THE ADVENTURES OF CAMPING

This past weekend we went camping with Janel, Phil, and The Parks! We went to Fall River on Saturday since the storms kept us from leaving on Friday night. I think I took close to 100 pictures according to my hubby. I thought I would post a few for your enjoyment.


Janel setting up her tent. This picture is for her mom. When J told her mom she was going camping, her mom busted out laughing.

These Pics are in random order, sorry. We stopped at the Belmount Hotel for lunch on Sunday on the way home. This is the oldest water tower in Kansas.

Fall River was having Rendezvous Days at the other camping ground. We ventured over to see what is going on. The people had tents and were dress how they dressed in the pioneer and trapping days. Very interesting. The gang all together.

The windmill farm outside of Belmount!

Aww Shawna and Daniel but the river down from the dam.

Such a cute couple! Phil and Janel! Didn't I do good fixing them up?!?

Rob would have been a good pioneer man. He is amazing outdoors. He can do anything I have found out! I am sooo blessed with this incredible husband!

Kansas' sunsets are God's blessings. I think He gives us the beautiful sunrises and sunsets to make up for all the winds we have!

I like this pic of our feet! Sorry to share but too bad! LOL

It was a relaxing trip with great friends. I may post more pictures when we have time next week.

Next week's post will be about the Adventures at the Cotton Carnival in my hometown, Jamie's pageant, and fun times with the family!

Challenge you to let someone know how much you appreciate them.

Guess What We Are Doing This Weekend?!

Yelp we are going camping with the Parks! Hopefully it will not rain!

Childhood memories

The smell of fish sandwiches and hamburgers coming from the American Legion stand. the cool crisp air in front of zipper and the roundup. The pageants at center stage. On Saturday morning everyone you know would be downtown to watch the parade which usually lasts 2 hours. Aww, Sikeston Cotton Carnival week is one of my all time favorite things from my childhood.

Even after I moved away, I would come home for the weekend to watch the parade with my family. Every year we would sit in the same place. It would be my dad, my sister and her husband plus their three daughters, my brother and his wife and Molly Claire. Aunt Moz also would come. We would enjoy this time as a family. This year Rob is going to join in the tradition. It will be bitter sweet for me this year. This is the first year I have been without my brother there to aggravate me the entire time!

The Cotton Carnival also has pageants. Little Miss and Mr Cotton Top, Jr Miss Sikeston, Miss Sikeston and Miss Cotton Carnival will be held. Jr Miss is only for Sikeston Public School Freshman and Miss is only for Senior girls that attend Sikeston Sr High School. Miss Cotton Carnival is open to any girl ages15-18 that does not attend Sikeston Public Schools.

I won Miss Sikeston in 1989.(Yes it was a long time ago). I always hoped one of my nieces would be Miss Sikeston. Well 3 of the 4 nieces go to private schools. But this year, Jamie is going to be in Miss Cotton Carnival. I get to go through the nerve wracking moments like my sister did when I was in pageants. Now Sara and I can be stressed out together.

Well while Jamie is on stage looking beautiful, you will sure to find me stuffing my face with a hamburger, funnel cake, and whatever else I can find. I am sure I will post pics when we return!

Things that make me smile....

God's beauty and love!

Waking up in the morning seeing Rob beside me!

Opening up my email in the morning and always having the Jenn updates and emailing my girlfriends funny life things that happens every day it seems.

The smell in the air when fall is approaching and the leaves starting to change.

Kansas' sunsets.

Receiving text messages from my nieces and phone calls and them saying I love you even if their friends are around! No matter how much they try to grow up on my, they are still my little sweet peas.

My 10 am text from Rob! He is amazing man.

Talking with Aunt Moz every day even when we have nothing really to say.

Cooking for people. Its my way to say I care. I think its my only talent!

Completing projects!

Angela's status updates on facebook!

Greeting Rob at the door when he comes home from work!!! I await that hug and kiss all day!

My church family!

Knowing I am a better person today than I was before. Thanks to God's grace!

A cup of Rob's chai!

My life with Rob

Our wonderful friends!

Match making when it works out!

reading the bible with Rob

Embroidery

Saying prayers with Rob every night before falling asleep beside him....

What makes you smile!

Biking with God

Rob and I are doing a couples devotional. Last nights devotion was wonderful! The story was comparing their walk with God as a bike ride on a tandem bike. It is a fun and exciting ride every day riding with God. And when you trust in Him, He takes over and you sit in the back while He leads you on the "life" adventure. Sometimes you wonder where God is leading and question it. God response is "Just pedal" .

Another example they gave was along the ride you pick up some blessings, and some gifts from others. Well God says the bike is heavy, we need to pass out the gifts and share the blessings along the trail.

I want to let God to lead the way in my life daily. It is hard sometimes but my prayer is just to pedal for God's adventure. I want to have my bike heavy so I can share the gifts and blessings of God's love with others.

Basement Project

This week the framers started working on the basement! There is dust every where but I am just thankful. Soon our home will have 2 more bedrooms, another bathroom, a home theater room and an extra living room! WooHoo! It is exciting to go down stairs every day to see the progress! Pictures to come later from beginning to end!

20 Year Reunion

Well I have to face reality soon, my 20 year high school reunion is next summer! It was a time in my life I am so glad you only go through once! I was consumed with beauty pageants when I was in high school. Main reason I weighed in at a whopping 70 lbs when I graduated! Yelp, I was tiny.

Well with the reunion around the corner, all the anxieties I when attended good oLE SHS are coming back. All of a sudden I am freaking out about my weight! So I think it is time to lose a 100 lbs before I see all my old class mates.

I thought about doing the couch to 5K but that would require me to run again. So Rob and I are biking! The only probably is we live in Kansas. The weather never is cooperative. It is either raining, too windy, or too stinking hot. I am looking forward to the rain to cease but by then it will probably be ice and snow. Luckily, my husband bought me a treadmill. Oh wait it is unplugged in the basement. We are currently trying to finish the basement in our home.

Another way I thought I could drop a hundred pounds would be to stop cooking. I really don't think that will happen either. I would be way too cranky if I couldn't cook!

Well hopefully I will be pregnant by the reunion! I can blame it all on the baby!!!

Our First Anniversary Celebration

My wonderful husband treated me to a four day weekend in Chicago! We had such a wonderful time! We went to Adler Planetarium, Shedd's aquarium, Field Museum, Navy Pier, Science and History Museum (the Harry Potter exhibit was there), Willis Tower AKA Sears Tower, Millennium Park and a river Boat Tour. We ate Thai, Chicago Style pizza and Ethiopian food!

Here are a few pics from our adventure!

This is Ethiopian food! you eat this with your fingers using Injera( a flat sour dough type bread). In this pic there is Chicken with a boiled egg, cabbage, gomen (which is the green stuff) beef and a lentil side. You also eat the bottom of the pan which is a large piece of injera! YUMMY!

The bean at Millennium Park!

Rob in front of the Man eaters of Tsavo at the Field Museum. Watch the movie A Ghost in the Darkness and you will know the story of these man eating lions!

Rob and I in front of the Weasley's car from Harry Potter. It was the only thing we could take pictures of from the Harry Potter exhibit at the Science and Industry Museum.

A fountain going over the River from the boat tour!

Rob and I standing in front of the Sun at the planetarium!

103 floors high on the glass sky deck at the Willis Tower (Sears Tower)

Gino's East Pizza ! Need I say more?

Rob acting silly at the Field Museum in front of SUE!

Pic of us on the River Tour!

We did not save our cake top because we ate it on our wedding night. So I made one for my wonderful hubby! IT was strawberry cake with butter cream icing! It was very good!

The weekend of our actually anniversary, we went biking riding and had a picnic. This guy resides in one of the parks by Riverside!

Rob riding in front of me down by the river!

I was so happy we could cross the bridge at the Keeper!

The Keeper of the Plains by the Arkansas River. This is also where Rob proposed to me!

Rob and I enjoyed a wonderful two weekends of celebrating our anniversary. I am so blessed with an God loving, wonderful husband!

Wow its been a Year already?!?

A year ago yesterday, I married my best friend, my lover and the man God picked for me. Rob is one of the most amazing people I know. He has such a kind personality. He is silly and fun and loving. I could have not asked for a better husband than him. I do not know what I did to deserve such a wonderful husband!

The last year has been such a blessing. We have shared so many laughs and a few tears. We have been making our house a home. Hopefully the basement will be completed before our 2nd anniversary! We have shared times with friends, family and alone time. We have built our marriage on God's foundation and He is blessing us with such a grand life!

We spent our anniversary weekend doing what we love the most, being together. Saturday, we went for a long bike ride along the Riverside area and had a picnic. Sunday, we relaxed by the lake and then enjoyed a romantic delicious dinner!

As all other special days, such as birthdays, we believe one day celebrations are not enough! We will continue the celebration in Chicago for four days this weekend!

I can not wait to see what God has in store for us in the years ahead! What every it is, we will enjoy the adventure together!

Pictures to be posted after our Chicago trip!