We are still here at our little home-away-from-home in our beloved Texas. We have been here for nearly a month and already feeling like the time has gone by too quickly. The kids have absolutely loved this new adventure and are really embracing this place as their own. That has been so good for my mama heart.

We had a pretty big week this week as we decided to take the plunge and drive 7 hours south to Marble Falls to see the “Prince of Peace” painting by Akiane Kramarik (who painted it when she was 8 years old) on display for the very first time in twenty years, since it had been stolen and wrongfully sold and was out of her hands for 20 years. We found a super cute airbnb on the beach and the kids had such a great time swimming and watching birds fight over a fish lunch, collect shells, rescue waterlogged caterpillar friends, and play on the beach, with the sand between their toes. The beach house was absolutely lovely and the kids were ready to move in for good. The ditches along the driveway were filled with a glorious abundance of cacti and wildflowers and I couldn’t take enough photographs. After our afternoon swim and supper on the deck we drove to the nearby town of Llano for ice cream in a cute little diner-style gift shop. The girl serving us was so sweet and was amazed we had driven all the way from Canada. And the town of Llano was right out of a storybook. I would have loved to spend a bit more time walking the quaint streets, exploring antique shops, and photographing the lovely storefronts.

We drove to Marble Falls in the morning and were amazed to see the huge slabs of rock in the ground, and the places where they store and sell the marble. It didn’t take long to discover where the town got its name. We arrived at the Beloved Gallery in the morning sunshine and were delighted to see a water feature out front featuring some beautiful blue marble, with golden details. The marble has some pale white veining which makes it look like a gentle waterfall. I don’t know why the marble stood out to me so much, but I just could not get over how beautiful it is, and would really like to include it in the house we are planning to build.

It was a bit dicey taking our 5 kids to a gallery to see this wondrous exhibit when the main requirement was quiet. That is not our family’s particular forte. We were in a group with mainly older folk who did not seem particularly fond of our toddler’s delighted shrieking. I tried to keep her away from the main group and the woman very softly explaining the way the gallery was set up, but soon realized that I would need to just take her to the van. My husband very generously stepped in at the last moment and took her. I felt so guilty because I knew how much this trip meant to him. My four boys and I were ushered into a little room to watch a film presentation about the artist and the exhibit. But little did I know that the gallery woman would go out to our van and summon my husband for his (and our daughter’s) very own private tour of the paintings while we watched the film. When I found this out after, I was so relieved and thankful at the goodness of God, and His abundant provision in every detail. We were all so moved to see this beloved painting of Jesus in person. If you are ever in the area and get the chance, I highly recommend making the trip.

The locals recommended the Blue Bonnet Cafe across the street for lunch after and so we took them up on it, and purchased a coveted Blue Bonnet pie for the road. After we were well stuffed, and then stuffed some more with pie, we went on a back country road that could only be described as roller-coaster-esque to the point where most of us felt ready to lose our lunch. It was certainly an adventure though.

We were headed to Burleson, Tx after this because we wanted to go to the church of a pastor we had been watching on youtube. On the way, we passed through Waco and realized it was the home of the Magnolia empire, and of course had to stop in there too. It was another adventure bringing the kids in to see the beautifully curated (and breakable) collections of Joanna Gaines in her home store and market, so we made a quick trip of it. But just being there, and seeing the beautiful magnolia trees, and the old silos, and all of the landscaping and buildings and flowers was such a treat.

All that to say, it hasn’t been much of an arty week in terms of art making, but it was such a beautifully full week. And God’s hand was on it. He made a way in all of it, and it was so special and I know we will treasure it for years to come. Tonight we are headed to a local art walk and I’m so looking forward to that too. I’d love to know in the comments what has been inspiring you lately!

And, as always, thank you for stopping by!