Frio River 2012

It's only the middle of June and we've already packed and unpacked two times!  Like last summer, we headed out on the first weekend of summer for the Family Frio river trip.  It was a much different experience since the water was up enough to float and Neals added a rope swing!

 

  

Roo seriously thought about doing it but soon decided against it.  

She jumped off the little rock instead.

The boys had a system down.  Whenever there was a line for the rope swing, they jumped off the rock and whenever there was a line for the rock they switched back to the rope swing.  

They did this for 5 hours!

Proof that there was a little down time.  

Roo,

Pops,

and even me, feeling relaxed.

I had such a fun time with my girl in the water.  I remember telling myself that she won't want to do this many more summers with me by her side so I should make the most of it.  We tried to catch minnows in her net, played motor boat like when she was a baby and got in and out of the river a hundred times to go to the bathroom.  

At night, when the river fun is over, the kids beg to go to the bar.  (-:  

It's a family friendly bar, with scooters and goats and dancing.  What more could you ask for?

Another awesome family trip in the books.  

The kids went on to Camp Grandma and hubby and I came back home because he had to work.  I did exciting non blogworthy things like recaulk the kids' bathroom and weed and mulch the front flower bed.  Hubby and I did get away to Bandera, Tx for a few nights before picking up the kids.  I hope to get those pics up before we leave for Beachbody Summit in Las Vegas  but that's probably wishful thinking since I haven't started packing and we leave tomorrow!

Texas trips

     Since summer has started I have packed and unpacked my suitcase 11 times.  I've already blogged about our trip to the Frio river and to Bandera but somehow never got around to the third leg of the trip.  Summer (and these car trips!) is getting the best of me.  

     Before leaving Bandera, we spent the afternoon driving around in the middle of nowhere looking for Polly's Chapel.  We got a tip from a friend that it was a interesting and quiet place to experience.  After getting a little turned around, we asked for directions from the nicest man working alongside his fence.  He was so excited and friendly that it made me think he probably hasn't seen anyone drive down his road for days.  It was so out there!  Kind of strange since that area is only about 30 miles outside of San Antonio.

Hubby and I had such a peaceful time wandering through the church and around the grounds.  

No kids and no specific time that we needed to be somewhere.  It was like heaven.  I'm so glad that hubby didn't give up on finding it and asked for the way.  

He knew that I really wanted to see it and it was like getting a present that day.  

After getting off the beaten path, we made our way to the other side of San Antonio and spent the next few nights in New Braunfels with some friends in their condo.  We ate great food and floated a little stretch of the Guadalupe river.  Still in a drought, the float wasn't the best but we had fun anyway people watching and chatting.  We even got in a game of Bingo one night.  

I had no idea what I was doing!  They make that game so stinking complicated and fast.  

Nothing like feeling like a moron while playing Bingo.

Then we enjoyed dancing over at Riley's Tavern.   

Claimed to be the oldest bar in Texas.  

photo credit

Texas isn't all cowboys and horses.  But I sure like the places that are!  

Thanks for coming along with me on this Texas tour.  

Texas River tours Part 2

I didn't expect it to take me this long to get to part 2!  Summer is really throwing me for a loop but we are having fun!

So we said goodbye to the kids in Concan as they headed off with Pops and Grandma for a week full of fun at their house.  Around here, we call it Camp Grandma, named from the days when hubby would go with his Grandma for a week.  I guess only Great Grandma is named because Great Grandpa was still working at the time.   Since Pops is retired, Grandma gets a little help with our kids and the little cousins.
Our "just us" trip started out in Bandera, Texas.  Our future town.  A place where we own 2.48 acres of pure Texas.  We drag out the lawn chairs and a few Shiner Bocks to help us watch the sun go down over our land.  One day, we'll get to build a house to grow old in together.
This year some dear friends met us out there and we talked and talked and talked.  It was wonderful!

The area was formally a huge ranch but is now sectioned off for us lucky ones that get to enjoy the view at a fraction of the cost.  We were able to rent out the ranch house for a night.  I love everything about this house.

the fireplaces (all 7 of them!)

the windows, the beams...

the original floors....

and the gorgeous view!

You can't help but love this little town!

We would have loved to float the beautiful Medina river that runs right through the town and our neighborhood of lots but this river was too low also.  I don't think you want to see a picture of just rocks so I will show you a picture of me last year.  This wasn't even in the deep part.

It makes me sad that all of the rivers are low but I know that it is just a cycle that we are in. We still pray for rain everyday right now.  There are many towns around us right now that are banning fireworks shows for the 4th of July.   Speaking of, I wish you a day of rest and relaxation as we celebrate our many freedoms this weekend.  I didn't intend for there to be a part 3 for our Texas River tour 2011 but I just had to share about our little future town.