The Great Big, Hot and Wet Outdoors

Thanks Stacey for all of the great camping pics :)

We have had some great weather over the past couple of days. Sunshine and highs in the upper 70's. Who wouldn't want some time outside. But in typical Hill fashion, we don't do things outside in good weather, we have to do it when it's the weekend before great weather.

If you aren't from Texas, you have no idea how weird the weather can be. One day you are sweating and sunburned. The next you are outside on your back porch in 54 degree weather with a blanket and hot coffee.

So, last Friday we had a field trip to the Tiger Creek Refuge. It's a "big cat" rescue about 20 minutes from our house. It has been featured on Animal Planet and overall is a pretty cool place to visit. Even though the temperature was sweltering, we had a great time....

Don't they look thrilled

This is what most of the tigers were doing when we were there. The guide told us that they sleep about 20 hours a day

The only white tiger

The boys in front of Michael Jackson's tiger "Thriller". He never looked very thrilled to be there.

Isaac wanted a picture in front of a tiger named Calvin. He loves Calvin and Hobbes. The tiger was Calvin because his owner had the last name Hobbs :)

Immediately after our field trip, we finished loading up for our first camping trip of the year. In a previous post, I showed you a picture of our super cool pop up. What I haven't told you is that the first time we tried to pop it up at our house to begin cleaning it, a cable snapped in the lifting mechanism and it was broken. So, we didn't get to take it on this camping trip :( But it's all fixed now and we are already planning our next trip! Now, back to our weekend. We love to camp and so our family and four others set out for a new campground. We got there and early and set up camp. We had a great first night full of food, bike riding, birthday cake and late night card game. Next morning...RAIN, RAIN and more RAIN!! So like any good campers, we loaded up 10 adults and 17 kiddos and went to Wal-Mart. Aimee had a great idea of a scavenger hunt for the kids. So we hunted around Wal-Mart for a couple of hours and headed back to camp in a light drizzle. We all expected to have to pack up and go home but suprisingly, most of our campsites were fairly dry and we decided to stay . Only the Eynons had to pack up. Their borrowed camper leaked and all of their bedding was wet. They stayed until late though and we had a fabulous dinner of steak and pork chops!! Overall, the camping trip was actually the most fun we had had! The kids LOVED playing in the rain and the adults had great conversation and time to hang out!! All of the mud and dirt will eventually come out. I hope :)

Isaac loved this spot! If you look closely in the fire ring, you will see our make shift fire. Incredibly, although it was a flood all weekend, we were under a burn ban and couldn't make a fire. Stephanie put a flashlight under some pine needles for at least the "feel" of a campfire. Oddly enough, Kerry still complained of smoke getting in his face :)

Still smiling even after all of the mud. I guess it was all of Carolyn's conspiracy stories she told us

Ethan and Dakota had just met but hit it off right away~

We even had birthday cake thanks to the Cornett's. Happy Bday Jared :)
Don't ya love Abi's gang signs in the back!!

Photo Update

Rainbow over our house.
I thought of you Aimee when I took this.

Quick photo update on our past few weeks activities.

Labor Day: Family, Friends, BBQ and most importantly...Guns. God Bless America :)

We had some friends and some of my family over for a fun afternoon BBQ on Labor Day. Yes...Steve even got off work. Although the phone did ring at 7:00 am for Steve. It was his boss asking him to help him upload pictures from his vacation onto his computer. The only day Steve can sleep in. No rest for the slaves of this world :)

Abi, Suzy Q and Isaac being there usual crazy selves

The men folk brought all of the heavy firearms to shoot

Isaac and Cuzin Mags!! These two are definitely two peas in a pod!

All of the kiddos enjoyed a game of baseball

Aimee and her demon huntin' hubby loading up Aimee's pink 007 gun to shoot
Doesn't she look thrilled :)

At one point Steve got so frustrated shooting skeet that he just waited until it was on the ground and shot it where it fell :) Gotta love my redneck hubby !

Isaac started his first season of city league soccer this year. He is on the Lazers and has a great team and coach. So far we have one a game and lost a game!!

Ethan is attempting a 8 week tennis camp. We thought this was a great way to expose him to the sport without having to shell out the big bucks for a coach. So far he has had two lessons and is showing some impressive skill! This may be a keeper for us~

Be A Family

(click on the logo to learn more about fostering or fostering to adopt)

Last night began our inspiring journey to becoming foster parents. We were a little nervous but a whole lotta excited too. We will have 8 - 3hr. sessions that will cover everything from what is fostering to disciplining foster children to dealing with birth families. A lot of information to cover and a lot of emotion already.

Steve and I are so anxious to get started. We have felt the tug for so many years to add another child to our family. Whether that be temporary or permanent. We both have put the calling off for some reason or another and now we are so ready, I wish we could start tomorrow.

Our foster and adoption specialists at Buckner already think we are crazy and were laughing at us last night. I have a good friend who is a fantastic foster mom! She is such the recruiter for this cause (btw Kara.... I put a plug in for you to be a "paid" recruiter for Buckner :) and she is helping us expedite our certification. Because of my inside source, I found out about a class that was offered last week that only comes around every 4 or 5 months. If we were to skip last weeks class, we would not have been able to be certified until February. So, I called Debbie at Buckner and asked if we could take this Psychotropic Meds class before the PRIDE training classes so that we would have a jump start on the process. She was quiet for a moment and said "Well.... sure. Nobody has every done that before but..... Okay!" So needless to say, we are the over anxious ones in our group!

So all we need is a First Aid/CPR class and one other class and if we get all of our paperwork in first, we will get the first home study! Meaning, we could be certified within the next few months! Hopefully before Christmas!!

We know God is going to take us on an amazing journey over the next year! Extreme highs and extreme lows will be a new normal for us! But we are ready! The boys are excited and anxious for a new little one in the home. Isaac even was a little sad when I told him that we are just beginning classes last night. He thought that we were bringing home a baby :) Soon...hopefully...soon

Obsessed Much?

Here is the newest addition to our family !! To say that I have been a little obsessed about getting a camper is not an exaggeration!! My cousin came down last weekend for Labor Day and said he thinks he heard me say "Pop-up Camper" about 100 times a day !!

But..... we love to camp as a family and with our friends. Now we are doing it in a little more style :)

My sweet hubby spoils me rotten!!

From the Mouth of Isaac -

Okay...this kid has been on a roll lately...making us roll on the floor laughing.

This year we have been studying Apologia Exploring Creation with Anatomy and Physiology in our homeschool co-op classes. This weeks topic was on DNA and so that spurred on a conversation at bed about what they learned in class today.

Ethan speaking to Steve- "Why do you say that I am sometimes like mom and sometimes like you?"

Steve - "You know about DNA and genes." When you take 1/2 of my genes and 1/2 of your mother's genes you have...."

Isaac interrupting - "You have a really weird pair of pants."

That's my boy!

Entitlements

This is a must read post from a blog I read..... HERE.

I know I can relate to it with my kids and with the way I act myself!!

Today is the Day

Today we finally close on our Longview House. Most of me is so relieved to have all of the waiting over. It is very nerve racking selling house anyway but to have a sell fall through after trying to get a loan pushed through for 6 weeks and then to have to wait on a more than qualified couple work their way through our incredibly screwed up banking system is down right aggravating! But, the day is here and we are so excited to finally be the owners of only one home.

I tell you what I do miss about my old house though

Hood Food Fights

These two NUTS who pull me out of my shell
I love you girls!!!


All of the noise that 5 boys in a house can make :)
And all of the apples they can eat!!

Snow cone stands

And last but not least... living in an old home that
is in constant need of repair :)

The only solice I take is that the new owners are such a great fit for the neighborhood. We really prayed that a nice and a little bit crazy (for Stephanie) family would come and join the family!! So far I think they have!! God is good all of the time!

So thank you to all of our wonderful neighbors that welcomed us into the neighborhood and loved us like family. We will miss you more than you can know !!

So now, we have no more excuses... we have to finish this house!!

Oh..... another milestone tomorrow. We begin our much awaited foster to adopt certification classes with Buckner. We will have 4 weeks of classes two nights a week. Steve and I are doing our best to rush the deal. We are taking one class early and a weekend CPR class so we can hopefully be ready to take kids by December!! I can't wait! God is going to grow us for sure. Hopefully in numbers of family members but also closer to Him!!

From the Mouth of Isaac

I haven't done one of these posts in a long time either!! And believe me, not because there hasn't been anything to say :)

Last night before bedtime prayer....

Isaac: "I don't like the smell of spit. The only time I do is if it's spit on a penny."

What?!? Explain that one to me! Strange child!!!

From the Mind of Ethan

It's been a while since I did an installment of "From the Mind of Ethan". Not because there hasn't been anything to report, just laziness on my part.

I posted about Ethan "biggest fear" here in 2008. Back then it was all about his computer crashing. But my how he has grown up. His fears have become so realistic and realivant to a ten year old boy. Oh wait... I am talking about Ethan, nevermind.

Ethan's VBS leader this year -
"There are so many things that you as young people can be afraid of. Bullies at school, failing grades, the dark or monsters. Can someone share their biggest fear with us?"

Ethan -
(hand raised in about .3 seconds)
"The scariest thing ever is treated wood! Did you know its toxic?"

I have no explanation for that but everyone at church got a belly laugh out of that one!!

Boy Rockers

The Boy Rockers
Andrew, Ethan, Noah and Spencer

Here is a great video of my unsocialized homeschooling son with his unsocialized homeschooling friends. They spent the afternoon after our first co-op classes decompressing with a little rock-n-roll..

Can ya feelin' it or are you still holding your ears :) I think I see a real future here!! If only Andrew (on the bongos) would stop reading for a moment :) Only a homeschooler would read while playing in a rock band!!

Here are the lyrics written by Spencer...

Love these boys!!!

Rain, Rain Don't Go Away

Yea!! I hear RAIN this morning!! Finally I can feel fall right around the corner! Saturdays low: 60 and high: 87 Woo Hoo!! I am so tired of 100 degree weather. I ready for CAMPING, coolness, long sleeves, smokey smells from leaves burning, pumpkins, hay, pumpkin spiced candles and of course all of the wonderful holidays that come fall!!

Maybe this year we can get one of these: