Sniffles, Snakes & Sunsets

It is late March, and these photos were from early Febraury, so...yes I'm a bit behind, but I'm taking it one post at a time and will get caught up :) I promise! 

Dallas had a kayak trip the last week of January, so it was momma and her boys flying solo that week. We actually had a pretty good week if my memory recalls it correctly. The boys both got the sniffles around that time. It would be so nice if I could maintain the patience I have with my little dudes when they are sick or feeling poorly ALL the time. I know I'm not perfect and that I can't get too hard on myself for that, but I just love the sense of calm and 'collectiveness' (I think might work here) I have when I know they aren't feeling well and react to their actions with that in mind. Lord, help me to hold tight to that control and patience all the time!

Dallas took this photo above on his trip. I just LOVE the landscape here.

I finally packed up Bev's bookshelf and shipped it over to her. Unfortunately, it didn't make it in one piece...but I'll get to that later on. I did put this little quote on the back of it. I wanted to find a good 'Seuss quote' to put back here. One night the boys and I were reading a new book they had and I found it :) 

Dallas has been on the hunt for some big(ger) snakes lately to take care of a rat problem we have on one of our favorite camping islands. I know... it sounds kind of gross, but the rats are totally ruining the island, so I'm all for finding a couple big snakes. Our friends, Ian & Esther, saw one in their shed and we were off to Little Exuma to find the guy. The boys were very excited to be looking for a 'big snake'. 

We saw all kinds of fun little critters...but no snake on this trip. While we were at their lovely little beach home I wanted to snap a few photos for my church praise & worship slide shows. They had a bunch a pretty sites to capture. 

I just bought a book this week that has all the flowers and plants of the Bahamas. I'm anxious to learn all the pretty things I enjoy looking at. 

Emit was helping me look for pretty things :) 

Then he wanted to show me how fast he could run...

Tiny prints in the sand...so cute :) 

Once we got back up to the house/yard, it was time for a game of hide and seek. Emit is counting here. I'm so proud of this little booger. He can count to TWELVE already!!!! They both get to 20, but the numbers from 15-20 are always random, but it is pretty cute!

I also get a kick out of their outfits... Dallas dressed them for sure. Granted, I am not the most fashionable momma around (not even close), but I do try to match their shirt and shorts if I can. :) Minor thing though... just makes me smile because I know they have a sweet Daddy that helped them get dressed. 

They were being so cute playing hide and seek. Usually, when we're playing with the boys next door, they ALL refuse to be the counter and get all pouty and mad if it is their turn to be it. This particular day, Joss and Emit were both being really good about counting and seeking. YAY!!!

Ian & Esther have a fun yard to play this in with lots of trees and bushes to play around. 

Our next stop was to see Ian & Esther's house they are building. They are living in some friend's house right now, and just up the road from that house they are building their own.

The boys love any chance they get to ride in the back of the truck. We are very careful when we let them ride back here, and only do it on little side roads.

It is so exciting for me to be around our friends while they are building their own house. Not having it built, but BUILDING it themselves. We have a great little network of talented friends down here, so when our turn comes we should be set :) This is our friend, Ian! And this is going to be his view of the amazing Tropic of Cancer beach. 

A construction site is an instant playground for my boys!

Serious concentration...

I was drooling over all the lumber and boards lying around... could build LOTS of goodies with some of that :) 

It is so fun how these boys can turn everything... and I mean EVERYTHING into the most fun thing in the world at that moment. 

Don't worry.. he's only about 6" off the ground in the pic below :) 

They felt so brave crawling across this 'yittle bridge' (little bridge). 

I love these little guys...craziness and all!

On our way back home, we had a beautiful sun guiding our drive. The bridge below that connects Great Exuma to Little Exuma is always a pretty crossing. 

On our way home, Dallas and I both decided we'd rather buy take-out than go home, cook and clean. I know, it would have been easier to say we grabbed some dinner on the way home, but it really isn't that quick. We stopped by Fish Fry to pick up dinner. We usually have to wait at least 20 minutes for food (and that would actually be pretty quick). So we let the boys run around for a bit while waiting. They would have only turned out as blurs in my images if I had tried to take some pictures then... so I didn't even bother. Haven't quite figured out how to capture them with the light isn't just right. The moon rise was incredible. This photo below doesn't do it justice at all, but one of the 'plus's' of us having to wait for 20 minutes was that we had a front row seat to one of the most beautiful moon rises I've seen in a while. 

More to come...