck at work. He was a great help around the house and I know the dogs enjoyed the extra cuddle time with their favorite teenager.

When we were finally ALL done with work and school, we started off our break with a trip to Buescher State Park in Smithville, TX for a family hike. We were a little disappointed to find out that many of the trails were closed due to damage from wild fires last fall, but we still managed to find a couple of trails that were still open and enjoyed breaking our hiking shoes back in. The areas of the park that were open were quite beautiful and maybe one day we'll come back once all of the trails have re-opened. However, for this day, it made for a much shorter hike than planned.

SO ... we changed out of our hiking clothes, donned some comfy shorts, and took off on a side trip to La Grange, TX. While there we were able to hit up a few of our favorite antique shops and a really awesome gourmet kitchen shop called Le Petite Gourmet Shoppe. While there we picked up some supplies we couldn't find at home and even got a recommendation on where to get a tasty lunch - Reba's Pizza & Deli. And it did not disappoint!


The next day, we stuck close to home to take care of some much needed yard work. I know, you can't exactly call moving a yard of bull rock and a half pallet of St. Augustine grass "spring break fun," but it was work that needed to be done and the yard looks so much better after our efforts.

To reward ourselves after a day of manual labor, the following day, we ventured over to the Sherwood Forest Faire in McDade, TX. A cold front moved through the night before, so while we were swatting mosquitoes and wearing shorts while in La Grange on Thursday, come Saturday we were in jeans and jackets all day long. It really made for a nice day! It wasn't so cold that it was uncomfortable to be outside and since it is rare that it is actually cold in March, we enjoyed the fresh spring air while enjoying the festival. I always enjoy the bird show and this show was no exception. There is just something about owls that always draws me in. We also had some tasty treats, got to see some fun shops, and pretty much just strolled the grounds all day long! Wonder Dad and I both got pulled on stage for various performances, but by far my favorite performers were the jugglers. We saw 2 different jugglers and both were funny and fun! Even Wonder Boy enjoyed their sense of humor and was in awe once the fire entered their acts. I really hope we can go again next year!

We rounded out our spring break with a rest day at home for a movie marathon. And while it was not the grand adventure we had the year before, this spring break was a much needed time of renewal for us all. Wonder Boy is quickly closing out his 8th grade year. He's got some tests coming up and some pretty big projects too. Wonder Dad and I are about to start our busy time of the year, so it was so nice to slow down for a few days. We got to get out and explore some. We got some work done around the house. And we did it all together as a family.

Color me one happy momma!

Road Trip - Part 4

Our last day was spent much like the first day - trying to make our way back across the great state of Texas. And like we did on Day 1, we planned a fun little caving adventure to break up the trip.

This time, we visited the Cave Without a Name in Boerne, TX.

We have been able to visit about a half dozen caves around Texas and I just have to tell you that this cave, the Cave Without a Name, was one of my most favorite experiences. I think maybe only the Longhorn Cavern northwest of Austin tops the Cave Without a Name in my book.


The tour was not as long as some of the others we have visited, but for some reason I just felt like we were closer to the formations. While touching is a strict no-no, everything in that room feels like it is right in your face. And for some reason, that just made the whole experience seem more personal.

We learned that the owners occasionally host musical events inside the cave. I would truly LOVE to experience a concert of this nature at some point. I'm going to have to keep an eye on their calendar of events for the next opportunity.

All in all, it was another great stop in a whirlwind adventure that I will carry in my memory for many years to come!

Road Trip - Part 3

Day 3 of our Spring Break Adventure didn't go quite like we had planned.

We had PLANNED a second day of exploring Big Bend. But a huge storm over night and continued rain off and on all day forced us to consider other options. In the end, that's pretty much what we did - we explored other options.

To start off the day, we drove from the tiny West Texas town of Alpine to the even smaller West Texas town of Marfa. Marfa was a pretty little town, but it is definitely one of those places that rolls up the sidewalks except on major holidays. We were a bit taken aback by how many things were closed. Even finding a place for lunch was a challenge - though the place we ended up had some of the best, fresh food I've ever enjoyed.

After lunch, we hit the road in search of more to see and do. And to that end, we wound our way to Fort Davis. Fort Davis was an unexpected and most pleasant surprise! It's a truly pretty little town with a lot to see and do. Our first stop was at the Davis Mountains State Park. We got really lucky and the weather cleared off a bit allowing us to get in a short, but enjoyable 3 mile hike through the park.


After all that hiking, we made our way back to town and strolled up and down the town square taking in the fun shops and storefronts surrounding it. The one thing that struck me as we ducked in and out of each place was the friendliness of the Fort Davis locals. We were welcome in each spot and made to feel right at home.

When our legs became weary from the walk, we hopped back in the car and headed back to Alpine, where we did some exploring as well. We spent some time in a couple of really lovely art galleries and some local artisan shops. Then we topped off the day with a tasty dinner and a soak in the hotel hot tub.

So while the day was not as planned, we ended up getting to visit areas we had noy planned on our itinerary. I also added a few places to my "must see if we ever come back here" list, most notably the McDonald's Observatory. Due to the weather, it was not an option for this particular visit, but I hope one day to head back in that direction in order to check it out.

Road Trip - Part 2

Day 2 of our Spring Break '15 Adventure we finally made it to Big Bend National Park as planned!

Day 1 of our trip was rainy and we worried we were not going to be able to spend the day outside hiking as we had hoped. But the weather cleared just enough to make it work. It stayed grey and cloudy all day, but that worked to our advantage as there is not a lot of shade in this arid part of Texas.

I have to tell you, as much as I enjoyed each and every adventure on this vacation, hiking Big Bend was the highlight of the trip for me! I spent the whole day in awe of the raw, natural beauty all around me. If it were not such a long drive to the park, I would go back monthly for as long as my car holds out.


We chose a mountain trail day hike called the Pinnacles trail. We parked at the Chisos Mountain Basin Lodge located in the park and started climbing from there. We covered about 8 miles of trail round trip and climbed to an elevation of about 7,000 ft above sea level. We had been hoping to make it all the way to the top of Emory Peak, but the Pinnacles trail proved to be enough of an effort for our first day of hiking.

Signs along the trail kept warning us about the presence of bears and mountain lions. We never saw any such beasts, but we did see a deer (mule deer are native to the region) and a Mexican Jay.

I would really love to stay at the Chisos Mountain Basin Lodge if we ever get the opportunity to return. To be able to just BE in that environment would really be a treat.

A Walk in the Woods

What is it about getting out into the woods that makes everything seem .. quieter ... more relaxed ... just plain better?

I don't have the answer, but I'm glad to live the results regardless.

Today we got the opportunity to make the short drive to an area state park. This park has long been one of my favorite places to visit. I spent many a summer day (& night) at this park growing up. Wonder Dad and I often found ourselves here when we were dating (& newly married) as well. This place is permanently counted as one of my "happy places" for certain.

And today we got to share it with Wonder Boy.

He's been here before, but it's been a number of years. I think he was 4 the last time we came. And he wasn't exactly thrilled to be here that day. But none of that mattered today.

Today we hit the trails as a family and all was right with the world.


This is the best time of year for anything "outside." It's not too hot, it's not too cold. That doesn't happen too often in Texas. Most of the year, if you want to enjoy this kind of activity, you have to get up really early to beat the heat. But in early spring like this, the weather is unbeatable! And even though we usually have a full itinerary on the weekends, I think we're going to have to work in a few more outings like this one.

I always enjoy being outside. Especially in a place so pretty. We got to see quite a few sights - we found a Luna Moth that looked like it had been run over by a mountain bike. It was so pretty. It broke our hearts to see it injured like that. But to find a silver lining - she probably would never have let us get so close if she hadn't been hurt. We saw this one old, fallen tree trunk that looked like it had been dipped in Clorox. It resembled a great ivory wand and it took my breath away. We saw (but got no photographic evidence of) a great brown jack rabbit. We pondered whether or not he was related to the Easter Bunny (this IS Easter weekend after all), but Wonder Boy dismissed us for the silly folks that we are as he hopped away from us. The Dogwood trees were in bloom and they left a beautiful carpet of white petals at their base.

But despite all of the eye candy to keep us occupied, it was the time with my guys that truly made the day for me. There is something really special about being in a place where you can run and laugh and tease and chat and not worry about anything other than the events of that one moment. I loved watching Wonder Boy run up and down the trail. I soaked up his lessons in seed dispersal (they've been studying just such things in science class as of late). And I held hands with Wonder Dad and watched our Boy having so much fun with us.

*sigh*

It's been a good day. One I intend to carry with my for quite some time. And I can hardly wait to do it again!