"BED" Time

Avery's new thing is crawling out of her crib and making a pallet on the floor to sleep on. The other night I went in to check on her and she had redressed herself in tights and her dressy "tap" shoes. The next day she was helping me make a grocery list. She wanted noodles, soy milk, cheerios, and a soft bed.

Avery's Aphorisms (a terse saying embodying a general truth, or astute observation)

Avery is constantly amazing us with her wit.
~Every Sunday she says, "I want to go to big church with you," as opposed to Sunday School. One Sunday, a couple weeks ago, she said as we drove into the parking lot, "Thank you Mommy for letting me go to church with you!" As our friend Bud, a sales pro, says, "your daughter is two and already understands the 'assumptive sale'".
~Giving children choices allows them to feel empowered and the parent to get his/her way (as long as the two choices are approved by parent). Avery has mastered the concept of choices. I told her to come help me with the dishes before we get ready for bed. She replied, "mommy, you do the dishes and daddy and I are going to dance in the garage." She added, "two choices, mommy," while mimmicking my motherly look.
~Caleb told Avery that she had two choices, to go to bed right now, or read a story and then go to bed, she replied, "no daddy, YOU have two choices!"
~Avery eagerly anticipates the arrival of her new sister. She is always asking if the baby is coming today. I tell her that she will come at Christmas. Today I was flipping through the channels and she saw a pregnant lady on the Baby Story. She asked if it was me. I told her that it was a different lady with a baby in her tummy. She said, "oh, that lady's gonna get a baby for Christmas, too."

McClaine Gets Legs- Part 2

McClaine gets wrapped like a mummy! The second day of walking, McClaine meets the coffee table- HEAD ON! When Caleb and McClaine showed up at the emergency room (at 10 pm) for stitches, there were around 20 people ahead of them. Not wanting to wait in the ER for hours, they returned and Caleb scrubbed in. A couple butterfly bandages and he was set. Of course, I was sooooo sad and worried, Caleb reasurred me that as a mother of a son, this may just be the start. It wasn't a bad cut and because he pulled off his bandages TWICE, Caleb wrapped his head like a mummy. The coffee table now lives in the garage. Here's the morning after pictures.

McClaine gets legs and walks!

Camp Meeting Photos

Camp Meeting 2007

We headed to the Ft. Davis Mountains in early August for the annual Bloys Camp Meeting. This wonderful Camp Meeting was started over a hundred years ago by West Texas ranching families as they gathered to learn from God's Word, enjoy rich fellowship with other Christian ranching families and cook over campfire. The Evans Family was one of the founding families of this Camp Meeting. This is the oak tree beside the Means/Evans Cookshed which now feeds hundreds of people a day. As good ranchers, we still enjoy steak at every meal! Still curious? Check out the following sites:

http://www.texancultures.utsa.edu/hiddenhistory/Pages1/roach.htm

http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/BB/iyb1.html

http://www.bloyscampmeeting.com/

Our Friend Shamu- August 6, 2007

We recently visited Sea World in San Antonio. McClaine stayed with a babysitter while the big kids went to play. Avery loved Shamu, but wasn't a huge fan of sitting in the Splash Zone. May have had something to do with Aunt Jode hosing the kids off the night before when we were staying at the ranch in Stonewall. Avery and Ellie were screaming hysterically as the water was probably pretty chilly!