Faith, trust and a little pixie dust!

I didn't go that day.The idea of sitting on a dock in the hot sun and murky water didn't appeal to me.  But I wanted pictures of the experience, so I put my faith in this little lady and she came through for me!

She did her part, I did mine.  She took the pictures,

I edited them.  Enhancing people and colors, tweeking the image just right to get the perfect picture.  But perfection only comes with perfect subjects and opportunities.  This was the day for that.

I know everyone contributed to the photography and fun.  I just zoomed in and let everyone

have a look.

The expressions tell the story.  Moments were captured and memories were made.

The perfect day was recorded.

From this point on, we all went our separate ways.  Our summer was over!

Horses - if God made anything more beautiful, he kept it for himself.

 ...I heard a neigh.  Oh, such a brisk and melodious neigh as that was!  My very heart leaped with delight at the sound.  ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire.  ~Sharon Ralls Lemon

There is nothing so good for the inside of a man as the outside of a horse. ~John Lubbock

He knows when you're happy
He knows when you're comfortable
He knows when you're confident
And he always knows when you have carrots.

Horses and children, I often think, have a lot of the good sense there is in the world.  ~Josephine Demott Robinson

A lovely horse is always an experience.... It is an emotional experience of the kind that is spoiled by words.  ~Beryl Markham

A horse is the projection of peoples' dreams about themselves - strong, powerful, beautiful - and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence. ~Pam Brown

Adventures: La Grande

When I look back over my pictures and blogs and scrapbooks from previous years, I always enjoy looking at our adventures in La Grande.  They are often the same year after year.  I found myself asking why?  Why is it that doing the same activities every year is so appealing.  I came up with some simple answers to this question.  Traditions.  They ingrain themselves into our fiber.  They root us together as a family.

They keep us grounded and connected to those we see all the time, and to those we see not so often.

Family.  A group of people connected for eternity. 

We live together and love experiences together. 

We are molded and shaped into ourselves through our experiences as a family.

We are allowed to learn and grow and become who we were meant to be because of the love of family.

We learn to help and love unconditionally.  It helps us become more like our Heavenly Father.

Memories shared bond us together.  These memories help us stay connected and rooted.

As we make memories together, we begin to realize

that through Heavenly Father's plan and our obedience to it that we will be together,

together forever...throughout eternity...if we are obedient and live up to the covenants we make.

What better hope for the future could we have?

The knowledge of the plan and the great promise of eternal blessings,

and earthly blessings from a loving Heavenly Father

 who wants us to succeed and become 

 a family FOREVER!

This knowledge makes me want to have adventures every year.

It makes me want to put out the effort  and sacrifices it takes

to build tradition

to provide memories

to really be with my family.

I will continue to do it as long as I can.

I will continue to blog it,

 and document it,

 and remember it,

 and love it,

 and believe in it,

 and rejoice in it,

 and relish it,

 and cherish it,

 and record it,

 and live it.

 Because I LOVE it and

 I want my kids to love it!

 And I want them to want adventures every year

 even if they are the same,

 yet different because new conversations are had

 new words are spoken,

 new moments are created

 and most of all, new memories are etched.

and that is why I love adventures in La Grande!