Love me some West Texas!

Yes, I do realize that every 2 years you have to read about how I love West Texas, oil wells, the smell, friendly waves, pick up trucks, cotton fields, and flat land as far as you can see.... :) We enjoyed our weekend in Welch/Lamesa, Texas with our great friends the Phipps family. Whitney & I have been best friends since we were 9, so going there really feels like going home!

After our 4 hour drive, the kids were ready to get out of the car and exited to see this new playscape!

Ben grilling us some good burgers!

Quite possibly the best dessert I have ever eaten - Robbie's Reese's peanut butter brownies!

Andrew & Christen

Me & my other mom, Robbo! It was so funny to hear Cason call her "Wobbo!" :)

The New Day Orphanage board at Second Baptist Church in Lamesa

My 2 surrogate grandfathers growing up - Pa & Papaw!

Cambree got the camera while we were speaking & took tons of pictures of us!! :)

Heading out!

It is always fun to share what is happening at New Day! On Sunday night, the group of 43 people at the church gave a $1470 love offering to the orphanage! We were so blessed! In other news from Zambia, they told us today that the headman's wife just died! Her husband died just 2 weeks ago! Please lift up this family in prayer!

First Soccer Game!

We are so excited that Caedmon is getting to play soccer in the USA! His team is the Storm, and he is #1. They lost their first game, but got better as the game went on! Caedmon's speed surprised me, and he stole the ball a couple of times! It was fun (but HOT!) to watch him play!

Ready for the game - first one there!!

Warm-ups!

Caedmon was the "striker", so he had to kick off.

Cambree & Cason were good sports cheering on big brother in the Texas heat!

He was SOOO hot!! But he said he had fun!

Weekend in Fredericksburg!!!

We spent Labor Day weekend with some of the Tidwell side of the family in Fredericksburg, Texas! It was VERY hot, but we had a good time together!

Mom & Dad graciously handed over the key to their RV so we could camp in style!

Ready for the weekend!

The kids loved the ride!

Caedmon enjoyed his "Are we there yet?" book from Ms. Dianna!

Cason & AJ were buddies! Cason kept calling AJ "my little brother!"

Andie & Cambree are best buddies!

I might be a little biased, but my boy can hit a baseball!!

Our first morning there the kids enjoyed a playground in the middle of town, along with a walking garden and water wheel.

Our kids have discovered a love for monkey bars!

Caedmon tried his first ever root beer float - and wasn't impressed...

Outside the soda fountain, the kids found this ole mechanical horse to ride. Caedmon said, "That's for little kids." :)

That afternoon the kids got some great swim time at the RV park pool!

Cambree loved the ring I bought her - she's easy to please!

That night we enjoyed some German cuisine!

Me & my handsome man :)

Lovely ladies (minus one!) :)

Paw & B-Maw

I ordered the "Opa" with sweet & sour potatoes

The next morning it was time to conquer Enchanted Rock...

98 degrees...in flip flops....with 5 small children... I have to admit this looked daunting to me!

Before the climb!

The kids loved it and didn't complain much! Caedmon turned around once and said, "Why do I have to do this again??" :)

Paw helped push them all to the top!

We made it to the caves!

Sorry for all the Cason pictures - I promise it's not because he's my favorite! He just makes the cutest faces & poses!!!

HOT!!!

They made it to the top!! As we drove away, Cason looked out his window and said "There's the mountain I never want to climb again!!" Gotta say I agreed with the little guy :) It was fun to say we did it though!

We headed back to Brownwood and my parents met us there to spend a couple of days with us - we were tired so I had some daddy cuddle time!