Berry-picking

We've been on a blackberry kick ever since our little picnic yesterday.

Dad had the great idea to eat leftovers on quilts out in the pasture.

It was perfect.



Afterwords, Clay, Q, and I poked around a little bit and managed to fill 2 Solo cups to brimming with ripe berries.

We couldn't find the illusive tart recipe from our childhood, so we decided to go with a cobbler.




It wasn't bad by any means, but we knew it could be improved upon.



So, after church today (and after Q drove us all home, and I thought I would have to dig Mom's fingernails out of my leg)...



... the three of us set out again, this time armed with long pants, boots, and buckets.

After 3 hours, we came in the door with 20 cups of black berries!!!

(P.S. We call them blackberries now. After extensive online research, we have concluded that you can call them whatever you want. Dewberries, blackberries, snozberries. There is no clear answer out there, so I'm going with blackberry for everyday use, and dewberry when I'm feeling nostalgic for my PawPaw Wells. Snozberry, probably never, but the reference makes me smile)



Tonight's recipe:



Oh heavens.



Indeed.



Happy campers all the way down to the floor.



Now, on to other recipes!

The last few weeks.

This past week was a special one.

We FINALLY got to spend some time with our entire team that's going to Prague! We went on a retreat together in the Hill Country to talk about and cast vision for our future in Prague.

It was good just to be in the same room with everybody.



And talk and talk and talk.




Sweet Jack and Shirley let us stay at their ranch for the week.



The kids had a blast.



Can you find Clay way up in that tree?



He reminded me of one of those baboons you see on TV way up in trees in the jungle :)



Team Prague!



So good to be in Texas!!!



And to be with good friends.



On our way out they took us past this castle. Wow! Can you believe this??



2 Happy Texans.



Cute Autumn and Morgan.



We stayed up past midnight on our last night getting some final work done.



When we got home.... bonus! Rob was home! It's Q's birthday this weekend so the family is heading this way.

Today we ate Mel's for lunch, then headed out with Gma to feed the neighbors' horses and enjoy the pretty day.



Her daddy was born on this land.



When the horses see us they run to the fence. They know they're going to get some carrots :)



She was so brave. Go Gma!



We had a fun time checking the progress of the dew berries. They are getting close!



They are EVERYWHERE!

That entire bush in the foreground of this pictures is covered in them!



We snagged a few early bloomers.

So good! We can't wait for tarts and jelly!



I can't get enough of this land.

It makes me so happy.



We lost track of time, and pretty soon the cart started losing battery power.

Luckily we had other forms of power :)



Then Rob discovered he could pull more power if he went in reverse.



I was laughing so hard by this time.



There she goes!



And all the way home!



I am a happy happy girl.