FALL, GLORIOUS FALL

It was Saturday, conference weekend. And it was a glorious Fall day

We decided (well, I decided) to go hiking at the Ney Nature Center.

And I dragged everyone else with me.

It was 38 degrees when we left home so we bundled up a bit.

We got brave and decided to bring Lucy. Not necessarily the best call.

There were too many other dogs there for comfort.

On more than one occasion we had to wrestle her to the ground

 so as to avoid an unpleasant altercation. Yikes!

Mia said the above picture looks like Sam's a crazy, Dad's a sicko,

 I'm sleepy and Lucy is saying,"Can we go now?"

She kept going into the weeds and rubbing her face on the ground trying to

get rid of her gentle leader. She finds it really annoying.

Gorgeous Birch clump!

It was so beautful there. The trees! The sky! The leaves!

Just all of the colors were so brilliant.

Sorry about Lucy's butt. She wasn't being really

 cooperative with the picture taking...

Look at this fantastic tree! It is part of the original "Big Woods" of Minnesota.

Love it so much! I might need to get a couple of these blown up and framed.

This looks like what I picture The Sacred Grove to look like.

I really enjoy how Sam is kind of hidden in this one.

Sammy had to try out the natural bridge.

Dad hiding behind the tree, Haha.

Look at the wave pattern in the sand. It looked really cool.

Plus, it's a tiny creek. Why are there wave marks?

I almost stepped on this creepy frog. Yuck!

I screamed like a little girl and jumped to avoid him.

And he jumped to avoid me.

Which is what startled me in the first place.

Pardon the weed in our face. We were using the timer

 and didn't see it at first.

This one is better.

We picked the weed.

I know... Nature shot after nature shot.

I hope you're not too bored.

I couldn't seem to help myself...

We picked up a pile of pretty leaves too.

We're hoping to wax them.

Even the algae is pretty. Go figure.

I hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing, fun, uplifting weekend.

We are so fortunate to live in a time when we can hear a prophet and

 apostles speak directly to us.

I hope you are as motivated as me to be grateful, to be better,

to do better, to let the world matter less.

I think you are all the best in the world.

And I love you to the moon and back.

Love, Mom

River Park After The Stockade

Here we are in all our glory, er, stockade costumes.

 I actually really love this from-the-back picture.

And also, there are a plethora of pictures.

Be warned.

The water is crazy high this year! Remember wading in

soft sand last year? Even Grandma went in.

Our awesomely attractive children!

And me too.

And we needed Dad in the picture.

Classic Dad.

This one makes me happy.

Look at the nice smile on Dad!

One of the swings was tangled.

Faster than I could get a picture Kerry scrambled up to fix it.

And a good time was had by all.

It's the only way to get in the pictures sometimes!

The stockade was so good this year! (Although, when is it not?)

We were approached by so many people to book engagements!

One lady works for a museum that is hosting a Smithsonian Exhibit.

And they want US to sing!!!

General silliness as usual with our family.

I'm not sure what this smirk is for.

Just happy and feeling good, I guess.

Nothing in this world makes me feel happier than time as a family.

It feels like what I imagine heaven to be.

Sammy's new hat. We teased him that it was a big-boy hat.

Haha.

Dad and I just chillin'

Mandy practicing her scary face.

Ya know, there really IS beauty all around when there's love at home.

Love, Mom

p.s. Emma, Evan and Gabe- we missed you!

Summer Supper

Beg pardon for cutting off Dad's head. I just wanted you to see what

 was left of our awesome supper.

I have been reading about making pizza on the grill and tonight was the night

 to try it. We used tomatoes and peppers from the garden. So good! I wish that I had

 documented the whole process, but we were all too excited to get to the

 eating part.  So here's what we did: I made the regular pizza crusr recipe. Then, after it

 raised, I patted it out into thin discs on waxed paper.

While I did that Mandy chopped veggies. Then I preheated the grill and

brushed it with olive oil. I put two crusts on at a time.

 I just left them until they were yummy and brown on one side.

 I took them off the grill and put sauce and the other toppings on the cooked side.

 Back to the grill they went.

We also made a dessert pizza with Nutella and sliced bananas.

 Holy Hannah was that delicious!

Sam and Mandy took the opportunity for a little water balloon/cucumber ball.

This is Sam's sad face because he just ran out of water balloons.

Mia is away at AllState Choir Camp this week.



The impatiens are the only plant truly happy this summer.

It has been such a weird weather year.

It was really tragic today: I had to throw away two ice cream buckets full of

green beans. They were weird and rubbery and had no meat inside. I was

 really bummed. That's a lot of green beans to waste. And before you ask, no,

 they were not too big. They were all like that, big and small.

At least my Zinnias are blooming. I have been having cut flowers inside,

and lots of butterflies out. Wonderful. I love to bring Summer inside.

Love Bachelor Buttons. That blue!

I just want to absorb as much summer as possible before fall comes.

I'm still not completely over last winter. I feel certain I'm not the only one...

Look at my cabbages coming. They are sure trying valiantly.

Also, I have more in another spot. But this one looked the least slug-eaten.

Promise me that you will ignore those pesky weeds, okay?

And cucumber bounty.

We are having refrigerator pickles and all the cukes we can eat on

sandwiches and with dip. Again, I say yum!

Anyway, happy summer y'all. Get out and enjoy it. It just feels good!

Miss you, love you, wish you were here...

Mom