Austin with Brynn

Earlier this week we made a short trip to Austin.  We had plans to spend the day at the zoo with Joshua's birth mom Brynn on Monday.  We drove up Sunday afternoon and stayed at Barton Creek with Joshua & Hannah.  Caleb had the opportunity to go spend the night with my parents so he did that and enjoyed lots of one-on-one attention.  While we love being with all of our kids, it was fun to just have the two littles with us for this trip.  Joshua felt really special getting to stay at a 'big hotel!' and I know Hannah had fun too.  We enjoyed swimming and eating dinner by the pool.

Chilling poolside with my littles

Our little fish! He made friends with two little girls who had Little Mermaid Barbies that changed colors.  That night he "wrote a letter" to Santa on the hotel notepad to ask for his own for Christmas! :) 

Hannah enjoys resort life 

Sassy baby

 Smiley baby

We had a room with two double beds so I slept with Hannah and Bryan slept with Joshua.  Bryan had just finished working several nights in a row and we were both pretty tired, so we went to bed when the kids did!  We slept a full 10 hours and woke up ready for a day at the zoo.

This is what my life typically looks like with the two littles- them dog-piling me and fighting for space in my lap!

We headed to the Austin Zoo which is a rescue/sanctuary zoo.  It was small enough to see everything in 1-1.5 hours which was perfect in the Texas heat and with two young kids.  It definitely wasn't as flashy or exciting as some of the bigger zoos we've been to but it was still a fun time with Brynn.   Unfortunately Brynn's parents & siblings had to work so we didn't get to visit with them like we usually do.  It was great to have that one on one time with Brynn, though.  Joshua was looking forward to our visit for weeks and was SO excited.  What a blessing that he gets to have a relationship with his amazing, loving and fun birth mom.  He adores her is blessed by their ongoing visits and relationship.  

As Joshua grows up and continues to develop his own personality and interests, it is really special to see how some of those things overlap with Brynn.  She is artistic and creative and we see those things in Joshua too.  He loved talked to her about hair (she is a stylist) and asked about a million questions about her nose piercing ;) It blesses us to see how close and comfortable he is with her and to hear him proclaim, "Brynn I grew in your tummy!".  

Of course Baby & 2 toy bottles came with us in the stroller to the zoo

Every goat we saw had an underbite.  Cracked me up. 

Joshua and a llama.  He is looking so much taller and older!

More than halfway through the exhibits and she's still got Baby on her lap 

Checking out the reptile house 

Joshua & Brynn

"Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil"

This picture cracks me up because Joshua & Brynn are making the same face! 

Big boy Joshie with Brynn after our hot visit at the zoo 

My first zoo trip! 

Family photo- minus our sweet Caleb!

Pine Cove Family Camp

We were blessed to attend Pine Cove Family Camp during the last week of June.  This was our second year to attend at Crier Creek, Pine Cove's family camp in Columbus, TX.  It is a little less than 2 hours from our home.  Camp lasts from Sunday afternoon until Saturday morning.  It includes programming for the kids, speaker sessions for adults, date nights, theme nights, and lots of great activities:  swimming in an awesome pool, playing in the lagoon, breakfast trail rides, fishing, playgrounds, wake boarding, a craft room plus just awesome time as a family.  The counselors and staff are fantastic and do an incredible job at serving our family in many ways- everything from loving on our kids to helping us get sippy cups, food and high chairs at meals.  

This year the speaker sessions were on Grace Based Parenting which was a great topic for us.  Many of the concepts overlap with some other adoptive parenting methods we have learned but there was plenty of new material as well. Our speaker and his wife are also adoptive parents as well as having biological kids, so that was a great encouragement to us specifically.  

This was Hannah's first time to go to child care and we were a little anxious about it.  Luckily the camp director was able to put a familiar face in Hannah's child care room - Courtney or "Monkey" as she is known at camp.  She and the other counselor in that room were fantastic and it really put my mind at ease to have someone who knows us and is familiar with Hannah's background.  Hannah did cry when I would drop her off but would quickly settle down if they took her on a walk in the stroller.  There were plenty of camp videos and pictures of her laughing and smiling in her room so I am thrilled!  I chose to have her nap in our cabin rather than with the counselors and she took nice long naps every day.

We love the other families that attend with us during week 4, including our dear friends the Nichols.  It is so fun to see our kids play together and consider one another friends even though we live far apart and don't see each other nearly enough.  We love having dedicated time to spend as a family and as a couple.  The environment of Pine Cove is so supportive, encouraging and FUN-- a perfect place for our family to spend a week every summer.  

Loaded up and headed to Crier Creek!

We have arrived!!

Checking out the top bunk in the boy's room

Crying because I told her to sit down on her bottom!  Ha! 

Playing with Mason before dinner

Our 4 boys lined up and ready to run 

Run! Run, children! Wear yourselves out!

This is how we got around camp!  Our cabin is located on the far side of the lake from the buildings where we eat, have speaker sessions etc.  Bryan was a trooper to pull nearly 100 lbs of children several times a day! 

Our first theme night was on Monday.  

The theme was "Medieval Melee" and we dressed as vikings.  All the kiddos ready for theme night

Our family of vikings

One of the staff members played multiple skit characters during the week.  He was so funny and we really enjoyed him as a 'king' this night. 

Hannah loved the beef stew! 

A picture Hannah took with my camera!

Sitting outside White Tail Lodge (where we eat)

After dinner there were medieval games.  

Caleb & Bryan doing a jousting game 

Now Joshua's turn: 

The older kids got to launch playground balls  across the field using giant slingshots.  The goal was to knock down these cardboard structures.  They played Angry Birds music while they played.  Caleb was in HEAVEN.  Right up his alley!

Bryan doing a spoon race relay

Travis' turn with the egg

Meanwhile, Katy and I sat with the little children :)  

Bryan taking Hannah & Joshua around during a large group game 

We had several rainy afternoons while we were at camp.  Luckily, it kept things much cooler but we weren't able to swim as much.  We spent one afternoon at the craft room painting.

Getting ready for our second theme night which had a nerd theme

Headed to Nerd Night 

Bryan and I wore shirts that said

"Never Trust an Atom.  They make up everything".  Ha! 

Cuties! 

On Thursday morning Bryan and I went on the breakfast trail ride. The Nichols and their friends from Boerne, the Scotts, also came.  Counselors watched our kids and took them to breakfast while we did this! So great! 

Bryan on his horse

Katy & Travis

Reunited with my boy Harvey

Luckily he behaved better this year.

On Thursday night we had 'banquet night' and sat with the Nichols and Scotts at dinner.  

Beautiful view of camp on banquet night

Banquet night 

On Friday each class had 'character quality' awards.Here is Caleb with his class. 

Caleb did not want to stand up to receive his award ("Adventurous") or have anyone clap for him because he hates the sound of clapping.  Fortunately his classmates and the other parents were understanding and everyone just said "Good job!" etc to Caleb as he received his award.

A lot of the camp activities tend to be outside his comfort zone and we were so proud of him this week.  He really pushed himself and participated and had a fun time even when it was hard for him.

Friday night there was a Carnival!  

Joshua got his face painted by one of the counselors

He requested "a rainbow princess" and enjoyed a purple snow cone

Standing like a big girl in our cabin

A group photo on Saturday morning before we left camp.

See you next year, week 4 families!!! 

So thankful for a week to spend with my best friend, Katy.

We are still in a stage of life when things are hectic with small children and sleepless nights.  It is a blessing to share this season with her and to have a week to enjoy each other's families! 

Pine Cove is fun ... and tiring!!!