Hill Country Lovin'

This past weekend our little family spent the most magical weekend in the Texas Hill Country.  It couldn't have come at a better time, as mental health breaks are a definite need this year :) 

Each year the sponsor church for Jimmy's parents' ministry takes a retreat into Hunt, Texas.  We met the church members as well as Jimmy's mom, sister, niece, and nephew at the camp. We headed through many small towns to the middle of nowhere.  Jimmy and I mostly entertained ourselves by singing 90s songs- and I showed him my ability to hit high notes, Mariah Carey style (kidding).

Jude got to have yet another birthday celebration when we got there where he got some amazing cupcakes, as well as a Ninja Turtle.  My favorite is that Mimi recorded a prayer in the hand.  It is such a blessing to hear that little prayer being said over and over from his bedroom.  And I love just the thought of the Spirit filling his bedroom each time he presses it.

 

 

Of course camp included the usual things such as marshmallows, fishing- Jude caught his first fish!, canoeing, and lots of time with new friends and cousins.  We were right on the Guadalupe River, so it made for a lot of fun and was just overall beautiful.  Jimmy and I decided we need to make getaways a regular part of our life.  It is just so good to be able to sit surrounded by nature and pray, read your Bible, and visit with family.

 

 

 

 



This fishing pole was actually Jude's birthday request.  He was adamant about taking his new fishing pole with us, and even more adamant about using it.  So excited that he was able to catch one!  Love that he is such a little wilderness boy.

On Saturday, we drove out to Lost Maples State Park.  This has always been on my 'Texas to do list' because my parents had mentioned how you can see brilliant fall colors out there.  Unfortunately, it hasn't gotten cold enough yet to see many of the colors.  It was still beautiful to be able to walk through the woods.  There were lots of springs and small wading pools from the river to relax at.  It's such a great park, and would be fun in all seasons.  We really need to go back!

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday evening we had a great time visiting with the church members over barbecue.  My personal favorite was the fireside sing along with "Ole Blue", the hymnal.  Jude and I actually have a copy of Ole Blue which I bought at Denton Thrift; we sing from it nightly.  I am 80 at heart, and just think there is such great richness in the old hymns.  Jude's favorite hymn is Standing On The Promises- which we sang.  He is still talking about how awesome it was to sing that at the camp.  In general it was just magical for me to get to sing those old forgotten songs like 'Farther Along'. 

Unfortunately, in the midst of the singing, I got dive bombed by a bee.  Which I then brushed off hastily.  Which then landed on and stung my leg.  I haven't had a bee sting since I was 7 years old.  I had NO idea they hurt so bad!  Luckily, I had my oils.  I used lavender oil, Gentle Baby, and Pan Away routinely every 20 minutes for an hour, and then a few times at night if I woke up and thought about it.  I also kept ice on it.  It swelled up some and hurt like CRAZY that night.  I reapplied the oils a few times that morning.  But I kid you not- I have not had any swelling or pain since lunchtime on Sunday.  You could see the sting on my leg and some swelling, but it didn't hurt.  And you know what is even more amazing- by Sunday night it wasn't noticeable.  AND it never itched- I was told over and over/read over and over about how badly bee stings itch.  Well it's Thursday night and it hasn't hurt since Sunday afternoon and has Never itched!!!!!!  It really helped my body recuperate.  I love my oils!

Anyway, that Sunday after lunch, we all headed home, quite reluctantly.  It is so good to get away.  I need to do that more often.  I just really really love the peaceful sounds of quiet rivers and trees rustling in the wind.  The scamper of squirrels and acorns hitting the ground.  The sunshine through tree tops and children laughing.  The fresh air filling my lungs.  Singing hymns with my family around a fire.  Perfect fall evening.  Take me back.

2013- year of freedom

2013 ended with a bang for me.  Jimmy and I took a little getaway trip to Corpus Christi.  We walked the Texas prairies, coastal beaches, and got engaged!  I don't think it could have ended better.  Minus the fact I have had strep since Sunday and today is the first day I feel alive.  Overall, it ended well.

As this morning was the first I could form functional thoughts, I was pondering where I was a year ago.  Last year, I chose to focus on "flying free" for 2013.  Last year, I was having a hard time opening myself up to Jimmy.  I was holding so much back.  Last year at this time, I was battling monstrous panic attacks, extreme anxiety.  I started counseling right after the first of the year in hopes that I could be free of the fear that crippled me for so long.

God provided.  I haven't had panic attacks since January of last year.  I went to counseling through the spring and was able to lay to rest so many hurts I had held close for years.  I learned how to set boundaries for myself.  I learned how to use self care effectively, but not selfishly.  I learned how to open up.  I learned how to articulate the things I worried about before they ate me alive.  In a lot of ways, there is great freedom from anxiety.  That being said, I am not free from the need of medication.  Sometimes thats 'a hard pill to swallow' because that isn't what I want.  But at the same time, it certainly keeps me humble, and it certainly keeps me at the feet of God.  I can never wander too far from knowing how desperately I need him.  Although, it's a difficult reality, there is some blessing in those thorns.

In 2013, I made thankfulness a habit.  It was so hard and still is.  Yet, I recognize in the moments that I need to find things to be thankful for.  The good moments never fail to wash over me- this sea of peace and beauty.  The difficult moments- though they are hard and I struggle- I am fully conscious of my need to be thankful and I force the thanks out.  That's such a thought process change for me.  A sign of being free from the circumstances and free to look up.

This last part of the year I've found myself in a new job, learning so much new new new new.  There are certainly growing pains, but those are good.  Overall, I feel so blessed to be where I am.  I love being able to teach such kind, engaged kids.  I cannot stop thanking God for my 22 kids!

I ended the year deeply involved in the relationships in my little family to be.  As I learned to open up, Jimmy and I built deeper foundations.  He is the very definition of shepherd leader, and I am continually amazed by his goodness.  Words do not express the way I learn from his example.  Or the way he helps me breathe and let go.  I just feel like I'm ending 2013 with so many things having gently blown away like dandelions in the wind.  I don't know when I let them go, but I did, and I think it is largely due in part to Jimmy's steadiness day in and day out.

And of course Jude- the light of my life.  He remains hilarious and joyous and affectionate.  He calls me to account with his tears.  He makes me laugh when I'm upset.  He will always be the 'praised' one for me.  He has been my sole source of joy for so many years, and I am thankful for him beyond words.  God knew how much I would need that.  He has been the light leading me forward and helping me get up day after day.

Thanksgiving Week

Thanksgiving week in pictures:

 Jude and I had some pictures taken for our Christmas cards.  I gave up on having Jimmy take them for me in a cute local.  It has been the rainiest fall here on the weekends.

 We had two Thanksgivings.  On Thanksgiving Day, Jude and I went with Jimmy to his great aunts house.  His grandparents always come up to Ft. Worth for the holidays, so it was nice to get to see them.  This was the first time they had met Jude :)

 We also did a Thanksgiving dinner yesterday (Saturday) with my family.  My {pregnant} sister was very adamant that she needed specific sides and dishes my mom has always made this holiday.  We all worked together to comply.  It was kind of fun though because my sister and I planned a lot of it, and my mom worked with us.  I don't think all 3 of us have ever done Thanksgiving together, so it was fun to think about.  You know those moments where you are like- oh I'm an adult- it was like that.  

Jimmy was actually in charge of the turkey though.  My neighbor recently gave me his old grill which is half propane/ half charcoal smoker.  Jimmy really wanted to try smoking the turkey, and I was more than willing to allow him that priviledge.  He did an amazing job- even waking up at 4:30 to start smoking it.  It had an amazing mequite smoked flavor.  Heavens to Betsy...  And now Jimmy is going to be taking up a smoking habit.  And I am all 'ohmygoshbrisket!!!!'

 In true Rinehart fashion, we ended the day by playing a game of 5 Crowns and Catch Phrase.  Jude hadn't napped all day.  We looked over from our games and saw that he had fallen asleep in the middle of Spiderman.  Such a sweet kid.  He never once complained or cried.

He ended up just taking the perfect cat nap- short enough to allow him to go to sleep easily tonight, and long enough to allow him to regain some energy.  We spent the evening celebrating my dad's birthday and just enjoying our time together.  It was perfect :)

on how All {really} is Grace

So much on my heart- and where on earth do I begin.  For starters, I recently wrote this post which has been read over 600x.  My blog is very much a small blog read by some of my friends and family.  I might get 100 people to read a post after a few weeks.  Yet, both times I have publicly come out about my personal experience with abortion, the stories get read and read and shared and shared.  My original post has been shared on about 5 different blogs- some personal life blogs and some Christian/theology blogs.  It's pretty mind blowing to think about how the internet can allow a story to spread.  It's even more mind blowing to think that the one thing I would never admit- less than a year ago mind you- is the thing I'm realizing God can most use from me.

Someone left this comment on my ig regarding the post "Sin stays hidden, but God brings redemption for that which is brought to light".

For the past year and some months, I have been trying to live out '1000 gifts' and counting all the ways Grace covers everything around me.  Maybe it was the unfolding of recognizing Grace that made me feel brave enough to say yes I had an abortion in the first place.  I don't know.  I know Grace has changed everything.  Grace is so much deeper than I originally thought.  We all know that it's God's Grace that saves us.  And yet, His Grace goes so much farther than just that one act.  It is constantly taking my shame and transforming it, redeeming it from something hideous to something beautiful.  I would never have imagined that that could be true of abortion, but it is.

Sin led me into premarital sex, an abortion, a bad marriage driven by guilt, emotional, verbal, and physical abuse, emotional trauma, anxiety, and eventually divorce, single parenthood, fear....

Grace took all of those things and produced Jude, my atonement child.  Taught me about love.  Gave me the courage to leave my marriage.  Helped me heal and see that abuse wasn't what I deserved.  Grace gave me the most Christlike servant- boyfriend.  Grace constantly speaks through Jimmy as I learn what it's like to be forgiven, to be served, to be loved, to be held accountable with kindness, to be encouraged.  Sometimes it just truly blows my mind to look at my life from 2007 and my life now in 2013.  There is so little the same about the person I was then and now- much less what my life was made up of then and now.  I'm beyond blessed.

And for what?  I certainly don't deserve it.  I've done it all wrong the first time around.  But oh the deep deep love of Jesus.  He takes all I've done and turns it around to bless me.  And yet also for his glory.  Because it really isn't about me.  These 1000+ gifts aren't because of me at all.  They are about Him.  The ugly becomes the beautiful because His Story is best told through the brokenness and redemption of my story.

Why can my abortion story be read at least 3000 times during this past year?  Because God's Glory shines best through my cracks.  It's an amazing thing.  I'm (in some ways) thankful for all my bad decisions, for all my pain, for all my shame, for all the nights I just wanted to die really.  I'm thankful because I see how God had carried me through all of those darkest moments.  I'm thankful because there is no greater thrill than knowing that God can use me and my story somehow.  I'm thankful because I know God can use a story like mine for greater good in the pro life vs pro choice debate far better than He could had I never made that decision.  I'm not sure what the correct word here is.  I certainly regret my original decision.  Yet, I can see how God sovereignly allowed it so that I could bring His Story out in the open.  1000 gifts.  Maybe not the most beautifully wrapped gifts.  Certainly full of ugly.  But praise God- He transforms the ugly into beautiful every day.

"But Joseph said to then, 'Don't be afraid.  Am I in the place of God?  You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." 

~ Genesis 50:19-20 

(my most favorite voice about God's sovereignty)

My Calling, right now

Today I read this blog which I loved.  Throughout the years I've followed and unfollowed (and followed again sometimes) a variety of blogs.  At my core, I am an avid reader.  I will waste most of my precious hours reading thoughts, thinking about those thoughts, and pondering changing my own thoughts in response.  This blog is the kind that can make me do just that.

Lately, I just haven't been blogging.  And if you were to keep track of all the blogs I used to read vs the ones I read now, you would know a precious few blogs are still around on my blog feed.  It's not that I didn't love those other blogs, it's just there is so much to the whole blogging community thing that I just don't think is part of my assignment right now.  For awhile, I thought maybe it could be.  Who doesn't like the idea of lots of people reading what they write?  I'd love to be able to write and write all the time.  But it just doesn't seem to fit into my assignment right now.

I could probably spend an entire blog post on all the things I can't do right now, but where's the fun in that.  Instead, there are so many things that I can do where I am right now.

So here is a list of the simple things I'm called to do right now:

1- I am called to Shepherd.  I read this week in Ezekiel about God's role as the Shepherd in Israel's life, and I immediately thought of all teachers (and moms).  It was so beautiful.  v15-16: I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord.  I will search for the lost and bring back the strays.  I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak... I will shepherd the flock with justice.  I just love that.  The environment I am called to create is one of peace and welcoming and home and belonging and healing and strengthening and freedom and justice.  That's not an easy job when you are dealing with 'sheep' who throw temper tantrums or talk back or try to see what they can get away with.  Sheep who are forgetful and tired and distracted.  It's certainly never ending.  Yet, God's chasing after my own heart is similarly never ending.  I just impulsively responding to Jude's disruption of my typing with frustration.  And God had to remind me of what I was in the middle of typing.  And remind me to actually do it.  It's not easy for me in all my selfish humanity.  But I do know this is my assignment.

2- I am called to wait and be patient.  Jimmy and I have this amazing relationship.  I am beyond blessed with his presence.  He is just someone I plain love to be around.  He stretches me- to be a little calmer, a little more patient, a little more understanding (I have very OCD like tendencies about my kitchen).  He models for me what service looks like when it's truly lived out.  I am assigned to learn from him and follow him.  Yet, we are still within dating boundaries.  So sometimes I have to learn to be content where I am.

3- I am called to encourage.  This is something that I am really starting to see as the how God can use me right now sort of thing.  I don't have time to serve in my church.  I barely have time to get to church each week.  I'm not the kind of person who does well juggling lots of things.  I need downtime- not because I'm selfish or lazy.  I honestly am just a truly introverted, highly sensitive person who becomes overwhelmed.  It really limits what I can do.  What I am realizing is that through the discipline of 1000 gifts, God has helped me become gifted at seeing the good.  I can share that perspective with teachers, parents, friends, etc.  That really is a needed service in this world.  So many people are weighed down by so many things.  Encouragement in a 'dirty laundry news society' is truly needed.  And I can do that.  I love doing it!  I could spend all day encouraging others.  That's an assignment I feel enabled (by Him) and called to do.  And I just really love it!  Christ has filled me greatly the last year plus.  He only fills what He expects to flow over and on to others.  There is so much joy in encouraging others!

4- I am called to trust.  For those of you that have followed my life awhile, you know that anxiety has been my constant companion.  I think I have always had undercurrents of anxiety all my life.  I am one of those highly sensitive people.  I am a true melancholic introvert (as in the personality type) and stress easily over my own perceived imperfections.  After Michael and divorce, those things just hit the fan, and anxiety turned to full fledged panic.  Right now, I am in the middle of weaning myself off medication, which was very much my saving grace.  I'm nervous that it won't work.  Nervous that I will end up back on them.  Nervous I'm perpetually flawed.  But I know perfect love drives out fear.  I know God is good.  I know even in His presence, the bad is used for good.  With that knowledge I am called to trust.  I choose to believe that God has the power to heal me from never needing medication again.  If he does that it will be for His glory alone.  I choose to believe that if he doesn't He has a reason for my continued struggle with anxiety.  I know He loves me.  And love like His covers it all.

My assignment is pretty simple.  Yet it is also very full.  It isn't the kind of assignment that will make me known in popular circles.  That's ok.  I know that this is where I am, this is where I am called to be. I can't do it all, but I can be faithful with what I am called to do.  In the parable of the talents, some were entrusted with many talents, some a few.  Yet, all those who were faithful with their talents were told 'well done' at the end.  I may have just been entrusted with simple talents, but whether my talents are big and mighty or small and mundane, the point has always been to be faithful with them.  And that, I can do :)

Last Week in Pictures

 Using stickers to make a Pirate Lookout.  Ahoy!

 Gardening and playing in mud puddles

 Playing catch inside because of so much rain.  At least his arm is improving :)

Every southern woman plants crape myrtles...  This one has been shooting up mighty fine.

Why are these two so daggum perfect?

This summer has been so weird for North Texas.  Typically July is spent in sweltering heat of 110*.  That doesn't even include the heat index.  And rain?  Well North Texans typically don't remember what rain is until about October.  But God has blessed us mightily this summer with a low 90s summer and an amazing blessing of rain.  Lord knows we still need more to get our lakes and rivers back up, but He is Providing.  Hallelujah!

Incidentally, you may notice my blog changing.  There for awhile, I considered growing my blog, and I kinda did start to.  And then I realized something- I hate blogging for that.  Don't get me wrong there are a handful of people I am beyond blessed to be 'friends' with now.  I love those people.  But the incessant need to keep up with this link up and that link up and make sure I comment on X number of blogs so said blogger and I can continue to build a 'friendship' got to be overwhelming.  With a few exceptions, I just began to wonder why am I concerned more about online stuff than people I know in real life.  Silly.  

So now I blog when I want.  And I write what I want.  And if there happens to be a link up I already know about, I might do it.  But if not, no big deal.  I say that because if I am not really keeping up with sharing my button with you or yours with me, it's nothing personal.  I just don't feel the need to blog all the time.  Or if I don't comment as much as I once did, it's because I want to focus on real life.  I appreciate all of you who have kept up with me.  I'm still going to be blogging, and if you follow me, you will see it.  But if you don't, thats ok too.  I'm excited for all you who have found your niche with blogging.  It's been pretty wild to see some of you grow so fast!  And that's awesome.  I just wanted those of you to know that I am still reading, but not as closely as before.  Or at least not commenting as much.  But in my heart I do adore you all :)  May God use your blog in amazing ways!

Small Town Texas and Cowboy Church

This weekend Jude was with his dad, so Jimmy and I made the most of it.  We actually ended up doing all of this stuff spur of the moment, which I never get to do now that I'm a mom.  There's so much vitality infused into something when you get to be spontaneous.  Even simple things, like spending a night in Aubrey, Texas.

For those that don't know, I currently live in the tiny town of Crossroads, population 900.  Which is outside Aubrey.  Which is outside Denton.  Which is outside Dallas.  This above picture shows Aubrey's main street.  There's not much to it, other than Mom's On Main.  

Otherwise known as Lucy's on the Square, which made Texas Monthly's best cafe's list.  If you like Southern food, you would like Mom's.  They serve Fried Green Tomatoes, which no one I've ever gone with is into.  I keep meaning to go take myself so I can get some, but never remember.  I may need to take Jude on a date before summer is up!  I love fried green tomatoes!  and fried pickles... and fried catfish- which is what I actually got.

Jimmy and I ate here, and got to celebrate their 1,000 likes on fb, which they gave out free cupcakes for.  I love small town, old building kind of places.  And I love Mom's!  Small town treasures like this are all sorts of 1000 gifts for me.  I am a small town girl at heart.

As we left the restaurant, we were surprised to hear some good ole live fiddlin' going on.  Lo and behold across the street from mom's (next to the rail road tracks and the grain elevator) was a stage set up with the country band, Blacktop Gypsy.  They were actually really good.  I have some vids of them on my instagram (thistleashd) if you want to check them out.  The fiddle player was amazing.  I don't always like country music, but when I do it's because there is either a good fiddle player or a good mandolin player.

Jimmy is a good ole Texas boy, so he loves any true country music.  (This means that most groups out of Nashville do not make the cut.  Hallelujah.)  We plopped ourselves down in the grass and enjoyed the music for the next couple hours.  Amazingly, there was also a cool breeze.  Dear Lord have mercy I can no longer count the gifts God has blessed us with regarding the weather in Texas this summer.  It's been gorgeous.

There were also small town refreshments ;)

We played around with the camera a lot.  Took pictures of each other.  But mostly just enjoyed small town Texas life.  It warms my heart to no end to be a part of a crowd that involves at least 50% worn in cowboy boots.  Or to look up near the stage and see an old cowboy, with a full on gray beard, two stepping with his lady.  I'd love to hear their stories and how they kept the romance alive long enough to be dancing through life at 65.  Definitely my prayer for Jimmy and I.

************************************************************************

Last night we decided to visit a 'Cowboy Church' because we needed to go to church early in the morning in order for Jimmy to head out of town for work this afternoon.  For you non-Texans, this is a church where most of the members are cowboys/ranchers/farmers/rodeo involved/etc.  Most of them are in Texas, although they are randomly in other states too.  There are at least 5 I know of near me.  We decided to go to the one in Krum, Texas because I had heard about that one.  

Bad picture, but you get the idea.  I got several compliments on this dress by the way. #thrifted  Also, I love my boots.  They actually have a hippie looking flower pattern all over the sides.  I think that pretty much describes me.  I'm not much of a cowgirl really, but I love small towns.  And I love land.

What the church building looks like.  What the church is next too.  Very pretty!

Jimmy and I got lost trying to get here.  Definitely off the beaten track.  We called his MawMaw on our way, because she grew up in Krum :) Jimmy probably had cousins in church he didn't know about.  We only were able to hear two songs, which made me sad because I was hoping for some good ole southern gospel like I grew up on.  We did get to hear them sing Precious Memories though.  Technically, this song doesn't refer to Jesus, but hey, I have precious memories of my grandma singing to Jesus.  Also, they had a mandolin player on stage.  I have managed to randomly hear both my favorite country instruments live within 24 hours.  #forthewin

If you have a cowboy church near you, it's definitely a fun way to change it up on a Sunday.  Jimmy and I are kind of theology junkies, so it wouldn't be somewhere I could go all the time.  I need my expository teaching of the Bible, and for that I will always be thankful for Denton Bible.  However, sometimes you just need some of that 'Old Time Religion' and you southern gospel folks know what I'm talking about when I say that.  It was fun, and I definitely see us popping in to cowboy churches every now and then in the future :)

Vacation in the Valley

Officially one of my favorite pics of Jude of all time.

Over the July 4th weekend, I got to drive (and drive and drive) to Jimmy's hometown of Los Fresnos, Texas.  For those of you who aren't aware, Texas is basically HUGE.  I live in North Texas, about 30 minutes from the Oklahoma state border.  Jimmy's family lives in South Texas, otherwise known as The Valley, which is about 30 minutes from "The Border" aka Mexico.  So it was like 10+ hours.  But I digress.  We actually took the long way to drop this cutie off at Camp Nanna and Pops for the weekend.  A part of me really wanted to take the little guy, but I thought it would be easier to get to know so many extended relatives without also chasing Jude around.

Jimmy's 'We are in the Valley' excited face

I was probably right because this drive is heckuva long.  Particularly because when you are at that 'dear Lord make this drive end' point you hit King Ranch.  Which is miles of basically flat shrubbiness.  It would be beautiful if you weren't so tired at that point.  (I happen to think the rustic ranch look of Texas is gorgeous).  

Sunset in the Valley

This bookcase and ladder exist in my dreams

The first day we were there, we toured Chachalaca Bend which Jimmy's parents currently own.  A little side note on Jimmy's family and what they do:  They run a missions training school down here which focuses on sending people into unreached places.  By unreached they mean places like Papau New Guinea and other tribal communities or hostile places such as Iran.  Jimmy's parents were actually missionaries for years in PNG among tribes that were only one generation removed from cannibalism.  The stories they have are amazing- but God is more amazing!  I mean.  One of the remote tribes had a 'Noah like flood story'.  And when his dad came to that part of the narrative of the Bible, they knew he was from God because he knew their tribal religion story.  This tribe had never seen a white person before him and his team, much less been filled with Bible stories.  Just amazing.  You should check out his book here and their website here.  And PS the book is endorsed by John Piper- so you know it's legit.  Ok anyway, the ministry recently bought this beautiful birding, wildlife, and bed and breakfast place which they will be using to train missionaries.  I love the idea of these people who are giving up everything spending two years in such a quiet, restful retreat.  It's really beautiful.

Here are a couple of pictures of me and my favorite guy.  His parents house backs up to this lake, which is absolutely beautiful at Sunset.  We tried really hard to manage a 'selfie' with the sunset in the background.  Anyway, I love all the water around Los Fresnos.  Reminds me of how sad it is to be in landlocked NTX.  Also, his great grandmother lives directly across the lake.  And his grandfather lives up the road.  I mean.  Living that close to family is so ideal to me.  If you read my previous post, you know how much I value strong family relationships.  I want to live within a mile of everyone I love :)

Painted toes courtesy my lady date with Tommi, Jimmy's momma.  

The next day Jimmy and I took a little 'alone' time to go to South Padre.  As it turns out, Los Fresnos is literally on the road you take to go to Padre- and its like 20 miles away.  Talk about convenient!  This was my first time to S. Padre.  Growing up in Nola, we always went to Gulf Shores/Pensacola area for beach trips.  Padre was actually amazingly nice.  I know the sand looks brown in the pic, but its not.  That's just the IG filter we used.  It's actually pretty white.  And the water was a pretty blue green color.  Obviously Florida is still bluer, but it was actually really pretty.  I was expecting Galveston.  Padre and Galveston are like apples and oranges.

The best part of this whole day was that Jimmy and I got to talk so much.  It was glorious to tan and lay around and get in the water and all that.  But with being a momma, I just never get so much time to talk to Jimmy.  Yes, we go on dates.  But dates are often 'doing' something.  Not literally laying on towels and just talking.  I learned so much about him.  We talked about so many important life things.  It was so refreshing.  And I love how in those moments you find yourself completely overwhelmed with how much you love the person.  And it's like 24 hours you would have sworn you loved him deeply.  But within those 24 hours your love has grown so immensely, the two seem uncomparable.  Sigh.  Love him.  Love talking to him.

For the most part, we spent time with his family.  I can't fully express the thankfulness I have that I like his family and connect to them so well.  All of the lunches and dinners and pedicures and afternoons spent with Maw maw were such a blessing.  I have always wanted to love the person I'm dating's family.  That's not always a blessing you get.  But seriously, I enjoy hanging out with all of them individually, when they are all together, what have you.  He just has a great family, and I feel so blessed that I get to be a part of their lives now.

Jimmy and his MawMaw.  When Jimmy and I first started dating, he would tell me how he would go watch John Wayne movies all afternoon with his Maw Maw.  And he'd mention things like how he needed to call her.  That's how I knew he was a catch.  Anyway who loves on an older lady is probably gonna be pretty good loving on a younger lady.  And I was right.  But what a blessing seeing the two of them interact.  Yall- I snagged myself a good man.

On the 4th, all the extended family, as well as several workers/teachers/students from the missions school gathered at Jimmy's grandparents house for swimming and food and fireworks.  The fireworks terrified me as usual.  I am still, in fact, a wimp.  The mosquitoes ate me alive.  I am still, in fact, sweet blooded.  But I loved visiting with family and friends.  And just seeing Jimmy interact with everyone.  Especially when Jimmy hogged a 16 day old baby girl.  I mean.  The sweetest.  And I don't think he woulda given her back except that she had a newborn diaper blowout :)  He melts my heart.

Our last night there we went fishing on the Arroyo River.  This was my first time fishing.  Ever.  Pretty crazy considering I grew up in Nola.  But my dad is not a fisher/hunter type, so I just never did.  I actually liked the casting and reeling in part.  I am not yet ready to commit to touching bait or a caught fish.  And I can't even imagine looking at one being skinned.  But I like the act of fishing itself.

Jimmy's adorable niece and nephew.  They were much braver than I was!

Pic 1- Grandpa Tom, Barbie (his sister), and Emily

Pic 2- his mom and Emily

The handsomest Texas boy in the Valley

Fish were caught by all.  All but the drum Barbie caught were thrown back.  I was sad we were going back the next morning and wouldn't be around to enjoy the fish fry with the rest of em.

My new favorite boyfriend's sister.

The first fish I ever caught.  #terrified

Love love love him.

We ended our trip with lunch with his other Grandma in Corpus Christi.  Then we took the Texas Coastal highway up to Houston.  I don't have any more pictures I guess because I was too busy being obsessed with the perfect beauty that was the drive.  I now have a new dream- to move to the Corpus Christi bay area.  I need some salt water in my life.  Also it's literally smack dab in between my parents and Jimmy's parents.

Anyway, it was really awesome.  I loved everything about this trip :)