A Dozen

This weekend wraps up our Spring Break here in Texas. It's also my twin boys 12th birthday. We celebrated with a much needed getaway to the Texas Hill Country. I'm not even sure what town we were officially in, but we stayed at Criders on the Frio which lies between Concan and Leakey. I intend to avoid tent camping for the rest of my life, so these sparse cabins were a compromise to roughing it (if you call a window a/c unit roughing it :)

The drive through the hills and valleys was beautiful with mile after mile of ranch land. 

Spring weather in Texas is so unpredictable. Our mornings were cold, overcast and foggy, but by the afternoon the sun was out and the boys hit the river. The word "frio" is Spanish for "cold".  They should change it to "freezing" because that spring fed river was too cold for me in the month of March.  But boys being boys...they couldn't resist a couple hours every afternoon on the rope swing.

The area has two state parks with excellent hiking. We visited Lost Maples State Park for a morning of hiking but usually just traipsed around our camping area with acres and acres to explore by the river.

We had a glitch in our reservation when we checked in and were given a cabin without a tv (yea, I know).  I was so proud of my boys, they rose to the challenge and not only survived it, they thrived.  Every evening was spent by the fire outside, telling ghost stories  (my favorite!) and arguing over who's the best Batman villain, before passing out exhausted by the day spent on the river (and being rescued after missing the kayak drop off point...they loved/hated that adventure!)

I love the way this trip slowed us down. Being unplugged was just part of it. I believe being outside in a place as beautiful as this, changes our role in the world for a little while. We become observers. We learn to look. The shift just happens....you find yourself watching hawks circling overhead or staring at the big fish in the crystal clear waters of the river, too lazy to take the bait.  "Tourists!"  they must be thinking...and off they go. We skip rocks...hundreds of them.  We pull over on the side of the highway for a while to watch longhorns watch us.

We watch the sun rise and set over the biggest cypress tree in Texas.

We head in to town for lunch and it feels wrong to be inside, sitting in a cafe..we're suppose to be OUT THERE! Climbing on this.....

A dozen years ago, me and my high school sweetheart .....

were blessed with two baby boys. 

They're sweet, kind, talented, funny....and inseparable. No matter how much we encourage them to experience life as individuals, their innate urge is to be together at all times. They truly, madly deeply care for each other. 

Happy Birthday to my sweet boys!