Bethlehem Revisited, Again

Tonight was our annual trek to the little town of Waxahachie where a church there recreates Bethlehem. You follow from Herrod's court to the city gates and on to the inn until you find Mary, Joseph and Jesus in the stable. Everyone is in costume and character. My favorite quote of the night came from the carpenter who was making table legs, "What is this Waxahachie of which you speak? It sounds like a sneeze." I highly recommend going if you can.

Happy Birthday, Alyssa!

Oh, how time flies!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope your day was wonderful and filled with family and lots of food (and very little football). The kids made turkey cupcakes to celebrate "turkey day". Cute but a little unnerving when they all sit in their pan and stare at you.

IT'S OVER!

You will never guess what we did this weekend. Alyssa and I went camping with her girl scout troop! It was a mom-and-me campout...in tents....not cabins...in November...in tents. We are all very dirty and very tired but I think all the girls had a good time. It was actually quite warm, even at night so we were fine sleeping in sweats and our sleeping bags. Of course we got home this afternoon and Blake told us we smelled. Well of course we smell. We are rugged outdoors women.


The sleeping situation almost had us spending the night in the car though. We got to the state park campground in the morning and set up all the tents (10 in all) first thing. We set up the tent they gave us with the other mom/daughter sharing it and we couldn't find the rain tarp. Okay, no big deal, we will find it later (never did). Eat lunch, work on badges and then go on a nature walk. At the end of the hike through the woods, we start to feel raindrops. Yup. It started to rain. Oh, not a big gushing "open up the clouds" rain but enough to get sleeping bags wet if you don't hurry. So we all run to our tent and throw all of our stuff in someone else's tent before it got wet. While it continues to rain, 4 moms (3 of which have never camped in tents before-including me) tear down our old tarp-less tent and put up a new tarp-included tent...in the rain....and now mud....with no previous experience. We didn't do half bad though.


After a wet soggy dinner, we sent the girls to organize the sleeping bags in our tent. Back they run to the campfire. Apparently, Alyssa's sleeping bag is wet. And not just a little wet, it has a puddle in the middle of it. We never did figure out where the leak was. Okay, we can still deal with this. Put the soggy sleeping bag in the car, move everything else to yet another tent that luckily had room for us. Ask another mother who just happened to have an extra sleeping bag if we could use it. Problem solved. Or so you would think. After a moonlight hike and smores we went back to the tent to start to get ready for bed and guess what. The other sleeping bag is wet. We just thought only one was ruined before. Nope, both are. Take wet sleeping bag and let it join its brother in the car while we break down and cry. Not really but I had had enough at about this point and so had my sleepy daughter. Luckily, our leader had yet another extra sleeping bag. Oh yes, almost forgot, our pillows got wet the first time too.


We finally had a dry night and Alyssa slept pretty well. Unfortunately, I was sleeping on an acorn, listening to someone snore and hearing things walk in the woods most of the night. Needless to say, I am tired today. Luckily, it is only a two day work week.

I guess God was trying to tell me that I shouldn't go camping. But over all, we had a good time and it was nice to spend time with my daughter. I got lots of hugs and unsolicited "I love yous". That right there makes it worth while.

Okay, I just realized that I never posted pictures of my trick-or-treaters. I knew you couldn't live without seeing them. I had a spa girl and a musketeer (note: I actually made Andrew's costume, okay, not the hat. Impressed? I know I was.)






This is all you get from me for today because I woke up out of a sound sleep this morning at 4 a.m. with a HUGE headache and I still have it. At least I don't feel like taking a chainsaw and removing my head anymore...I'm just at a dull ache.