Celebrating 246 Years !

Happy 4th of July!

This is a beautiful, handmade quilt, 

that was given to me from a good friend 

who still lives in the Seattle area.

It needed to be quilted.

So, another good friend (here in Idaho),

volunteered to quilt the back for me.

 Now it's my turn 

to hand stich the boarder.

It's priceless to me!

~~~***~~~

Top Down!

Tom and I took a Sunday, evening drive into the country 

and drove past farm after farm.

It smelled so good.

We headed back home as the sun went behind clouds.

Big day tomorrow, 4th of July.

~~~***~~~

That's Tom behind the flag- haha

We found "our " spot along the parade route.

This is Melba, Idaho, a small town, 

with a perfct, small town parade.

Lulu, Kimmy and me

It is always well attended and everyone is so

patriotic, courteous, and friendly. 

Small Town!

To start the parade off, 

the motorcycles revved up their engines!

My favorite part!

This parade is so friendly. 

Ila and her friend, asked the horsewoman a question. 

She even stopped to answer them!

You always know when the parade is over.

~~~***~~~

After the parade we set up camp for a great view 

for the fireworks.

We had time to go home, to feed the dog and some of us, took a nap.

Then we headed back down to where we had left our "camp".

We brought our RV,

 so we can have the comfort of 

all it's facilities.

While waiting, it was a great time to play, 

snack and get caught up on life.

The kids enjoyed rolling down the hill on the blankets.

Mark is a great dad! 

More like a kid himself.

Creativity abounds while waiting

~~~***~~~

Then, right on time,

the show begins...

Then the  ooouuu's and ahhh's  can be heard all during the show.

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; the people whom he has chosed for his inheritance."

Psalm 33:12

 

Cashing In- #3

Levi's turn to cash in his

 Christmas present of a gift certificate, 

for an overnight and fun!

So far, each overnight has been very different!

This one was no exception!

Levi is 11 years old.

A game of card with Papa is a must!

Levi KNEW what he wanted to eat and what he wanted to do.

Pizza!

Not just any pizza, Idaho Pizza. 

So that's what we did.

~Idaho Pizza Restaurant~

Ahh, Levi is getting so big and mature!

His heart is so tender and compassionate. 

Next, we went

"Boy Shopping"

Because this was "his day",

he wanted to go to the Combat Sports Store. 

Not your typical store!

He was so excited!

Levi had saved up his money and bought an soft-air gun.

He practices all the time in their huge backyard.

Safety first... eye protection and all the safety procedures.

This store was a first for both Tom and I.

We actually learned quite a bit about soft-air guns and gun safety.

Levi left with a bag full of supplies for his air soft guns.

Back home,

it's always fun to take Banjo for a walk.

For dinner Levi requested his favorite dinner that I make.

Taco Rice Casserole!

(recipe at the end of post)

This recipe was handed down from my mother.

It has so much History in our family.

(For one thing, it was the first meal Kimmy ever cooked!)

After dinner was THE MOVIE!

Levi choose a Star Wars movie!

The only Star Wars movie I've ever seen, 

was way back,  May 25th, 1977.

So this was a big deal for Levi (and me!!!).

He was soooooo excited for us to watch together.

He made sure I understood what was going on.

He kept filling me in on the characters and what they were doing.

(Now I've seen two Star Wars movies.)

Our time with Levi, came way to quickly and 

the next morning he headed back home to

his excited brothers and sisters.

~~~~****~~~~

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,"

Jeremiah 29:11

Update for those who want the Taco Rice Casserole Recipe....

This recipe is so old I have reworked it.

I use frozen corn, not canned.

Sorry, it's so blurry.

Ahhh... September

It was a perfect day for a drive with the top down,

 to the country!

Destination;  a  Produce Stand that was brimming

with fresh, huge, colorful and 

delicious fruits and veggies.

 

Can't miss the unique sign and where to turn 🠊.

Greeted with the "Hello" from the pumpkins and

then a, "Howdy", from the peppers!

 These cantaloupes whispered, "Take me home" and we did!

They are so delicious and sweet!

If you live in Idaho, you know about potatoes!

Can you say zucchini? 

Oh yeah, pears!

Below is a picture of a farm across the street.

This is where the all the cantaloupes are grown.

Cabbages that were the size of bowling balls!

Now what would a Produce Stand be without Sunflowers?

On the way home we (me!) saw a Honey Store.

Gotta Stop, right?

We did!

Tom went wild when he saw all the jellies and sauces.

What a fun day.

Here is our bounty!

We had an early dinner of BLT's. No picture of the sandwiches, we were hungry.

🪕And now for Banjo...

 He needed a bath something fierce.

I couldn't find him, at first.

Oh, there you are, you little stinker!

He knew what was up for him.

~~~~****~~~~

"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving."

Colossians 4:2

One More Time!

Mark and Kimmy bought an RV that sleeps 10!

Let's go Camping!!

The RV that sleeps 10

So that's what we did.

Tom and I packed our 2 person RV.

The RV that sleeps 2

It's the end of the camping season, so there were plenty of spots available.

We got two that were side by side with a

 big patch of grass in between each RV.

The bikes were unpacked and the kids were off!

Papa was a kid again and joined in the fun.

Tom even joined in some wrestling matches

with Silas and Isaac.

Their new RV is so big,

 that the girls have their own bunk beds. 

Here's Lulu in her bunk, showing us her window.

Levi was in charge of the wood chopping.

Silas "supervising" his older brother.

We were surprised when a fellow camper, 

pulled up in 

the very same RV as ours.

Here we are enjoying the camp fire and Levi's hard work.

In between the crackling of the fire, we heard coyotes howling!

Freaky!!

Must be Fall because the mornings were COLD!

Nothing like a hot cup of coffee, to warm you up.

Lulu found a quiet place to write.

The back door of our RV opens up!

Another quiet spot... in the shade.

Papa giving out back scratches.

Ila May did a lot of drawing in her sketch book.

She is getting really good!

Lulu and I went on a bike ride and 

found a perfect spot for a selfie.

In the mornings we had visitors. 

Or what I called, our Alarm Clocks !

Move over Grammie-Goo and Papa!

Yes... you can get 7 people in our

2 person van!

~~~~****~~~~

"The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, 

For His compassions never fail.

They are new ever morning;

Great is Your faithfulness."

Lamentations 3:22-23