Cute Campers!

We have been so blessed this week to be able to take some time off of work and to spend some time in the mountains.

Monday was our first official day of holidays and it was full of tasks to be completed before we could leave... but, we had everything done that was on the list in the time that we had, and by 1:00 we were on the road. Our destination was the Beaver Mines campground. We had extreme wind gusts sporadically through the night, but we weathered it well. 

Tuesday, Alisha and the kids joined us, and we engaged in all sorts of activities with them.

There were bike rides around the camping loop...

Hiking the mountain trails...

Flying Kites...

We did crafts and played games. The kids were delighted to discover 'a mountain!' and they especially loved the water, wading with their mom. We had rain Tuesday night, so the games inside the tent at bedtime were fully engaged in. The kids loved the tent and especially found the flashlights entertaining on the tent walls. They only had two days with us before they had to go home.

That evening we went for a walk through the campsites. I took scads of photos, and had some that I really loved... but for some reason the camera deleted a pile of them. However, I did still get some good ones of beautiful scenery.

The sunset was so lovely!

Before leaving the area we visited Castle Mountain Falls. The area was lovely and so nice to visit before we headed for home.

We are so grateful for the beautiful areas we've been able to not only visit, but also share with our family. It was delightful having Alisha and the kids join us, I only wish more of our family could have been with us. It is such a joy to have beautiful area's so close to where we live that we can spend time in 

Though we absolutely loved our time away, we are also happy to be home again. Our watering system worked beautifully and our yard is happy. We've picked a pile of peas already and in looking around I think that the squash grew 1.5 feet or so in our absence!!!  It is such a joy to be able to come home to a flourishing garden and yard. I am so blessed to not only find beauty in the mountains, but I also find much beauty right here, at my home.

We are Loved... Warts and All!

We live in a society that tends to expect perfection – the perfect look, the perfect relationship, the perfect words. Our actions are expected to be void of mistakes, errors, misjudgements and so forth. Sadly, if you do something someone doesn't like they may 'cancel' you which means you will likely be ostracized, boycotted, or shunned by them. The pressure for our lives at least appear perfect is tangible which can lead one to view others with less than charitable eyes. Perfectionism and comparison go hand in hand and can become deep rooted habits, like warts, that are hard to overcome. Comparison often spurs one to judge others OR causes anxiety and self criticism. This is toxic to cherished connections and steals joy.

In relationships our response to other people’s lack of perfection matters a LOT! President Nelson recently reminded us to watch how we speak about others, and to make sure that those things we say are virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy whether we are speaking to his face or behind her back. (April 2023) Speaking and thinking that way emulates the Savior’s grace, which says: “I know you messed up here, and that stinks, but your actions won’t push me away. Instead, they motivate me to draw closer because I know you can do better. I believe you will do better, and I’ll be walking beside you each step of the way.” I can’t help but imagine what it would be like to live in a culture where grace is generously given, where we mirror God’s heart to others in our homes, churches and communities.

I think we have days where, just like the combine, we are doing pretty good. On the other hand, there are days where it seems there are multitudes of mouths (responsibilities) to feed and we are armed with only two small fishes and a hand full of loaves. We may even be feeding the monster of expecting perfection from ourselves or others. No matter what the case, no matter how great the lack, we need the Savior to perfect our efforts and magnify them, and as with the loaves and fishes, we see that He doesn’t just fill the need to precision, but rather He expands our efforts to overflowing as he perfects our offering. 

It was No Accident!

They say that success is not an accident... and that has been true at our house this week. We set out to do some big projects. My husband had a job to finish up in town that has been ongoing for a long time. By the beginning of the week, everything was in place to get it done, and so that was what he did. It was a good plan. It is amazing what a little window trim will do. It literally frames everything that you look at outside your house! It's like a living picture that lets in the light! 

As for me, I had so many things, but the plan I worked was one of incremental pieces. I did little bits on big projects. I sewed, watered, read, weeded, sprayed, cooked, and all the usual things. The big plan was to give one day with my husband to the completion of a project we have been working on for what feels like a long time [right Breanna?!]. 

On the appointed day, with the trim out of the way, we went to work together on the doggy bunk bed. it was near completion already but still needed most of the finishing work done. It took the morning but once we had everything ready to go, we were delighted to discover a little time for our yardwork. I had some bark to spread around my garden, and weeds to spray once again. My husband mowed the lawn and alley. It didn't take long and we were eagerly on the road, excited to get to Breanna's.

This project was the dreamchild of Breanna and is an ingenious space saver. Her dog, Oki, will sleep up top, and the service dog in training sleeps in the kennel below. Both dogs have lots of room. Oki learned to use the stairs quickly. Each step is a drawer unit, so she also has more space for all those doggie things that accumulate when you love animals. 💓

After putting the legs and drawer pulls on, we finally took her out for her birthday dinner and then for a walk down at the park. Oki went for a good run which gave him an even greater appreciation for his new furniture when they got home.

I have to say that it FEELS AMAZING to have so many big things come to completion within days of each other. Truly it was no accident. We had to plan all those things into our schedules which were already full. But the satisfaction of a job well done feels so joyful. It is worth the effort and sacrifice needed to accomplish anything worth doing - and when it comes to the people I love, it is ALWAYS worth doing. [I am also so very grateful for their patience. 🤟]

My Garden of Weed'in

Look at my garden grow!!! I love to go outside and walk through our new veggie garden area. It was a LOT of work to put in and finish in time to plant before it got too late, but I have never had a vegetable garden that has grown so well as this in this yard!!! I absolutely love it!

Nearly daily, I walk through the garden looking for areas that need attention. I hand water the greenhouse and other areas that look dry. Weekly I give it a good soak with the sprinkler, and more recently I've had to dust the plants to discourage grasshoppers [I use diatomaceous earth with a little flour mixed in - neither substance harmful] and bugs from eating them. It seems to be helping. I pull weeds as I see them so they don't grow big. Our raspberries are just starting to come on, and lots of things are blooming. We are also enjoying lettuce, and baby carrots as we anticipate an even greater harvest.

For me, there is something about being in the garden. Perhaps it is because I spent so many, many hours outside as a kid working in the sugar beet field. I find so much satisfaction in growing things. I think I gained a lot of confidence working in the sugar beets. I learned to name all the weeds, so much so that I can still identify most weeds with only two leaves growing... my dad gave me that gift. 

I think another reason I love being in my garden, is because of the way I view my Father in Heaven as the Gardener of my Soul. He sends me spiritual nourishment every day, He waters my soul with His word, and with His love and mercy. He invites me to pull the weeds of sin through repentance and forgiveness, and He helps me discourage distracting pests from my heart that would ravage my time for good things if given the chance. I know that just as I walk through my garden daily, looking for areas that need attention, the Lord spends time with me daily after the manner of a practiced Gardener. He has tutored me often and helped my soul to flourish. Though the harvest is not yet complete, it brings me joy to know that my soul is being cultivated and cared for by my all-knowing and loving  Heavenly Father.

Designed to Smile

 I am blessed with the opportunity to regularly spend time with my grandchildren, and when I do, I always bring my giggle kit with me filled with different activities for them to engage in. This last time I made sure to include the newly purchased play-doh which had been a hit at our family gathering.

I pulled out the Play-Doh and the kids played with it for a bit, but within a half hour, it was all put away and they were ready to move on to the next thing. We opened up the Giggle Kit, and Odin requested the toys.  UH-OH! I had not put that box back in, so I was there without the little cars he loves to play with. Thinking quickly, I suggested we make cars out of play-doh for him to play with instead. He was excited about that idea... so I built the first car. He wanted another.... and another... and another.... When he handed me a blob of red dough, I suggested we make a ladybug with it, then I added wheels and suddenly we were creating cars that have never been invented. Of the 20 or so cars we built, we had a ladybug car, a frog car, a hot dog car, a hamburger car, a lizard car, a snake car, a marshmallow car, a police car, and so many more.

Before long I introduced to him how to blend colors to make more colors. We made orange which built a carrot car, and then we made brown with built a chocolate chip car. He loved blending colors and didn't want to stop for lunch!

I have never seen an activity consume a 4 year old for so long. He didn't want to quit, and when we finally called it done, he cried and cried and cried. Thankfully we were able to distract him, and he settled down - poor little fellow. His little sister was in on it too, but she did a lot of playing in the back yard, hugging the dog, singing songs with actions, and so forth as well. 

It was a good day made even better by adding my grown children into the mix. I got to visit with my Charity for several hours (she helped me calm and distract Odin when we came inside). Did you know she made the papers this week? 

She said she was soaked to the bone and when they took the picture she was thinking something funny, so she looks like she's loving being so wet! But that's my girl, she makes life an adventure, even when it pours other stuff on and around her.

I also got to visit my Melodee and her family. She showed me her garden and told me all about her current courses. Malika had just woke up, and was a little groggy, and it took a bit for her to have those alert, smiling responses that I so enjoy.

I love that even when things don't go as planned or expected, there are things we can do to find joy - kind of like Charity smiling in the rain. I mean, even though her shoes were full of water, she was still smiling!!! Odin would have preferred real cars - at least that's what was expected, but I believe that the play doh cars actually occupied him longer and engaged him more deeply. He LOVED creating them!  Even little Malika was able to find some smiles in her lingering sleepiness, and when her daddy got home, she broke into almost giggles. I believe that life is as good as we make it, and when we do the best we can with what we have, we can also discover that joy accompanies that choice. I am so thankful for the joyful interactions I have with my children.