Camping again - Smiles this time.

We have returned from camping again in the beautiful CO mountains. This time we were with our daughter and son-in-law and it was great spending some quality time with them.
Our awning that blew off on the last trip was fixed and ready to shade us from the CO sun.
We are ready for a hike, hats on and extra jacket for any rain sprinkles that might come up.

This little mountain lake is nestled near one of the hiking trails.
At one high point, you felt like you could see forever and forever!!
We counted about 20 different varieties of wild flowers on our trip. Because we've had a lot of rain, they are in abundance and dot the countryside with their pristine beauty.
Evenings were spent at the campfire, cooking our meals and roasting marshmallows. Later we enjoyed playing games in our RV.
There is nothing like the sunsets in the mountains, with the gentle breezes and sounds of the wild in the distance. Such beauty the Lord has created for us to enjoy!
Our last night up there, it rained hard but there was a beautiful double rainbow at the same time! Reminding us of the Lord's promise to us and His faithfulness at all times.

Happy 4th of July

Thanking God for our country on this 4th of July! I am proud to be an American!

A Jelly Bean Prayer

Looking through some old boxed things, I found a bottle of jelly beans with this prayer.
Red is for the blood He gave.
Green is for the grass He made.
Yellow is for the sun so bright.
Orange is for the edge of night.
Black is for the sins we made.
White is for the grace He gave.
Purple is for His hour of sorrow.
Pink is for our new tomorrow.

A jar full of Jelly Beans
So colorful and sweet;
is a prayer, is a promise,
is a loved one's treat
Dicksons

So next time you eat some jelly beans, think about what the colors mean.

Camping - Woops and Hurrah

Camping with friends at the beautiful Cherry Creek State park was fun, with one exception.

Shortly after our arrival, a sudden gust of wind (we think it was a microburst) blew our awning over the top of the RV, ripping it off, and slamming it against the other side.

We were able to remove the awning and roll it back up. The arms holding the awning were all messed up also. The Insurance agent came out to the park, took pictures, and let us know it would be covered.
We still had a very enjoyable time.

From our parking spot, we were able to watch a bicycle race with hundreds of racers.

We hiked down to the lake, saw some ducks and other wildlife.
We were visited with many beautiful birds and enjoyed waking up to their singing every morning.
The sunsets were breathtaking each evening. And just being with our good friends, fellowshipping, playing games, and enjoying the outdoors made this a great camping trip!

Tornado near our house

Driving home from lunch after Church, we heard the tornado sirens, and looking up, saw this tornado. I have never seen a tornado that close before. It was very unnerving. I took pictures of it out the window of our car as we drove along.
We were driving down the Interstate past our Mall, when it seemed to be coming right towards us. I asked my hubby to speed up in spite of the hail.
This was taken of our rear view mirror, after we passed the Mall.

Arriving home, we turned on the TV and found that the tornado had touched down at the Mall (about a mile from us), causing damage but no injuries to anyone.

Our grandaughter and family live right next to the Mall, and they had a couple of windows blown out at their house.

We thank the Lord for His protection today.

Camping by the River

Summer is here and we have been camping again! We, of course, are able to enjoy the outdoors so much more with our RV.

This is a beautiful spot in the CO mountains where we were camped with our Good Sam's Camping group.
We were parked along the river by a small waterfall. The soothing sound of the rushing water lulled us to sleep every night.
We had some time to relax, read, enjoy the music of the sparkling water, and soak up some of the warm balmy Colorado sunshine.
The lilacs were in bloom and they enhanced our enjoyment as we walked around the campground. Lilacs are one of my favorite flowers.
One evening, we roasted marshmallows. Mmmm - my DH knows how to cook them just right.

As night fell, one of our camper friends read us cowboy poetry by the light of the campfire.

The next morning, we had a wonderful potluck breakfast, my DH gave us our Sunday devotional, and we headed home, savoring the memories we had made with our friends.

Memorial Day 2009

God bless America is one of my favorite patriotic songs. On this Memorial Day, we think of those who have given their lives in service to our country. We also honor and thank the men and women who are currently serving in our military. Because of their commitment and sacrifice, we are able to live in a free country and live and worship as we choose.

Many thanks to all in the military today! We love and appreciate each one of you!

Spring Beauty #5

Driving along, we saw these deer along the side of the road, grazing on the newly green grass. They were so serene and just looked at us with no fear.

Spring Beauty #4

The country side is greening up and I took this windmill picture as we drove along. I always love looking at the windmills.

Spring Beauty #3

The trees are blooming and we can hear birds singing to wake us up every morning! What a beautiful time of year!

Spring Beauty #2

Flowers at the mall near us. So cheerful and colorful. Today is Armed Forces Day. Pray for all our men and women in the armed forces. We are so thankful for their service to this country!!

Spring Beauty

Spring is finally here in all it's glory. I'm going to post some of the beauty of Spring in our area this week. Have a great week!

Clouds and Mountain Inspirations

The clouds in formations over the mountains never fail to inspire me.

A lonely tree stands guard over the newly green countryside, waiting for it's time to bloom.

The rays of the sun shine through the clouds, before quietly sliding behind the mountains and bidding us goodnight.

I am reminded of the Scripture verse in Psalm 91:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies proclaim the work of His hands." (NIV)

How thankful I am that the Lord gave us His glorious creation to enjoy!

Happy May Day

I remember as a grade school person, we would give May baskets to our friends. I don't think kids do this now. But it was a fun thing to do. Happy May Day!

Wordless Wednesday - Pet cemetery

Driving by this spot up in the mountains, we wondered what all the crosses were. It was a Pet Cemetery. Anyone who has ever lost a special pet knows the sorrow of the loss. I thought this was a very poignant picture of all the beloved pets that are gone.

Arrival of Spring

After all the snow we have had, it's great to actually see tulips. These were taken at the Mall close to us. They tell me that they were planted in October, so they would come up in the Spring. Because of all our snow, these came up a little later than they expected. We went to the coffee shop in the mall and enjoyed the beautiful flowers all over. Happy Spring everyone!

China Childhood Memories - Suspension Bridge

I have never liked heights. When I found this picture a few years ago, I remembered the story my Mom told of a suspension bridge in China many years ago. We had to cross a suspension bridge that was fairly long. It was very unstable, swinging to and fro, with boards missing in places. As you walked, you could see the rocky depths below! My Dad went on ahead to test the strength of the bridge and Mom and I followed. My Mom had faced many dangers in her missionary travels, but this time she was fearful. When we were half way across the bridge, she couldn't go any further. She and I sat down on the bridge and waited until my Dad came and helped us across the rest of the way.

Many times we face challenges in our lives, and we feel we can't go any further. Then our Lord comes, takes our hands, and leads us to victory.

For more inspirational posts go to Spiritual Sundays.

Spring is finally here

The little bunny under our tree is happy that Spring is finally here .... unless we get rain/snow this weekend!

Continued Snowstorm

Trees are covered with snow and it's still snowing. We may have up to 27 inches before this is all over. The HOA shovels here - but my hubby likes to get snow off as it falls, before it gets too deep. Shoveling, hot chocolate, and a nice puzzle to work on while watching the Colorado Rockies playing in warm sunny Arizona later. :)
"This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

My husband mentioned some interesting facts about psalms:
Psalm 118 is the middle chapter of the Bible and Psalm 118:8 is the middle verse.
Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible and Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible.

Snowstorm has arrived

Our Spring snowstorm arrived in all it's beauty - snowing continuously all day and evening. These are the evergreens in our back yard.
This is looking down the area between our houses in the back -
and looking out our front door towards the street!
I love how my writer friend, Megan DiMaria, put it - "I feel like I'm living in a snowglobe!"
So a nice day was spent scrapbooking, while hubby watched the ball game. We have a great puzzle to put together for later.
Our yards really needed the moisture, so this is a wondrous gift from God.