Where Did Summer Go?

Jack finished up the 9th grade in the top quarter of his class and Kate won multiple awards for her 3rd grade performance in Mrs. Litsch's class.

Buddies: Cambree, Kate & Kate with Mrs. Litsch

Sidekicks: Kate & Kate

Jack's California Banded King snake died unexpectedly earlier in the spring. After lots of looking around, he found a different snake...a San Luis Petosi King snake. This guy is beautiful! 

Kate T. went to camp for the first time ever with Kate at Hidden Falls Ranch. Although a little bit hesitant, she had a blast. Best part of all, she gave her life to Christ!!! I am exited to know I will see both of these sisters in Christ in heaven someday.

camp bunk mates

While Kate was at camp,Terry, Jack and I had an "enlightening" evening hearing Marcus Lutrell (Lone Survivor) relive his very real survival story. Not only that, but we also got to experience the music of Josh Wilson...one of our favorite Christian artist's!

My 14 year old niece, Kylee, was blessed by her parents surprise of a horse for her birthday. When we were visiting in Arlington, Kylee took Jack and Kate to meet Meg and do a little horse-back riding. A horse is something Kate has wanted for a couple years now. This only added to her strong love for horses.

Kylee saddles up Meg

Jack rides pretty well

Kate could get used to this

During the course of the summer, Adam & Alyssa came over for several cook outs AND, best part of all...Braxton (our newest grandson) came with them! Not to slight the parents any, but really...who is the cutest! :-)

This GiGi has been very privileged to babysit this little "pickle" on several occasion...but they could never be enough! Braxton is a joy...and these first time parents are simply doing a fantastic job!

Auntie Kate loves to help babysit!

Just after school starts, Jack will turn 16. We found a clean truck that will get him around safely and he has been putting lots of hours in behind the wheel. I could get used to being chauffeured around.

Terry introduced Jack to a bow and arrow that he is now strong enough to work. THIS could be a new-found love for Jack...which would be just fine with this mama for the next 3-5 years if that was his only "love"!

However, fishing for fish and crawdads has definitely filled lots of summer hours this year. Not only that, but he ventured out to boil and season his catch...Kate & Jack have found a new, yummy crustacean they like to eat. Ewwww!

And how about these cuties? Don't you just want to eat them up? We always look forward to getting together with our 3 Little's...they bring total and complete joy...and exhaustion to us!!

Harper (4), Holstein (2) and Cadden (4)

Jack and Kate spent a long weekend with Travis at his place in Amarillo. During that time, they visited their Nana & Papa. It had been over a year since they were last together.

One of my very dear friends, Jennifer Axelrod, came for a long weekend in July. We spent hours visiting, taking walks, getting caught up and being spiritually fed by Beth Moore. Yes indeed...a fantastic time was had in too-short of a weekend. 

A little volunteer work together as a family!

Sandbox play time!

Pool time with the little's and Alysha!

Just before school started, after many months of waiting patiently for hair to grow out, Kate got her 4th grade haircut. This year, she intentionally grew 10 inches to give for Locks of Love. This is an organization that makes wigs for children with cancer. Not only did she gain a cute hairstyle, but Kate is contributing to putting a smile on another child's face.

Alysha, the little's and Jack & Kate

The first week of school has come and gone for us. Jack is busy with some interesting classes for him and lots of football practice. Kate, as usual, could not wait to start 4th grade. I hope everyone else had as good of kick off to this school year as we did!

Independence Day 2014

 July 4th was a great celebration with lots of our family. Cousins, aunts, daughters, grandparents, uncles, sons, daughters, parents...we gathered together!

Cousins: Jesse, Kylee, Kate & Travis (Jack was a camp in Colorado)

 The weekend started with my sister & her family and Terry's daughter & our 3 grand-kiddos arriving to cook out and walk to our "spot" in our neighborhood to watch fireworks. This was a fun time of interacting all together.

Auntie Kate walks with Holstein

The whole gang

Amy gives Harper a lift

Brothers-in-law: Terry & Jamie

Travis carries Cadden

My sister & brother-in-law

Terry & me

The boys really like to hang with Travis

We had a blast just hanging out together, eating & swimming! It was especially fun for Terry and me to have our families interacting all together with us. The best of both worlds, as one might say.

GiGi holds Holstein & Harper 

Alysha & Cadden

Kylee

Kate

Jesse

Homemade Farm Table

So you may remember the post a while back when Terry and I went to Fredericksburg over the Christmas holidays. Well during that time, we visited a particular antique shop where we found a farm table that I LOVED!!! I have always dreamed of a farm table as the eating venue in my home where memories are made. Where long visits occur. Where good food is shared. Where school projects are made. Where stories are retold.

 

We ask the price...ugggg, it was WAY out of our price range, of course. After all, it was reclaimed wood from Europe that had been restored and crafted into this beautiful table. Oh, and the bench and chairs were not included in that hefty price!

 

On our drive back to the panhandle, discussion occurred and Terry was bound and determined that he could build a table for me. The hunt began for some "old" wood because after all, I really wanted something authentic in age. There is just a certain charm that gleams from old wood verses some wood bought at your local hardware store. It took a little while to find just the right wood...like a year.

And here it is... 

I know, nothing glorious!

But it had the thickness. It had the imperfections.

It had the distress. It had the length.

So we particularly chose 3 pieces for the tabletop, one for the bench and one extra for the base. 

84 inches long and 35 inches wide...these were our dimensions.

A good amount of time was spent sanding once the length was right.

Terry has some experience in building all kinds of things, including furniture. His woodworking skills are...well, you will see!

I just loved the grain!!! 

You can see the color difference in the sanded

verses the weathered wood. 

The one thing we...ok, Terry...was not equipped to do was the actual legs. We purchased the legs for the table and the bench from a company in the northeast. Something big and fairly bulking that would suit the table to its entirety.

We were very happy with our choice.

Terry constructed all else on the table! 

Here is the base of the table before the top was finished...

Because I want God at the center of our lives, we chose some verses that I wrote around the entire border.

Just verses that are important to us.

Verses that we want as "us"! Verses that we try to live by! 

The bench... 

 

 

I just love the character of this wood!

In about 8 weeks, Terry completed our very own farm table.

This table is only a thing...but it is a thing that my husband poured himself into for me! Only because I wanted it...not because the price tag of the other was too high, but because he loves me. Precious! I feel so undeserving of this love! I am so honored that God decided to place this dear man in my live!

Ok, enough of that sappy stuff...and on to the final product!

Perfect! It is imperfectly perfect!

 

 

Last Single-Digit Birthday for Kate

Girls! Girls! Girls!

Party!

Sweet Friends!

3-D Movie!

Lots of Laughter!

Ice Cream Sundae Bar!

Sugar! Sugar! Sugar!

Giggles! Stories! Giggles!

Late Night!

Whispers! Giggles! Whispers!

Slumber!

Early Morning!

Survival for Parents!

9 Years Old!

Memories!

Welcome Braxton Ice McBee Webb

He is finally here!

After about 20 plus hours of labor, Braxton arrived on March 17, 2014.

5 lbs. 14 oz. and 20 1/2 inches long

Adam and Alyssa are proud...and wonderful parents!

We are ecstatic to have a healthy, beautiful grandson and look forward

to being a part of his blessed life!

Baby Dedication

Travis moves HOME

Exactly 6 months after his motorcycle accident, I have this to post...

The first 2 months of the New Year were certainly better than the last 2 months of 2013. We gained some normalcy and routine. Travis was still living in Terry's office. In the beginning of January, Travis saw one of the certified brain injury specialist for a consultation at Transitional Learning Center in Lubbock. Praise the Lord...evaluation showed him to be cognitively normal. It still amazes me how merciful God is to restore Travis to a level where he can function and thrive on his own. 

It was after that Travis was hired at Children's Hope, a foster care facility. Travis was hired as a counselor on their campus that housed the "difficult children" ranging in ages 5 up to 18 years. It was a challenging job, emotionally. Dealing with kiddos that have no stability; no one who is constant in their life; no one who tells them they love them; no one who is there for them, personally. Travis would come home daily and have at least one heart-breaking "happening" at work to share. He worked the 6am-2pm shift but was frequently not off until 3 o'clock or later. 

During this time, Travis was also released by all of his physicians. Bones had healed. Brain had healed. Eye still drifted, but was completely restored over time. He followed up with a physical therapist to start a weight lifting regime. When his schedule allowed, he would go to Jack's high school and work out with Jack after school. During the month of January, Travis also updated his CDL physical. Travis got his class A CDL back in 2010 and it was time to re-certify him physically. All was well with that too!

It was in February that we started talking about him moving into his own place sometime in March. We started looking...well, I started looking...at apartments in Lubbock. All along, Travis said he wanted to move back to Amarillo. The momma that I am really hoped he would stay in Lubbock for a year or so...or at least through the summer. About mid-February, Travis received a phone call from a friend in Amarillo that he has known since high school; a friend he waited tables with prior to the wreck. Tyler said he wanted to give his boss Travis' name & number to contact for a driving job. 

Travis accepted a position with 84 Lumber in Amarillo as a delivery driver and started on March 3rd. Exactly 5 months after his horrible motorcycle accident, I helped Travis move into his own apartment, completely on his own. Travis is a different person in some ways and in other ways just the same, happy young man. He definitely talks more! He definitely realizes the consequences of decisions...good and bad. He certainly appreciates family & time spent more than before. It has been a journey that is not over just yet...and he realizes that God has real purpose for his life and looks forward to discovering exactly what that is!

February 2014