Our Trip to Texas - New Braunfels and Fredericksburg

We began our day with breakfast at the hotel.  Mel made a waffle in their waffle maker and it was the shape of the state of Texas - pretty neat!

We drove to New Braunfels to Kerry's Kollectibles.  They made a quilt box for me.  I would have a safe place to display and store the quilts Grammy made for us.

San Marcos was our next stop.  Mel had taken his custom made boots, but forgot his boot jack.  We stopped at a western store to get the boot jack and the boot puller to make it easier to pull on the boots.

I shopped at the kitchen store.

A funny story and quite a sight he and I were the night before when trying to get his boots off without the jack.  I pulled and tugged while he pushed.  Finally, one was off!  Rest time before we attempted the other boot.  Mel then had an idea - he would use the luggage rack.  Believe it or not, he was able to get the boot between the straps on the metal luggage rack and the metal and off came his boot.  Never again will we leave home with his boots without the boot jack!!

We arrived at Fredericksburg and enjoyed lunch at a Old Germany Bakery and Restaurant there before meeting the group.  The menu was listed on the blackboard.

Our Farm Bureau group met visited then had dinner at Auslander's Restaurant.

Our Trip to Texas - Southfork Ranch and Waco

It was time for the Farm Bureau Couples to get together in Fredericksburg, Texas.
On our journey to Fredericksburg we would do a few things first.
Since we enjoy the TV show Dallas, we stopped at South Fork Ranch located in Parker, Texas.
The crew had been filming there the week before, but now have completed this part of the filming.

We had Frito Pie at Ms. Ellie's Cafe on Southfork.

We then drove on to Waco to spend the night.  Chuy's Mexican Restaurant was where we had dinner.  Yum!  Yum!

Remodeling of Ft. McHenry

Mel decided he wanted to remodel Ft. McHenry.  Basically, he wanted to hide the old dairy barn with a false front to conceal the condition of the barn.  Behind the concealment he will use it to store lumber and then another "room" of the old barn he will use to burn feed sacks, etc.
Landscape timbers are looking like the posts used on the old forts.
With Mel's creativity and work, I know it will look good so check back later to see the remodeled fort.

What a Week It Was!!

Wow!  It's eye-opening and startling to see how things can change in a week's time!

It began with a trip to an ophthalmologist for my eye.  I had a Subconjunctival  Hemorrhage - in our turns a blood vessel had broken in the white of my eye and made the eye look horrible.  Thankfully, my eyes are healthy - it's just one of those things that happen.

Mel became sick with strep.  He was running a high fever so we went to Urgent Care where they gave him a powerful shot and dose of antibiotics.  It took him several days to recuperate.  (I became the farm hand in charge - sounds official doesn't it.  It just means I did the chores on the farm solo.

Mat came down with bronchitis and so did Margaret.

The tragic shooting at Ft. Hood - we have 3 family members stationed there.  How thankful we are that they were safe and not harmed.  Unfortunately, 2 are having to deal more directly with the incident.

Amberlea was in St. Louis when she woke up to sirens sounding because of tornadoes nearby, then later that night the announcement from the hotel staff that they needed to go to the basement for safety.
Their dog of 12 years also died.

How thankful and blessed we are that none of these occurrences ended up being the worst of what could have been!  They were definitely bad enough!!

What do people do who do not depend on God???  I just cannot imagine!!!

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."      Proverbs 3:5