Rainy day outing

Changes are always hard.  Even changes that you really, really, REALLY want to happen.  Changes you have waited thirteen months for, and thought for about six of those that the changes were not going to happen...

But they did.  And while we are happy, we've also had kind of a rough time...

So when the grandkids called wanting to come over, I felt for one of the few times of my life that maybe I couldn't quite do it this week.  So I offered a day out instead, and I would take them back home afterwards.

Yesterday was pretty hard, with the little ones spending the entire day tattling on each other.  So even though we woke up to rain, I decided that we were going to go ahead, get out of the house and get the grandkids, anyway.  The grandkids felt the same way, a phone call from their mother let me know.

Tell them I'm coming, I assured her!

I picked them up, and we went to the park in the steady rain.  We ate peanut butter sandwiches and animal crackers, me holding my plate under a picnic table to try and keep it dry.  I finally retreated to the car while the kids played on the merry go round.  It wasn't long, though, before they felt done.

Besides, the park wasn't really their main goal.  The Botanic Gardens was where they really wanted to be.  The park has swings and climbing things, but the Gardens have ponds, creeks and turtles. And the big girls had cameras.

Can someone tell me how I have lived in Texas all but six years of my life, and have been a mommy for 36 years, and have never discovered until now that Botanic Gardens is a wonderful place to spend a free of charge afternoon?

I hate that I can only show my new daughters from the back right now:

But I am being promised that they will be made adoption placements very soon, and then I can show the world how beautiful they are!

In the meantime, I can show you my other beautiful kiddos (although my pictures of Tommy were all blurry ):

 

 And beautiful grand daughter Chloe:

 

It seems like when ever I am with grandson Mikey these days, he is catching turtles!  

It was a great afternoon, even if little sister, Miss S, did fall into the creek:

 She loved Botanic Gardens.  I thought it was funny once, watching her look at the fish in that beautiful setting, how loud the highway was right next too it.  It seems like we can't get away from highways, either at home, or at the park.  Can you see it in the background?  It seemed VERY out of place!

 

It was nice to see Miss S and Angel-Leah make peace with each other and act like the sisters they are now.  For the first time in five days, they were united enjoying the flowers:

We needed this day.  Rain and all, it turned out great.  Sometimes, you've just got to get away!