Junior Ranger ~ Ft. Matanzas Nat'l Park

I've touched on this subject before, I believe, with Hope becoming a Junior Ranger in a number of National Parks....but here is another reminder of this wonderful program.  Our parks are a such a great treasure to visit and enjoy, and this kid's program is one of the best!  Take advantage! 

Recently on a visit to Ft. Matanzas, we were about to jump on the boat to head over to the fort when I remembered....kid! national park! ranger!  They held up launching while I ran back to the office to inquire, "do you have the Junior Ranger program?!"  "Of course we do!"  Back down the ramp with booklet in hand and a quick explanation to Lucas.  We now had a boy with a mission...

Questioning a Ranger..."What do you like most about your job?"...

 

 

 

Working on finishing the last of his tasks....a maze helping the gopher tortoise find its den...

 

 

Five age-appropriate tasks are now complete...time to head into the office for the "ceremony".... 

 

 

...and one happy Junior Ranger seriously ready to take on the job of taking care of our parks... 

 

 

Now,

 to just find one of those cool hats!



The Dreamer ~ Missouri Part III

 

 

 "One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.”

Psalms 145:4

 

 

The magical, whimsical, contemplative, almost-on-the-threshold-of-adulthood age of 15.  An age where dreams are being formulated, goals being set, tastes being discovered...all the while holding onto the fun of childhood with a strong grasp, not needing to let go...ever.  Enjoying having a foot in both worlds.

 

That's the life of this young woman.    One who speaks words of wisdom well beyond her years, who has the gift of an empathetic heart, a sense of humor that, I believe, surpasses her dad's.  A teenager with smarts and common sense who has the gift of debate...lol. (I don't know if her parents care for this one!)

 

A girl who finally agreed not to balk at being the subject of two camera-clicking madwomen. Giving us the gift of climbing slim ledges, sneaking on window sills, walking through Missouri River mud (at the expense of her Vans no less) because every. ten. feet. was a worthy photo setting.

 

Beautiful girl. Beautiful soul.

 

 

 

 

 



  



  

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet Hope,

always keep looking up...

 

 

and may your dreams

 

 

come alive!

And remember, always...
 "...be careful, and watch yourself closely
 so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen
 or let them fade from your heart as long as you live.”

 Deuteronomy 4:9

Love you to beyond the moon and back!

 



Favorite Time/Family Time ~ Missouri Part II

I went to Missouri the beginning of spring expecting roadways lined with Queen Anne's Lace, the light green of new leaves on the trees, expecting to wade in the rivers looking for that perfect
stone to skip, and seeing the bevy of hummingbirds around the feeder.  I went with one pair of jeans and a ton of shorts.  Let's just say that those jeans got washed a few times during the week...because that's all I wore!  The skies were mostly gray, the temps were low, spring break weather. it. was. not!  But was it worth it?!  You tell me.......

My destination,

home of Ft. Leonard Wood and where part of my heart lives.

 

 

My true destination...

 

 

While there, I went to my first trivia night where we had a killer team,

and somehow we. still. lost!  We're still perplexed, especially when two

 of the categories were Final Four and Green for St. Patty's Day.

Charlie and I had given each other the "we've got this" look,

and I admit, I searched google when we got back home because we were still

convinced we were right on some of the answers! 

We weren't..lol

 

Took a little historic ride on Rt. 66,

and because Michelle is a girl who thinks like me,

we made a few stops at some picture worthy spots.

 

Took a day trip to Hermann,

a small Ozark town on the banks of the Missouri;

a town that celebrates its German heritage

daily with a selection of great eateries and a beautiful winery. 

 

 Ha-ha...I like taking pics of Mish taking pics

 

Sidenote:

speaking of "on the banks of the Missouri"..

have I mentioned that I LOVE rivers. I think I have.

I love the history surrounding them.

They may be my favorite bodies of water.

I always want to know their source and their destination.

(I've hiked the Appalacians following a small river,

to a small creek, to the point of water just seeping from the water table...

a favorite memory!)

 

I ate at famous Lamberts with Mish

 

 

 

 

and we made it to the banks of the Lake of the Ozarks

and stopped by Ha Ha Tonka (it was worth going there just for the name!)

 

 

I got some time in with the Granddogs!

 

 

 

 

FYI:  I consider myself to be a world traveler

 

because

 

my family and friends are my world...

 

 

and

 

 there's no other place that I'd rather be!!

(well, ok...maybe Ireland at some point...but I want my family and friends there with me!!!)

 

So, Fam, until we're together again

(and that will be soon!),

thank you for sharing your wonderful world with me.

These memories are gifts that I will treasure always!

 

 The End!

Until next time.

 

 

 

 

.

 

 

 



Glitter, Bows, and Hugs ~ Missouri Part I

My time in the Ozarks was highlighted by one event in particular...Hope and I took an overnight trip to the historic town of Sedalia.  To get there, we had a two hour road trip on country back roads, and Hope, having her driver's permit, was half expecting to drive.  But given the fact that neither one of us knew where we were going, and our phone GPS was sporadic since apparently ATT doesn't completely cover this area of the country, I opted to be behind the wheel.  After a few turnarounds, and the discovery that we love a number of the same songs (sorry, Hope!), we made it to our destination...

 



 



Our Friday night was free, so after checking in to the Bothwell, we decided on a meal of Chinese and a movie.  We found a restaurant that had a great review and headed that way, only to find a hand written sign pasted on the door that said "Sorry.  Mike hurt his back.  Restaurant closed today".  The note wasn't dated, so which "today" were they talking about?  And how does one employee, Mike, close down a whole restaurant?  And it's a Chinese restaurant, they could have at least called him Mikexing to add a bit of ethnicity authenticity!

(Sidenote: poor Hope has to deal with not only a Mom who's a professional photographer, but also with a Nana who's snap happy with her camera...)

 



 



And now for the what spurred this roadtrip.
Hope's sport is competitive cheer, and for the first time, I got to attend one of her events. 

 

 

To tell you the truth, I thought that after watching Hope's team compete,

 



 

I wouldn't know what to do with myself.  But the opposite was true.  Watching these teams compete, from the young mini's through to the high schoolers was quite riveting. The synchronization needed, the concentration displayed, and the fine-tuned teamwork were all lessons the competitors will take with them far into life.  And there were a few other aspects of the day that I quite enjoyed....the glitter (I may need to invest in a glitter company!) and the bows (check out my niece's site) and the hugs. 
 

Let's talk about the hugs.... I've never seen anything like it!  Once a team was done competing, there were team-group hugs, teammate hugs, coach hugs,  family hugs...no one was left out.

 



 

 

  And if you wonder why this was so special, check out the shocking truth behind hugs!  I'm a fan! 

 



 



 

Before ending, I do have to touch on one other part of this day that just warmed my heart... the spectators (especially the Dads)!  

 





 

 

My heart melted each time I passed a dad with his little mini walking hand-in-hand through the stadium.... the mini with giant bows in her hair and dusted with glitter and the big burly dad such as the one pictured above, sporting a shirt that depicted his pride.  Not only were these dads dressed out in customized t-shirts, but also dyed hair to match the teams colors, costumes, instruments, and a smile on every face.  It was quite moving!  And as you can see, siblings, and as you can imagine, Moms got into the act.

 

Well, Hope (aka, StealerOfMyPhone),

 

  

I so loved our Nana/Hope time together and look forward to many, many more!   And if we're ever in that neck of the woods again, we'll have to make Estes Drive-In our spot....and make more memories!



 

The End