Nature Weekend

Our weekend camping trip was full of adventure and fun.

I will post more pictures in the next

few days as

we try to recover from the loads and loads of laundry

I now face.

The first 24 hours we had beautiful skies and lots of sunshine...

but the last 24 hours

we had dark skies and lots of rain.

We have MUD everywhere!

It will take me several days to wash the mud and dirt off

everything we own.

 Our good friends the Letner's talk about camping at 

Bear Canyon Lake

all the time.

Now I know why...

 

It was worth all the mud and rain...

just to spend the weekend with our favorite people...

our family!

My daughter's phone

My daughter Rachel is my

SOCIAL BUTTERFLY.

It can drive me crazy trying to keep up with

where she is going to be,

how is she going to get there,

who is she going to be with,

 what is she going to be doing,

and how is she going to get home.

ALMOST always I end up in the equation...

offering up

(sometimes grudgingly)

one ride after another to her various destinations.

But when I had a chance to sneak a peak at her phone...

(yes, we do peak at our children's phones!)

I had to smile....

and even laugh at some of her many social engagements.

For instance I noticed how

her weekend actually started Thursday when she went to her sister's volleyball game...

(Katie is a rockstar...but I will blog about that later!)

and she ran into one of her friend's...

and the plotting began.

 Text messages go out...

to EVERYONE!

 Next thing I know I have a car full of girls (and Chris)

 and we are heading to watch the Higley High varsity girls 

volleyball game in Queen Creek.

 She spies on her older brother and his "girlfriend"!

Isn't the game the other way?

Friday is another school day which starts the same way as the day before...

Taking pictures with friends...

and planning the next MAIN event!

This time it was one of their best friends birthday parties!

Community Scavenger hunt and swim party!

 

 The party was in my neighbor's backyard and I could hear this group for hours into the night!

Saturday was no exception...

another birthday party with these girls!

Sunday was church day but she still found time to snap this cute shot during class:

 And this one with her bestie Summer!

 And last but not least...

she managed two trips to the mall today.

Yes, I drove her there both times!

I'm such a sucker!

 When I see these pictures I'm grateful she is enjoying

her life full of GREAT friends.

Making so many GREAT memories.

And if I'm worried she might get too caught up with the social...

she just sends me a screen shot of her grades.

Yep...she will be JUST fine!

A big thanks to Rachel for letting me steal her pictures...

and an even 

bigger thanks for being such a great girl!

We've got you covered!

I never thought I would be a

GUN owner.

I didn't grow up shooting guns.

I was even shot "by accident" with a BB gun by one of my brothers when I was little....

and it hurt!

I had no intention and no desire to ever own a gun or have one in my home.

When Ron and I talked about getting married...

I told him under no uncertain terms that if he owned guns then 

the only way they could come into the house is if we 

bought a gun safe.

No problem.

I didn't move in until that was taken care of!

So the first few times I shot any of Ron's guns...

I didn't like it.

It is why I'm shocked and amazed at how much I enjoy it.

I'm even more shocked and amazed at how good I'm getting at it!

When our neighbors and friends

invited us to go with them to the gun range this week...

we said YES!

 Preston said he felt a lot better now knowing we were his

neighbors!

Heck ya...we've got you covered!

But it is really us who feel better having them as neighbors!

We couldn't ask for better neighbors

or friends!

We feel like we won the lottery the day these two moved into the neighborhood!

And I guess it is nice to know that no matter what...

we EACH have the others backs!

loved you then...

I recently saw a sign that read,

Loved you then..

Love you still...

Always have...

Always will.

In a conversation I had a few days ago I found myself

HURT

by comments that were made

about a very special person in my life.

I've found myself wondering what to do and how to respond.

I read that sign and knew exactly

what I wanted to say.

I met a man.

A Very Special man...

in a very dark time.

I had few friends

and only a few I could trust.

When everything was dark and falling in around me...

it was him whom I fell in

LOVE with.

I loved him from that minute.

And when the waves came crashing down...

he rescued me.

I love him still.

He is kind.

He is generous.

He is thoughtful.

He grounds me.

He protects me.

He loves God.

He loves me.

Always have.

From that one moment in the park...

when we declared our love,

he had my heart.

Always will.

I declared it last year when we took that step to be

TOGETHER FOREVER

in a temple of God.

So to those who can't see the GOOD intentions

of a GOOD man...

then you can't see the LOVE that is so 

COMPLETELY

evident around you.

With all my love,

MOM

 

 

 

Desert River View in a Kayak

Some people never get used to the 

DESERT

landscape of Arizona.

Even though I grew up in the green hills of Missouri...

I have grown to love the

Arizona landscape.

At 5 a.m. this morning we loaded up our cars and headed to the

beautiful Salt River

to Kayak with the Priests and Laurels

in our ward.

 We arrived just as the sun was rising and I was

reminded once again

of the beautiful creation of our loving

Heavenly Father.

Having the opportunity to spend the day

with these beauties just made it even more spectacular!

 It was even more special that

CHRISTOPHER

was on this trip with me!

 

Ali girl...

so beautiful inside and out!

Gonna miss you so much when you leave in September.

She was teaching me how to take

"Selfie"

pictures.

Haha...she says it takes practice!

But the BEST face of the day goes to...

 Jessica!

Way to go Chris for jumping in to save the day.

Chivalry is NOT dead ladies!

Mostly...we just enjoyed our time together

and the beautiful desert view.

 

Just looking at this picture makes me smile!

Jessica with her "dead" fish!

So many great people and so many wonderful memories!

I recently heard a quote from poet

James Barrie

"God gives us memories, that we might have June roses in the

December of our lives."

There will be a time when I'm living in the December of my life that I will look back on this memory...

and be grateful God gave me this June rose.

Having the opportunity to serve in this calling has been one of

my greatest blessings.

Spending time with my family and friends...

in the June of my life

enjoying all that God has to offer me

is one beautiful

JUNE ROSE. 

Thank you God, for yet another one!