Taking Time

I've started a new Devotional. It's by Ann Voskamp who is the author of One Thousand Gifts. If any of you are familiar with this book, you know it's all about being thankful. It's so easy to get mired down in what we don't have or what's missing in our lives. Money, Family, Weather, Weight, etc.

Yesterday was so beautiful here. Cold, but sunny and a sunset that was out of this world. I stood in amazement at my Creator, how he could create such vivid colors and light. While I tried to capture it on film, I knew there was no possible way. Often I find that God's beauty overwhelms me. To think He made that sunset for my pleasure!

This morning I woke up to heavy, freezing fog. It's been cold here, but sunny, so this morning was a bit shocking. Yet, there was beauty in the morning as well. Things I would have normally not seen were highlighted with frost. There truly is beauty all around, but sometimes you have to look at things in a different light. While there were brilliant colors and light in the sunset, the beauty of the morning stood out due to the dullness, and lack of light.

A thought from Ann this morning~

So what if we really paid attention

and nickel-and-dimed life away

on afternoon tag by the cedars.

A string of bare toes with a stack of old books.

This one, lone bowl filling with morning light. 

Day after, day, shelling out slow mindfulness

on whatnot's of amazing grace, 

collecting pieces of God-glory.

This buying a bit of medicine

that cures ADD of the soul.

I love the part about  'shelling out slow mindfulness of whatnot's of amazing grace' !

I'm taking time today to slow down and savor the moments, being appreciative, and  seeing the beauty and the joy in the "everyday-ness" of life.

I am so blessed~

Wedding Project # 1

It's begun. The wedding is 11 1/2 months away and we're already feeling the pressure! So last weekend we (I provided drinks!) got one thing out of the way.  


The Dock.

Three years ago, when we cleared out the blackberries, we had a friend come in with a REALLY BIG tractor and dig out the roots, level, grade etc.. And while he was here, Brian and he had the brilliant idea to run out and get some posts so that Grant could pound them in with the bucket of the REALLY BIG tractor. So they did. And that was it. It's been like that all this time.

But last weekend Brian decided it was time to "get er done". Papa Ron came over to help. Tyler even got in quite a few hours, but I don't have a picture of him...surprise...

The little paddle boat came in quite handy for working on the end of the dock. The pond is down about 4 feet right now, but it's still quite a drop off. Only a few feet out and it's over our heads.
Brian, Papa and Tyler got the framing part done. If you look in the background there are piles of blackberry vines. That was my other contribution!

The next day Brady (SIL) came out to help, along with papa again, and the got all the decking cut and installed. Only a few things were dropped, and they were found pretty quickly!

We ended up being one board shy, so I guess technically, it's not really finished!

The guys getting approval from the future bride and the grandma! It turned out great, especially for  randomly pounding posts into the water!

No pictures, but Brian did the first cannon ball off of it yesterday! Works great!!!!

Hoping to add some lighting and hang some lanterns for the wedding.


One project down....1078 more to go!

The Most Fabulous Weekend!

We had such a great weekend! It's finally summer here and the past week has been gorgeous! Not too hot, but sunny with a lovely breeze and bright blue skies~Bliss!

Brian worked on the 4th so he came home Thursday afternoon and took Friday as his holiday. It was  a gorgeous night so we went to Bellingham to have dinner at the Hearth Fire, on the water. What a view! Bellingham Bay, the San Juans and so many sailboats!

And what can be better than dessert in a jar?

Friday we did some garage saling, yard work...mowing, weeding, weed whacking, laundry on the line and a little prep work for a BB-Q with friends. Roger, Lynda and family and Doug, Terry and family came over for burgers, s'mores and a swim. It was a great night! The adults enjoyed time around the fire while the kids swam in the pond for hours! And I must say that it wasn't the warmest of nights! Ah, to be young and carefree!!!

The pond is so clean and weed free this year, thanks to our 3 grass carp....they've really stepped up this year! Wish the pond had been this nice when our kids wanted to swim in it!!!

It was so joyous to hear the laughter and splashing that was going on~smiles on our faces!!

The master griller and his buddies!!!

Saturday we went to the Farmer's Market in Bellingham. We usually go once every year or two. Not really our thing, but nice to be in the crowd!!!

This lady had  a great display of wonderful teas, and was quite the saleslady!! Love the vintage suitcases.

I had fun watching this guy. He was pretty amazing with his tossing! He did, however, take a nibble once in awhile and didn't wear gloves! Didn't seem to bother anyone else, as he had quite the line-up for his amazing looking pizza's!

I have coveted this little truck for years! This guy operates a shave ice stand out of the truck and is at a lot of festivals around the area. This truck is pristine!!

Inside and out!

Look at those windows!!! Boy, howdy, would I like one of these!! You can't be anything but happy when you're out and about in this baby!!

We did some more garage saling in Bellingham and went to the re-store before heading home. We had another BB-Q with some of Brian's family that afternoon. Ashleigh and Brady came too and stayed a little later. We had some wonderful salmon, played corn holes and ended with fresh strawberries and ice cream!

This is so long already, I'll save the rest for later!

Hope you had a great weekend too!!!

Still Here!!

Some of you are wondering where I've been...I have many excuses, but no valid reasons!

I tend to spend so much time reading other's blogs that I never seem to have time to post one! All of your lives and stories are way more interesting to me than rehashing mine!

I also tend to post when no one else is in the house (guys are out golfing) and of course I'm having a problem with photos again. Turns out I deleted a whole card last week as I was trying to post. Now that may not seem like a big deal to some of you, but I rarely have my card made into pictures, cuz I have so many that my bill would be about $200.00!!! And... I don't know how to store them on my computer. Pathetic, I know. So, I lost pictures from as long as a year ago. My daughter's 20th birthday, my son's 15th birthday, the entire basketball season, Father's day...you get the picture. The only good thing is that as I'm aging, I can't really remember everything that was on the disc!
Now my computer won't read my card with the new pictures that I took so I'm back at square one! Hopefully my husband can sort out my mess, and wouldn't it be great if he found the photo's hiding somewhere on the computer? !!!! Pray people!!!!

I've been very, very busy with my garden! The strawberries have ended and the raspberries are going strong with the blueberries not far behind. I'm picking 3 huge bowls of raspberries every other day and giving lots away! Lots of lettuce,cabbage and peas on right now too! I love it though! I feel very pioneery as I put away my "crops" for the winter , and fill my jars and freezers! I put up 30 pounds of cherries and 24 pounds of apricots this week - froze some, dried some, made lots of jam, and the most beautiful apricot pie! And yes, I will be eating it by myself as no one else likes apricots or pie. Ashleigh loves pie, but not apricot! So Sad!!! These people don't know what they are missing!!!

Ashleigh is house sitting for friends this week. They have a pool. It was very, very hot yesterday. Brian and I took full advantage and spent 3 hours swimming, laying in the sun, reading and napping! It was heavenly!! All by ourselves, no yard work, no cooking, no phone or TV. Very relaxing!!! Ash is also working hard this summer. 40 -50 hours a week at one job and another 10 at her other job! Two 14 hour days during the week , but she is loving having her weekends off!! And actually having some money to spend!!

Tyler is working hard too. Been in the raspberry fields since June 5th, five days a week. Now that they've started picking, he's doing 12 and 13 hour days, six days a week. He's driving a picker and I hope to get some pictures this week! What a great opportunity the kids have here, to be able to work at 14, make some great money in a short amount of time and still have a whole month of summer before school starts. I'm so thankful that everyone is employed!!

I have been working lots this month also, both at the kitchen shop and at drench-mate. I'm in the garden every day harvesting, weeding, etc. Brian and I got all the mowing, edging and weed-eating done yesterday and all is well! Church this morning where were doing ten weeks of the ten commandments, Larabee State park after church and now home to wait for the rain. I've got a good book to read , a quilt in the works and life is good!