Wonderful trip, but good to get home! :) Lots of pics!

I had a wonderful week and a half trip but I was ready for home when it was time to leave! Confirmation that I'm where I'm supposed to be! There was a LOT of traveling; the rental car got 1,000 miles put on it! I did get to see ALL of my family along the way so that was awesome!! Saw more of my granddaughters then I expected so that was super awesome! :) And the best part? Convention!!! Got Saturday and Sunday. Maybe I should make that a new tradition? Going to Boring 2 for the weekend and see family the next week...

My dad is doing okay. He's not super happy to be in a foster care home but that's the level of care needed now. They do allow him to go on the bus still so that's good. Diet and aspiration pneumonia are the biggest things now. My brothers and their families are doing okay as well. Both their families and my dad are in Klamath Falls now. My sister has health issues but is holding in there. She's in Grants Pass. Also got to see a dear friend when I went through Grants Pass for breakfast. That was a pretty drive when I went from Klamath to Grants Pass. Left Klamath at 5 am so got to see the sunrise as I was coming down the hill into Medford.  Made for a long day though! Didn't get to where I was staying until 7 pm! Granddaughters are doing well. I got to see Teagan do her gymnastics class! She's a lot more flexible then I ever was and is doing really well in gymnastics.

And then I got to make it a partial business trip because I actually met with one of the few clients I still have left! And got my Bowenworks treatment. My body responds super well to Bowenworks. Much better then chiropractic etc. I sure do wish that there was someone near me that did it! There's only three in all of Idaho and no one is closer then 3 or so hours. :( I'd almost have to take a Friday off and stay for the weekend so the treatment wasn't ruined in the drive back home. One near Boise so maybe???  Anyone want to learn Bowenworks? The lady that treats me in Portland is willing to teach! :)

Got home to a garden with lots of beans and tomatoes. It was nice here the whole time I was gone so it did quite well! (Rained off and on in Portland). Kitties were so happy to see me. Sometimes they'll ignore me because they are too happy but not this time!!

And then back to work the next day! Everything went smoothly when I was gone so was very thankful for that!! I'm very, very thankful for a job that fits my skill set so perfectly and has lots of room to grow and learn knew things! Harvest time is upon use so things have been hopping! Last Saturday we had quite the wind/dust storm. First time I've ever seen the blinking lights on for tuning in for weather issues. It was an interesting drive from Twin Falls to Rupert. Lots and lots and lots of dust. One area was pretty bad but the rest was more a mid level fog thickness. Could more or less see but needed lights on. Wind would be on par to what we had in Gresham with the East winds, but with harvest going on everywhere and lots and lots and lots of loose soil it really stirs up the dust!

Not the greatest lighting but Christina, me, Aunt Nancy

Boring Convention grounds

A group of kids making wonderful memories

Boring Grounds

Boring Convention

Sisters! We had lunch together on Labor Day.

Erika's shirt... 😂

Tegan and Scarlet playing.

Teagan practicing her bridge. She started standing and then bent backwards to this position.

My dad! :)

A cool tree we saw on our walk.

Allen, our dad, me, and Alex

Thank you Merle and Carolyn for dinner at Crazy R!! 

Iconic Grants Pass sign. It was there when I was growing up.

Nick, Teagan, Erika and Scarlet

Nick, Scarlet, and Erika

Scarlet is picking up pine cones. Great grandma pays them a penny a pine cone!

Scarlet is counting her stash! And this is Henry, Bobbies 'new' golden retriever. She's had him a while but it's the first time I've seen him.

Teagan is gathering her stash of pine cones!

Henry... Hey I'm here!!

Trying to get a group picture! 😂

My girls and I

Teagan and great grandma Bobbie

💗

Teagan at gymnastics. Just came straight from the bus stop

Scarlet

Back to wide open spaces and a gorgeous sunset on the way home.

Pick from the garden

Ignore the bugs on the windshield! What you see beyond that is a dust storm. The wind was whipping around pretty good. Probably equivalent to the east winds in Gresham but lots and lots of dust! 

The day after the windstorm was crystal clear!

You'd think that that door hadn't been open in a long time the way they ran to it when it was opened!! :)

Getting excited!

To go and see everyone! I didn't think it was going to work out this year but since we need to take care of a few things with my dad (he's doing okay) I'm going to head out to Oregon! So thankful that I could get the time off! So I'll get to see my brothers and sister and some friends as well! And the Grandkids!!! I wasn't able to see my family in Southern Oregon before leaving so I'm glad it'll happen this year since I have a feeling it could a while after that.

With some new people reading the blog I thought I'd give a really brief history of my blog. I think I've hinted a few times about my husband but not really said much. This blog started as therapy of sorts for me. It's been close to 8 full years since he never came home from work and we have yet to see/hear from him since then. We're very hopeful that one day soon we'll see him again. We really don't know for sure what happen but I have some pretty good guesses. But it's actually been a pretty good journey since then and it's been amazing the strength that my Father has been able to give. It's been amazing everything that has happened and I really can't say that I'd have it any other because of all the privileges that would probably never happened otherwise. Anything that happens can be used for good and to grow and that continues to be my goal. Both my girls have grown tremendously because of this as well. They are doing wonderful and for that I'm very thankful!

Pretty much worked outside all day and loved it! Lots more digging going on as I try and get the other side of my driveway, next to the road, cleared out of weeds etc. It's amazing how much garbage I'm finding! I know the favorite beer that was drunk by previous owners! Finding Bud Light bottle caps everywhere I dig! It's crazy!

Had my 3 month review at work last week and it went awesome! It's been going really well at work. Hard to believe its been over 3 months now! Harvest should be starting soon at the farm so that will be another experience! Been learning lots of new stuff this last week!!  I think we're past the peak of summer weather. Forecast shows in the 80's next week versus the 90's it's been for the last month and a half. Really hoping that I get a decent amount of cucumbers before it gets too cold! And dragonflies! There's quite a few of them around my garden area. The other day I went out and there were 5 of them in the little garden area I have.

Today's digging...

What's left

Other side is done!!

Whew!! 

Sunset- The smoke sure does give some gorgeous sunsets!

Dragonfly. 

Thunderstorms were back for a couple of days.

At the farm.

A lemon cucumber!

Only way I could get a picture was through a video! :)

Another dragonfly

Pippy kept me company during the Sunday nap.

Purple pole beans- So yummy!!

The garden

Another view of the garden

And another angle. :)

A sunny view at the farm!

This is for those who don't know what a puncture vine is (also called a goat head). They hurt when they poke! And there's multiple thorns on each one of them. They're everywhere here! And I've heard that they can sit dormant for years and years.

How time flies! Updates

Hard to believe it's been about a month since I posted! One side of the driveway is almost completely cleaned out of weeds and then the other side has some work but isn't near as bad since quite a bit was done on it in June. Once that's done it'll be time for gravel!!! I don't need a mud pit this winter/next spring! The garden is doing awesome! Picked the first beans today. I planted purple pole beans so they should give me beans for the rest of the month!! Can see the first cucumber setting so hopefully it grows and i'll get cucumbers as well!!! Tomatoes are doing awesome! Picked a nice amount of sun gold cherry tomatoes (they're the best! really sweet!). Picked the biggest tomato I've ever grown yesterday. That was exciting! 😃 It helps to have sunny warm days all month! Although today was in the low 80's so it was pretty nice! But back to the 90's next week. I think we only had 3 or 4 days below 90 last month. Way different compared to Portland is normally like (although this year has been warmer). Snake River is still running pretty good though from what I can see.

Went to a funeral today for one of our friends here. I didn't get to know her very well since she was gone for a while and then got sick. She touched many lives and it was very evident. It wasn't a small room and it was standing room only. Loved what we heard about the soul. It's a living thing and has feelings too.  I've also enjoyed thinking about the heart. What we allow to go into us (what is read, what is done on the computer etc) is what comes out of us. One lesson I've learned over time is that sooner or later what's truly in the heart shows. It's either due to age or a really tough experience that pulls the true feeling out. We can be pretty good about hiding what really there to most people but when dementia sets in the control disappears. It's really kind of sad sometimes what starts coming out. But my Grandma Layman was the most wonderful dementia patient and had a wonderful spirit. But then I've seen/experienced the complete opposite and it was anything but easy. Pretty sure I've mentioned it before but it was real to me again this week.

Work is going awesome still! Gradually working through projects. Have a really big one coming up that will keep me busy though! I'm also learning a ton about potatoes. Who knew that there was so much to learn about them!! :)  I believe this next week is my three month review. It's hard to believe that it's already been three months!!! I also may meet with my first client here tomorrow!

Got an amazing bill today! I had what I think was an anxiety attack the last Wednesday of June. No clue why it happened but ended up going to the hospital since it felt exactly like a heart issue. One person did tell me that it's possible my body wasn't sure what to do without the stress/low level anxiety that I'd been dealing with for so many years and decided to create anxiety. She said its unusual but has happened. I have another possible theory but anyway it was not a fun hour while the pain was there! Anyway the chest X-ray was .... $25.00.... Crazy, but awesome!! I was also out of ER in an hour! And back to work in 2 hours. Round trip was 40 minutes. Small towns are awesome and the staff was wonderful. We'll see what the rest of the bills are like but I'm now hopeful they don't drain my savings!

Dave has been heavy on my heart recently so hope that all is okay there. One doesn't forget those that they love regardless of what happens. If you're reading this know that you're in my prayers and thoughts.

The section that's almost done!

This is all that's left! Will be so glad when it's done!!

Yum!!!!

Who knew that sunflowers are a wild flower here!?! Pretty awesome!

No fires are close but still pretty smoky!!

Sun Gold cherry tomatoes. They are the best!!

The larger tomatoes

At the farm

At the farm

At the farm

Sunrise!

Praying Mantis!

Dragonfly!

White Satin Moth!

No clue! :) Please let me know if anyone reading this knows!

Guest Room is done!!!

July 10th..

July 27th.. Garden is doing great!!

Just a cool sun picture

Snake River

Snake River