Pedernales Falls 2021

Our family took a day trip to Pedernales Falls. We hiked to the falls and saw the water running over the massive rocks. We went a couple of years ago and it was bone dry. There has been enough rain this year that there was water!

Later we went to the swimming hole farther down river. It also involves a little hike with a lot of stairs, but the kids did great! Evan fell asleep on the way down and took a little nap under the large cypress tree that was our day camp shelter.

After swimming, Evan took another nap and I held him for that one. Erik had taken the kids in a tube down the river. He and Alyssa swung off a rope swing. Then he pulled the kids in the tube back up river against the current. I went down later on my own and couldn't even make it 10 feet back up the river. I don't know how he did it! But everyone had fun!

Kent and Joel spent a lot of time in this little pool. One time Kent managed to push out the pineapple (scented) tube and Erik went to grab it. Kent also managed to push himself out, so Erik grabbed him too.

Joel was ready to hike back up. He wanted to help carry something, so he carried Erik's life jacket. He was pretty proud of his water bottle's spot!

It's interesting. Even though we still have a baby and a 2 year old and a 3 year old, our family is figuring out how to go on adventures. I love being outside with the kids. It is not easy to take 5 kids hiking. We often don't get very far, and if we do go far, we end up carrying 3 of the 5 kids back. But we are creating memories that are priceless. We are developing our family culture and it is one that will endure throughout our entire lives. It probably won't be very easy for a long time. We will have little kids for quite awhile, but it doesn't have to stop us! Our outdoor adventures aren't so much about getting somewhere but about being together and soaking in nature while we do it.

 

Paradoxical Glory

The weather has been close to glorious the last few days. The sky has broken and rain has made an appearance more than once this week. Despite the relatively cool weather (it's still hot), Alyssa used her powers of persuasion to convince me to inflate the pool this morning. Such a desire stems from the discovery of a swimsuit hanging in my closet that I bought for next year. She just had to try it out!

I hope when you look at these pictures you see a happy little girl, enjoying life and the experiences it provides in the moments they happen. I hope you see the beauty of the trees, though fear-inducing- as they shade our sanctuary backyard. I hope you can feel the wonder of being outside, secluded, without anything but water and laughter and love in your heart.

We made it through our first two weeks of school. Yet my desire to have Alyssa home, learning at her pace and with her interests has blossomed! Alyssa enjoys preschool thoroughly. I, too, enjoy the few hours I have each week to do some things for myself. But I also feel so deeply that there is so much to learn and experience that can't be done within the walls of school. I want my children to live their childhood free from 9 week testing and days void of recess. I want them to be outside, exploring. I want them to stand by me in the kitchen, creating. I want them to build nests and be birds or cats or dogs, pretending. I want them to see the beauty in life while life is beautiful. 

I'm glad she has three days a week to do her thing. But I'm even more grateful that she's home four days a week and we can have days like today.

A Pictureless Day at the Lake

Falls Lake has been calling our name since we moved here. We ignored it for quite sometime but now that the summer is coming to an end, we decided to take a drive and go swimming. We had a great time and Alyssa loved the never ending shallow end that she could play in freely without much interference from her parents.

In lieu of pictures please picture with me:

- a small sandy beach

 a little too much bird waste for comfort - 

- an orange swim line to keep us out of the path of the viscous paddle boats

 Alyssa digging up the sand from the bottom of the lake and dumping it in her bucket - 

- pretzels, cheese rice cakes, nectarines, plums, string cheese

 Alyssa carrying said pretzels and rice snacks into the lake and dipping them in the water before eating them -

- swimming and floating and kicking and running in the water

Tomorrow Alyssa and I will drive 6 hours to Tennessee. Alyssa has to consciously meet her future husband. After all the last time the saw each other they pretty much just slept.

Oh yeah, and it has been a year since I've seen the only woman I know who can relate to pregnancy + cheme + everything else the Zoo has to offer.

If you have a minute, all you closet blog readers, take my poll. Tell me what you think. <------