Henderson

After the TBA conference we headed over to Henderson, but like really Stewart, TX, to see a property we have been looking at to purchase.  We wanted to take more time and see it up close.  The first time we never even made it into the house.  This time we took a house tour and got to see the pasture and pens.  It was a good trip to get a feel of the whole property.  Here are a few pictures, but I never really got a front shot of the house.  There is also a second house on the property with potential to fix up.  We will see what the future holds.

The back yard area of the main house.

Main living area

The kitchen

The pig barn

Handling pens

Horse barn... but we would turn it into a chicken coop.  

The land

The other house

We forgot to take a picture of us on the trip so we took a selfie on the way home :). 

Texas Bison Association

This was our second time attending a TBA conference.  We ended up in Jacksonville, TX and then headed over to a local Bison owner's ranch.  He had a really nice set up with beautiful animals!  We got a nice tour of the handling facilities.  Lunch was Bison burgers, which were delicious!  It was a great little trip!  It feels like we are learning some good info as we try to move forward with our ranching plans. 

They were pretty tame and would let you pet them if they came up to the fence.  I got to pet one ;)

17 Years Young

Talmage is 17!  He's learning and growing up so much!  He's on the cusp of being an adult, yet he's still just too young ;).  He enjoys work and school.  He is enjoying having some freedom and managing is life a little more.  Talmage is thoughtful, kind, and a pretty great kid!  We are blessed to have him!

He planned a birthday date with Kendall for the morning of his birthday.  They went to the museum and then got Popsicles and Blaze pizza for lunch.  That evening we got together for family presents :)

  

  

  

 The shirt he really wanted :)

 Happy Birthday!

 Oh, and he's still very much a teenager :).  

Kid life

A few snippets from the lives of the kids. 

Talmage works hard and stays busy with his classes.  It's cute to see him worn out... and napping ;)

One of Lorna's art projects.  Cute girl

For Clark's handwriting assignment he chose to add a drawing... and did the drawing from his art class.  He's so cute!

Lorna went to a birthday party and got to play with guinea pigs!  She even got to help dress them up.  

Conference Fun!

We really enjoyed General Conference!  I got to play with the girls hair (Sandra even let me do something fun with hers), so that was fun.  The kids usually keep busy, coloring and knitting, but we try to stay focused as much as possible!  I love hearing the general authorities speak and having my family listen with me!  There was an announcement about this next conference in April being special because it's the 200th anniversary of the First Vision.  We decided to read a book about Joseph Smith as a family to help us get ready.  

National Night Out!

The kids and I (minus Talmage, who was working), headed over for dinner and fun at the National Night Out in our neighborhood.  It was a great excuse to not make dinner and get out and visit with people in the community.  I will be honest, I don't tend to talk to anyone, but they don't talk to me either.  I'm sure it's just part of life to not visit with people these days.  I did run into our neighbors and so we chatted with them.  Jeff got home from work and joined us for the fun.  

The bounce houses and slides were a big hit!  The kids also enjoyed the food, getting to play games, paint pumpkins, and even get a balloon animal!  I am always impressed with the free stuff that is available!  Happy meet the neighborhood night ;).

A day in the life...

Every day feels the same, yet always a little different too.  Homeschooling makes life a bit more comfortable so that's nice too.  I spend most mornings hanging out with Clark and Lorna helping them get their work done.  Depending on their moods things go smoothly, or not as smooth :).  It also helps that if I'm working with one then the other can have a break as needed.  The older kids work independently, which is nice.  I do help with spelling and review their work.  I appreciate having a co-op that also helps with classes.  The older kids are getting science there, so that makes experiments more exciting!  

Depending on the time of day you will find the kids doing various activities.  Here is just a snippet of a normal day around here ;).

Clark napping.

Grant getting his math done.

Sandra working on science.

Mhari practicing the piano.

Lorna reading.  On nice days we enjoy reading out by the pool.  Her reading has really improved this year!  It's fun to see her enjoy the story and want to keep reading!