Penny for Your Thoughts Card Challenge

I've missed a couple of challenges and am just getting in under the wired on this one!

The card challenge over at Cards In Envy is a "Penny for Your Thoughts". We are to make a card with a "thought or speech bubble". Here is mine.

This cute little guy is a stamp from Unity's "Itty Bitty" Collection called Bad Days are Bearable. This I received as a "thank you" for ordering. The sentiment comes with the Koala. The bubble I got from some paper I had. I cut it out and outlined it using a copic marker.

I will probably send this one to my granddaughter Remi. It's been a couple of weeks since I last sent her a card.

Thanks for taking a look.

Have a good one!

School Starts 8-21-2017

The day school starts Keannon and Vanessa decide to have breakfast at our local cafe "Jimmy's"
along with their friends the Dunn's (Raydon and Reese's parents). Doyle and I join them.

We took pictures outside the cafe before they head off for their first day of school.

Kashton was having issues with the sun. If he had sunglasses like his buddy Reese that wouldn't have been a problem. 😉

First day of school Kennedy 2nd grade and Kashton Pre-K taken outside the school.

Kashton and Reese in the "commons" area. This is where they have lunch and many other things.

Kashton and Reese in their classroom. (photo credits go to Reese's mom "Shaina" and Vanessa).

Vanessa posted this on Facebook with the caption "Someone missed her human today". So sweet.



Have a good one!

Meet the Teacher 8-17-2017

Vanessa has been homeschooling Kennedy the last 3 years. This year both  Kennedy and Kashton are attending Community Christian School. This is the same school Vanessa attended  Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. She would have attended High School there but it was closed after her completion of Eighth grade. The school has grown over the years and now offers Pre-K through 12th grades. 

Kennedy is in 2nd grade and Kashton is in Pre-K



The school had a "meet the teacher" night before school started. Doyle and I went. This is the school administrator Doug Jefferson, welcoming us to the school.








Vanessa and Kennedy standing at her desk in her classroom.

Keannon and Vanessa are friends with another couple who have 2 boys. Raydon is Kennedy's age and Reese is Kashton's age. They are also attending CCS. Raydon is in this picture with Kennedy. His desk is next to hers.

Kennedy's teacher is Mrs. Wallace.

Mrs. Wallace in the purple shirt explaining a little what a typical day will be like.

Kashton's teacher is Mrs. Wheaton. She is going to have her hands full.  She has 14 students and 10 of those are boys!

Kashton with his friend Reese (Raydon's brother).

After we were done, Kashton came over to spend the night. The first thing he wanted to do was play board games.

















Here is a short video clip of Kashton with Kaidence.



He got tired of playing games and wanted to "stamp". So we go to my craft room. I taught him how to use the Misti (stamping tool). You can watch that video here.

It had been a long day and this 4 yo was tired.

So sweet! Makes this girl smile😊.

Have a good one!

Riding Trailway August 8, 2017

On Tuesday August 8th it was a beautiful afternoon weather wise and I decided to take full advantage by going riding at the State Park.

I called the park and the recording said the "Back Country" (8 miles of equestrian trails) were open. I was surprised since we had gotten 3/4 of an inch the night before. The park closes the trails when they are wet.

Happy girl right here! Trailer hooked up with a horse inside headed to the Park!

However when I got to the park they told me they were closed. ARGH! I already had the horse in the trailer so I rode the "Rails to Trails" which is a trail that was created from an old railroad track for hikers, bikers and equestrians. It's very nice trail but it's a bit boring for me as it's just straight like a road. Oh well, it was better than not riding at all!

The trails to the main trailway are fun and pretty.

A little shade along the way.

From the trailhead it's downhill to the main trail.







WARNING! If you easily get motion sick, I strongly advise you not to watch this. I almost made myself sick watching it!

Some of the pretty part of the trail.

Found Diamond some friends. He got real excited. In fact he went much faster after this for a little ways.

I love this tunnel-like effect with the trees.


I had a good ride.

Have a good one!

Night on the River Walk 8-3-2017

Doyle got out of class about 5pm. He wanted to go to the Alamo and we were just a short walking distance away.

Neither of us had been since our vacation here in 1994!






We got a nice man to take our picture.

Doyle checking out the map of the Alamo grounds.

This is one massive tree! Do you see the little red sign on a low hanging limb that says "watch your head"? They mean it!

A selfie by one of the water wells.














After the Alamo we went back to the River Walk to find a place to eat. We both wanted to have steak. We had seen a Salt Grass but it was on the other side of the River Walk. We figured there had to be something on the side we were on and keep walking and sure enough we came upon the Lone Star Cafe. It was good and so was our waitress. We learned that she had recently turned her life around and had an opportunity to speak about that to a group in the coming days. Doyle was so taken with her story that he felt impressed to tip her above the normal (significantly above). As we left the restaurant, Doyle looked to watch her reaction and was not disappointed 😉. That was fun!


After dinner we meet with the other councilman that had come for training at a neat little place called "Durty Nelly's Pub". This place was fun! The guy just over my left shoulder is playing piano and singing. He could play and sing anything! And I mean anything! He also did several "sing along songs". We had a great time.



We came home on Friday August 4th. Doyle only had class until noon so I didn't venture away from the hotel but stayed close. In fact I stayed on the same floor as his class. I looked through Facebook on his laptop and did some reading. I went to the ladies room right before his class let out.

I went outside with him while he took a smoke break. It was then I realized I didn't have my phone and my heart sank! I quickly remembered I had laid it on the toilet paper roll in the bathroom. I quickly went back to see if it was there. Opening the stall door and not seeing it where I left it gave me a sick feeling in my stomach. All my pictures, all my notes, all my passwords.....gone! I quickly prayed and tried to remain calm. Doyle talked to hotel personnel to see if anyone had turned it in. He tried calling and sending text messages. We waited for a while to see if it would show up but finally decided to go ahead and head home. I had resolved myself that it was gone.

We get about 30 miles out of San Antonio and we stop for fuel. While Doyle is fueling the truck he gets a message from my phone! 😂 Hotel security has my phone! (Happy dance). Doyle says we aren't that far away lets go back and get it! I am one happy camper! When we arrived to it pick up they had even charged it back up for me! It delayed us coming home about an hour but it was worth it!

Have a good one!

San Antone Thursday Afternoon 8-3-2017

I apologize for being absent so long! It's been a little busy with me trying to get ready to go on a 4
day scrapbook retreat and then being gone! I didn't realize I hadn't finished my story of our trip to San Antonio.

After lunch Doyle went back to class. He had said something in passing about there being a "locks" bridge on the River Walk that was similar to the one in France. I thought I would try to find it. I should have tried to google it first but I didn't. I had seen something about "Locks" on the River Walk map and thought that was it. So I set out to walk to it.









I did have a pleasant surprise along the way. I came up on what appeared to be a small private wedding inside an archway on the other side of the River Walk. It was so sweet. Before I realized what was happening it was over. This was the only picture I got.









I walked and walked and walked and walked some more! I finally reached my destination which was the dam where the San Antonio River feeds into the canal that makes the River Walk.

I didn't see any "locks" on the bridge like Doyle had described to me.










Then I read the signage about the dam and "locks". These were not the same "locks" 😖

I had a good laugh at myself and a good laugh with Doyle when I told him what I did.

It was still a great walk.






And I saw some beautiful views along the way.

Water cascading down to the pool beside the steps.

A view through an arch window.

It was one of these archways that the couple got married.

Can you tell that I love the water falls?

I don't know what this building is but I liked it.

I have no idea how much I walked but it was a lot! I still had fun. I got back just in time for Doyle to get out of class. I'll post that in another blog.

Have a good one!

San Antone Thursday Morning 8-3-2017

Doyle's class started at 8. I went with him to breakfast then he went to check in and I went back to the
room to get my backpack that had my Bible, journal and some other things.

I found a window view of the River Walk and  had a seat.

After spending a little time in quiet, I decided to walk on the River Walk.

It was pretty quiet on the River Walk. I guess everyone was sleeping in 😉

I thought this tree was pretty interesting. Look at how the roots are like knots on top of the ground.

One of the many very large trees along the River Walk.

Beautiful sculpture in front of the Briscoe Western Art Museum.

Beautiful waterfalls.

I just loved this little walkway bridge across the River Walk.

A view of our hotel along the River Walk.

Our room was not on the side of the River Walk. We had a view of the "Tower of Americas" on the right.

Doyle's class broke for lunch and I joined him. I'll tell you about my afternoon adventures in another post.

Have a good one!