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Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Saturday at Lake Miracle--the day in pictures

Hello!!  On Saturday we went to the lake with the Shaw's.  It was awesome!!  Holly and I took lots of pictures, and I made an album of them, instead of waiting FOREVER for them to load here.  See them here.

Have a lovely day!

Monday, May 27, 2013

{Insert creative title here}

If there is anybody out there who enjoys reading this little ol' blog, thank you!  You lurkers (you know who you are) mean a lot to me. If you ever feel like it, there's a "comment" box down there at the bottom of each post for you to write your little notes of whatever.  Just if you feel like it.  (It just might make my day.)

Sorry for the excessive posting lately.  Here are more 313 pictures.  Don't forget to click "like".  Oh yeah, I don't have a "like" button. :(

Day 17:  Homemade French chocolate silk perfection.......

I made this rich, chocolaty goodness a few days ago, and decided to take a picture of it at 2:00 in the afternoon.  Of course, I had to do something with it when I finished shooting it...so I ate it.  It was fabulous, if I do say so myself. ;)

Day 18:  Whirling

As I was laying on the floor, clueless at what to shoot, I randomly pointed my camera to the ceiling and snapped.  And got this.  I'm even more effortlessly talented than I thought (just kidding).


Day 19:  New life of spiders....yay.....just what I wanted!!!

Delaney and Libbey pointed this out to me today.  Isn't that so incredible?  I mean, that little tiny spider with its long legs can make that intricate egg sack filled with little teeny-tiny spiderlets and it's all a product of random chance accidents!!!!  Just kidding.  It's an act of God.  Not kidding there.

Day 20:  Products of our creativity ;)

Libbey and Mom cut up most of our unused fabric to make napkins.  I thought it was a very DIY idea!  I should pin this!  Feel free to use this as your desktop wallpaper.


Day 21:  Blast from the past

Not exceptionally creative (what was up with me?) but nonetheless a picture of a nice old car.

Day 22:  Day at Lake Miracle

Our family took a day trip to Lake Miracle with our boat.  It was a beautiful day, and we were shocked to find that it was almost empty--except for a few boats and sunbathers. :P  Dad called the Shaw's and they all showed up in a couple hours (way to go on spontaneity, Shaw fam!).  We all enjoyed a great afternoon and evening together and had a blast on both beach and boat.  I believe I'll do a picture post for that soon.  

Anywho, thanks for watching!

Friday, May 24, 2013

Pray for Anna

Anna Houston, a mutual friend of mine who is 17 years old, has been battling leukemia for almost a year now.  Recently she has started chemotherapy, to be continued for quite a while.  Please pray for her, her parents and her 11 siblings as they walk through this together.  The Houston's are a believing family and they are trusting the Lord through it all.  Her mom blogs at Emily's Posts, where she keeps updates on the treatment.


God bless your day.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Laughing is my favorite sport

Hi again!  I'm posting way more than I usually do, with the 313 Project and all sorts of other happenings.  Here are some pictures that made me laugh SO hard.....if you are like me you will understand....enjoy!

Dad needs this--big time!

This is me.

My thoughts exactly!

Sigh.  This is pretty frequent....

Love this!!

Wholeheartedly agreed!  

:)

Love being home schooled!!!

Lately.

During work hours, and slow computers...

Oh my goodness, I think I downloaded 640 KB today!

I fit the bill perfectly.  Take me or leave me!

*Sigh* does anybody understand?!

Only, in my case, a book

Me not being a morning person and all....

Mean, but funny and occasionally true

Like when I get lost in Costco...

Have a great day full of laughter!

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Days 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 & 16 (whew!)

Hola!  This week has been SO busy, but I haven't neglected my camera!  I worked a lot on Monday and Tuesday (typical), went to Fresno on Wednesday (hot) and dinner at a friend's house on Wednesday night (fun), got my driver's license on Thursday (so exciting!!!), went to YHS to hear dad speak for Mr. Shaw's class on Friday (very interesting), and today we're fixing up our trailer to sell (anyone interested?).  That's been my busy week.  Tomorrow we're hosting church, so we've got to prepare for that too!  I do like being busy though, because it's hard to be bored. :)  Anywho, here are the pictures from the week:

Day 11:

We slept out on the deck for the first time this year, and I took this picture on a 3-minute exposure.  It's the first time I've done long exposures like this, and my remote helped immensely!

Day 12:

Second night sleeping outside.  This is a ten-minute exposure.  The Big Dipper is visible on the top left.


Day 13:

When we arrived home from spending the evening with the Shaw's...this is pretty typical for us! :)


Day 14:

I absolutely LOVE the sunsets we get!!


Day 15:

Mom's first violet, after waiting for SO long!


Day 16:

~An inscription inside my oldest book~ 


Adios mi amigos!!

Monday, May 13, 2013

Last weeks' pictures.

Here are the 6 pictures I took last week.  I'm really enjoying the 313 Project!  Anybody else want to start?  Now's as good a time as any!

Day 5: Hero of the hour

Luke with the first squirrel he shot on Monday.  There were cheers all around!

Day 6:  Orange burst

Such vibrant beauty, even in the drear of the day!

Day 7:  Experimental popcorn

There's a pretty glass jar of popcorn on the counter, so I just scooped up some and took this.  I really liked the "pattern" the kernels made as they spilled onto the counter.


Day 8:  Stray feather beside Mother's jewelry box

"To create something exceptional, your mindset must be relentlessly focused on the smallest detail."


Day 9:  A stack of years past

Old books are the most patient friends one could have....


Day 10:  Benjamin and Daniel

On Saturday's picnic at the Smiths, the little guys had their own little swimming pool!  Who's having more fun though?

Saturday, May 11, 2013

~Maddie Grace~

Happy 18th Birthday to my friend Maddie Grace Gindorf!!!!


Meet Maddie!  For the past several years, we've become best friends and are closely bonded in the saving grace of Christ.  We are alike in many, many ways--I couldn't even count or list all the connections we have. Except that Maddie is a little more random than me, and a much more interesting writer!  She blogs here, at Madeleine's Musings.  

One of my very clear memories together was a trip to Badger Pass: it was 8:30 in the morning and our first run of the day.  And I ran into a tree and spent most of the rest of the day sitting at the bottom of the mountain in a sling.  But I rode home with her and her dad and siblings that evening--we played Jello and listened to Mariachi music on the radio and sang "The truth and the life, and the wwaayy..."  I still laugh when I hear that song.  When they moved from Oakhurst to Flagstaff a few years ago, we didn't make it to the moving day and I was super upset.  But we started writing letters, and it was only the beginning of our deepening kinship.   

When I got Maddie's first letter, I was surprised and delighted to find that it was 10 handwritten pages long! I sent a reply about as long, and our letters have only gotten longer.  We write about every little thing and pour out our hearts on that notebook paper.  I've been in the middle of sentences when the ink just fades to nothing, and I have to start on a new pen (with a new color) and keep going.  I gave up using pencils because they dull too fast for me (I like super sharp ones).  

We make the most of visits as well.  When our family passed through Flagstaff in 2011, we stayed the night at their house.  In that 24-hour period, Maddie and I danced to music in her bedroom, walked to Von's at least twice for Starbucks in the snow, took numerous pictures, stayed up until 2:30 a.m. talking, and more.  Once, when we met in Oakhurst, we had Jamba Juice, then walked over to Giftworks, then walked to Rite-Aid and got ice cream.  We ate our ice cream in Rite-Aid, in the lawn chairs that were for sale, reading a magazine from the rack about the royal wedding.  Then we walked to the park where our families were and lay in the grass taking pictures.  Then our mothers suggested that everyone walk to Rite-Aid for ice cream.  We had chips instead.  Needless to say, Maddie and I share a mutual love of food--but we do enough walking to stay safe afterwards!

Maddie loves Jesus with all her heart, is very serious about her relationship with Him, and doesn't take the Christian life for granted.  She is passionately loyal to her family and a supportive, loving friend that will come to all my pity parties and then encourage me and speak the truth in love.  She makes me laugh when I want to cry, makes me smile when I'm mad, and always has a kind word for everyone.  She is the older sister I never had.  

I love you, Madeleine, and hope your birthday is full of love and wrapping paper...and yummy food and sounds of laughter...and all of your favorite things!!  May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may His face shine upon you, and give you peace! <3

Friday, May 10, 2013

By Faith....a hymn of praise

This is my favorite song by the Getty's.  I hope it blesses and encourages you as it has done for me. <3


The Petersens visit

Our family was very blessed to show hospitality to the Petersen family as they came through town!  They stayed Sunday and Monday night, and it was wonderful!  We stayed up late each night discussing some great topics, and the days were filled with conversation, games, dolls (thanks to Libbey and Abigayle!), shooting and music.  

This lovely picture illustrates the outcome of a young girl popping out her spacer, but getting it put back in by a former RDA.  Thanks, Mrs. Petersen!

Megan, Brad, Kevin and Luke did a lot of shooting with their 22's and killed a ton of nasty woodpeckers and squirrels.  Since the rodents tear up our yard to badly, we offered them a job on the spot to shoot them for us.  But they have their own business to attend to. ;)

Afternoon tea (photo taken by Luke)

The little ladies enjoy a tea party of their own

Abi

"So yeah, then I shot nine woodpeckers out of the same tree..."  

On Monday evening, dark clouds rolled in and thunder rolled off the mountains.  The glow of the sunset was magnificent against the black clouds in the northeast, and lightning flashed in huge bolts across the sky.  Pretty soon it was pouring rain.  Most of us sat outside on the deck patio and ate dinner while we watched the storm rage.  It was breathtaking!  I was too busy living the moment to grab my camera, but Megan got a few nice photos.  After dinner we turned off the lights to watch the storm some more, than played music for a while.  One by one, we dropped off to bed, only a few staying up until 1:30 a.m. to enjoy deep discussion.  

Grace and I <3 (picture by Libbey)

Tuesday was a little misty, but we did more shooting and games and such.  After lunch, the Petersen's packed up and headed out.  But we'll see them soon, Lord willing, when one of our families goes on a trip, or our trips cross paths...

After lunch table talk shortly before departing

God bless!

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Day 4

Day 4: We're getting a little nutty...


Lately, we've been roasting our own walnuts and almonds in our dehydrator.  The results have been delicious, and even I eat them (I'm not typically a nut fan, except when it comes to peanuts).  Not only that, but their nutritional value is much higher!

Raw nuts contain enzyme inhibitors, and our body produces enzymes to help us break down food.  These inhibitors are molecules that bind to the enzymes, making them useless.  Thus, raw nuts can clog the balance of the digestive system, giving us a stomach ache.  Yuck.  No wonder I didn't like them.  So, dehydrating the nuts instead preserves the nutrients needed for our bodies to properly digest them, and plus they take out the bitter taste found in many raw nuts.

~Roasted nuts~

Ingredients
Nuts, any kind, as much or as little as you like
Sea salt, about 1 T. per 4 cups of nuts
Water, to liberally cover nuts

Directions
Before bed--In a large bowl, combine nuts, sea salt and water and stir.  Cover and set in a warm place overnight.


The next morning--(oven directions) Preheat oven to 150 degrees.  Uncover the nuts, rinse in a colander and spread onto a regular cookie sheet in a single layer.  Place in the oven for 12-24 hours, stirring occasionally.  Remove from oven and cool completely before storage.

The next morning--(dehydrator directions) Uncover the nuts, rinse in a colander and spread in a single layer onto a dehydrator tray lined with the mesh insert.  Place into the dehydrator.  Set the temp. to 150 degrees for 12-24 hours.  Remove and cool completely before storage.



Storage--Store nuts in an airtight container.  Can be frozen.


Enjoy!