I BET YOU CAN'T GUESS WHO CAME FOR A VISIT...

You would be right if you guessed Sophia!
Oh, and her mommy and daddy came too. ;D

We went to a special place here that, everyone that lives here has
grown up with...BIG ROCKS. It's a super fun place created by our
dear mother nature just for kids! It is chuck full of all shapes and
sizes of giant rocks, looks like something right out of a Western movie.

There is so much to do here, you could hike it all day. There are real
Indian writings in a few caves too. Kids can imagine all sorts of things here.

It's a great place to have a bonfire and roast some hot dogs
and giant marshmallows and just chat the evening away.

Looks like a little girl is having a good time..YUM!

And grandma is too, anytime she has a sweet grand baby in her lap!

We joined our daughter's in laws for this fun time at Big Rocks,
they are such nice people, we love to be with them.

I think Sophia loves chickens like me...she had me go around to all
my chickens and make the chicken and rooster sounds..over and over!

It makes us so happy to be around our grands!

I took lots of pictures of these kids and their sweet baby.
I loved Sophia's cute outfit, it had little cherries all over it!

The next morning the kids had fun in the hot tub out on the deck.

Sophia loved the little bath toys I got for her to play with.

Then we went for walk around the back of our place, I had my
camera so I took some pictures around some of the places here.

See that little hand...she's talking to grandma!

Lots of rocks here to perch on.

And pretty little flowers that grandma picked, "just for me!"

Their little dog was trying so hard to stay balanced on that rock
(on your left) and he stood there for quite awhile too!

Oh, it's fun when daddy gives rides and grandma
plays the ...I'm going to get you game!

A sweet couple in a beautiful place...in every way.

I just kept taking pictures...such a beautiful back drop!

And we just had to put the little Miss up in a tree...

And she loved it! I think she will be a tree climber like grandma!

One last shot in a different direction...and before they have to go.
Always makes me sad when they go, but we will be together again,
that's what families are all about...here on earth and in Heaven too.


I am going to be busy with more family this weekend, so if I don't
get right back to you, please know that I will catch up with you as
soon as I can.


Oh, and by the way...Our place here is...FOR SALE.

We have decided to go a different direction in preparing
for this last quarter of our lives. We want to go and serve
the Lord more, and to be able to do so, so we are down sizing
big time. We will most likely sell this place with most everything
in it....more about all of that in the next post...stay tuned!


LOVE TO YOU ALL

LET'S GO FOR A RIDE TO THE PARKER....

I had to show you my sister in law's pretty flowers...
I just love them planted in an old washer machine. They also
have a green house just full of veggies and flowers that are thriving.

Jump in the Jeep, we are headed out to Parker Mountain. This is a favorite mountain of the Harward bunch, they have been deer hunting on it for years. Today we are rolling along listening to satellite radio and munching on goodies, enjoying the ride with soft leather seats...fun!

This must be Old Bossy...look at that sassy look!
The mountain is full of cattle and sheep that range
there all summer long.

Well, peek a boo to you too! The mountain is also full of deer, elk, bear, antelope, although the antelope are fewer in number this year. I loved how this deer was peeking out at us, I never get over their cuteness.

This Prairie dog was keeping a close watch on us as we entered his neighborhood!

If your not the driver you are the fence opener and shutter...well, somebodies got to do it!

Beautiful herds of deer everywhere...and yes, my

husband had his rifle, but just for spotting with the scope.

I am a good shot with a gun but I have never had the desire to kill a deer or any animal.

Yes, there are bear here too and there has been for years.

It spooks me a bit when we are up there riding our horses.

This is what the bear do to trees...use them for scratching posts!

I think this must be a Zebra Tree ;D

Roads lined with Quakes everywhere, I think we took them all!

The view from one direction at the top...breathtaking!
What an immense country and earth and world..no doubts here
who created and is in charge of the good earth!

Beauty hidden among the rocks on a windy hill...amazing!

All this green is the tops of new baby Quakes growing..kind of looked like the nursery to me, being watched over by all the mom's and grandma's...yes those are grandma thoughts. :D

Sheep with their babies everywhere and sheep camps and herders...

One of the herders...on duty...keeping a watch on us strangers!

An old homesteders cabin, setting on 650 acres in the middle of the

mountain, I imagine those were tough days, especially in the winter time.

A beautiful closing shot out my window...amazing.
And a fun day spent with some family.


LOVE TO YOU ALL

COME ALONG FOR A RIDE AND A GOODIE....

Come with me for a little ride my friends...

"HIGHWAY TO THE DANGER ZONE
GONNA TAKE YOU
RIGHT INTO THE DANGER ZONE"

(Kenny Loggins)

Yes my friends come with me, do not be afraid, I am a great
driver! Yes, I got my drivers license at Sears, it is ok...and
no, it is not fake, my buddies have assured me it is real. My
mom said I could drive but no texting and I'm ok with that...
"Highway to the danger zone"...let her rip!

(Don't look at the hands on the wheel, those are fake hands!)

Hey ma...I'm getting a little scared here...

Ah, don't worry Cougar, I'll take the wheel if he does anything crazy!
Ok Mom, but I don't think his beadie little eyes can see very well and
besides that, he drives too dang fast for me!

Oh who cares, I got my Mom to keep me warm... gonna get some zzzzz's.

We're off to the farmers place get some hay for the horses, hang on everybody!
The farmer sure has some rough looking dogs, one has a gimpy leg and the other
one has only one ear...I heard the farmer say that a coyote got it!

ER ER ER ER ERRRR!
Thats Welcome Home talk from our rooster.

The horses love it when we pull in with a load of hay, they get so excited!
As soon as we open the gate to where we store their hay, they head in there
faster than we can get out of the truck to get them out of there.

Oh num num num...wish we could eat in here all the time.

My Hunk-a-do getting things all lined up to unload this big bale of hay.
(And yes, that is my shadow in the bottom taking pictures of my honey,
thats my job you know.)

Hook the chain to the corral post and one, two, three, out it comes!
Landing in the perfect spot...is there anything we can't do honey?
Guess not...team work, we're good at that. I think raising our 8 kids
together taught us that. ( We had 2 of these big bales in the truck.)

Hi Mom...Am I rolling in the loose hay? Who me? No, not me,
I wouldn't do that! I'm just laying here out of the sun.

Ahhh, ok, you caught me! But Mom, you gotta try this, it is some
kind of wonderful! It scratches all my itches just perfect...ahhh.

And then I'm goin shake it all off so you can pet me...
wait a minute...I feel a shake comin on..watch out!!!

Mr. Red and Jeff are getting anxious for some of that new hay...
come on throw it right into the feeder..come on!

Thanks for coming along for the ride and the bale of hay ladies!
And now for a yummy recipe that I just know you will love!

"HOMEMADE TWIX BARS"

Make the base first;
1 cup flour
(cake flour if you like)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
Mix and then press into a
9x9 pan...bake at 325' for 20 min.

Filling;
In a pan, 1/2 cup butter
2 T. corn syrup
1/2 cup condensed milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and
stir for 5 min. Pour over hot base.
Chill 1 hour in fridge.

Now, melt in microwave, 1 min. at
a time a large (100g.) Cadbury milk
chocolate bar. Pour this over the filling.
Cool and let set up. Cut and enjoy!

Our daughter Lindsey on the right and her husband Michael with
their baby Sophia, along with their friend and realtor Larz Askeroth.

This is the day they signed the papers for their new home. Lindsey said they
felt so nervous but they look pretty calm and happy to me, and now they
are just loving the new home.

See that fake rock at the bottom of the picture, well...

The other day as my other daughter and family were visiting
Lindsey and was time to go, so they packed up the baby and loaded
things into the car...but where was their little boy Caleb?

They all looked all over and were starting to feel a bit panicky.
One of them lifted the rock...and there he was! All that time he's been
hiding in such a good hiding spot that no one was going to find him!
And they nearly didn't...Kids!



And before I go, I wanted to share this about us women...

I love that and it is so true. Thank goodness for good women everywhere!

No matter if we are of different faiths, we have so much in common too.
There are so many good women of every faith everywhere, doing a great
job of raising and loving their families and that is what it's all about.

Have a great rest of the week my friends, sending you my love and hugs!