There was a Tiny Turtle

We spent our Memorial Day at our favorite home away from home aka my brother's beautiful house on Lake Lotawana. The kids fished and swam off the dock thee.entire.day while I split my time between supervising them, visiting with my SIL and nephew, and lounging. Gabrielle caught her biggest fish to date but unfortunately when I sent my phone with Dawson for Travis to take a picture in my absence, he took a 2 second video instead. Oops! 

I love that my kids enjoy fishing and are making these memories!

Gabrielle found this stinkin' teeny tiny turtle while swimming near the buoy and immediately snatched her up. She proclaimed she saved it from nearly getting hit by a boat :) It was love at 1st sight! She had been asking for a pet of her very own for months ... specifically a fish, but a turtle undoubtedly trumped a fish! She named her Shelby (Sheldon for a boy perhaps) and created a make shift home in a large SOLO cup to bring her home. Without giving too many details much, much time, research and visits to the local pet stores took place over the course of the next several days. It was agonizing gathering all the details and weighing a decision to make quite a costly investment to make this little creature a permanent member of our family or to choose to return her back into her natural habitat. 

We learned Shelby is a hatchling red-eared slider. They can live 20 - 30 years but their life expectancy is shortened when in captivity. They require both aquatic life as well as sun basking to thrive and grow at a rather rapid rate. 

This picture perfectly portrays Gabi's affection toward her new tiny friend and her angst (shown in her tear) about making the wisest decision to set her free. I also adore the picture because it shows her newly acquired tooth gap which we awaited and highly anticipated for all too long! 

I took Gabrielle to a nearby large pond to return Shelby to her natural habitat. She was emotional in pondering the what ifs of Shelby adjusting to her new surroundings and questioning her survival. I assured her she/we had made the best decision and Shelby would be all the happier. 

As we pulled away toward home it began to rain.  We looked off to the east and there was a beautiful rainbow. It lightened the mood and turned sadness into joy. 

"I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth." 

Genesis 9:13

Embrace the Camera: May 1, 2014

Gabrielle and Dawson with their GG

Easter 2014

Pontoon ride on Lake Lotawana

iPhone 5S

Easter 2014

 - Easter - 

It was an incredibly relaxing weekend. We had our DuBay family Easter at my brother's home Friday evening on Lake Lotawana. The weather was crisp but just right for fishing off the dock, a long pontoon ride snuggled up in blankets as the sunset and s'more assembly fireside in the evening. It was a wonderful day spent with family and we look forward to more days spent doing very much the same in the coming months. 

{Grainy goodness right here ^^^^} 

Saturday we boiled, dyed and decorated eggs after Dawson's noon soccer game.

It was an eventful hour. There may or may not have been a tantrum and gnashing of teeth because a middle child wasn't happy with his Sharpie drawing on his egg {see far right blue egg in front} and I let out a big gasp of air upon realizing that the Kool-Aid seeped under the wax paper dyeing my table top as well. Magic Eraser did its magic but also removed the sheen finish from our island :(

Sunday we attended an AMAZING worship service at our church then returned home for brunch with Travis's mom who was in town visiting and my parents.  

The kids were less than thrilled when I forced convinced them to take pictures.

This was as good as it got. 

Kids squinting; one child or another running off; tempers raising ... all in the name of a picture! 

I hope your Easter was a blessed one remembering the sacrifice of our risen King! 

Labor Day Highlights

A handful of poor, grainy iPhone photos document our wonderful Labor Day weekend
The highlights included:

Time at WD's farm shooting round after round of Daddy's 22
The kids are a pretty good shoot
Running in the fields alongside the cows
Little Miss getting her hair caught in the bob wire fencing and pulling with all her might to get lose only to leave a huge chunk of hair dangling from the wire
True story
Burgers & Beans & Beer Oh My!

Sunday we drove into Branson to White Water
Kids had a BLAST!
Daddy & Mommy had a blast!
McKenna once again proved herself fearless

There was no picture taking amidst our fun so this one pulled from Google Images will have to suffice

We shut down White Water, changed and headed to the nearby Tracks for the boys to burn off some testosterone racing Wes and Levi on go karts whilst the girls fed quarters into the candy machines

Daddy treated us all to Andy's Frozen Custard before loading up and heading back into Springfield
T'was a good, good day!

Monday we left Springfield and drove to my brother's beautiful home on Lake Lotawana, MO 

The kids spent HOURS swimming, jumping off the back of the boat & playing on the tube

We ate more delicious burgers and dogs off the grill with all the fixings and sides

Our Labor Day was complete after a long ride on the pontoon, visiting and taking in the sunset

A big thank-you to Wesley for taking the city out of our kids; to GG for the wonderful gift of memories made at White Water; and to my family for my Leo fix and a relaxing time at the lake!

Loving Lake Life

Thursday was the piece de resistance of our family staycation.

My oldest brother, Brett, and his family purchased a lake front property at Lake Lotawana this past year and have been working feverishly to refurbish/remodel it. Travis, myself and the kids have an enormous love for lake life so are SO very excited about spending time and making memories at their home.

The view from the dock of the screened in porch and deck house below

The view across the lake

We spent a great amount of time fishing from the dock. By we, I mean minus me :) I was supervising and making sure Little Miss didn't get herself tangled in the fishing line, get caught on a hook or take a plunge into the water below. She was everyone's #1 cheerleader and supporter.

The fish were biting which kept everyone entertained. The guys (Papa, Brett, Derek & Travis) couldn't bait the lines fast enough. Everyone was throwing their lines and reeling in the catch.

Tyler (the oldest of 10 grandchildren and my oldest nephew) drove in from the city. I love this kid deeply. I heart that he still allows me to mug on him at the age of 22.

He is incredible with all the kids but took a shining to MJ while the older kids were fishing and skipping rocks.

My two beautiful sister-in-laws Teri (green) and Linda (khaki).

The hubs, aka Daddy-O

I wish this picture were zoomed in, but Travis went on the tube with the bigs and they were having a grand ole' time UNTIL they hit a big wake and Travis let go (intentionally) and the bigs came crashing into the water wall. There was screaming and lashing of teeth. OK, not really, but there were some tears and an abrupt decision that they were done tubing for the afternoon.

You can see the the look of distress on Ms. G's face here. This post wouldn't have been complete without a picture of Leo so I had to include it :)

Mema and McKenna Jane

Tyler surprised Papa with a Dairy Queen ice cream cake to celebrate his birthday. We had already had plenty of good eats and sweet treats throughout the day, but if you're a DuBay, you ALWAYS have room for ice cream!!!!!

As the sun began to set the kids migrated back to the dock for some evening fishing. I posted this picture to Instagram with the well known quote "If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime." We are SO blessed to have a Papa, a Daddy and extended family who teach us these concepts and pour into us!