We need rain.

That's just all there is to it. We. Need. Rain. Even the ants think so...they've resorted to eating my cantaloupe. My beautiful cantaloupe that I've been babying for months and throughout the drought.

I get that the whole country is sweltering right now, but seriously. Texas is an oven. My son begs all day to go outside but it truly isn't safe (or bearable) to do so until after 8pm. And no rain in sight. The forecast keeps climbing too. It's now in the 108-111 degrees range.

This is my backyard this morning. Cracking under the heat.

And my poor red oak that I have faithfully watered throughout the drought. No amount of watering can make up for this kind of heat.

But we have faith in our Father and believe He will provide. I keep asking him for rain, and I know I'm not the only one. This morning my son and I went out to water the trees. Their leaves are browning now, falling off, and the dirt around the roots is pulling away and cracking from dehydration and heat. The dirt around our house foundation is pulling away as well. Our driveway has started to crack. This is serious stuff, this heat. More than a few lives have been lost this summer in Texas because of it.

We need rain.

So today I've put this plastic cup on my kitchen island as a reminder. My son planted grass seeds in it at VBS last week and decorated it with stickers that say "Trust in the Lord." The grass in this cup is doing great, of course, since it's growing in an air conditioned home, and getting plenty of water. But those green blades are serving as a reminder to me. My God is bigger than this. He gives and takes away. I'll trust Him.


We need rain.

A Tree for Texans

Planting trees in Texas isn't always a sure bet. We get so much wind, heat and sometimes snow that the beautiful flowering trees you see in the North (you lucky cherry blossom owners!) just can't cut it in Texas climate.

A friend introduced us to the Texas Lilac (also known as Vitex or Chaste Tree) and we are loving it. We planted it in September and it's already doubled in size and bloomed like crazy. We love it.


And so do the bees, apparently.

Smoke-filled Skies

{A picture of the smoke-filled skies in Texas. This wasn't sunset.}

Have you heard about all the fires in Texas? You can read about some of the devastation here. Thankfully, it hasn't affected us personally, but we have friends who have teetered on the edge of evacuation and more than one family friend whose lake homes were declared a total loss.

Even though we are miles from majority of the flames, the smoke in the sky has served as a reminder to us to continue to pray for families who are living this tragedy. Pray for rain!

Texas Saturday Night

I'm guest posting over at Thrifty Decor Chick today! If you're new here, welcome!

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Every few months all of my husband's brothers and their families gather at our house for dinner. I love how all of our traditions melt into one unique meal as we gather around an often chaotic table. It's one of my favorite things.

Since it's been deer season around here, our freezer is stocked with venison. And nothing goes better with venison than stuffed bacon-wrapped jalapenos. {or so I'm told...I can't take the heat!}

4 simple steps:
1. Chop off the stems; get rid of the seeds.
2. Stuff with cream cheese.
3. Wrap with bacon.
4. Grill over medium heat, lid closed, 10 minutes or so. Watch them carefully. They can char easily!

Now, for the superstar recipe of the evening. We used venison backstrap and it just can't be beat. But stick with me, because even if you don't have any game meat on hand, this is a show-stopper for just about any type of steak.

Soak the steaks in apple cider. NOT apple cider vinegar. Apple Cider. It doesn't sound right, does it?! Let it sit covered in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

Then pour off the cider, pat the steaks dry (extra step, but important), and soak the steaks in barbecue sauce for 2-3 more hours.

Heat your grill and wrap the steaks in thick-cut bacon (we discovered that it did make a difference in the flavor if we went cheap and used thin bacon).
Grill the steaks on medium heat with the lid closed for 15 minutes, turning steaks occasionally.

Absolute perfection. If you love filet mignon, you'll love this venison recipe. And I don't have a final picture because I couldn't convince myself to stop eating long enough to photograph.

But to make it up to you, and to probably reinforce the redneck stereotype that so many people have about Texas, here's a picture of one of my brother-in-laws and our entertainment for the evening.

We're not rednecks, but we do say y'all a whole lot. Just sayin'.

Have any wild game recipes you want to share?

Texas, Our Texas

It seems that all we've been doing lately is traveling. It has been a beautiful gift for us since all of the traveling we typically do is for work or holiday trips to see family. We've been cross-country traveling, thanks to the generosity of some close friends and their extra time share points, and have had the privilege to see parts of the country we had never seen before. It has been absolutely breathtaking. But every plane ride home, when we glide over those wide open spaces that are Texas, I can't help but feel at home.
This is a "pump jack" for you non-Texans. Oil and cotton...if there were a cow in this picture, it would be a portrait of what pays for 99% of our state economy. You know in movies when they talk about riding off into the sunset? They're talking about Texas...

The greatest part about this picture to me is that when I look at it, even though it is stunning, I realize it is one of the least vivid sunsets we have around here. God really shows off around here come dusk.

I remember as a little girl, riding my horse to the local country store to get candy, or to visit a neighbor. I remember playing hide and seek with the new foals in the barn, and having a goat actually eat my homework. It wasn't always like that, and many of my friends never owned livestock. But for me, the childhood memories this state has allowed me are ones I revisit when the rush hour traffic, parking lots and busy schedules begin to suffocate me.

It's not the only great state. It's not a perfect state. But it's my state. And I'm thankful to call it home.