Heat Wave

Just because it needs to be documented....our family (and millions of other Texans) are in the midst of a heat wave of epic proportions.  This summer has been the hottest since the infamous summer of 1980.  We are at 30+ days of 100°+ heat with no sign of slowing down (August just started!?!).  This makes for long days for Jennifer and the kids as they can't really go outside because it is too hot.  It is also just generally uncomfortable to do anything or go anywhere.  I must say we are blessed to have an air conditioned house we can cool off in, and I have a desk job that keeps me out of harm's way for the most part.  That being said, here is the forecast for the next few days:

Hubley Saturday Morning

Here are some typical views around our house on any given Saturday morning:

Pancakes

Hannah dressing up like an “angel”

Nathan sucking his thumb

Can’t beat the weekends!

4th of July in Canyon & Angel Fire

Last month we went to Canyon for my 10-year high school reunion over the 4th of July weekend.  We stretched the long weekend into a whole week and ran up to Angel Fire to get a break from work and the hot Texas weather. 

While we were in Canyon, we made it down to the Fair on the Square for the 4th of July parade.  We had a great time, and Hannah was especially impressed.

Eager anticipation of the parade

The streets were packed.  It is a pretty big deal

Some of the crew and cast of the Texas play in Palo Duro Canyon

Smokey the Bear even made an appearance which is pretty timely considering the extreme fires we’ve had this year

Like I said, Hannah really enjoyed her first parade.  We decided to leave Hannah with Nana and Pappy in Canyon while we went to Angel Fire for the rest of the week with Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Jon Michael.  We figured 4 on 1 for Nathan’s first trip to the mountains would make for a pretty restful week, at least comparatively speaking.  It reminded us of Hannah’s first trip to the mountains when she was about the same age.

When we got to Angel Fire, we were a little disappointed to learn that the forest was closed due to Stage III fire restrictions.  Basically all the state parks and national forests (any public land) was closed for hiking, biking, camping, everything.  Since we couldn’t hike in the forest, we took several walks up the hills around town.  These were the typical views from our walks – not a bad substitute considering the circumstances.

Jon Michael and I played golf at the Angel Fire course.  It was the first time I have played there and the first time I’ve played in a long time.  We had a really good time (JM won).  Here is the view from the #6 tee box.  200 yd Par 3 and the green is ~250+ ft below the tee box.  Pretty fun to watch that little white ball drop

We made the obligatory trip to Taos  one day and got massages, shopped around, and ate at our favorite Taos Pizza Outback.

While we were on the trip Nathan found his toes just like big sister.

Jennifer and Rebecca took a knitting class in Taos and spent the rest of the week working (and re-working) scarves.  Nathan thought it was pretty neat.

Another one of the casualties of the fire restrictions: outside charcoal fires were banned so we cooked our steaks inside.

Overall it was a great time with Rebecca and JM and lots of special attention for our little Nathan.  We can’t wait to go back!!

62nd Annual Fling Reunion

Not sure if you can tell yet, but we’ve had a busy summer! I’m trying to keep up but I’m failing miserably. So I’m going to stop worrying about putting all these events in order. That’s right…I’m getting’ a little crazy! Let’s go back about a month.

All the way back to the Family Reunion. When the second weekend in June rolls around, there’s only one place you will find us (and about 150 of my relatives)….the Fling Reunion. Three words describe it…

Food…

Fun…

and lots of Family…

Did I mention some of us are a little crazy?

This year, just like every year I can remember, we gathered at the lake and had a great time visiting and eating and swimming.

Mike led the auction.

We raffled off a beautiful ring and necklace made by Fling Jewelers in Bryan.

Aunt Margo made this beautiful quilt that sold for $600!! That’s Mama and Granddaddy Fling in the middle. I never got to meet them, but they left a legacy that long outlived their time here on earth.

The kids are always so proud of their trophies after the fishing tournament (even though I think they all get one)!

As always, I feel so blessed to be a part of this legacy and love that Hannah and Nathan get to experience it too.

Can’t wait until next year!

Welcome Davids

Last month we hosted Davids, a pastor from Latvia, for a weekend at our home.  We found out about the opportunity through our church and we're so glad we decided to say yes!  Davids was in Dallas for three weeks as part of the Global Proclamation Academy at Dallas Theological Seminary. Saturday evening we gathered at a home with all the host families and pastors to hear about their ministries.  Christ Chapel hosted pastors from Latvia, India, Nepal, and Jordan. It was such a great experience for our family to see what God is doing around the world in other countries.

Back home, he is a full time chaplain in the Latvian army and also pastors a small church.  He has a wife and two young daughters so he fit right in at our house.  He works at the basic training facility for new recruits before they ship out for duty.  His biggest prayer for his ministry was that Christians both in his home country and around the world would be truly united by the love of Christ (Phil 2:2).   Below are a couple of pictures from our time together.

Group shot – notice he spent much of the weekend holding either Hannah or Nathan :)



The highlight of the weekend: cattle drive in the Stockyards


Again, this was such a great experience for our family and we can’t wait for the opportunity next year.

Superhero Cape

For Cousin Sam’s 3rd birthday, I decided to make him a fun superhero cape. My sister told me he was in to Power Rangers and thought he would really like a cape. I found an easy pattern here and attached a lightning bolt to the back.

Hannah was my model but she was a little  wiggle worm. I couldn’t get her to stand still. These are the best pictures I could get.

Happy Birthday Sam! You make a great superhero!!

Hannah’s 1st Haircut

It’s hard to believe that I waited two years to get my little girl's haircut but it’s true. I finally decided that the stringy strands of hair had to go.
We talked about getting a haircut for a long time before we went because I was really afraid she would freak out and it would be a huge ordeal. She was a little skeptical at first and wanted to sit in my lap, but overall, she did great! She only slapped  at the lady once or twice…ooops.
Before

After

Look at those cute  curls!