Galveston Island State Park & Huntsville State Park- Great Places To Enjoy His Creation

Galveston Island State Park

It was not our plan, but camping at Huntsville State Park was just what the Ross Family needed.  When we set out on Saturday, August 4th we had every intention of camping on the beach at Galveston Island State Park.  Savannah had spent the week at Sea Camp, Texas A&M Galveston.  It made sense then to take the opportunity to spend some time by the sea.

Well, I don't know if you have been to Galveston since they have recovered from hurricane Ike, but they have not only bounced back but have done so with some gusto.  There was not an open spot to be had at the state park, or any hotel room from League City to Kemah to the coast.  So, it looked like our few days of sunshine and sea were not going to be.  We were disappointed, but so happy for the people of the Island who dug in and rebuilt their homes and businesses.  So, we decided to have one heck of a day and see what came next.

Me & Sierra- hard to believe she is 13!

Tony and Jonathan- he has been eating at Casey's since he was a baby

The Ross Bunch- lovers of nature and good food.

We certainly had a great day.  After picking up Savannah, we headed to Casey's for some lunch.  As always, the food was great and we cleaned our plates.  I highly recommend this as a place to hit when in Galveston.  It is a family owned place that has been around for a long time.  This family was instrumental in feeding the workers, crews, and residents that were involved in the clean up after Ike.  We ate there for the first time when Jonathan was 3 weeks old (he is eleven now) and ate there every summer that Sunny lived in Conroe.  I had my first shrimp poorboy there and have been smitten ever since.  This summer I had a poorboy and shrimp gumbo- oh so good.  Fried zucchini is on the menu as an appetizer and it is perfect every time!  Sierra had calamari and a shrimp platter was shared by the big girls.  Jonathan and Tony shared the poorboy and then said that although it was very good, mine was better.  Now, that is a compliment.

My sea creature- Bana

After the yummy lunch it was time for the beach.  We had a blast playing in the water, digging up hermit crabs & clams, and eating watermelon on the sands.  For the first time ever, Sierra and Jonathan got sunburned.  It seems that while Tony and I were sorting out plan B since our stay on the beach wasn't going to happen, the kids ran off to the beach without putting on sunscreen.  Now, if I had done this I would have been burned to the point of being ill, but given their Turkish genes, they only had a light burn.  Of course, to them who had never been burned, they whined pitifully.  I told them to suck it up, they did not even know what a real burn felt like.  I, on the other hand being a white girl, have had plenty of experience.  I put on sunscreen and still got a bit of a burn, but nothing too bad.  God bless the Aloe Vera plant, it made it all better.

Sierra loves watermelon

You can't see it, but we caught a tiny little fiddler crab

Cheyenne has the sun in her eyes!

Once we had our fill of the sun and the sea- which was many hours later- we decided to clean up and head to Kemah.  The last time we were at this state park was 2 weeks before Ike blew through.  At that time, there were no outside showers, only a water faucet.  Now there is a great deck with several showers and really large bathrooms to change into your dry clothes.  I cannot say enough how happy I am with the way the state park and the city have come back.  The state park is a great place to visit, you will be glad that you did.

What a lucky man!

After dinner at a great steakhouse called T-Bone Tom's (see the next post) we had fun on the Kemah Boardwalk.  Savannah, Sierra, Jonathan and I road the roller coaster.  I have determined that these are just not as fun as they once were.  I think that ride will be my last of the intense variety.  The boardwalk is really neat with all the lights and music.  I would not want to make a whole trip of the boardwalk, but it definitely worth seeing.  I then searched again in vain for a local hotel room and when none were found, we headed north.  There were several state parks on the way home and we thought we might give them a try.

It's not a trip with out a pool!

It was about 1:30 in the morning when we made Huntsville.  They, not being the tourist magnet that Galveston is, had plenty of rooms.  Sierra, Jonathan, and I had a great morning swim in a great pool (the room was not so great but we were so tired we did not care).  Huntsville State Park was just up the highway a bit, so we went there thinking we would spend the day.  Well, we spent two nights and three days.  What a pleasant surprise this state park turned out to be.

Jonathan is mixing meat for burgers

You see, I am not a big fan of lake swimming unless I have a boat and get out to the deep where I never have to touch any vegetation or the mucky bottom of the lake.  However, the lake in this state park is really clear, the swim area was clean, no muck and no weeds.  Couple this with the beautiful views from very pretty campsites and you have one the best state parks we have stayed at- and we have been to many.  Being only two and a half hours away, this would make a good place for a day trip as well.

Never too old to roast marshmallows...

After morning walks with Tony, hours spent hanging out with my kids, playing cards, reading books and eating simply good food, I was completely unwound.  We all relaxed and enjoyed our time away.  We came home refreshed and tanned.  As it is so often with God, we knew what we wanted, but He knew what we needed.  We wanted to stay at the beach, but what we needed was quiet time with Him in His creation.  While the ocean is His creation, Galveston is not a quiet place.  We could not have planned a better trip.  Memories were made and a family was bonded stronger than before.

So, check out the great state parks of our state, God is alive and well there and He will meet with you.  When you study and observe the work of an artist, you will learn something of the artist, it is the same with God and his Creation-his work of art.  We never come away with less when we unplug and take time to spend time with Him.  My children will look back on their childhood and these will be the things they remember.  When I look back on their childhoods, these are the things I remember.

Homeschool Year 2012/13- Here we come!

Huntsville State Park- a really great stay!

You know I am just amazed at the amount of laundry that a camping trip can generate!  That is what I have been doing today, that and washing the dishes out of the camping bin.  For every good time, there is a certain amount of work that goes into it.  As every mother knows, this is why we need a day off when we get back from vacation!  I wouldn't have it any other way.

We have been having a good time around here.  A little traveling, lotta sun, and a whole lotta fun!  I love my bunch and I love traveling and camping with them. After picking Savannah up in Galveston after Sea Camp, we played on the beach and went to Kemah then spent a few days at Huntsville State Park. There was so much done in this one week, that it will take several blogs to do it justice.

Since being home, I have been catching up on house work (see above) and getting ready for school to start.  Homeschooling is a wonderful part of our lives.  I love that fact that I get to choose subjects based on the interests of my kids and then we get to take trips to study what we are studying in person.  So many subjects are brought into play in the study of one subject.  I am really excited about the Texas History Unit this fall.  By picking up books at the library, we are reading.  Reports will be written, using language and wrtiting skills, and documentaries will be ordered from Netflix.  Then we will travel to a state park near San Antonio so we can go see the Alamo.  In planning the trip, the kids will participate using maps (geography) and have to put together a budget for the trip- everyday use of math- all these subjects are pulled in while we study Texas History and this helps all that good information and knowledge stick.  Children were never meant to learn in tiny boxes, the mind was wired to mesh all the information together.

Another year and a lot of good fun is on the way. We kick off "officially" on Monday.  Unofficially, we homeschool 24/7 all year long. It was quite odd, however, printing up the lessons plans and such.  I have for the past years multiplied everything by four, now I am multiplying by three as Cheyenne has graduated.  Wow, that is so strange.  And yet, it is a relief!  It seems so much easier to just have three, then next year I will only plan for two.  Life is changing big time.  These milestones come no matter what, might as will celebrate them!

Sleepy Hollow Bed & Breakfast

When you do the kind of work that Tony & I do, you meet the most interesting people.  No weekend at flea markets is ever the same and I like it that way.  Overall, I believe the Farm On Holly’s Hill has the best customers.  On Saturday, we had the pleasure of staying at the Sleepy Hollow Bed & Breakfast owned by two of our customers, Mike & Toni Tuttle.

Most weekends spent at McKinney doing the Third Monday Trades Days finds us in a hotel room in the evening.  These nights are pleasant enough, but we don’t really relax.  Tony needs space and something green and growing in sight when you look out the window to be able to unwind and I need the absence of sports teams and their parents that are usually buzzed.  Honestly, before the night at Sleepy Hollow, we really didn’t realize that it was possible to rest and relax so when we were working.

The city of McKinney has certainly grown over the past few years, but there are a few pockets left that are still country.  Sleepy Hollow is tucked at the end of a little country road just minutes from the downtown.  The owners have done a wonderful job of keeping the atmosphere peaceful and beautiful.  The plantings create little snapshots with just the right plant in just the right place.  Many paths lead you through the woods and meadows, there are even nesting sites of Blue Herons visible from the Wedding Meadow.  The Wedding Meadow is a small meadow with an enormous tree spreading its branches out creating a very intimate atmosphere.

I was smitten with this place.  Tony was calmer than I have seen him in a long time.  For those of you who know us, you are probably thinking “When is Tony not calm?”  Well, he gets tense in his own way and all the going and blowing we do this time of year has had him on edge.  A few hours of wandering through the woods, sitting in the swings, and staring at the pretty pond with a lovely bridge and he was good as new.

Not only did we enjoy the outside of Sleepy Hollow, the inside was just as relaxing.  Given the cool temperatures, we slept with the windows open.  If you have never fallen asleep to the night chorus of frogs, crickets, and wind chimes, you have been missing out.  Then we awoke to the birds singing and the pretty wind chimes.  We took another walk before breakfast.  Breakfast was wonderful, truly the best quiche I have ever had with fruit and grits, muffins and rolls.  What a way to start the day!  Usually, by Sunday I am really ready to go home and have no desire to deal with people.  But, when you have given your soul rest and your body rest things are different.  We got to our booth relaxed and in a good mood.  So, we reserved a night for next month.

If you are needing a getaway, I highly recommend staying a Sleepy Hollow B&B in McKinney, Texas.  Mike & Toni Tuttle are gracious hosts and very enjoyable. Check them out @ http://www.sleepyhollowhideawaybandb.com/

That's How We Roll

Big Rocks Park, it was getting too dark, but this is still pretty.

After all that Tony and I have been doing over the last 3 weeks with First Monday, tearing down the nursery equipment, and Third Monday Trades Days, the last thing we wanted to do last Saturday was get in the car and drive to Glen Rose.  But, we did.

You see, it is time to start thinking about the Van Zandt County Youth Expo in April.  This is the big event every 4H kid looks forward to all year long.  So, Savannah had been searching the internet looking for goats that could be her meat goat project that she will show at the Expo.  Our Awesome extension agent, Tommy Phillips, had given us some contact numbers but they had no goats.  Well, she located a pair of wethers (boy goats that have been castrated) in Glen Rose that looked good and were at a great price.  Although, we really wanted to stay home, we asked ourselves “If we don’t go now, then when do we go?”  There was no good answer given that we had Third Monday McKinney coming up and we would be setting up a new booth at Ye Olde City Antique Mall in Tyler.  So, we went.

Well, I am happy to report that we had the best time!  For one thing, Tony and I love that area of Texas.  The land really changes, the altitude really climbs – enough to make your ears pop- and there is an openness out there that is good for the soul.  So, as we drove through scenery that makes you understand why pioneers moved west, our minds began to shift into neutral.  We were without kids, which is unusual for us if we are headed to Glen Rose, so there was a comfortable silence in the truck.  We needed that kind of down time, just taking in God’s handiwork.

The folks we were getting the goats from lived down a county road that had some of the best vistas.  They were really nice people and had good quality animals.  So, we loaded up two show goats and headed home.  We stopped in the town of Glen Rose; I might add that the town boasts a lively town square with shops and a farmers market, for some dinner. 

 After some great burgers with REAL French fries at The Green Pickle, we were feeling very relaxed.  The Green Pickle was just off the square and had an outdoor area for dining, for some unknown reason we were the only ones out there.  The weather was perfect, the air out that way is dry and it was neither hot nor cold, it was just right- kind of like baby bears porridge.  So, we sat under the massive pecan trees ate our food, laughed and talked.  

As we headed out of town, we decided to stop by the Big Rocks Park.  This park is aptly named for the rocks that reside next to Squaw Creek.  Now, when I say big rocks you should picture boulders the size of your house piled up and down the east side of the creek.  The park is free and we have spent many an hour playing in this little river, Cheyenne and Savannah were 4 & 2 respectively  when we first started coming, now they are 18 & 16.  The crazy thing is despite how huge these boulders are, back a few years ago we had so much rain that the rivers were flooding, once the water went down, these boulders had been rearranged. 

The sun was setting as we walked about the river bed which still had a bit of water running through it.  It is hard to describe the beauty that evening.  The normally white rocks were reflecting the golden orange of the setting sun, the scruffy cedar and elegant Live Oaks casting shadows on the boulders.  The water reflecting it all as it babbled on its way to meet the Paluxy.

Standing there with my love the last little bit of my soul that had been wound tight just came undone- I was for the first time in a while, completely relaxed.  It was like a rubber band that had been twisted tight, then you let it go and it unwinds to the point of being all floppy.

God is so good.  If we had stayed home, we would not have relaxed.  If you have been by my farm lately you have seen piles of this and that, fences in various states of being torn down, plants that need re-potting and fallen trees that need removing.  There is a lot of work starring us in the face.  That is how we would have spent that Saturday, not in rest.  The thing we needed was the last thing we wanted, a drive.

Tony does love a good burger!  Just the basics, beef & cheese.

Mushroom & Swiss Burger, MmmMmm Good