Ducks & Stuff...

In the midst of the ungodly heat in Texas, we decided that we should venture down to the river and check out the ducks. It has been almost a year since we have been down there just to see the ducks...so it felt like it was time. And let me just say that I have the best kids! (as I am sure you do also)

We had such a good time that I thought I would share...maybe inspire you to brave the heat to go play down by the river, too!

A tribute to Rye, cause we miss her a lot...
Feeding some ducks...

And a turtle or two...

Doing a little dreaming about something we would like to have...

More duck feeding...

A little skateboarding...

Fun picture taking...

And the teens, doing what they do best...

For some things there are no words...

The Best Weekend...

I am in love my husband. Yup, I said it...I don't just love him. I am in love with him. And this weekend I got to spend three days alone with this wonderful man. Mike, Rye and Lis went to camp Friday morning, and Brent and I left for Dallas right after we dropped them off at the church. We spent the weekend there, being tourists; riding the train, seeing a movie, doing a little shopping and just being with each other.

Seeing as how we are within 20 days of our 10 year anniversary, it was amazing to me that not that much has changed between us...he still treats me like I am his princess. He is always more concerned about my needs than his own, he goes out of his way to make me happy. He makes me laugh, and the way that I feel when he intertwines his fingers with mine tells me that no matter what life may bring, it all comes down to this~ this feeling that I get when I see him. And that my friends is Love. This truly was one of the best weekends that I have ever had, and I got to spend it with the man of my dreams...my husband.

Just for you...a little peak into our weekend. Starting with the train. Brent had the great idea to travel around the city on these trains. They went almost everywhere we needed to go, so we went for it. I have to say that at first I was a little nervous, but it was so fun!

my man...

We went to the book depository, from which JFK was shot. We did take the tour, it was so sad and fascinating to be in the place where history was made in our country.

This is where we had dinner Friday night. They have the most amazing bread.

And yes, we did go to the zoo without the children. It was so much fun. This was one of my favorite characters housed at the Dallas Zoo~ Mr. Penguin, who was more than happy to walk up to the glass and check us out.

The waterfall we went under when riding the monorail.

The monorail.

And here it is. A thing of beauty. For any one who knows me at all, you have to know that this was one of the highlights of the trip. As I am a lover of all things cinematic~ going to a three-story movie theatre has to be one of the best things I have done. It was wonderful...from the smell of the popcorn when we walked in the front door, to the sight of the larger than life wall murals promoting the movies.

The New Bass Office

Update on Bass Construction and Soccer Swim Party

You ever realize just how much gets stuffed into one little life when that life is attached to that of a husband and 4 children? Gone are the days of lazy day reading, present are the days of driving people here and there, lunches, getting up earlier than you meant to because someone needs to take snacks to school today and they forgot to tell you last night when you could have done something about that at a reasonable hour... all that being said, you know what I have found in the last few days? That the more I am needed, the more exhausted I am at the end of the day, the more I love my life.

We are so close to the new office being done. Can I tell you how happy I am about that, or are you already assuming that? I have seen precious little of my husband during this last week. But I do have pictures of the work that they have got done at the office.


Sharon, rockin' out a fantastic vacuum job with the shop vac. Notice the tower has walls and paint! The main room~ in blue...

I show you this wall and Ken's backside for one reason...I, yes I, painted that wall. And yes, I do know how far away from the ceiling and door frames I was. There is good reason for that. The only way to ensure that it will not be blue is to stay far, far away from it! LOL

And now on to the soccer swim party.

Our soccer season ended two weeks ago, but the swim party was just this evening. The kids had a blast, and I have to say that it was a nice touch having it the night that school got out for the year. It ended up being a super way to kick start the summer. And boy do they have a lot going on this summer. Just in the next two weeks the kids will be going to camp, Madison will be flying in, my friend Melanie, and her family from New Mexico will be coming to stay for a week...Mikey will attend a soccer training camp and Rye will leave to spend the summer in Minnesota. Stay tuned for more tired momma stories.

A fun fact for ya...when the kids leave for camp, I am kidnapping my husband and taking him to Dallas to spend two nights in a hotel...all by ourselves. I could not be more excited about this little endeavor. I can't wait to get him away from here, hide his cell phone from him and just spend some time alone! He does not know that I asked his boss if he could have Friday off, this is going to be so fun.

Memorial Weekend

I did not realize how much we needed a little break until we got one this weekend! Did we ever need a break! We were thinking about going camping this weekend, but when they started talking about how it might rain, we changed our plans.

It ended up not raining, but that was okay, we had an awesome weekend anyway. We went to Hurricane Harbor in Arlington on Sunday. We had such a good time. The boys spent most of their time riding the thrill rides, while the girls spent their time in the wave pool and the lazy river. The best part of the trip though came on the way to Dallas. We had had to make a stop on the way out of town to get ice and drinks, and when we were putting the stuff in the cooler, Brent set his wallet down on the bumper of the truck. And there it sat. As we loaded the ice, as we put in the drinks, as we got back into the truck, as we left the gas station parking lot, as we drove over the bridge and out of town. We obviously had no idea it had been left there, until about 45 miles out of town when some guys pulled up next to us and motioned for Brent to roll down his window.
Phew.

As we got back into the car we quickly thanked God for how awesome he is! When you really think about it, what are the chances that the wallet would have stayed on the bumper that whole time? Probably not all that good. But, when God has your back, what are the chances that it would have slid off the bumper.....

I love it so much when God just does something so awesome like holding Brent's wallet on the bumper for 45 miles, and the kids get to see how present God is in our lives. How they get to see how much he wants to do for them. What an incredible experience to have!

Update on the new Bass Office

Wow, there have been a lot of things happening over at the new office since i posted earlier this week. There have been walls going up and electrical wires being run. Paint being put onto the walls of the production office and the breakroom. The "tower" is beginning to take shape. It is so awesome to watch all of this taking place.

Brent has been running back and forth to the new office all week making sure that things are coming along and working out the details of any problems. He is tired, but it is going to be so worth it to see the new office come together.

They did two inspections today. Lots more work to be done to make it workable, but it can be done...
the framing of the tower~ taken wednesday night

the tower taking shape

another angle of the tower

walls (woo hoo)

conference room pre-wall

conference room starting to take some shape

painted walls in the breakroom

the production office painted!!!