Jake

Jump the gate and on the run
Around the corner having fun
Combing the woods for new adventures
On board the ship to find the treasure
Beyond the horizon and on forever

Sarah

Sail away upon a cloud
Amazing grace can be found
Remembering the time that was spent
Amidst the angels she will be kept
Happy day when we meet again

Beckie

Round the bend of motherhood
Embracing family as she could
Bringing joy to those in need
Engraving love into her creed
Catching tears for all who hurt
Carrying burdens is heavy work
Adorning courage, she cannot shirk

Jennifur

Joy is found in simple things
Embracing life for what it brings
Never looking at our faults
Never pointing at what was lost
Imagining life beyond today
Focusing on growing everyday
Understanding when there's imperfection
Remember that being a family is perfection

My Mom

Kind and still as the falling snow
Awe and grace fill the winter show
Tender words that fall on our ears
Hope and comfort that brings good cheer
Years of love that brought me here

My Dad

In the spirit of the season, thought I'd start of series of poems dedicated to my family members starting with my Dad.

Rugged as the mountainside
In tune with the beauty found in nature's eyes
Cool and calm as the twilight
Kept and nurtured in his sight

Young at heart, and strong in might

Enchanted Rock

After a whole day in Fredricksburg, we squeezed in one last hike. Some of the shots acquired made it all worth it.

Fredricksburg

We enjoyed touring the shops and park of the little German town.  Josh and Kim were awesome hosts of the fair city.

Lost Maples

We enjoyed hiking throught he Lost Maples Park to see the best fall leaves in Texas.  We had so much fun at Thanksgiving the whole crowd came with us.

Baby Quilt for Kim

My sister-in-law Laura agreed to help put a baby quilt together for my friend Kim.  I wanted Laura to get the reward of watching Kim opening her handiwork since she did all the hard labor.  The quilt turned out absolutely beautiful.  Thanks, Laura!

Let Us Give Thanks!

Oh Christmas Tree

 Our tree came together in stages.  First was the fanning of branches and covering the nakedness with a skirt.

 Then there was the star that deserves it's own moment in the spotlight.

 Then there was a twinkling from 400 little lights above gifts from Laura and Dan.

 Then an explosion of decor from past and present.

 Some pink ornaments found there way here this year in memory of my sister Sarah.  She sure loved everything pink.

Then there were some angels that my sister Beckie and I made last year that finally got to experience what it's like to be on a Christmas tree.  Stu and I go away every year and have never had a Christams tree.  This year will be our first.  We bought other ornaments from Hobby Lobby and added ones my mom sent home with me that I made as a little girl.  We are anxiously anticipating Stu's family's arrival for Christmas to share our tree.

Super Saturday

So Super Saturday was amazing.  We made cookie mix in a jar, joy blocks, and homemade soaps.  I really appreciated being able to see other members of relief society since I'm usually in primary all the time. Thanks to Tricia for organizing such wonderful activities!

Thoughts For Thanksgiving

These eyes have seen so many things
Past and present blend for me
Some things repeat and some are new
These memories are of me

The times I've laughed or when I've cried
The bliss of youth has passed me by
I stand so changed with what I see
Gifts of love and time spent on me

When all Thanksgiving brings back time
I see each year that has gone by
Some were hard and cold as stone
Others soft and filled with Autumn glow

The gift of thanks is shared by all
This one time each year, we remember all
We look to those who've touched our hearts
To share a smile, giving our parts

But when we lose what's greatly cherished
We find new meaning to these gifts
The gift of time we spend together
We find Thanksgiving despite the weather

Thanksgiving does not belong to a time of year
It is ever present with what we hold dear
The gift of touch when they are here
How we long to feel them all the year

Cherish all the time you have
Let Thanksgiving be full and glad
Do not waste time to fill with quarrel
Forbid any to be lonely or sad
Give thanks with every ounce you have

Labor Day Weekend

Our friends, the Hedges, came to visit us over the Labor Day weekend and we had a blast. We visited the Battleship Texas, Baytown Nature Center, a ward member's picnic, and Hermann Park in Houston. Thanks to the Hedges for making the long trek to see us!

Our Trip to Pennsylvania

Our time at Del Grosso's Amusement Park



The hiking around Raystown, Pennsylvania



Our day in Gettysburg.

Overall we had a great trip visiting the tourist spots around Pennsylvania and being home in the summertime.

Out to the ballgame

We went out with a bunch of young couples to the Astros and Pirates game at Minute Maid Stadium. Only one Pennsylvania native was rooting for the Pirates though.

Creature of the Night

Stuart mowed the lawn yesterday and left his shoes outside the garage door. I opened the door this morning to find this creature hanging in a web inside of his shoe! After a brief scream, and Stuart running to the rescue... he discovered it was a black widow! (Double Scream) Stuart insisted we take the now dead corpse captive for a picture. He picked it up with his hands! (Shudder) Moral of the story is don't scream and just kill the thing before your husband's deadly curiosity gets involved.

Emergency Preparedness

Tonight was our emergency preparedness date. Some of you may laugh, but our 72 hour kits have come in handy already....anyone remember Ike? Our first year in Texas was spiced up with a lot of tropical weather. The season ended in a big bang with catastrophic damage from Hurricane Ike. We did not have electricity for 2 weeks, gas was very scarce, and guess what generators run on? People lined up at gas stations for 2 hours. Some people didn't have electricity for a month across the street from us. We fortunately had 72-hour kits when the mandatory emergency evacuation came, and enough gas to make it 2 hours away when we realized we couldn't continue to stay where we were at. Moral of the story..... BE PREPARED!!! This message has been brought to you by The McAllisters Corner.

Better Late Than Never

Caleb captivated by his car...

the cutest Hedges couple I know...

If you haven't guessed we were at Cracker Barrel...

A secret surprise?

Very interesting....

Geo Cache!

That swamp sure looks foreboding...

The long tortuous path through the land of the mosquitos...

Aha! But there was a beacon of hope....

The star atop the San Jacinto Monument.

These travelers were very brave on their endeavor for Geo Cache.

A nice swim is a cure all for any adventure.

Now that my narrative is over let me explain. Our wonderful friends, the Hedges Family, came to visit us in Baytown over Memorial Day weekend. This post is a little late. We visited the San Jacinto Monument where the battle for Texas' independence was fought. Josh introduced us to this activity called "Geo Cache". Members of this expedition leave little trinkets all over public places. Something that may look like a piece of trash to you and me is actually a vessel for a piece of paper, pencil, and an earthy trinket of the person's choice. You sign the registry to state that you have been there and exchange the trinket with something of your own (seashell, penny, pebble, etc.). There is a website with the coordinates and if you have a GPS you are set to go. We discovered one at Cracker Barrel, Chilis, a random fence, and there is one waiting to be discovered in the mosquito infested swamp behind the monument. Stu and Josh were almost eaten alive in 2 attempts to find the treasure. We will not rest till it is found!....or until Josh comes again to help Stu. We also made a nice trip to Galveston Beach which was had some surprises. Kim has the story on her blog with excellent video. You can check it out on my link to the right. Thank you Hedges for an amazing visit, and hopefully we will be posting again soon.

Historic Galveston

Bishops's Palace

Another historic landmark

We enjoyed visiting Galveston to ride the ferry and see wild dolphins. We visited some historic landmarks. We visited The Strand, which is a shopping strip dating back to 1900. We also picniced and played in the surf. We a little sunburn and sand in our shoes, we had a great day!

Shopping Uptown

The Woodlands Mall has a lot of neat sculptures and artwork outside and in. I snapped a few shots of a fraction of whats actually there.