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

Hello Thursday!

Outside my window...  I was just saying last Sunday it felt like fall.  I take it back.  Three days of mid 90 degree days makes me think summer is here to stay for a while longer.

(the following pictures are of the new planting I did in the garden last week.  We planted lettuce, spinach, kale, collards, broccoli and cauliflower.)

 spaghetti squash

 baby pumpkin

 more spaghetti squash

 cantaloupe

 new batch of tomato plants

I am thinking...  I am thinking about lots of things.  Thinking about a trip to Alaska.  Thinking about gardening.  Thinking about camping.  Thinking about picnics.  Thinking about cooler weather cooking.

I am thankful...  I am always thankful for what the Lord provides for me.  He always blesses more abundantly than I deserve. Someone else posted a verse on facebook the other day that received a blessing from.

Deuteronomy 5:9-10   Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. . .  And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
Especially comforting is the ending to the verse. . . shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

In the kitchen...  Tonight form the kitchen we will be having something cooler.  A vegetable pizza.  A baked pizza crust, cream cheese with ranch dressing and an assortment of chopped vegetables and a sprinkling of cheese.

 

(pictured are three quart sized bags of seasoned tomatoe sauce from my garden.  It spent two days cooking down.  It smells heavenly.  Its full of peppers, green onion, sage, basil, thyme and lavender)

I am wearing...  I've got on green today.  Capri pants and a lace tank top.  My feet are bare and my hair is pinned up.

I am creating...  Aahh. . .  the creativity department has been put away for a little while.  I finished the projects to send to Juneau, Alaska.  I've already got some ideas for Christmas gifts.  My little student and I need to decorate the office/schoolroom.  We will be going to the store for some decorations.

 

I made 9 of these little dresses using onsies and fat quarters of fabric.

(*above= these are the things that went into the box to ship to Juneau.  The large ziplock bag on the left contains baby quilts I made for my baby hope chest almost 24 years ago)

(pictured above~ are 10 colorfully decorated burp cloths and 4 over-sized receiving blankets.

(I'm seriously thinking of opening a store with my handmade goods.  On etsy these little dresses are selling for $25.00!)

I am going...Probably to a teacher supply store soon for the above mentioned decorations.  I want to go on a picnic up in the mountains and do a bit of walking with my doggie.

I am praying...  Praying for all the house purchasers I know that are getting new homes.  Praying for many happy memories to be made in their new places.  Praying for my far away children to be content, wise, happy, safe and healthy.  Praying for far away family and friends.  Praying for my witness and spiritual growth.  Praying for good family time.  Praying for Anna who wants to go home.

I am reading...  Picked up a book at the library the other day.  Design on a Crime by Ginny Aikin.  It has been a decent read with a loose Christian plot-line.

 

 

We've finsihed Robin Hood series. 

 

 

We're back to watching the end of the series Merlin. 

 

 

 We've watched several great movies on netflix recently.  The Measure of  a Man,  which would be a great book but I haven't been able to tell if it is a book or not.

I am looking forward to...  My trip to Alaska.  I don't have a date to travel yet.  I have not bought my tickets yet.  I'll be purchasing tickets soon.  Looking forward to hiking in the rain and visiting an Alaska beach.  The weather will be cooler than here at home.  Comfort food and soups and fresh bread will be on the menu!

From the learning rooms...  I ordered my curriculum this week.  English, Literature, Math and Penmanship.  For Science and History we will be doing a form of un-schooling.  Picking items of interest and studying them.  He has suggested different weapons like knives, swords and guns and who made them and for what use.  He wants to look at pond water under a microscope and study blooming cactus and rocks in the desert.

Around the house...  I finally vacuumed after I cleaned up the sewing project.  I didn't do the whole house just the main rooms.  I still need to clean up all the hair dust bunnies that float around.  I've been wanting to update the decor around here with a bit of fall color.  I bought my favorite scent of candle this week, pumpkin.

 

A favorite quote for today...

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."  ~Erma Bombeck

One of my favorite things...  I've been craving mugs of hot chocolate lately.  It's that fall feeling in the air.

I was reading up in Molasses flavoring different hot drinks like tea, cider and chocolate.  I want to try it.  We bought a jar of Nutella to try the other day.  My husband and son ate it all.  I didn't get to try it.  I heard you could make hot chocolate out of Nutella.  I want to try it also.

 

A few plans for the rest of the week:  I've got company coming on Sunday afternoon.  I plan on smoking some ribs and making peanut butter pie.  I'm not sure what else I will with it.  I though about collard greens.

A peek into my day...  It makes me happy when my kitty wants to be around me.  I love a good kitty cuddle.  She doesn't give out very many cuddles, especially when it's warm.

(She is sitting in my garden basket, its got seeds from the day of planting. The blanket on my lap is one she likes to get cuddles in)

 

Have a great weekend dear friends!

 

Thank you Simple Woman!