Hello blog friends...  my days have been full since returning from Alaska and camping at the end of October. 

(my granddaughter Cathryn, 8 weeks)

Outside my window...  The weather is very weird this week.  We had two days with temperatures over 90 degrees.  Yesterday it was 64 degrees cloudy and windy.  It rained a bit last night.  Today it's cool again about 66 degrees.

I am thinking...  I am thinking about being busy and with all the things we have to accomplish in the next four weeks, it's a long list. 

I am thankful...  I am always thankful for the provision God has given us, myself in particular.  He always meets my needs.  He has blessed with many things.  He continues to answer my prayers.

In the kitchen...  I made biscuits and gravy this morning for breakfast.  I was going to make a nice lunch today but got to cleaning house, washing the dog, washing the dogs bedding and cleaning the kitchen, I did not get anything put together for today.  So now, I am thinking about eating carne asada nachos. Yum.

I've put together a beef stew for tomorrow after church.  My stew has parsnips, onion and carrots form garden.  I used some smoked pork broth for the liquid in my stew.  It's going to taste so good.

I am wearing...  I've got capri pants and wild orange colored  blouse on today.  My hair is a bit wild as well.

I am creating...  I've got lots of things on the list to create.

a) Christmas flower arrangement for church

b) Christmas props for the church Christmas program

c) Practice Christmas music and pick a Christmas song to sing solo

d)  Sew a nice camouflage mattress cover for the camper bed

e)  Christmas presents

f)  Compose our Christmas letter
g)  Take our Christmas photos
 h)  Organize the church Thanksgiving dinner

i)  Smoke a turkey, Cook a turkey, cook a ham for church Thanksgiving dinner

j)  Plan a camping trip for the week of Thanksgiving

I am going...  Tomorrow is church day.  I've not really got any plans to go anywhere the next few days.

I am wondering...  I am wondering where to find enough time in the day to get things done.  I am wondering what to do for my granddaughter for Christmas.  I am wondering

I am reading/watching...  We just went to the library and brought home a stack of new books.  I did read Kinsey and Me by sue Grafton and enjoyed the compilation of short stories about Kinsey.  

I found a new detective that I LOVE a few weeks ago, Barnaby Jones.  We've started watching the series on Netflicks.

I am praying...  I am praying for far away family to be safe, happy and grow closer to the Lord.  Praying for the desires of my heart.  Praying for visitors at church.  Praying for health.  Praying for wisdom.

I am looking forward to...  We're planning  a camping trip Thanksgiving week instead doing a big dinner here at the house.  I'm looking forward to quiet and campfires.

From the learning rooms...My student kept up with his studies while we were in Alaska.  We're right on schedule.  Those first nine weeks are filled with so much review of what he learned last year with a few new concepts thrown in.  He was tasked with writing a report of either our family camping trip or his trip to Alaska.  He chose his trip to Alaska.  He's got a first draft done and is in the process of corrections and working on content and flow of his story.

Around the house...  We've been thinking about Christmas around here.  We've been thinking about a tree.  We're wondering whether to buy a real tree again this year or to get an artificial tree.  We had a live tree last year and it did not survive the transplanting process.  We are leaning toward artificial and if we get one soon we'll put up Christmas decorations too.

The house is fairly clean.  The carpets were vacuumed this morning.  When we returned from Alaska I moved the position of my bed back in front of the big window and I like it soo much better.

A favorite quote for today...  "Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, 

all you have is all you need."

Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_home.html#pukY3w7lYGbbi6bZ.99

Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_home.html#pukY3w7lYGbbi6bZ.99

Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_home.html#pukY3w7lYGbbi6bZ.99

Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_home.html#pukY3w7lYGbbi6bZ.99

Sarah Ban Breathnach

One of my favorite things...  I love this time of year.  The colors the smells.  The temperature.  It gives me a reason to purchase more of these. . .

A peek into my days...  These are a few pictures from the camping trip we went on immediately upon returning from Alaska.  We spent 6 days in the eastern Sierra Mountains near Mammoth Lakes listening to nature sounds, gold-panning, hiking and driving the TOY-ota.

 This is our camp set up

 that's me inspecting a hot spring.  It was too hot to even touch.

 Trying to get Banjo to pose.  We're inspecting a huge crater in a lava flow

 we found snow

 the mountains and beautiful fall scenery kept me drooling

 I love this area of California

Honestly... I will try to be better at updating my blog.  

Have a great week dear friends!

Thank you simple woman for inspiration for this post today.

Reporting In

 Not too much report.  I've been keeping busy with the Alaska family. 

Doing the hard duty of spoiling a certain baby before I have to return home.

We we're able to get out a bit on Sunday afternoon where I photographed an amazing sunset.

Now I am itching to get back out on a nice day and photograph some more.

 

It is spectacularly beautiful here.

 Romans 1:20   "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, 

being understood by the things that are made, 

even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."

 Yes, clearly God knew what he was doing when he gave us such a beautiful creation!

 Psalms 107:31   "Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"

 We're surely enjoying this little Miss.  She is an extremely good baby.  She's nursing well, sleeping well and doing all things baby that she should very well.

We feel the urge (about every other day ) to put one of her outfits on her and photograph her.

This last picture is dinner, Chicken Enchiladas!  I've been making extra of dinners this week to put in the freezer for Maggie for later.  I've got Apricot Chicken, Spaghetti Pie and Enchilada Casserole in the freezer so far.

Have great week dear friends!

 

MIA

If I've been MIA recently, I had good reason. I'm in Juneau, Alaska... I have a new granddaughter!  Born~  September 17, 2013 at 12:22 a.m. 
Aaron Ledford and Margaret Kline Ledford welcomed Cathryn Marie Ledford. She was 7 pounds 10 ounces and 20 inches long. She has a head full of long, brown hair. She's very alert and likes to talk already.

Sully and I will be with Aaron and Maggie until October 20th. I am privileged to be able to help here at the house and do A LOT of baby cuddling! It was a long labor for Maggie. She was pretty tired. Her delivery team was fantastic! Maggie did a great job in delivery. I am so proud. Please pray that Maggie has a speedy recovery. 

Cathryn has been doing very well since coming home Thursday afternoon.  She's been  eating every 2-3 hours.  She's sleeping well at night.  Grandma Bethie is making sure to get her good and spoiled before  I go home to San Deigo.

Hello Thursday!

This will not be my typical post.  I don't have enough time today to do that.  Sorry if you look forward to those!

We bought #2 son a smoothie maker for Christmas.  Sadly, it lasted long enough to make about 4 smoothies.  We have been without a smoothie maker for several months.  We got this Ninja one to replace the other (not the same brand).  I must say, it has been so much FUN!   Here we are having a Super Green Smoothie and a Berry Blended smoothie.  (Those are my own recipe names :-))

 I had some monster zucchini growing in the garden and last few weeks.  I made 6 batches of zucchini apple pie filling for the freezer.  This is one of the pies I made out of the filling.  Let me tell ya, it was DELICIOUS.  I made the crust with straight butter, flour and dash of salt and cold water.  It was also the best crust ever!

 To escape the heat we had been suffering, we went to our favorite little beach area and spent the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend.  It was Festival of  Sail days and we enjoyed watching a few brightly colored sailboats sail the river.

 After lunch of Popeye's chicken, I was serenaded by this handsome man.  He is teaching himself how to play mandolin and having a blast with it.

We took the Monster truck out for a drive in the mountains on Labor day.  The Toyota is still not put back together from the conversion to disk brakes.  We drove about an hour away to this country road taking us down the McCain Valley.  It was about a 26 mile trip down to the dead end and back with some really spectacular views down into the Salton Sea area .

 At the end of the road is a really beautiful campground that we be trying out soon.  It was almost empty Labor Day weekend.  Only one man was out there for the whole weekend.  We took a picnic of Subway sandwiches and ate here.  Just as we sat down to lunch, the clouds gathered, the thunder rolled in off the mountains, lightening flashed and it started to gently rain.  It was soo NICE.  When we left the house at 10 a.m. the temperature was already 92 degrees.  During the rainstorm in the mountains, it cooled down to about 68 degrees.  WOW it was nice.  I loved the sound of the thunder rolling down the mountain.  I can't wait to go back and camp up there.

 I didn't take a picture of the restroom.  That was my manly man.  He photographs interesting things!

 This is our picnic table.  #2 son is facing toward the mountains.  I am facing toward the food!

 I babysat an entire day last week on a day when the temperature was 105 degrees!  This is the children having quiet time with The Little Engine That Could.  The next day we helped their Mom and Dad move into their first house.  They are all very excited to have their own home and not be renters anymore.

 Last Sunday we had our friends Ian and Laura over for grilled chicken dinner and a jam sessions before we headed back to church Sunday night.

 I was making more of those really fantastic Zucchini 'Apple' pies.  Kitty Shadow is investigating.  Sometimes she is really nosey!

 The garden is doing very well in phase two.  In the picture above, are the tomatoes.  They are doing very well and growing very fast.  I have two littler tomato plants that need separate staking.  I also need to attach another hose out there so we wont be dragging the hose along the tops of the boxes any longer.  It's messing up plants.

This is the lone little pumpkin.  It is as big as #2 son's head.  It is starting to turn orange.  I was hoping for a big batch of pumpkins.  I wanted to let the children at church some and pick pumpkins in October.  I don't think I'll be getting anymore pumpkins. :-(

 I got the suitcase out yesterday.  #2 son and I are heading to Juneau, Alaska on Sunday morning.  We hope to make it for the birth of my first grandchild.  (I am praying that she doesn't go into full blown labor until Sunday night!)  Kitty Shadow must know something is going on.  Wouldn't you know it, she picked the baby clothes to lay on , getting kitty hair all over them! 

When we return from Alaska October 20th, we will repack the Monster truck and the camp trailer and head to the mountains on the east side of Yosemite for some much needed family time.  I am looking forward to exploring dirt roads in the TOYota, seeing  the San Andreas Fault, picking some Obsidian and maybe finding a hot spring for a cozy soak with my guys.  We should be home around November 1st.  

If you're friends with me on facebook, watch for pictures and updates from Juneau, Alaska!

Happy Fall!

With Love

~Betheelou