The Adventures of the Ruples: Weekend Fun and a really long post

This past weekend Brent and I drove up to Yellville, AR. For those of you who aren't familiar with Yellville, it is very close to the Buffalo River and south of Harrison. Brent had a youth group he was leading down the Kings River on Friday and Saturday so Jack and I stayed with our very good friends, Lee & Andrea Henson and their son, Noah. It was so much fun getting to relax a little and not have photos to touch up or a computer with work on it just staring me in the face. I took my sewing machine and got some curtains made and I drank coffee everyday at the best coffee shop in the world - Homestead Grounds. (They also have the best logo in the world) :)

Homestead Grounds is Lee & Andrea's coffee shop that they started this past October. Everything in it is HOMEMADE goodness. From "made from scratch" bakery items to crocheted hats, scarves, handmade soap, baskets, you name it - they got it! And every Saturday night - there is a band that plays in the downtown square right outside their shop. This past Saturday I was blessed to hear some lovely bluegrass music.

Here is the store front to Homestead Grounds Coffee and Handmade Goods....

some of their handmade goodies....

Their adorable son, Noah was very entertaining for Jack and me. I'm not around a bunch of 2 year olds all the time (well, he's almost two) but I'm learning they have a BUNCH of energy! He is one of my most favorite people to photograph, right behind my own son... Here are a few pics I got of him while I was there.

Here is one of Andrea holding Jack in the coffee shop.. and yes, she is pregnant with their next son (who isn't named yet) due August 4th!

This is Lee handing me my coffee - he's kind of blurry because we took this photo more for the artistic value of it....

Brent's trip went really well. He took a youth group from Fayetteville (where his brother, Nick, is youth minister) up to the Kings River for a fishing/ float trip. He had a good time being out in God's beautiful creation. Before he left we also got a bunch of planning done for our LivingStones week at Camp Caudle with Lee and Andrea. Camp is July 13-19th for all those kids out there who want to come. (Age 14 and up) This week's theme is "Surrender".

So, I don't have a photo of Brent on the float trip, but I do have this photo of him working on the studio foundation. He's so handsome...