Family Night

 

One of the best times during our week is when we get to have family dinner.  Tonight Maria and Eric came over with their girls. After dinner we had a nice walk to the river. We walk a loop around an undeveloped park. The girls love the space to run.

Mike is a weird, I mean fun, grandpa.  Here he is hiding, although not very well.

Next, we went down by the river because there were rocks there that needed to be thrown in. That is always what happens when the three necessary ingredients are present, kids, water and rocks. Right? 

Then along comes Grandpa Mike. He picked up Elise and teased her that he was going tho this her into the river, which of course she loved.

Just so you know, the water was only about a foot deep at the spot where we were standing.

Cordelia then said, "You can't do that to me! " Then she moved closer to him to be sure she got her turn.

Seriously, every kid should have such a grandpa, don't you think? 

I do worry a bit about what our neighbors think, though, when they see him loading up leaves on their car as they leave. But it is kind of fun to see the leaves flying off as they drive away, ending another fun night together.

Three Hour Cruise

Yesterday Mike & I took a 3 hour cruise...a 3 hour cruise... OK, maybe you are too young to have the them song from Gilligan's Island humming through your head right now.


Mike and I were cruising down the river on our little river raft. We did pass a few islands but even if we'd been stranded on them, I'm pretty sure we would have been rescued quickly.

While we were floating, I made a comment about all the life that was going on right around us. We saw a flock of pelicans, a hawk, a wild turkey, bunny, fish, many red-winged black birds and lots of other feathered friends. Then I thought about all the bugs and microbes living around us. All that living goes on every day, whether or not I am thinking about it.

Our natural world is really pretty amazing, don't you think?

John 7:38 ESV 

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

A Relaxing Float Despite a Bully Cloud

Yesterday Mike and I both had the day off, a rare event, so we decided to go out on the river again. This time we chose to go a bit out of town and float back in. We love it most when we are out in the country rather going through town. I checked the weather report and it looked to be good until after we were set to be back, so off we went!

I was enjoying watching this big pretty cloud follow us.

It was peaceful and relaxing.

We saw a big eagle in a tree.

I scrambled to get my phone out of the double

zip-lock bags, wrapped in a plastic grocery bag,

zipped into our lunch bag.

I was too late so I

went back to watching clouds.

I was also on the look-out for a moose as I'd

heard there was one spotted in the area last week.

At one point we heard a lot of trampling

in the brush and I got kind of excited when I saw a big dark

something breaking through to get a drink.

I said, "Oh look!" with maybe a bit too much excitement in

my voice as the big dark something turned out to be a cow.

Mooing followed.

So, more floating....

More relaxing....

Then, that pretty cloud turned darker and started chasing us!

I started to feel a little bit worried.

See my worried face?

It made rumbley sounds.

We could see rain.

We did NOT see any lightning but we did talk about

plans to get out of the water to wait it out, just in case.

We were still about 2 hours from our car but thankfully 

the big bully cloud passed over the river 

behind us and swerved around us. 

We were grateful.

Softer, gentler clouds came over us.

And sunshine warmed us once again.

Oddly, that was when we got rained on.

It was just sprinkles, really.

I turned my camera straight up toward the sky.

The drops appeared to begin high up in the clear sky.

We could see them falling toward us but

they just look like a couple of white ghost drops in the photo.

It was cool.

I tried to capture it to show you,

but you get the idea.

It was a good day.

Thrifting and Mall Lunch and Floating the River

Yesterday I do believe I made good use of my day off. I did do some laundry, bought a few groceries and did a teeny bit of cooking, but otherwise I just had fun.

Sam came with me and we met up with Maria and Elise for some thrifting.  Cordelia was having a play date with her preschool teacher, Teacher Gwen. She was sooooo excited and felt so special to be invited to the teacher's house (or maybe she invited herself...not sure)! 

Anyway, Elise found a hat she needed.

FYI, she is wearing clothes that Maria wore as a baby.

Sam was a good sport and tried on

some fun things. I had his photo here but decided maybe

he would not appreciate that.

I will definitely save the photo, though, in case

I need to blackmail him someday.

Cordelia was back with us in time for mall lunch.

She had some fun at the little indoor playground there.

Actually, one little girl was kind of rude to her.

Cordelia is baffled by such behavior.

She went right up to an adult man and asked him why his

daughter was being mean to her!

He very kindly told her that girl wasn't his daughter so Cordelia

headed toward an adult woman to ask the same question.

Maria and I intervened. 

Elise doesn't know that she is smaller than Cordy.

She just takes off and plays like the big kids now!

 When Grandpa arrived, both girls wanted him!

By lunch, Cordelia was beat.

She was sad.

She said she missed Teacher Gwen.

After the mall, Mike and I had a river date.

It was our first float of the season!

 We have a new raft!

I think Mike missed the old way we rafted

but I think we looked cooler in this new raft.

It was a good day.

Come To The River

(click on title to hear song)

Rhett Walker Band

from the album Come To The River

  

I'm torn between myself and your truth

These cursed memories, forever seeping through

My thirst for myself left me wanting more 

Till I found myself face down on your shore 

You say

Come to the river

OH AND Lay yourself down 

And let your heart be found 

You say come to the river 

Drink from the cup I pour 

And thirst no more

My restless heart, led me astray

To my selfish pride, I became my own slave 

But you placed a thirst in me, with no drink in sight 

Cause I could not see, till I saw through your eyes

The Day Sara Made it Snow

Our Peaceful Floating Picnic

Are any of you doing anything fun this holiday week-end?  Did you go out of town or have week-end guests?

We've been pretty low-key ourselves but we did get to go floating on the river again.  I packed lunch for us and we had a floating picnic!  Yes, it is a little awkward to eat lunch in an inner tube, but so worth it!  We did have to use the oars more and work pretty hard at times because it was gusty.  Mostly, though, we just relaxed while watching the peaceful scenery go by.  The best part?  Three hours of having Mike all to myself!

Sweet Times and My Big Fashion Boo-Boo

I have a few days off in a row and I am enjoying them!

Yesterday, Elise had her first pediatrician appointment.  While her parents took her for that check-up, which she aced, we got to play with Miss Cordelia.

One of Cordelia's favorite things is to walk to the river.  Grandpa had the day off as well so the three of us had ourselves a leisurely stroll.

Cordelia is wearing her great-great grandmother Rose's hat.  Isn't that cool?

Later in the afternoon, Mike & I went rafting.  I think I've told you before that we tie together a small raft that Mike rides in and an inner tube that I ride in.  I'm guessing we look a bit strange that way but it works for us.  It's peaceful and relaxing.

When we get out of the river we call Sam and he comes to pick us up.  Actually, he picks Mike up while I wait with our gear.  I just relax while Mike goes to get his man truck, left where we got into the river, so that we can load the raft and inner tube.  

I wear a swimsuit for the float, and it feels appropriate.  I remembered, though, that as I waited with the stuff afterward I always feel a bit awkward standing there in a swimsuit.  Today I planned ahead and actually had a pair of shorts along in a plastic bag.  I was very glad I'd done so as we rafted in town this time.  The spot where I waited was on a corner by a big welding/steel something-or-other place.  It was change of shift time so there was constant traffic.  I was so glad I had my shorts on!  It just isn't a good feeling to be in a swimsuit when every one around is in work clothes.  

So, as I said, I felt pretty smart for having my shorts.  I wasn't very wet, except for the parts of me that hung low out the bottom of the inner tube.  When I got home and glanced in the mirror I realized that putting on my shorts over my only-wet-in-a-few-places swimsuit maybe wasn't my best plan after all!

So, if you are local and happened to drive by and see me yesterday, please know that I did NOT wet my pants!  Quit laughing!

River View

Ooops... I forgot to write a proper post and I've got to leave for work EARLY.  I didn't want to leave you hanging, though.  I took photos this week-end of the North Platte River.  

Being near water soothes my soul.   

Anniversary Road Trip

Mike and I enjoyed ourselves Saturday .  We took a road trip as we celebrated our anniversary,  There is still a lot of Wyoming that we have not seen.  This trip was to Saratoga.

We made some friends along the way.

Bode came along.  We walked  him many times. He is not a natural boy dog, though; He hates to potty away from  home.  Isn't that weird?  We were gone for nearly 9 hours but he declined to relieve himself until we returned home.  We even had him look at a lot of water; that didn't do it.

We enjoyed a nice lunch at a restaurant/hotel that is on the National Registry for Historic Places.  We walked around downtown a bit but it didn't take too long.

We noted that Wyoming has a lot of space without people.  

We like that.

 A storm was trying to build but not much came of it, at least not that we could see.

I love road trips with Mike.