We went last week to Arkansas and stayed at a cabin on Lake Ouchita near Mount Ida. Steve's sister lives in Arkansas and made most of the arrangements for us.. Thank you Mischel! The weather could not have been better and every day was filled with walks, hiking, rock hunting and lounging about. Tylea had a great time finding crystals which where laying everywhere we looked. Kids have such energy.. she would come home after an
all morning hike in the mountains, get a drink and head back out to look for rocks.
One afternoon some of us girls stole off and went into Hot Springs to get pampered at a bath house. Hot mineral bath, towel wraps, steam sauna, a shower and then a full body massage. You just cannot beat that!

One day Steve and I took his folks into Hot Springs to be tourists. We made a trip up to the mountain tower in Hot Springs which provides an excellent view of the town and surrounding countryside. Plus there is a small historical museum at the top floor where you can learn facts about the history and people of Hot Springs. Later we took a tour of the Forsythe Bath house which was famous in its' day but now only used for touring. It was fascinating to see how the folks pampered themselves back in the 1920's and earlier even. I found the stained glass in the roof particularly beautiful.
The spring that fed the fForsythe baths was still running under the hotel and there was a windowed area so that you could see how if flowed beneath. The architecture of the building was breathtaking and intricate.
We did a bit of shopping and lots of eating.




The whole time we where away it was bothersome to Tylea that we had left Texas.. After all it was her first trip out-of-state and she would say "Mom, I just miss Texas." So when we got back we made a point to stop and take a picture just for Tylea right in front of the Texas monument on the Texas side of Texarkana.

We are glad to be home but blessed to have had such a safe and refreshing trip!

RODEO

We were invited Saturday to go to the Houston Live Stock Show and Rodeo by some good friends. The day was full of firsts for me.... My first time to Reliant Center, my first Rodeo (no laughing please) and my first concert.
I have actually been to a rodeo before but it was because I was working a booth. I heard some "yehaws" and pounding hooves but that is as close as I got. I saw Amy Grant in concert in the 80's at Six Flags but only a passing glance as I headed for the next ride. So needless to say it was quite an exciting day for me and From the grand entry fireworks to the after concert fireworks I was captured!
Our seats on the east end allowed us to see bulls coming right out of the shoots. I think bull-riding is fun to watch and I like to see it on TV when its airing. Number 326 was a seriously ornery critter and was NOT going to be herded out of the ring after the violent removal of his rider.
(I do not understand why they call it "riding" a bull.. isn't it more like tying yourself to a 1500lb pissed off, poop slathered, drooling, eye-rolling, head-tossing behemoth that turns into a freight train after you hit the dirt and is determined that you are on the track!?!) Riding.... now that IS amusing.

Anyway this boy was a dappled humped back colossus with a wiggly horn that bobbled with every move. He was snorting, eye-rolling and putting on the show and was dubbed the highest kicking bull of the night. He ditched his rider and took one look at the gate before high-tailing it for the other side.








There was all of the regular activities of attending a rodeo, bareback and saddle bronc riding, calf-roping, steer wrestling and barrel racing.. even the enormously entertaining sport of chuck wagon races.

Then there was the concert.. Martina McBride was performing on the night we attended. Now I am not a regular country music listener and honestly could not name a single song I knew that she sang. Once I heard her sing then I recognized a few. Let me tell you - that little lady can belt out the notes!! She put on a grand show and did not hold back a bit. Now I am humming country tunes as my MP3 player rolls its' eyes!