August

 August was a great, busy month.  It’s has always been one of my favorite months of the year.  I always tend to feel no matter how hot it still feels in September that as soon as August is over so is summer.  Despite how much I love summer I’m always okay with that too.  August is a month full of so many milestones to be thankful for and so many reasons to celebrate.

Ryan has continued to take guitar lessons and can play so many country songs.  He’ll often sit on the stool at the bar while I cook and play songs for me.  My favorite part is when he’ll get to the chorus of a song and say “Sing along with me, Momma!”  He’s growing up and I know these are the moments that matter.  I’m soaking in every last song.

My sweet, precious girl turned 11 years old on August 13th.  We celebrated her by Holly’s, a creamed Big Red and going to the rodeo.  She can no longer hold her “number” up on her fingers...she’s surpassed TWO hands!  Ayden continues to be a ray of sunshine in our lives.  She is the most precious, helpful, caring, loving, selfless girl and I am so proud of the effort she makes every single day to be Christ like.  She’s not perfect, but she is pretty close.

Tye has taught all the kids to drive and Sydney is no exception!  She drove home (from the mailboxes) the other day ALL by herself!  Tye did the petals, obviously, but she handled the steering wheel all on her own.  She was even able to pull into the driveway.  She will make such a tractor driving hand one of these days!

Tye takes turns taking the kids to work with him when he’s able.  It was Bubby’s turn and Tye said he was so helpful driving the four-wheeler.  Ryan is growing up and always willing, usually with a smile, to help or work around the house.  Tye and Ryan can making quite the working pair.  I know Tye is proud of Ryan and so am I.

Myles went hunting the other day and shot himself some grasshoppers.  It was okay with his daddy because grasshoppers eat and kill cotton.  He was helping the farmers I guess!

Rusty boy relaxing after a long day of relaxing!

The Mason cousins at a cousins sleepover at their great-grandparents house.  Isn’t that incredible?!  My kids get to spend a lot of time and frequently even get to spend the night with Tye’s grandparents, Mim and Grandaddy.  It is so special to me and Tye and we encourage all the togetherness we can.  They will never forget getting to go to their house and memories they made there.

At the beginning of the month, B and Shell took all of their grandkids, our four and Spencer, to Red River.  The kids had a lot of fun and even got to visit a few spots that their daddy went to when he was a little boy.  They got to get ice cream, see Michael Martin Murphy at a chuck wagon supper and spend lots of time playing in the woods.  Our kids love the mountains and also love spending time with B and Shell.  I’m happy they got to go.  Tye and I stayed here and honestly after about two days I wasn’t sure what to do with myself!

They were gone over Myles’s actual birthday.  My boy turned 8 years old!  Myles is my happy, goofy, always making people laugh, breath of fresh air!  He’s grown a lot this past year and I’m so thankful he’s mine!

  B and Shell made him feel very special and even had a little “party” for him.  It was so sweet of them and I know Myles LOVED it!

He got binoculars, a bird watching book and journal from B and Shell.  Before he left, he opened his camera from us.  He’s such an animal lover, except grasshoppers.  He doesn’t like those at all! Hahaha

While they were in Red River, they went on a zip line that you sit in.  I’v never done it before but the kids said it was a blast!  I loved this picture of B and Sydney.  She doesn’t look scared a bit and B’s laugh is the best!

Git your hands up!!!

Souvenirs were found by all!

On our anniversary, Tye and I went to Lubbock to eat, run a few errands and then decided we’d come home and watch a movie.  When we got home I had a few things to put away so while I did that Tye decided to get the vacuum and vacuum all the ceiling fans.  He knows the way to my heart and he doesn’t mind a bit to help out around the house.  THIS is what 14 years of marriage looks like.  Serving each other, even on your anniversary.  I love him and am so thankful that I got to marry him.

Myles with his cookie cake that B and Shell got him.  He looks HAPPY to me!

The last part of the month was spent on our family vacation.  We were gone 14 days, drove over 3000 miles, visited 5 national parks and drove through 5 different states.  We spent the first week with Poppa and Honey and the second week (which actually happened in September so I’ll include that portion next month) by ourselves, just our family of 6.

In Arizona, we visited Winslow because how could you NOT?!

“Standin’ on the Corner of Winslow, Arizona...such a fine sight see”

We went to Meteor Crater in Arizona and it was so neat!  The hole is massive...I mean massive!  We went to the museum and got to watch a video of how it hit the Earth and that helped the kids understand exactly what happened.  They still have a HUGE piece of it that the kids got to feel and touch.  We learned a lot and spent time learning the difference between a meteor, a meteorite and a meteoroid.

They had Apollo 11 space capsule that the astronauts landed back on Earth with on display.  I couldn’t imagine being in that thing with two other people!  Sydney thought this astronaut was really neat and wanted “just her” picture with it.  

The Rainbow Dessert that is by the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest in Arizona.  The pictures don’t really do it justice.  The rocks were different colors and it was so neat looking.

The kids were excellent in the car.  We spent ALOT of time...I mean hours and hours in the car.  The kids were so good and obedient, which makes for a more enjoyable trip for Mom and Dad.

Meteor Crater!  I can’t imagine something that massive flying through space.  It was bigger even in space because coming through the atmosphere would’ve broken it apart some.  Our GOD is incredible!

When we are traveling after lunch we turn up the radio and make the kids put down their books or tablets and rest.  Inevitably, the ones who “weren’t tired” always fall asleep.  You’d think mom knew that was going to happen! Hahaha

Here we go, headed for our big adventure!

Here is a petrified piece of wood from Petrified Wood National Park.  It’s so bizarre that wood can turn into rock like that.  Blew my mind!

Here is the big piece of the meteor that hit in Arizona that they found.  They told the boys that if they could pick this up they could take it home.  They tried, but didn’t succeed!

We ate out several times on our trip.  One restaurant Ayden told us she wasn’t very hungry.  Long story short, she got stung by a bumblebee a couple days before we left for our trip.  She had a really bad reaction.  Tye and I comforted her after she got stung but then didn’t think too much about it because she’s been stung by bees and wasp before.   Bumblebees are NO JOKE and she didn’t react the same way.  The poison from the sting went into her lymph nodes which caused her neck and head to hurt and become stiff.  She ran 101.5 fever and felt awful for probably 4 days.  She had to go to the doctor and was prescribed three different medicines.  Anyway, all is well now, except her fear of flying insects.  Hahaha, poor girl!

Back to the pretzel, she wasn’t hungry and said she’d just like a pretzel.  When the waitress delivered her plate we all got a good laugh of how HUGE it was and then we all helped her finish it!

Myles got a whole tater on a stick!

Letting little sister sit in her lap to get a better look at the petrified wood.  Ayden is the BEST big sister.  Sydney is blest now and will continue to be blest by her big sister.

In New Mexico, we saw the historic El Rancho Hotel.  It’s located on the old Route 66 (we did a lot of things along Route 66) and is well known for all the famous guests that have stayed there.  Some of them include, Gene Autry, Ronald Reagan, John Wayne, Jane Fonda, Marx Brothers, Humphrey Bogart and Doris Day.

All of us at the Painted Desert.  It was so beautiful!  I’m so thankful that my parents are always up for our adventures.  We always have the best time with them.

Poppa and Honey with the kids at the Petrified Forest.

My sweet Sydney with the Painted Desert as the background.  Looking at this picture I’m reminded of how amazing our God is.  He created a world full of wonders and he also created this girl!  I reminded her that she is fearfully and wonderfully made and even more special to God than the beautiful desert behind her!

These two always being weird.  I love these two brothers and their weirdness!

Just LOOK!

This particular day was rough.  We woke up that morning to a big bang that came from under the camper.  Our grey water tank FELL OFF.   It was a Sunday, of course, and we had a hard time finding someone to come fix it.  My parents were leaving to head back to Texas and we should’ve left to head to Utah around 8:00 that morning.  We finally got the grey water tank fixed, thanks to a gracious man named Hank, and headed to Utah.  Only to have a blow out in Nevada were it was 112 degrees and the pavement much, MUCH hotter than that.  The day didn’t go as planned.  We didn’t get to our next stop until LATE.  In these moments, the hard ones, the ones that DON’T go our way our littles are watching how we react.  They will in turn model the same behavior one day when things don’t go their way.  Tye and I decided that morning that it was OKAY.  Before the blow out even, we decided that it was going to be OKAY.  I took the kids swimming while Tye stayed at the camper and helped Hank.  That was fun.  We had lunch at Wendy’s, which is where the kids have been dying to eat, that was fun.  A bee flew into the pickup, while Tye was changing the tire and we got to watch kids and the dog bail out, that was funny!  When it got late and the kids started to complain we reminded them that things don’t always go the way you wanted them to and everyone was tired.  Grace is what we needed to be showing each other until we get to our next stop.  I even muttered that to myself a couple times. Sydney decided to pass the time looking at her unicorn book and telling the pickup all about the hundreds of different types of unicorns there are...who knew!

Anyway, we made it.  We made it to our next stop safe and sound.  We made it with good attitudes and kind hearts.  So many times when I’m “reminding my children” of the behavior that they should be having I’m also reminding myself.  Kids have a way of showing us the important things in life.  Christ-like behavior shows patience, grace and love even when you’re fussy!

Lake Havasu is a large lake formed by Parker Dam on the Colorado River.  Part of the lake is in Arizona and part of it is in California.  It was 121 degrees in Lake Havasu City.  121...y’all...hot.  Anyway, they have a neat bridge called London Bridge that you can drive over.  Tye and I saw the actual London bridge in England and they did look similar.

The Grand Canyon is absolutely incredible.  If you have never been, do it.  I was in AWE of how magnificent it truly is.  We sat and just looked at it all afternoon.  The kids did the Junior Ranger Program at the south rim of Grand Canyon National Park.  They got their books, filled them out and then got their badges!  They were so cute and so serious about doing every single part of their books.  The weather was perfect and the afternoon was wonderful.

We played a little Putt-Putt golf one afternoon.  

Myles working on his book.  He was so cute and did the majority of it all by himself.  He’s growing up right before our eyes!

We took the Grand Canyon Express Railway to and from the Grand Canyon.  The attendant told us all about how people use to travel by train and it was fun to imagine being those people.  We did have air-conditioning and coffee and snacks...not sure they had those things, but the imagining was fun while it lasted!

Poppa and his main squeeze, Ryan!

The Hoover Dam was truly amazing too.  Men built this BY HAND in 1931 and it took about 5 years to fully finish.  Many men died from different reasons constructing this dam.  The dam impounds Lake Mead which is the largest reservoir in the United States by volume when full.    The dam’s generators provide power for public and private utilities in Nevada, Arizona and California.

Our family in front of the Grand Canyon.  Let me tell you it’s GRAND!  Also, a little spooky sitting on the edge.  Do you see me holding Myles and Sydney TIGHT? Hahaha

When we were there the water right here was 537 feet deep and that’s not near as full as it can get.  My mind was truly blown by looking at the Hoover Dam!

Several days while we were gone we didn’t do much.  We just relaxed and hung around the camper and campground.  We played basketball, went swimming and went on lots of walks.  Sydney got out her Peppa Pig toys and said, “Look Momma, it’s us when we do school.”  We started school, unofficially, on our trip.  I took health, science, reading and writing with us.  They sat at the picnic table and did their work and then we had fun in the afternoons.

The big kids taught Sydney how to chicken fight.  She was on Ayden’s shoulders and Myles was on Ryan’s shoulders.  The funny part is that Sydney and Ayden took Myles and Ryan down every single time!  Haha, you go girls!

We drove over this bridge about four times.  I DID not look out my window.  It’s beautiful, but it’s terrifying!

Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam.  Do you see where the water gets up too?

Putt-Putt for the win!

At Raptor Ranch in Arizona they have the town Bedrock beside them.  You know Bedrock, where the Flintstones lived, HA!

Fred, Wilma, Bam Bam and Pebbles

Daddy helping Sydney with her Junior Ranger book.  Tye kept sitting on the edge of the Grand Canyon and it was scaring me to death.

Just beautiful!

Grand Canyon Railway

One day we drove over to Las Vegas.  We drove down the new strip to let the kids see the resorts and tall buildings.  Then, we drove to the old strip and had lunch at the Heart Attack Cafe.  We had a blast!

Ryan wanted to arm wrestle Tye.  He obviously couldn’t win so he recruited all of his siblings to help.  They still couldn’t win.  TYE, TYE he’s my man, if he can’t do it NO ONE CAN!

They wanted to pretend like this was a museum and they were behind the glass.  We walked back through and pretended like we saw a statue move.  Hahaha, fun was had by all!

We had an adventurous week with Poppa and Honey and are so glad that we got to spend time together exploring new places.  We always enjoy our time together and know that one day trips like this will not be able to happen.  We always talk about my grandparents, who are both gone now, and tell the kids stories of vacations together.  I love that we can create memories of togetherness.  It’s what life is all about!

Next month, I’ll continue through the week of just our family’s time together.  August was wonderful, now onto September!