Easter Weekend

This year we spent Easter weekend with the Knochel side of the family out at Pop and Moe's Ranch. All the cousins were there, and it was a special time together. Our newest cousin, Kate and Dustin's foster daughter, was there and it was so good to finally be able to spend some quality time with her. As usual, Moe had all the food very well planned, so we ate yummy meals throughout our time there. The kids enjoyed hours outdoors in beautiful weather; collected wild flowers, went fishing, played tag and corn hole, searched for bugs and made s'mores. Saturday afternoon we dyed over 8 dozen eggs and although it was chaotic, the kids enjoyed the activity and the eggs turned out very pretty.

 

 

Sunday morning the kids were up bright and early, as always when at the Ranch, so after looking through the goodies in their Easter baskets, they hunted for eggs, ate breakfast and got all dressed up for church. All 19 of us caravaned to the local Cowboy Church and enjoyed a sweet Easter service where a good message was preached and the music was lovely. After returning to the Ranch from church we shared a big delicious Easter lunch  and let the kids run wild until we had to load up after dinner and head back to city life and routine of work and school. Easter is my favorite holiday, and this year did not disappoint. Seeing God's creation in full glory, with gorgeous wildflowers everywhere we looked and watching our kids grow in their relationships. Listening to the amazing message of what Christ did for us all when he gave himself up on the cross, and hearing songs sung from the heart about that amazing gift lifted my spirit. Easter is a reminder that we can turn to God and have a new start, and that is something I often feel I need. The Lord is risen, Indeed!

 

Spring Break!

We had a fun spring break this year! Philip was able to take three days off work, so we took a road trip to the Houston and San Antonio areas. The first two nights we stayed with our dear friends, the Pittengers, in Kingwood and the kids had so much fun playing with their friends who they have been missing seeing at church. They were excellent hosts, treated us well and fed us super yummy meals. We took all 9 of our kids to the Space Center to learn all about NASA and the science behind space exploration. I think Philip may have enjoyed this visit as much or more than the kids! We saw a huge space shuttle, astronaut gear and played with space themed toys and gadgets. The next day we visited their new church and went out to a BBQ lunch before hitting the road again.

 

 

Once in San Antonio we stayed with my Aunt Mary and Uncle Buddy, who were also wonderful hosts. They prepared delicious meals for us our whole stay and even let an eager Rachel help. Our first day there we visited the historic Missions of San Jose and the Alamo. The big boys really loved seeing some of the artifacts of Texas history they had been learning about in school as well as in one of their favorite books. The next day we spent an entire, long day at Sea World. We arrived just before opening and stayed almost until closing! All four kids were troopers and stayed happy despite lots of walking and no naps. They enjoyed every show and several rides. Rachel was able to see her beloved flamingos up close, Joel and Levi rode some big roller coasters and Nate was thrilled by the jumping, flipping whales and dolphins. It was a great visit! Our last morning in San Antonio we ate a delicious breakfast with my Aunt and Uncle and then headed to a nearby park to visit and play with my cousin's family. Their boys are close to Levi and Joel's age and they played together so well, burning off some energy before the car ride home. During all those hours in the car we enjoyed listening to Shiloh and Old Yeller on AudioBook CDs. Both books were a hit, but it was unanimous that Old Yeller was a favorite and deserved it fame.

 

The day after we returned home, Philip went back to work and I took the kids to meet their Knochel cousins at the Perot Museum in Dallas. It was very crowded, but they still had fun seeing the Lego art display and huge dinosaur bones. All in all it was a spring break well spent and enjoyed by the whole family!