Hot Summer Days, Part 4

Happy Labor Day weekend! I hope your 4 day weekend has started off well... mine has just begun! I spent the morning wrapping up the projects I mentioned yesterday, racing to the Post Office at 12:02 to get the important package mailed... thank goodness they had not locked the doors yet! What a relief it was to walk out those double doors and have another thing on my list crossed off!

As for the next few days, I intend to enjoy them at full speed... two weddings, a photo shoot, and prepping for our annual family vacation. Yes, it is that time of year again - Yosemiteeeeee!!!

Every year growing up, with very few exceptions, we have taken a week away from life's constraints and camped in the valley as a family. We bring our sleeping bags, bikes, delicious food, funny stories, plans for lots of day hikes (yes, I HAVE made it to the top of Half Dome!), singing voices for the campfire, and bravery to chase away the bears! Oh yes, and FRIENDS. Every year it has been a little different, each one a wonderful experience and memory... some years it was just my mom, dad, and siblings, and Cez, a family friend; others we have had over 100 people! A few years back some close long-time family friends, the Pecks, started coming and now they have their whole extended family joining the party too! Here are some other posts about our fun times in The Valley!

The times around the campfire every night are some of my favorite moments during the week - when marshmallows are toasting and sticky fingers are covered in chocolate, and our hearts are joined together in worshipping the Creator of the stunning landscape we are surrounded by. It is then that the stories from the heart start coming, the hurts, the trials, the triumphs, and blessings. When I can look up and see the silouettes of the large pine trees part and reveal the bright twinkling stars in the sky and feel the Lord's presence among us, His people.

I am so grateful that I can continue to pass this tradition and memory-making vacation down on to my own three children!

I am sure you might be getting tired of seeing photos from this fun afternoon with my sisters and girlies, but I love them and can't help but share my favorites... I have always been infatuated with the beautiful tall wild grass that shimmers and glows in the late afternoon sun, and I was happy to finally capture a few images with this in mind!

















Have a safe and wonderful weekend!
ln~

Hot Summer Days, Part 3

As I sit here with papers strewn about me in testament to all the things I still need to do... I stare at the screen that has three different windows open, a wedding that needs to be wrapped up in post editing, Quick Books with all that entails (Yay!... yes, that was sarcastic), and this blog, a needed diversion. A welcome respite from number crunching, white balance and exposure tweaking. Because yes, those three do go together - at least today for me, the woman who can't even say things right anymore because she's spinning too many tops!

But you know what? I am sitting on CLEAN carpet (edging included!), a tidy house with TWO clean loads of laundry, and a full tummy of delicious smoothie! You must be thinking I am superwoman, right? No, don't get your hopes up. It's my amaaazzing and wonderful man who not only runs a business, works 8 hours a day, but also helps me out when I am so out of it that I twist my words up so bad I don't even know what I was trying to say! I am so grateful for a man who picks me up when I fall down, leads me when I am so tired I can't keep my eyes open, and laughs at me when I mix up my words!
Oh, and you know what else?! He started teaching Elizabeth to read this week. Yes, all on his own. They are working through the reader that my own mother taught me to read with.... so we know it works, eh?! :) It has been so sweet to listen to them work through M A T, H A T, S A M, D A D, etc.! I am so blessed by seeing Scott step in and spend such valuable time with Elizabeth that will impact the rest of her life.

Before I get back to whip those projects on the other open windows into shape, let's hear three cheers for hot summer days with the people we love!!! This old barn must be over 100 years old, and I can just picture a lively band sitting in the corner among the shadows playing happily along to a barn dance!

Hot Summer Days, Part 2

More of that fun afternoon with my two sisters, Joanna and Mary, and my two girlies, Elizabeth and Evangeline!

This beautiful old red fire engine was parked off to the side of the same stone building you see the girls standing in front of at the bottom of this post (the crumbling stone wall in the background behind the engine is the same structure). If you look close, you can see the date 1859 carved in stone on the top of the wall! When I asked Evangeline to check out the fire truck and let me take some pictures of her, she asked me if she should do her "normal" face... so here you go! Evangeline's normal expressions! :)










ln~

Hot Summer Days

Her little voice tumbled out the words as fast as she could sing them, "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red, brown, yellow, black, and white, they are precious...." BEEP. The little phonics toy with a recording option was too short for her. Again, this time a little faster, she sang like an auctioneer trying desperately to get the whole song recorded. Over and over she sang her heart out, each time getting more and more flustered. She started making mistakes in her hurry and would start over at the beginning. My new little four-year old persevered for FIVE MINUTES before throwing her hands up in the air and crying "Oh dear, I can't do it!" with a fountain of tears gushing down her cheeks. It was so adorable that I couldn't help but laugh (inwardly!) at her sweet little face that was so sad and heartbroken. I came and sat with her on the couch and while we cuddled I encouraged her to take a breath and sing calmly and stop at a good spot in the song so it would all fit on the little recorder. Once she calmed down she gave it another go and did marvelously! Evangeline beamed through her tear streaked face with glowing triumph - She had won!

In other news, here are some photos I've been meaning to share.... One hot summer afternoon a few months ago I asked my sisters Joanna and Mary if they would be willing to join the the girlies and I for some photo fun. Joanna had just returned home from being in Sweden for 9 months and I had a few places and ideas stirring in my head I wanted to play around with. These images are from the first location we stopped at... an old gas station that is no longer in service. Enjoy!

ln~