Old Tunnel State Park near Fredericksberg, TX

On Sunday night (01-JUL) we went to the Old Tunnel State Park to see the bats come out at night. There were about 1-2 million bats that came out of the tunnel in approximately 30 minutes. Here's the old train tunnel.

Before the bats emerged, we had an overview by the park ranger.

Here's a photo of the night sky with the bats. The picture isn't grainy, the sky is filled with bats.

We highly recommend the Old Tunnel State Park. According to the ranger, August is the best time to see the bats. The mother bats come back with their young and there are over 3 million bats in the tunnel. Be sure to pay the $5.00/person and go to the lower level; it's well worth it!

 

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Major Chris

On Thursday, June 28, Chris' promotion ceremony was held at the JAG offices at Ft. Hood. Rosie and I were excited to be there for the ceremony. We're also glad that Rosie's sister, Julie, could drive down from Ft. Worth. Chris is introduced by his commanding officer, Colonel Risch.

Amy, Adam and Lottie get to attach Chris' major bars. Of course Major Dad had to bend down a bit.

Here's Major Chris next to the JAG flag.

Julie and Chris pose for a picture.

Here we are with Chris and Amy.

As proud parents it was neat to hear praise/compliments about Chris from his commander and peers.

After all the official stuff, it was party time - cake and drinks.

Congratulations to Chris for a well deserved promotion!

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Blue Bell Creameries in Brenham, TX

On Wednesday Rosie and I drove from Dickinson to Ft. Hood in Killeen. On the way we stopped in Brenham to take the Blue Bell Creameries tour.

Here I am in the lobby.

The tour was fun and educational. Also, at the end we got to eat some delicious Blue Bell ice cream - YUM! We also enjoyed some of the items outside of the plant. Here's Rosie with the Blue Bell girl and cow.

We thought the old ice cream delivery truck was neat.

Yes, the ice cream was named for the founder's favorite flower, blue bells, which could be seen around the building.

The tour lasted about 45 minutes. We enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone passing through Brenham.

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Boating on the San Bernard River w/ the Flachmans

On Monday, 25-JUN, Rosie and I joined the Flachmans for a boating/wakeboarding trip on the San Bernard River. It was a very hot and sunny summer day. The water felt really good. Due to the lack of rain, the river was a bit low. We were able to get close to the Gulf beach with the boat, but had to walk just a bit to get there. It was low tide and there was a lot of seaweed on the sand. Logan is on the beach and ready to go.

Karen and Shane make wakeboarding look easy. However, I have one datapoint to say it isn't too easy. I managed to get a shot of Karen in the air.

Here's Shane zipping along beside the boat.

Here I am on the tube. At least it was something I could stay on while the boat was moving.

Rosie also enjoyed riding the tube. She did a great job but I fell down on the photography end of things. Logan also had fun riding the tube with Gram.

Kayleigh got her turn to drive the boat - with daddy's help.

While Kayleigh drives, Karen and Logan relax and enjoy the scenery along the river. They're "chil-laxing"!

 

Thanks to Shane, Karen, Logan and Kayleigh for a fun day on the river. What a great way to stay cool on a very hot Texas day!

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Koinonia Sunday School Class Party

On Saturday afternoon, 23-JUN, Rosie and I hosted the Koinonia SS class for a get together at our house. We provided hamburgers, hotdogs, buns and drinks. The class brought the rest - including desserts. Here I am cooking burgers and dogs. It was a nice "warm" day to be cooking outside.

Here's the chow line. Looks tasty (and it was)!

Rosie had Logan and Kayleigh lead us in a sounding rendition of "It's My Flag Too". The class really enjoyed the kids.

The class enjoyed a time of fellowship in addition to good food.

Many thanks to Mary and Weldon for leading such a loving SS class.

Logan & Kayleigh's Swim Lessons at HSV Pool

June 18 - 22 Logan and Kayleigh took swim lessons at DeSoto pool in HSV. Their lessons were from 10 am to 11 am. I think they had a great time. However, some days were better than others based on the kid "tired-ness" factor. Logan and Kayleigh are waiting with Karen for their turn.

It's time to play with toys! Logan is ready to get his favorite toy.

Everyone learned to jump into the water with a life jacket on. Kayleigh is ready to jump.

Logan is next!

Logan, Kayleigh and another swimmer are working on their kick.

Thursday after swim class we went to The Shack for lunch. Kayleigh was tired after swimming. I think the rest of us shared her French fries. She was so nice to share!

We hope Logan and Kayleigh can come to HSV next year for swim lessons.

 

Mid America Science Museum

Karen, Logan and Kayleigh arrived in Little Rock on Saturday night for a week's visit in HSV. Today (Monday) the kids attended their first day of swim classes. After class we went to the DeSoto recreational area for a quick picnic and play on the toys. We then drove to Hot Springs and the Mid America Science Museum. The shadow wall was neat. Any guesses as to whom these shadows belong to?

Next we went to the area where you could draw pictures and put them in a spinning device to make a movie. Kayleigh is getting her pictures ready for a movie.

Kids (or adults) can build paths for marbles to work their way down. Logan enjoyed doing a bit of engineering.

There was also a demonstration where you used a robot arm to pick up a coin. I tried twice and failed. Karen got a coin on the first try. Great job!

The kids also got to play paleontologist and look for "dinosaur " bones. Logan and Kayleigh are hard at work.

Gram also enjoyed the hunt!

The kids and Gram really enjoyed the underground Arkansas exhibit. They're ready to head in for their second trip of the day.

Kayleigh enjoyed learning about Bernoulli's principal or at least watching the ball hover in the air.

We all had a great time at MASM. After the museum we drove to Mooyah! for burgers and fries - very tasty! Stay tuned for more exciting adventures.