Mo-Ranch '09

This past week, we took a fantastic family vacation to the Texas Hill Country - it is every big as beautiful as we've always been told. Kendal was the keynote speaker for a college conference at Mo-Ranch, a Presbyterian camp in Hunt, TX, so the kids and I tagged along for the week. His parents (Nana and Papa) also joined us - and how very grateful I am for that!!! The kids are really starting to talk (all the time!) and are becoming more self-sufficient BUT that also means they need a lot more supervision as trouble lurks around every corner :)

On the way down to camp, we stopped in Austin for the night. We got to have dinner with my Uncle Owen at the Kerby Lane Cafe, a new favorite (we grabbed breakfast there the next day, too). We stayed at Austin Seminary, which is right off the UT campus, so we were able to walk to the main drag. The kids, always shy at first, quickly warmed up to Owen and were jumping his lap by the night's end. We then made a detour to San Antonio to visit LSU friends Mike and Tracy and their beautiful baby girl Ryan (4 weeks old!). Unfortunately, Jackson threw a three-hour temper tantrum so the visit was a little chaotic. We were still so glad to see our friends - and bring some much-needed rain down from Arkansas with us to the drought-inflicted area of TX!

The week at Mo was just perfect. We walked everywhere, had meals in the dining hall, swam in the toddler pool and even went swimming in the river (Jackson Camper had his first impromptu skinny dip! Luckily that's socially acceptable when you're two!). We also met some amazing new friends who served with Kendal on the conference planning team and got to spend some time with old friends from seminary. Our seminary friends all have kids the twins' age (Wells and Ruth), so we had a BIG time chasing them around all week :) We are so glad the kids love to make new friends!

I think the most memorable experience happened during the closing worship service at the Chapel on the Hill. Kendal helped lead communion and Jackson Camper insisted in staying in his arms during the sacrament. When it was Jackson's turn to tear off a piece of bread and dip it in the cup, he did it (Carli passed this time around)! While our buddy Chris sang Johnny Cash's "Breaking Bread", our friend Audrey served him and he was such a champ. After the first dip, he dunked the bread again and again, as everyone laughed. His very first communion, and he got to celebrate this memory in his daddy's arms. Kendal could share this so much better than I can so I'll try to get him to add in a post soon.