Getting seized by summer

In an attempt to have some summer fun before we get seized by heat and humidity, we have gone on two outings recently.

Since Mark's committed to spending most of the rest of the summer slaving over mice in an air-conditioned lab, we took our "last chance to go camping" on a very rainy weekend.

I paid for our campsite while sheets of rain fell outside; we had a brief hour (miracle!) respite from the rain to get the tent up. We didn't do any roasting, but moved our picnic inside:

This is where they started sleeping. We love our huge--and very rain-proof--tent! This was its maiden voyage; we heard tremendous deafening thunder and were woken by lightning all night, but didn't get wet! We had a bright green tree frog hiding under our rain tarp in the morning--guess he liked it too. :)

We weren't satisfied with just amphibians and raccoons, so the next morning we went on a soggy hunt for:

Mark plans to make a painting of this tree.

I felt like we were living in a dinosaur painting.




Mark, the alligator-whisperer, finally detected this:
It was a good personality test for our kids: Simon ran about 50 yards away and hid on the other side of the road, Allianna parked herself with a scowl in the stroller, and Mary Tessa trotted towards it. Until the gator lunged. For a turtle, but still, I grabbed Tessa and moved back. Mark was nearly weaping tears of joy and after we saw the gator put away 3 fish/turtles in classic gulpgulpgulp fashion he declared, "This makes it all worth it."

For me to be happy, camping needs to include hiking trails. We got lost, the thunder cloud found us, Simon hiked like a trooper even though he was scared and Mark and I carried girls and mud-laden strollers.

We prayed under this tree for the rain to slow up enough for us to make it back to the van. In about 5 minutes it did and we were happy to get the kids in dry clothes and food and away from hypothermia. Can you get chilled to the bone in Texas? Also, this happens to be our only picture with Mark in it. I am a terrible photographer and make him keep the camera in his hands. But it was fun and we want to go again tomorrow, just sans tent and rain.


For our second outing, we went to see our (mediocre) Astros play our Padres (go Padres!)--it was a win/win experience cheering for everyone.

Simon declaring with a satisfied air, "These are pretty good seats."



Mary Tessa trying to blind the batter with her blues.

All's good when you have licorice and peanuts.

We're off to the beaches of North Carolina next week!