LIFE...What's Been Happening in March

It's been a while since I have written on the blog, not because I don't want to, but because we have been so busy living, having fun and making some memories.

Isabella is a very happy child. This pictures says it all!

The weather in Texas has been hot/cold and more of the same.  There is no in between.  One day it's 80 and the next it's 50.  Crazy!!  Isabella finally had a chance to sleep in the tent for a few days.  She loved it and I don't think she moved even once during the night.  I was amazed that she could sleep through the noise of the wind, the airplanes, the trucks and the cold.  I snuggled her right up to me and she must have been sucking all of the heat from me..LOL

This was our pet Muscovey Duck while at the Vinyard.  They are the sweetest animal.  They pip and they wag their tails.

We had a chance to stay at the Vinyard for Spring Break.  I think that Cory and I are scarred from the memories of Spring Break.  When I think of Spring Break for some reason I see MTV, girls, girls, boy, and lots of alcohol and bead throwing.  Apparently we were in for a much quieter break at The Vinyard.  Although talking to the staff you would have thought the worst for this one week.  Yes, there were girls...lots of them, in fact, between the ages of 2-12.  No camera's from MTV, just Mom's and Dad's and a wee bit of alcohol.  Also, not a single bead in sight, thank goodness.  It was busy but nothing like what they had built it up to be.  We laughed and enjoyed the  full camp.  Isabella met some great kids and we had a chance to visit with a family that lived in Washington DC a few years back.

Lady Gaga concert.  My phone died or I would have had more pictures.  We had so much fun and we love her even more!

You are probably wondering why we would have such images of Spring Break?  When Drake and Rye were about 4 and 6 we decided to take a family vacation...to Florida...to Daytona Beach!  Yep!  We did not know it was Spring Break and when we woke up and saw everything that was happening, I think we laughed and cried.  The nights were crazy, the kids were way to young that were partying and we were not going to let this ruin our vacation.  We kept the kids in at night, played in the pool during the day (the beach turned was very packed) and made a last minute run to Disney World.  Yes, it was every bit of everything you see on TV and more.  We got quite an education and I don't think our kids will be going away for Spring Break any time soon, or at least not with out a chaperon. LOL

We left The Vinyard on Friday and arrived and Sandy Lake RV Resort.  The people here are so nice!  The site is very packed...literally about 2 feet in between trailers.  But, we are only here for one week and we can do this for one week.  The move over was interesting, seeing how we did not have our truck back from the mechanic.  He was awesome and did some last minute repairs that allowed us to get the trailer out of the park.  It was leaking gas like crazy and smoking insanely.  I felt the truck was inoperable and we quickly returned the truck to the mechanic, the part would not be in until 2:30..it was 11:30.  We spent 3 hours at a park, went and had yogurt and then hung out at the mechanics and our trailer.  The part came in, the lights were installed, we fixed the hitch and we were soon on our way.  Thank you Marc and Brown Automotive in Grapevine!  He went beyond the call of duty.

We took Isabella to her first Carnival and she loved it!  Ever since the movie Dispicable Me, she has wanted to go to a carnival.  She rode the rides, met some friends and ate her hotdog.  It was a perfect day to be 4.

This is our last week in Texas.  TX has been great but we are ready to move to a new state.  I see friends that are now in Texas and I recognize their pictures.  That brings a smile to my face to know that we have visited the same sights.

Isabella had a spa day with nails, hair and costumes.

Ok..this rollercoaster was very small.  She passed the height requirement but it was very bumpy and rickety.  Yes, I am laughing and she is in fear.  We only lasted one round, the gentleman running the ride new when we approached him that we would not be going around again.  Isabella was fine when we got off but she said she did not like that ride.  OK then!

I am beyond excited to move to the East coast.  I never thought I would have this chance.  One more thing that I can check off of my "list" of things to do.  I feel very blessed to have this new adventure for my family.  If you are in the area, please let us know.  We love having company and guest.  We will be in the trailer for a few months.  I am sure that there are a few more updates left in me for the blog to keep everyone posted...LOL.  Just because we are moving from living on the road full time to living in a home does not mean I will give up my blog.  This has been a very fun year for me and I have met some amazing women and families.  I want to stay connected and I hope that my life will be just as adventurous in DC as it has been on the road.

PICTURES...FT. Worth Stockyard, TX.

This past weekend we finally made it down to the stockyards.  It was definitely something you would want to do when the weather is warm.  This place can pretty much be visited and seen in about 2 hours.  If you want to eat there are tons of restaurants to try and lots of beer.  They have Billy Bobs , which on the weekends can sell as much as 18000 bottles of beer...it holds 6000 people.  They say they are the largest honkey tonk bar in the US.     The biggest draw is the cattle being driven down main street.  Try to plan your trip around this.  We did not know what to expect and ended up waiting an extra hour "hanging out" on the grass waiting for this one thing to happen.  You can say that one of our teenagers was not happy about this...Mine Craft was calling his name...LOL

I went down to the street to get pictures and the rest of the family waited on the grass.  YEP, they were ready to get home and be done with this affair..LOL

Goofing off on the grass.  I love this picture.

Our very own "Blues Brother"...

Playing sandwich on the grass...guess who was the filling...LOL

The intensity was almost too much for them...WHEN ARE THE dang LONGHORNS  COMING, I WANT TO GO HOME!

Pony rides 

Pony rides were a huge hit with Isabella. She was adamant about riding the "pink" pony whose name was Arial.

I love this picture of the kids.

I think he was trying to read my phone.

This is one of the dance floors in Billy Bobs.  You have to pay $2 to go inside.  They have a ton of country music memorabilia, autographs and such to see.  This saddle was hanging from the center and Isabella wanted to check it out.

They have a stage coach that you can ride in....YEAH, at $10 per person...we passed.  The ride was about 5 minutes long.

You can take a train from Grapevine to the  Stockyards.  It takes almost 1.5 hours and we heard it wasn't worth it.  But I did love taking these pictures.

Rye, our downtown girl.  Love this picture of Rye.

Isabella and I on the grass lawn.  I aged it a bit to look vintage.

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Can you say BORED!

The long awaited cattle drive..it lasted about 5 minutes.

SO, we get home and Isabella tells us that she wants to live in the city, in a big house.  I guess my family is not much into the western world of thing.  This is okay.  We can at least say that we were able to see the long horns up close and visited a historical part of Texas.

Can you say DIVA....she makes me smile.

 

LIVING...Perspective

This past week I went to the park with Isabella and met a man who was there with his son.  The little boy and Isabella hit it off and spent their time playing, jumping and being super heros...one was Batman and the other was a Princess Fairy Butterfly (can you guess who was who?...LOL)  It's kind of strange to be at a park and see two kids playing so well together, only after meeting a few seconds before their time of conquering the universe.

I sat on a few toys and he sat at a park bench.  I eventually made my way to the bench while checking on Isabella as she was jumping from the slide...some super hero's do not have the special power to fly and apparently she did not...YET....We immediately started a conversation and he turned out to be a very nice, FIRST time Dad. 

We chatted about his job, his wife, how long they lived in the area, local restaurants and entertainment. Then the questions about us get asked.  Very quickly I go through all of the "things" I could say. LIKE:

1.  We just moved here  (for a few weeks)

2.  We are on vacation (for a year)

3.  We live over there, no here, no everywhere (temporarily)

4.  We are aliens..just visiting Mother Earth and looking for samples and new DNA

Just Kidding, the last one I only use with really serious people.  It's funny to see their reactions.  

So, I further the conversation by explaining what we are doing.  He says to me, "I can't believe that I actually have met someone that has chosen to live this way."  REALLY? I am starting to think I should have used answer #4 from above, it seemed to him that I was an alien life form.  We continued to talk and of course all of the standard questions are asked:

1.  What about your kids?

2.  How do they do school?

3.  What about their social life?

4.  How do you make money?

5.  What about friends?

The list is too long, but you have all heard the questions before.  I go through and answer each one and I am always amazed at how people go from "what the heck" to "wow, that is exciting".   I love that we all have a different perspective as to how we are to live our lives and how that perspective can change when given the opportunity to listen to different ideas.  

Our perspective is unique.  I love that I have had this opportunity to spend it so intimately with my kids and husband in close quarters.   This experience will not be one that my kids will value until they have lived their lives and gained their own perspective on how life should be lead to them. How short our lives are and one year is tiny compared to 100.  Perspective is a gift, that we open slowly as time goes by and sometimes don't see the larger picture until events have passed us by.

I wonder how many peoples perspective would change if it were a case of Cory or I having a serious illness...We would suddenly be hailed as hero's because we got to spend the whole last year with our family, living our life to the fullest and focusing on what is important.  Why would it take a serious illness for the perspective of others to change?  It's never too late to live our lives to the fullest, make lasting memories and help form our kids perspective on what is important in this life.

It's all in how we see this life, use our time now and remain flexible enough to live our life in the moment.  I am grateful that I get to meet new people, share our experience, gain their perspective and take with me a sense of  friendship, if only for a moment.

It takes only a moment to be a friend to someone.  It takes only a moment to listen, share and learn.  I am grateful for the moments in my life that have given me my perspective.  ENJOY

LIFE...Lessons to Learn

Do you ever go through your life wondering what you are suppose to be learning and if you have or ever will?  I often times reflect on my life as a journey or a puzzle.  Sometimes I find myself so excited about things that are happening that I can't contain my joy or enthusiasm.  I love the moment that the puzzle piece falls right into place.  The moment of truth is very enlightening to me.

I feel this past year my family and I have had many puzzle pieces fall into place. This next phase of our life is looking to be more exciting than we could have ever hoped it to be.  I sometimes feel that my puzzle is a mere 24 sections and at other times it feels like a 1000, with all of them in shades of black and white.

No matter the size of the piece or the quantity of the puzzle segments, I know that my life will be full of moments that teach me the lessons of my life.  My concern is, will I be awake and alert enough to notice these momentous events, exceptional people, acts of learning or will my heart and soul be some place else?

Through out this life I hope to be alert and in tune to those around me.  I know that it seems like change is our, The Watsons, middle name, but with change we are always learning.  We don't sit still.  We are engaging in our world.  We are reaching out to other cultures, other ideas and others (people).

Living for me, means change.  I believe that through change I stay fresh and alive.  The lessons in this life, for me, are learned with all types of ideas, inspiration, motivation and love.  I still have lots to learn.  I feel my life.  This feeling is what guides my actions.   These actions are what create the change in me, the sense of yearning to gain new ideas.

I have evolved and will continue to improve only because I want to.  Not because someone else is motivating me to do so.  I am the one with my hands on the steering wheel.  I have tools around me to help me get from point A to point B, no doubt about that.  Am I listening?  Am I seeking? Am I retaining this help?  These are the questions that will help me to learn the lessons that I am suppose to experience.

I don't believe that we are all the same.  What a boring life this would be if we all had the same ideas, same hopes and dreams..the same , the same, the same...BORING!  I am a different kind of person and you are too.  We are all unique and individual in our make up.  I think that every person  that has come into my life, wether they were of a good influence or not, has shaped me to be a better person.  I look forward to meeting unique persons that I can learn from, learn from their lessons of this life.  Listening, I enjoy doing this more and more every day.

My kids are great aides in helping me learn the lessons of this life.  My kids are not subjects.  They are not "mine" to do with them as I please. I don't "rule" over them.  We parent with them. They are active participants in their lives. We let them mold their own identities, they have 100% say in how they live their life.  Yes, we offer suggestions and guidance.  We parent from a stance of love and not fear.  There is a difference.  This is something that I have learned and I am grateful for this.

My kids motivate me and inspire me.  My family is of great importance to my journey.  This is why I am here.  It took me a while to learn this.  I know now.  This brings peace to my life.

Creating a better YOU is a lesson that can be learned if we open our eyes.  It takes time and dedication.  It involves change. It requires acceptance.  It may even require letting go.

My life is blessed. I am learning daily how to be a better ME.  I am focused on my family and our adventure.  With this in mind, things will fall into place.  Our life will be what we make it.  We will meet wonderful people, help those around us, seek after the love in this life and work hard to learn the lessons that EACH of us are here to learn together and individually.

Be at peace, find the things you love, make the change necessary for YOU to be the best that this life offers.  This journey is worth ALL that goes into making it unique.  ENJOY!