Prayers for Texas-Camp Mystic

My heart is Heavy! 

Texas is hurting badly. The recent floods have brought devastation beyond words. Homes are gone! Campgrounds are under water. Families are grieving. And many are still clinging to hope as they pray for loved ones who are missing. 

Please Pray:

Pray for the families who are waking up to emptiness.

Pray for Camp Mystic and all the camps along the river.  These are places that are usually filled with laughter and the building of friendships that last a lifetime. Now, these same places are filled with uncertainty, loss, rescue efforts and heartbreaking silence.

Pray for the first responders, working tirelessly to find those still unaccounted for. 

Pray for those who have loss loved ones.

My own heart aches even more knowing that Mylee was just there....just last weekend, floating that very river (the Guadalupe) with friends, tubing and making memories.  That could have been any of us. It's a sobering reminder of how quickly life can shift. 

There are no easy words in times like these. A huge flood that has created a flood of emotions and a huge call to lift Texas up in prayer. 

I know you all believe in the power of prayer, so I ask you to please pause for a moment and whisper a prayer for the missing, the mourning, and the many who have lost everything.  I pray that comfort will find them and that hope will hold them. 

Holding these families close in my heart right now.  

Shug.  

 

Celebrating the 4th

** Prayers Please,  for our Texas families!!   

 Saturday Morning July 5th....2025 

I am pretty positive that you all will agree with me when I say that there is nothing quite like a family gathering and especially so when one feels like a whirlwind of laughter, love, splashes, sugar, and of course...the perfect amount of chaos it make it unforgettable.

 We kicked off early, celebrating our two favorite July birthdays.  William and Tweety aka Trista, with all the festive flair that every birthday deserves. From the moment the grill started smoking with burgers and hot dogs, to the very last bubble that floated through the Summer air.....these two were the center of attention.  

Let the Splashes begin!!

Pool games were in full swing (literally) and especially when my grandsons decided I needed a swim.  (I Can Not Swim)....

They threw me in....fully dressed. I am pretty sure that I did make quite the splash, with my squeals, my screaming, and flopping around like a fish out of water, except.....I was fully under the water.  

Baby William couldn't get enough of the whipped whipping cream.. His little lips were covered in all of the sweet goodness and of YES....we all laughed.  Add to this laughter, the watermelon feast, pie-in-face shenanigans and the cannon balls into the pool....I'm pretty sure my neighbors may have been laughing as well.  

Can you guess which one started the pie-in-face  ordeal?

  

You can see Shanda in the upper left corner in the collage picture above.  

Let's talk about this pie in the face moment...

It all started when Mylee Jo went straight for her momma with a face full of whipped cream dessert and she (MYLEE) was sporting a very mischievous grin. And of course...payback had to come. Let's just say, things escalated quickly ....whipping cream was flying and there were surprises around every corner. 

Shanda said that we should try it, cause it sure seemed to be a good moisturizer....  LOL

The bubble machine added a lot of it's own magic to the day as it sent orbs all around the patio......   Next...a couple of haircuts were squeezed in for Tucker and for William.  (We had to get these haircuts done before they travel back West)

We missed our military family and sweet Tori and Connor....but their presence was felt.

I would like to add a Huge thank you to Tyler for his service in the military...Today marks 9 years for him.  He now serves in the US "Space Force."

We are so proud of you Tyler.  

Our day was loud...It was messy.

It was filled with whipped cream, wet clothes, surprises, and flying bubbles....

But....it was family at it's finest...

Chaotic and completely full of Heart 💛💛💛💛

As Emily would say....  "That's a wrap on July 4th 2025"

I'll leave you all with this one more picture!!

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful 4th...

Shug....

 

Celebrating the 4th

Wishing each of you a Fabulous and Safe 4th of July!!!

Just popping in between the potato salad and my dessert making, to send y'all a big ol' hug and wish you a day full of joy.....

Today we have Holiday plans for some porch sitting, some sweet tea sipping, enjoying some burgers 🍔 and hotdogs 🌭, and waving the American Flag. Oh yes....I can't forget the Watermelon 🍉🍉 slices that we will all be munching on......juice running down our chins, like we're 10 years old again...  Isn't this what Summer and the 4th of July is all about??

All of this, while remembering how very Blessed we are!!!

Stay safe out there, don't forget the bug spray, and I hope we can all give ourselves permission to slow down and soak in all the love and beauty around us.  

God Bless America.....and God bless each of YOU!!

Love and Hugs from my little patch of Texas..

Shug.....

 

The 4th, My favorites, and a tooth...

Can you believe the 4th of July is almost here? I can already feel the sparkle as we celebrate this holiday......and I can taste the sugar rush that is coming too!! 

I've been jotting down my dessert list, and so far I am planning to make my go-to ice cream cookie sandwiches and a beautiful red, white and blue trifle recipe that I found on the internet. Both will most definitely be crowd pleasers and perfect for the HOT day we are expecting. 

This photo is off of Pinterest, but this is a similar photo of the cookies I make. 

This is the Trifle that I plan on making....Looks great !!!

I have a few favorite things that I would like to share and each of these is currently topping my happy list. Why not?? I enjoy being able to celebrate freedom and all of the little joys of life. 

Let's start with Starbucks' neon kiwi dragonfruit drink.  If my summer could have a flavor, this would be it this year.  Bright and  tropical....... and I love the way this drink looks.  I only need the recipe and I might would have one of these everyday.  

Another favorite had me swooning this week and it was Creme Brulee.  I had it Monday when I had lunch with friends, and let me just say, it was awesome!!!!  I'm currently dreaming about that golden, sugary crust. 

Other favorite things that I've enjoyed these past few days, is hanging out by the pool, preferably with a filter that magically takes away all my wrinkles. Dig these Hot Pink shades!!!!

  I also love spending time at the Farm, and especially now. There are several big, heavy pieces of equipment down there, clearing and cleaning up areas that have needed it for a long time. 

The big lake is so pretty and one thing that is being done at the farm right now, is the clearing of all the land that borders the lake. I'm sharing a few photos that I took this past Saturday, of the Farm.  

Other News:  

I went to the dentist yesterday and sadly, I now have an appointment with an oral surgeon.  Can you believe that I still have a wisdom tooth?  It appears that I need to have the top left wisdom tooth pulled, but since the roots are too close to my sinus cavities, I will have to have a surgeon extract it. 

 I am also having the tooth on the bottom that lines up with the wisdom tooth on top,  extracted as well.  I needed to have a root canal and a crown for this particular tooth, and with the wisdom tooth coming out, my dentist said that I really didn't need the bottom (way back) tooth.  This will save me a lot of money!!!  

Not looking forward to this!!!  

And Last......I saw this yesterday in a Huge shop....."The Painted Tree."    I know that there are a lot of little kids that would like to climb up there and get a toy out of this giant machine...  

This is all the news I have for today.... ....Happy Wednesday Everyone!!!  

Happy 4th week!!

Shug...