We're Game!

Yes!  Let's go!!

To Wisconsin!!  With Grandma!

It's been a busy two weeks here lately.  You know how trip preparations can be with four children.  That's a lot of stuff, even when you're trying your best to pack light.  I am not good at packing light.  I LOVE to be prepared, which usually means a lot more stuff.  Evidently, the Blossoms also love to be prepared.  We got 'er done though.

We really enjoyed seeing more of the USA, especially rural America.

The sights along the way were fascinating.  

There was great excitement when we spotted a hot air balloon one morning on the road.

Much of the drive was through farmlands and foliage.

I feel like the Blossoms got to SEE a lot in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, but especially Wisconsin. It was an opportunity we were so grateful to have.  

They did so well on the road.  Sure, they had their moments, but watching them hustle through the rest stops, clamber in and out of the truck and roll with the punches like seasoned travelers made my heart happy.  

There's room to grow, for sure, but I shared with one of the Blossoms, that's life.  It's a journey of growing.  Needing to grow and change in an area doesn't mean you're a failure.  It just means you're on the journey and God is still working on you.  On me.  Always.

I'm excited to share more of our adventure with you in the days ahead.  We're all glad to be back to our mountains and our little hollow though.

Dominique

Rambling About

Exploring Ravensburg State Park for Blossom2's birthday was an intriguing sort of day.

The Blossoms were delighted with this quaint little dam.  

There were old and steep stone steps in the side of the banks, making us wonder if this had a been an official "swimming area" back in the day.

The water was so clear and the sunshine so warm, that we longed to indulge.

We obeyed the adamant "no swimming" signs... this time.

Jake and Rory did not.

Bunch a redneck dogs. 

We savored our picnic in a nearby rustic pavilion, while we ogled people's dogs as they strolled past.  

I have vivid memories of the Rugged Mountain Man helping Blossom1 dip her feet in the water at the very same spot the Blossoms are standing. 

What a difference thirteen years can make!

Ravensburg

We set the bar pretty high for Blossom1's birthday.

How could we top Kinzua Bridge?

We ended up journeying over to Ravensburg, a park we hadn't visited since a few days before Blossom2 was born.

It seemed only fitting to ramble around there on her 13th birthday.

There were subs and locally renowned donuts too.  Celebrations always come with favorite foods around here.

We couldn't content ourselves with just exploring the lower park.  We also ventured upward.

My phone told me that we climbed FIFTY floors during this hike.  I'm not sure of its accuracy but the climb was worth it.

We don't mind the burn and the pushing through when there's a reward at the top.

It was breathtaking!  We were all ecstatic!  We hadn't known there would be a VIEW.  

The jaunt through the woods lent itself to all kinds of mosses and other intriguing fauna.

The ridgeline was a lovely flat hike ~  a break for our jelly legs.

But then...

the "thousand steps' down were a little deceptive.  

We made it without incident, enjoying the lovely falling leaves.

We headed home to make meat lovers' stromboli, whoopee pie cake and watch Emma.  That's what Blossom2 requested and it seemed a cozy end to an adventurous day, celebrating out fierce Blossom.

A Snapshot

 These types of "snaps" are some of my favorite snapshots of summer.  

Adventuring.  Exploring.  Enjoying.

Beautiful.

A September Life Lately

Dear friends,

I thought I'd drop in with a little "Life Lately" post.  It's always nice "bumping" into you and catching up for a bit.  

I've been sipping:

~ lots of English Breakfast tea.  It just seems to suit my fancy these days.  I did mama dates with the two older Blossoms this week and we hit up Burger King for our favorite $1.69 medium mocha frappes.  Yay for inexpensive, tasty treats!!

I've been reading:
~ The Blades of Acktar series by Tricia Mingerink.  Blossom1 and Blossom2 heartily recommended it.  My stack of books to be read is always tall, but they really, really insisted!  I started the five book series on vacation and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Blossom1 says that every Christian should read the Blades of Acktar.  

Books two and three deal a lot with persecution and making a stand for your faith, from the perspective of young people walking through grief and hard times.  It's been fun and meaningful discussing these book with the Blossoms and their friends.  God gives us grace in our journey as we grow up in the faith.  Combining humor, encouragement, and character lessons in an adventurous Medieval story line ~ what a win!  Now I also heartily recommend this series, for anyone, adult or teen.  

I've been cooking:
~ even when I don't feel like it.  I've gotta say, when school started, my little bit of motivation and energy to cook supper went downhill fast.  Everyone is always hungry here, so that does help me to plow through a little, especially when I see how much better they learn when they have good food in their bellies all day.  

The Blossoms have pitched in too and sometimes, it's just been simpler fare, like dried venison sandwiches and a steamed veggie.  We did make some Buffalo Chicken pizza the other night with crockpot rabbit and it was a Friday night hit!

We're canning a lot these days ~ salsa, pizza sauce, apple sauce, pickled peppers... all that good stuff!  There's still more to be done, but any bit of distaste I have for all the work, especially cleanup, seems to dissipate when I stand and look at the pretty rows of yummy food ready to go on the pantry shelves.  Sometimes mamas, we just gotta be glad over the end result.  

I've been noticing:
~ the shift of the seasons.  I feel a pang of sadness as the (busy!) days of summer give way to (busy!) days of autumn.  As each day's temperatures fall and the leaves begin their dance to the ground, I try to remind myself about the good of all these things that I can't control.  I embrace them, rather than fight them.  And, maybe I'll redecorate the mantle in the living room this weekend.  

I've been wearing:

~ little brown half boots.  With the onset of comparatively cooler temperatures, jeans and boots are on the docket more frequently for me.  I love pull on boots, because they're fast.  A basic boot never goes out of style and always loudly says "well put together!"

I've been listening:

~ to some girlie bickering.  It ebbs and flows around here.  The first part of the week was busy with school and appointments that were necessary and had already been once rescheduled.  The busyness really seemed to add to it.  What are we doing about the bickering?  Plowing through it.  

I'm trying to reinforce with the little Blossoms that aggravation is unacceptable and so is retaliation. Loving your sister is a moment by moment, day by day decision.

I've been loving:

~ coaching the Junior Bible Quiz team.  Half of the members are my daughters and the other half are their pals, so it's nice to already have a rapport with them.  Once upon a time, I was a gymnastics coach.  Though that's not something I really pursue right now, this little hour and a half in my week has reminded me how much coaching is something I enjoy.  

I've been planning:

~ birthday and holiday fun!  Blossom2 is turning 13 this weekend(!!!!) Combined with the holiday, it'll be a fun family weekend with yummy treats and little adventures, probably involving a state park or two.  I'm hoping it will bless her. She's such a blessing to this family!

Happy Labor Day, friends!

Dominique

All pics snapped on a our little ramble in the natural area near our cabin.  

To Shed

 On a ramble in the natural area around the cabin, Blossom4 discovered this fascinating "insect."  

She was astonished to find that it's not even alive!  

Look closer!

There's a tiny slit in the upper thorax.  

It's a common stonefly exoskeleton that has been shed.  We kept discovering them all along the creek there, dryly perched on rocks above the water line.  

It may be "common," but it was a celebrity to us every time we found another!

Guess its' sheddin' time at the cabin.

Dominique