Nearly February - Trip to the Coast: Port O'Connor

 January left us down and out most the month with the flu....all four of us! Finally feeling on the mend as the month finishes up we decided to take a trip to the coast to check out fishing spots. The weather in Jan has been up and down with the ups in the mid 70s and the downs in the 40s during the day but yesterday was beautiful and gorgeous and in the 60s both inland at our house and at the coast. The water though- man that water felt amazing like barely warm bath water- I could have definitely jumped in.....but then I never would have wanted to get out!

It was 1 hour and 30 min drive to the coastal town of Port O'Connor. There is a beautiful beach area and a fishing pier. There is also an area to launch boats. The water was exceptionally clear unlike the other coastal areas we'd visited in the past (with the exception of South Padre definitely being the most clear and beautiful but because it is actually on the ocean vs in the bay area) - but Port O'Connor isn't as far inland bay as other places we've been. The sand was packed to walk  on yet the softest we've ever felt any where. The sunshine was out strong warming our faces as we walked and hung out.

Afterwards we grabbed some lunch at a little local joint that had good reviews. A casual little mom-pop place that is a tackle shop and serves food! We got a seafood platter with shrimp, fish and crab and a flounder sandwich and a burger for us all.

A gorgeous day at the Texas coast. We still pinch ourselves we get such beauty inland with the green grass pastures and farms and huge oaks trees yet can take a day trip to the coast for fishing, beach time and seafood. Blessed.

 On the way home we also drove by Magnolia Beach and Indianola Beach to check them out since they were 15 min away. (no pics though since driving by). They were not really beaches as much as just fishing spots off rock and a couple piers. Nice views but we'd rather go down to Port O'Connor instead!

Looking back up from the beach area- low tide so LOTS of sand to get to the water. Beach front houses, grassy area with tons of picnic  tables and benches, a clean little restroom, and a newly built playground for kids.

Pavilion with lots of tables.

Gorgeous day exploring - we loved this little town and this spot, we'll definitely be back.

Happy New Year! January 1st

 Ringing in the New Year definitely makes you look back at the last year you've had. And WOW what a year we have had. High ups, low downs, everything in between - but enormous blessings, miracles, tender mercies, love and time. We wouldn't have changed our adventurous year for anything. 

Our goal in 2021 - Renovate an older RV and travel with our kids:

1) Have a last BIG adventure-trip-exploration-fun time with the kids before they are grown and gone. 

2) Travel to see new places and through pray see if we were meant to be planted somewhere other than Arizona. 

Our trip did give us these two things but it gave us SO much more. Abundance of family time in a new way, a new setting to grow our relationships even deeper. Time is something you never get back...this age, stage, place where you are, where your children are at will never be again- so each moment in life should be cherished, its sacred and family is everything. Don't wait- because you never know how long you have someone. I have an incredible relationship with both of my children and this trip only made our bonds stronger. It also grew my marriage and made it stronger as well. Our partnership is deeper, more valued, there is more love that there ever has been. Our little family unit is incredibly deeply rooted together and they are the most important people to me. Our trip also released us from material possessions. Living tiny, living in a small space - we have come to know that we don't need much and definitely things do not equal happiness. Actually the opposite, an abundance of things creates stress and unhappiness. Letting go of 'things' has been freeing and through living tiny we've decided we never want to go back to a large home with so much space only to fill it and have to clean it and have it take up so much time in our life. We want to stay tiny and spend our time with our family, in the outdoors, being intentional with the items in our home and with our time to never feel overwhelmed with 'stuff' again.

So thankful and grateful for all of our experiences this last year in 2021. The lessons learned, the love and time together.

2021: Jan-Feb we renovated. March we dropped off pigs to be boarded and finished renovations and downsizing. April- we left. We spent the next months in CA-AZ-NM-TX. And finally in September we decided to permanently call Texas HOME. We had our adventure with our kids even though cut shorter than anticipated, and God lead us HOME just as we asked and placed us in Texas. Dec- we picked up our pig girls and son's pigeons in time to ring in the New Year. 

We're ready for 2022 and all that it will bring!

April- we left & spent time with family.

The biggest blessing of all was getting to spend an entire month with family in San Diego. We haven't had that much time since we lived there...11 years ago. 

Happenings around here this month.........

 New Years Day dinner picnic and sunset as a family. 84 degrees out, making the most of the beautiful weather right before our freeze.

New Years Eve - we all went to see Spiderman in our movie theater.
 

Daily walks with Ernie dog...

Farm Life.....Ernie dog loves cows and they love him.

Guinea hen babies were born...We're loving watching them grow!

Pig girls are super happy with being here....the weather has been amazing for them, they've settled right into new routines in a new space but they are happy and healthy and together.

Drive up our neighbor/landlords driveway to go see our pig girls.....

We've had several super foggy mornings....

We feel incredibly blessed looking back at 2021 even though there were hardships and trials. We feel so thankful and grateful to be planted here. Daily we thank God for guiding us home here to Texas. We are so very excited to see what life brings us in 2022 and beyond. Excited for our future here and being together.