What's Going on

Where are all the Animals?
Once upon a time, I had the bright idea to take the kiddos to the zoo on a day when Joey was dismissed at noon.  Apparently, so did a million other people.  It seemed as though people came from every known continent to enjoy the sights of the Fort Worth Zoo that very same day.  When you have to park so far away that your feet are blistered and your eyeballs are windburned by the time you approach the entrance, it might be a good idea to consider Plan B or really anything other than Plan Zoo!  So we made a quick decision to browse the beautiful plants at the Botanic Garden.  Samuel was in such a need for a nap that he fell asleep before I changed plans.  So when we unbuckled at the Gardens you can imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth that occurred.  He wanted animals!  And only animals!  Thankfully he was easily swayed with a granola bar.  Hey, food changes everything.  The Webb munchkins enjoyed the Gardens far more than I had anticipated.  Also, I was especially thankful I had shoved an entire Walmart snack aisle into the teeny toddler backpack I was hauling around.  That made all the difference!  They did find the flowers beautiful, especially the pink ones (said Stella).  The boys mostly wanted to run, jump, and scare any birds within a 10 mile radius.  It was free fun for all and it wore them out!  The grounds are spectacular!

Just getting started...

This guy loved jumping from rock to rock.

The kids enjoyed these speaking tubes, when in 

actuality they yelled loud enough to be 

heard just fine without them.  

The kids all loved this area!

This tiny house was so much fun.  

They look like 3 giant burglars getting ready to take over.  Of note, we were approached by a security guard who informed us that no one is allowed inside.  So, we kinda did break and enter...except someone else had literally broken the doorknobs off which leads us to believe we were welcome to enter.  Oops!

Spring Tea

The Mother's Day Out program the littles attend is wonderful to organize special events.  They must know we love to see our littles perform and that our littles love to perform.  It was amazing to hear all these kids tells the truth of the Gospel!  Amazing!  While they may not fully grasp the meaning of the words that come out of their mouths, it gives us great opportunity to talk more about it and really dig into the love and sacrifice of the Lord.  These 2 little ones sang their hearts out.  Ok, so only Stella sang.  But Samuel stood up there like he owned the place and did all the motions!  

These 2 are loads of fun!

A-Camping We Did Go

We hadn't fully welcomed Stella into our family yet.  

The final step: camping

So, the adventure started with a trip to the laundry mat to wash sleeping bags a few days earlier.  That was quite the excursion in itself!  And what would one expect to do at the laundry mat with sleeping bags? Well, sleep there...of course!  Disgust covered Stella's face as we loaded back into the car.  She. Wanted. To. Sleep. There.  At the laundry mat.  I managed to carefully paint a picture of the true camping trip to come and she settled down.  

Like every other trip before, we loaded the car as full as it would go...and then we added a few more things.  We picked Joey up from school like that!  And that doesn't even include the carload of other "necessities" that Russ was bringing.  How much can a family possibility need to camp for the weekend?  The kids, dogs, and I arrived an hour or so before Russ, so we brought out the entertainment by way of play doh and snacks.  Russ tackled the construction of the new tent when he arrived.  With the size of this new structure, he said he felt as if we needed a permit!  With out new tent up and ready to welcome guests, the kids made it seem as though they had just arrived at a new luxurious resort.  And I'll admit that the new tent is quite the beauty!  The sleeping bags were the cherry on top!

We met some dear friends at the campsite for additional entertainment and laughter.  A couple of them were newbies like Stella.  I'd say it was a successful trip.  Fishing, smores, play doh, coloring, games, bubbles, sticks, bugs...we kept them all busy!  

All smiles - marshmallow smiles

He found a new place to rest

Walking a gravel road to the bathroom, showering with beetles, and the open fire were strange and new.  Stella seemed to accept it all in stride.  We attempted fishing but ended up getting lines caught in bushes.  Looking for walking sticks and rocks soon replaced fishing and everyone was just as happy.  The littles and I attempted to catch up with our friends walking to a farm area.  With skipped naps, almost anyone can guess how that little hike ended.  Stella was stumbling down the middle of the road.  Samuel was literally tripping over his own feet.  And our 2 littles who spent years in a tropical region of China surprisingly claimed they were actually melting (in the 80 degree heat).  The melting continued in the form of a meltdown under a tree on the side of the road.  Both kids.  Stella attempted to sit in the road to rest and was baffled as to why I sternly suggested she come into the grass.  Samuel was just melting in general sitting in the grass weeping uncontrollably.  Can you imagine the sight?  We somehow managed to flag down (read: caught the curiosity of) a park employee who retrieved our lifesaver...Daddy in a moving vehicle.  

Webb camping 2016 is off to a great start!

And how do you think Stella felt about leaving a few days later?  I saw that same look of utter disbelief as we began loading up our things.  She. Wanted. To. Stay. Longer.  I think we've found another camper, folks.   

Already?

As of yesterday, we're already a family of 5 for 9 whole months.  And so start the jokes related to the middle child...or even the 3rd child...she fits both, kinda.  The camera forgets to come out (I blame the camera).  The days whirl by too quickly.  Special events go undocumented.  Sooooo, happy 9 months to our dear daughter...yesterday and with no pictures.  I'll do better next time.  Maybe.