Grains of Sand

Happy birthday Mason!  Your birthday wish list included Legos and two stuffed animals.  For your birthday dinner you requested eggs and bacon.  May you always know what you want and try your best.  May you grow in your faith and become a confident man of God.  With your generous heart and cheerful ways, you bring joy to each member of the family.  We love you super tons and God loves you most of all.  xoxo.  soso.  Look who turned six.  That six year old is our baby! It's getting more difficult to capture a photo without some sort of antics. Mason requested a birthday cake with a forest and four log houses at each corner.

Autumn is here and so are the flies.  My goodness.  It seems we can't open the door without one buzzing in.  I've heard you can fill a clear plastic bag with pennies and water and hang that outside the door to detract them.  There is also the fly paper option, which is a great option, if you can remember to purchase fly paper.  For me, that is an ongoing challenge.  {sigh} In the meantime, this is how we kill flies in this house. Ethan shot this from the bow. See it?!  :O

For Today August 11, 2016 Looking out my window... beautiful refreshing rain is falling on the parched ground! I am thinking... if you wait until you think you are ready to do something challenging, you'll never do it. I am thankful... for my thoughtful husband who ordered a birthday cake for me to be frosted in my favorite color, turquoise. One of my favorite things... the end of a workout! I am wearing... tank top, shorts and bare feet.  It's h.o.t and humid. I am creating... a shopping list. I read...  Unglued by Lysa Terkeurst for a summer study I do with a few friends.  It was fabulous!  I highly recommend it. I am hoping... to clean the wood floors on my hands and knees today.  Ugh, it's one of my least favorite chores but so worth it when I'm finished. I am learning...  that a minority of jelly belly candy in a Bean Boozled box are actually tasty.  The others have flavors such as Stinky Socks, Rotten ...

I was browsing Pinterest the other day and saw this post about homemade sidewalk chalk paint .  When I craft or put my mind to a fun unexpected project for the kids, I like it to be easy and fairly mess free.  That mindset severely limits the available projects.  So, when I saw that there were only three ingredients for sidewalk chalk paint, I had to try it.

Day six we awoke to hear the Colorado river outside our cabin.  We hiked to Delicate Arch in Arches National Park and then we headed out for the last leg of the trip, destination

Hiking to Delicate Arch. Stopping to breathe while hiking to Delicate Arch. Trail markers. Is this it?

Good morning from Red Cliffs Lodge. Just love the clouds. Our cabin from the river. We enjoyed a leisurely morning sipping coffee and listening to the rushing waters of the Colorado river on our deck.  We then decided to eat lunch at Milt's Stop N' Eat  in Moab before tackling Arches National Park.  The website history isn't updated so I took a photo of the updated version at the shop.  I very much enjoy knowing the history of an establishment. Milt's used to be on Main street, but Main street moved. Brief history of Milt's. We have arrived at..... Yes, you've seen this outfit before, but have you seen it framed by this tree? Our first arch we walked/hiked to, Pine Tree Arch Oh look, another arch. It was hot!  Temps in the 90's and not much cloud cover. Tunnel Arch Thank you for sharing your home with us little one. Balanced Rock. Can't get enough of the wide open spac...