Blessings and Joys: March 2020

My Valentine orchid from three years ago started blooming!!! My second orchid started sending up a stem that I think will or maybe now has blooms. I'm missing seeing them bloom right now, but that's okay.

I never check the news. I was standing outside Aldi waiting for it to open. Turns out it was open but the door wasn't working properly. Anyway, a lady was standing there also and she was on her phone telling her friend that if she had the money, she needed to buy toilet paper and there wasn't a lot left because people were buying it. I was like, what?! I texted Jeff...why is she saying this? That's when I learned further about the Corona virus. Apparently people were panic buying. Well, that makes me want to panic buy. Not too many days later, I really have no idea now how long, I went to Sam's and there was no toilet paper. Thankfully we had some, but no toilet paper? So I went to Aldi, and they had some! And I bought some just so I could feel better. I mean, how long was this going to go on. I started seeing the cart pushers at H-E-B spraying down the carts.

I have mentioned that Jeff has a newish job. Well, this new job is awesome to Zane, Rachel, and I because he gets Springbreak off. I mean, we are so lucky!!! So, we were thinking what to do. We could go to a state park...or we could just go to Leakey and save our money! So, that's what we decided to do. We even decided to invite our friends to come up for the first weekend of it.

We had a great time! It's fun exploring with friends and my friend Nia and I talked the whole three days! We would just walk and talk. It was so fun. I didn't post a picture because I haven't ask them, but we all had a great time!

We started checking in the news and Jeff heard from work that he was not to go back to work, that he would work from home. The kids would not go back to school, they wouldn't do distance learning. It just seemed like all of a sudden. And it sort of still seems surreal. We have been here a month. We didn't go home! Why go home when we can stay up here in a for sure virus free zone? Nobody has been up here. Jeff drove home to get more supplies and things we needed like a printer to print the kids work out on and just different things and then came right back up. I go to town once a week and am super careful that I don't bring anything home. I wipe all my products and food down with alcohol. It's just so weird. I feel like we have been so lucky or blessed that the kids can experience this place and lots of different nature things for so long. Really cool.

His cool armor he made at the beginning of March.

We made a pie, maybe apple?

Learning how to pinch the crust and make it pretty.

Haha, it was chocolate pie!!!!

Chocolate pie outside!

Our first strawberries!

They both said they were so sweet!

We are so lucky! We decided to go and visit Grandada and Grandma Janie even thought we had just seen them fairly recently. We didn't know that we wouldn't be able to see them for awhile!

Pretty plum blooms!

This was so great...we had said the prayer for lunch and Rachel looks out the window and says, PIG! And sure enough there was not one, but two pigs!!! And John, being the great, steady shot that he was, killed them both!

Showing me how to get some meat off.

The observer. :)

It's springbreak time! And Rachel brought home this new puppy. She said the teacher told her it was because she got all E's on her report card. It might be her favorite puppy! I'm so glad she has it!

An Indian brave!

Sweetest Indian princess ever.

Springbreak in Leakey!

With our friends!

Everything was in bloom when we got here. Purple mountain laurels smelled heavenly.

White mountain laurel!!!

Claret cup cactus! My new favorite cactus!

Algerita blooms.

Peach blooms!

More peach blooms

Pear blooms!

Stocked up on feed.

Beautiful buckeye tree blooms!

Zane and his friend built this teepee!

We are clearing the front "yard".

The kids have been helping me make different foods. This time was chocolate chip banana muffins.

Playing at the creek.

Observing tadpoles!

Jeff finished his turkey feeder! Now we need the turkeys to come!

Duuuuummmp!

Outdoor art!

Zane's

Rachel's

I taught them how to play marbles.

The cutest girl ever!

Guns blazing!!!

We've decided we can drink the spring water just fine! haha!

Texas Spring Water! Good for what ails ya!

In Pa's old cistern.

Old tower blind

The one and only time they get to go up it. :)

Making package cookies!

We have introduced them to the Lone Ranger! Meet the Lone Ranger and Tonto! Zane has informed me that his mask needs to be made out of a vest, just like the real Lone Ranger. He's going to half to wait until we get to Victoria, ha!