Big Dreams of Little Boys

This morning we awoke to the beauty of white flakes floating from the sky.

My little "snuggle bug" came down for his morning cuddle.  A daily ritual that I cherish.  We opened the curtains and lazily watched the snow fall while burrowed in a soft haven of warm covers and piles of pillows.  As always, we discussed what was on my little boy's mind.  He always talks with me best in the morning...I just listen.

This morning it was the idea of owning sheep.  He has decided he wants to have sheep... a farm... a dog to herd the sheep... a big RED barn with a big hay loft... a horse for Sissy to ride any time she wants...and a bright brown fence.  He will drive a tractor... his wife will plant the alfalfa....etc.

I smiled and held my little boy with big boy dreams...

Great is My Thankfulness

The past few weeks have been overflowing with goodness.

"The Crab Apple Tree in it's Fall Glory"


Hours have been spent learning about trees.

We had a wonderful time sharing our discoveries with our dear friends (and kindred spirits) who also homeschool:  Check out our day in the park over at the Kronz family blog.

Our Autumn has been warm and lovely.  Entire afternoons have been spent in Nature Study and play...

The Garden has been "put to bed".  Winter is soon to arrive and the cold nights are already here to stay.

Currently, as we prepare our hearts for the celebration of "Thanksgiving", we have been reading all about the history of the Pilgrims and the sacrifices they made to practice their religious convictions in the midst of oppression.

The Children have read of the hardships that many of the Pilgrim's endured,  their passionate journey to America to find a new homeland where they could enjoy both prosperity and religious freedom, and how God worked to guide them through it all.

We have also read a few old classics, like "An Old fashioned Thanksgiving" by Lousia May Alcott  and  "A Cranberry Thanksgiving" by Wende and Harry Devlin.

Thomas insisted on making Grandma's Famous Cranberry Bread recipe from the back of the book, "A Cranberry Thanksgiving"

Today, the wonderful smell of Cranberry breads have been filling the kitchen...

Great is My Thankfulness...  

Welcome Fall

Is seems but a short moment and the seasons have changed once again.  I always feel a bit melancholy as I bid farewell to summer... it's freedom is so lovely.

Yet, fall brings winds of change...the warmth of an old sweater becomes my comfort.  As I sip my coffee in the morning hours and await the dawn of a new and glorious day, I marvel at the sun as it rises over the mountains and wonder at it all...time slows down for a moment and I savor the possibility of today.

Our routine has been set, the kitchen table if full of eraser dust, books and paper...we are back to book learning .


Our minds are turned toward the end of the year and a season of Thanksgiving which brings family and friends to our home.

I feel as though time is slipping through my fingers... I try to hold on to each day.

Life is sweet... and precious... and oh so wonderful.

The Golden Spike

My husband and son are pretty excited about anything that has to do with trains...

We had the opportunity on our "last summer fling" to make a little side trip just north of the Great Salt Lake, to visit the site where East (the Union Pacific) met West (Central Pacific) via rail for the first time in the history of the United States:  The intersection of the Transcontinental Railroad in Promontory, Utah.  This historical event changed the way people traveled and brought the two coasts closer together than ever before.

On average, it took approximately 6 months by horse and carriage to travel the distance prior to this event.

The trip was dangerous with many perils along the way.   On average, at least one family member died along the way, not to mention, the lifetime commitment and expense that was paid.  Most families never saw their relatives again once they left. 

With the transcontinental railway connecting the country, it  brought that same travel distance time down to approximately four days!

This meant that folks could travel back and forth easily and without too much expense (and in pure luxury, comparatively speaking).  What an amazing thing... I guess you could liken it to the invention of  the modern day airline.

We happened to show up right around the time that they demonstrated this historic event with replicas of the first two steam engines touching nose to nose on the day of the inauguration.


What a wonderful opportunity to see History come to life! 

Mt. Zion National Park

As we bid our family goodbye, for now, we headed north to the land of red rock and sandstone...

We made a stop to see the famous Hoover Dam... holding back the mighty Colorado River.

What an amazing work it was, especially when you think of the time in which it was built.  The Great Depression Era.  This was before many of the engineering and technological advancements we have today... 

It was impressive for sure!

 

One thing that was just really fun for us was that the Dam spans two States...

 

And Two Time Zones!

The next day we made our way into Zion National Park and enjoyed a day of hiking, touring by car and sightseeing.

In the morning we took a scenic tour through the Zion Canyon and hiked the Grotto and Kayenta Trails (together, about a two and a half mile loop.)

The trail was pretty steep, but the kids did great and we all had a wonderful time!

 Beauty was everywhere to behold...

 

After our hike, it started to rain.  We were planning on heading up river, but instead decided to go by car to visit the East side of the Park.

Of course we encountered road construction... that was OK because it gave us a chance to enjoy the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep on the side of the road.

 

You just don't see this everyday!

After a short drive through the mountain tunnels, we found ourselves on the Eastern side of Zion. 

 Sarah at the Eastern Gate of Zion


After all that driving, Thomas decided that it was time to climb a mountain...

I decided to stay on the ground and watch as they hiked higher and higher...

  My very own Mountain Goats!

  

After everyone returned safely from mountain climbing, we circled North on a scenic highway around the edge of Zion and made our way back to Cedar City for the night...

We did make one more stop though...to watch the sunset.

There is an area known as the Kolob Section...it is another part of Zion Park.

The view was breathtaking...

 

We had a lovely day...

Our Last Summer Fling

To celebrate the end of summer,and to just enjoy some quality time together, we decided to head off "down south" to visit with family as well as vacation a bit along the way!

Thomas is swimming like a fish now!

We enjoyed a lovely time in Palm Springs with my parents and Grandma. The luxurious Thomas Family Resort and Spa was fabulous.

It was an average of about 115 degrees every day and we spent much of our time in the pool!

It was fun to share and laugh and eat wonderful tasting food together for several days...we were spoiled for sure... very relaxing indeed.

We also made a special trip into Los Angeles to visit my Grandpa and Becky.

Grandpa Thomas and his new wife Becky

Sarah and her Great Grandpa

The children enjoyed exploring their back yard filled with fruit trees and my late Grandmother's beautiful roses and birdhouses...I saw touches of her hand still living on in memory of her. I miss her very much.


Visiting with Grandpa was so good. We laughed and got caught up with all the extended family members as well as cooked some Lebanese Majadra (a middle eastern dish consisting of lentils, rice and onions) together....

While in LA, we spent part of a day visiting the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits.



It was fascinating to learn about the still visible tar pits that have been excavated over the years holding thousands and thousands of bones from very old or extinct animals including ancient horses, wolves, Saber Toothed Tigers and Giant Sloths... What was most fascinating to us was that the ground all around is still oozing up tar... right in the middle of down town Los Angeles!

Beauty springing up out of tar...

Our visit with family was a blessing and we are so very thankful for every opportunity we have to enjoy their company and share in their lives.