Spring Break: Hiking around the Ranch

Our first full day on the ranch we relaxed and took a hike. 

The house from one of the mountains

Jenn

Spring Break

This year we were blessed to go on another adventure with the Weatherbys.  This is our third year to spend spring break with their family.  Everyone gets along so well, it makes for great trips no matter where we go.

Due to the generosity of a family from church we ended up on a ranch in Alpine, Texas.  For those of you know familiar with Texas geography, Alpine is in West Texas.  It is a small, quirky town complete with a university (Sol Ross State).  Rehm was adamant that there was know way there was a university there as it was too small and in the middle of nowhere.

Alpine is in the distance between the two mountains

While we were there we hiked on the ranch, feed the ranch horses, went to Big Bend and Teralingua, went to the McDonald Observatory, went to Marfa, went to Alpine, played games, read books, had a church service, watched javelina search for food, washed dishes by hand, cooked, had picnics, relaxed and had a great time.

Animals we saw included, dear, javelina, jack rabbits, rabbits, road runners, wild turkeys, raccons, horses, cows, and Odie and Paris, the ranch dogs.  It feels like I'm forgetting some, but that's the best I can do.

Here are pictures from SMC (Sunday Morning Church).  This is a tradition our kids came up with completely on their own and always a highlight of our spring break trip.  Each year it seems to have a new addition to the service.  New this year was a baptism (of American Girl dolls, and everyone else remembering their baptism), a bulletin, and a time of confession. 

The Bulletin - each one was hand printed

Charlie giving part of his sermon

Eliza Claire reading scripture

Ruby and Kennedy walking their girls through the congregation to introduce them while we sang Jesus Loves Me.

More to come about the rest of spring break later. 
Jenn

Spring Break Beach Trip: The Rest of the Trip

The rest of the trip was spent taking walks on the beach, looking for various ocean treasures.

Conch egg casings

Tracks of the infamous Galveston Bay Sea Monster.  The girls had so much fun making these and making up stories about the Sea Monster.

Playing in the ocean.

I don't know why but this picture just cracks me up.  It is such a perfect picture of Rehm.

Building sand castles.

And just enjoying the company of good friends.

 

It was a great vacation for everyone.  My kids are already planning our next joint vacation with The Weatherbys.  Their current idea is that we all need to go to Disney World together.  They definitely have no problem planning big.

Jenn

Spring Break Beach Trip : Day 2

Since it was still cloudy and cool we decided to go for a walk on the beach after our morning worship service.

All the kids surfing on a washed up log

We had a lot of fun exploring and seeing what the gulf had washed up. 

Washed up log covered in sponges

There were lots of jelly fish and several different varieties.  I think we saw at least four different types.  Once we convinced the kids that the jelly fish could not jump up and sting them they enjoyed studying them closely.

A large dead cabbage head jelly fish

I told you it was big.

We found several large beds of periwinkles.  Everyone enjoyed seeing how many they could get in their hands at one time. 






We saw lots and lots of Portuguese man of wars.  This on was still alive but stuck. 

I like this picture.  In the center is a hermit crab digging back into the surf.  But I like the shadows of everyone watching it.

In the afternoon the sun came out and we went out on the beach to play. 

Rehm digging periwinkles

We built a sand castle to occupy those who didn't want to be in the freezing cold water.  Rehm had never seen a drip castle before.  I'm not sure how, probably because he is so oblivious.  He asked me if I got the idea from Pinterest! When I stopped laughing I told him I had known how to make drip castles since long before there was a Pinterest.










Michael mostly recovered from his stomach bug/food poisoning joined us mid afternoon.

After dinner we had s'mores and battled the gigantic mutant mosquito that could have carried off a small dog.





Jenn- Posted from my iPhone