Spring days are here again

Things are starting to turn green again, y'all!!

We even hiked in tank tops and shorts last Saturday, and felt pretty sweaty after 5 miles.

 The breeze on top of the dam felt wonderful, and we took our snack/water break up there,

while watching boats go by, and rappellers descend.

 THIS is why I stay in Arkansas.

I dislike the cold, wet lingering winters (I know, you Northerners, I am a wimp!!)

but I looooove the forests and hills, boulders and bluffs, rivers and caves. I love the abundant sunshine and gorgeous views. The Ozarks are truly one of the most beautiful places in the world, especially when everything turns bright and blooming. {sigh} Can't wait.

 Two of my four kids looking. ha. It's hard to get the whole crew still and facing the same direction!

Oh, spring, hurry along!! I had to wear gloves on my bike ride again today, and I'd much rather don the tank top and shorts again instead!!

In the sunshine

My Girl took these photos, during our family hike on Sunday.

You can't tell now, what with snow crusting the ground,

but Sunday was absolutely gorgeous--

sunny and warm enough to remove jackets while scaling the hills.

 She captured some peaceful scenes along the way.

I love that she loves to see and capture the beauty around her.

She caught us examining crevices in the bluffs...

 She got some good shots of her little brothers...

 ...and snuck some of me, while I snapped my own pics.... ;) ...

 So, of course, I did the same, and caught her taking pictures.

This has become a family affair, and I LOVE that!

 I'm trying to spend as much time outside as possible, whenever the weather permits.
Winters are so very hard for me. I despise being cold. I NEED sunshine in a serious way. In fact, I'm thinking seriously again about a way to leave here every winter. This area is amazing for most of the spring, all of the summer, and the first part of fall.... but the dreary wet cold winters are simply painful.
Thanking God for every sunshiny day we get, especially when the temps climb high enough for family fun like this.
Love this random pic, below, with my kidlings and Man, all looking and going a different direction. It was the perfect spot for our afternoon, with plenty of room to explore, climb, slide down, and dig for rocks.

The 12 Hours of Camping

In the first hour of camping,
the forest gave to me...
A falcon in a pine tree

In the second hour of camping, the forest gave to me
2 baby deer
and a falcon in a pine tree

In the third hour of camping, the forest gave to me
3 boys with ivy
2 baby deer
and a falcon in a pine tree

In the fourth hour of camping, the forest gave to me
4 goofy pictures...

In the fifth hour of camping, the forest gave to me
5 dropped hot dogs...

In the sixth hour of camping, the forest gave to me
6 chocolate s'mores...

In the seventh hour of camping, the forest gave to me
7 mushrooms growing...

In the eighth hour of camping, the forest gave to me
8 snakes a'slithering...

In the ninth hour of camping, the forest gave to me
9 turtles bathing...

In the tenth hour of camping, the forest gave to me
10 squirrels a'climbing...

In the eleventh hour of camping, the forest gave to me
11 flashes of lightening...

In the twelfth hour of camping, the forest gave to me
12 tiny ticks
11 flashes of lightening
10 squirrels a'climbing
9 turtles bathing
8 snakes a'slithering
7 mushrooms growing
6 chocolate s'mores
5 dropped hot dogs
4 goofy pictures
3 boys with ivy
2 baby deer
and a falcon in a pine tree!
It was an adventure, to say the least! The boys are finally getting over their poison ivy, from our weekend excursion.

Oh My WORD.

For awhile now, I’ve been aching to visit my now-real-life sweet friend Suzanne, over at The Joyful Chaos. And, even though she’s, like, a week from her due date, she offered her home for a Little Rock mini vacation.

Love this lady. Love this family.

I told her over and over, “You make me feel normal.”
Your kids eat food that they’ve dropped on the floor? Mine, too.
Your van has extra pairs of shoes, clothes, empty cups, and spare change, all jumbled together?
Yep, mine too.

The Parker crew let us load up with them in their 12-seat “church van” and took us on the North Little Rock/Little Rock tour, complete with trolley ride, picnic, rock climbing, bridge-walkin', farmer marketing.

Back at their home, games and crazy running. They taught my kids how to play 21 boogie clean-up (is that right?) and we taught them how to play My Father Owns a Grocery Store (they'd never heard of the car game!! Really?? Thought everyone played this!)
The guys laughed their silly laughs playing their silly phone apps, watching football, telling jokes. Meanwhile, Suzanne and I talked kids and homeschooling, birth stories and ambitions.

I love her heart. I love watching her interact with her children.

(Would you believe, I forgot my camera!!!-- so Suzanne was kind enough to take plenty of pics for me, and gave me unlimited access to her camera. I took some with my phone, too, but it was still PAINFUL to have left my electronic child behind!!)

“Oh my word!” (as they say,) it was a blessed and memorable weekend! I’m hoping and praying for more upcoming trips! Love you, girl!

The Gardens

 One of my favorite things, in this beautiful wide world, is to travel, explore, spend time outside. And who better to share it with than my Man and our four monkeys (and this time, my sister and her two monkeys, too!)

A BEAVER, y'all!

I found a leaf to match my belt!

Hamilton Pool Nature Preserve

On our way home, we stopped by the Hamilton Pool Nature Preserve, which is approximately 30 miles southwest of Austin, TX.

It's out in the boooooonies. Expect lots of slow driving on dirt, windy roads, and a $10 entrance fee per vehicle. But then you hike down to THIS, and it's all worth it.

You just can't tell how huge and absolutely gorgeous this is!