Just Fishing

I'm not really a huge fan of fishing, however I am a fan of soaking in every ounce of gorgeous weather in remote spots only accessible  by gravel roads. So I was easily convinced to go fish with my Grandpa and Rhonda (my mom is about as into fishing as I am as you will soon see).

Necessary fishing - errr sunbathing -  supplies.

The motley crew of fishers

Rhonda might have been the one to do all the work on this particular adventure...Thank goodness for her professional fishing skills

 Obviously my mom is not a professional fisher but instead a professional crocheter, everyone crochets while fishing right??

Missing Niobrara

Niobrara is my happy place - I've said it a million times. I love how laid back it is, I love the wide open spaces, I love that we have no deadlines and no commitments. Could I live there 24/7? Maybe someday but certainly not now. I am sure I would go crazy in a matter of months. Or I would quickly find ways to fill my time much like now. But I am so grateful that we are blessed with this amazing getaway.

Fall is such a great time to go as the countryside looks gorgeous awash in fall colors, you can ride the ranger in a hoodie, take long walks and not sweat, and best of all have bonfires. Sadly I am just too stinking busy at home to make the trek - as soon as the election is over I am hightailing it for a weekend of relaxation without a doubt. Hopefully fall will linger a bit longer this year....

I am MIA - sorry

For some reason I haven't been motivated or creative these last few weeks. I think every ounce of energy is directed at the campaign and my City council FB page or blog. I do have these few fun Iphone pics during recent much needed runs. Better pics coming soon I promise.

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will." Romans 12:2

Election Highs and Lows

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to preserve so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." Hebrews 10:35-36

I'm a people pleaser, I want everyone to like me and I get upset anytime I know someone doesn't like me or I hear something negative. I know I need thicker skin and I realize it's impossible to please everyone. I have put myself in the public eye by becoming an elected official so there are bound to be people that wont like me or wont agree with my views. However, none of this stops me from fretting and stewing over any negative comment I receive or unpleasant feedback. Luckily it doesn't happen often but even one comment has me second guessing myself. Someone called me a jerk on a public FB page last week and I worried about this comment for entirely too long. I need to learn to let things roll off me better, especially as I am sure during this election season I will hear plenty of negative along with the positive.

"Many plans are in a person's mind, but the Lord's purpose will succeed" Proverbs 19:21,

This is giving me peace and comfort during this election season. I know what my plans are but have to put my faith in God and realize if it is his purpose for me to serve another term on council then it will happen. Obviously I will still work very hard to do everything in my power to win the votes I need, but somehow I feel less stressed and less worried this election year knowing ultimately he is looking out for my best interest. I need to keep reminding myself of this throughout the next few months and looking to positive scripture as reinforcement of my worth. Ensuring I don't let opinions of others get me down or feeling less worthy.

Obviously these pictures are irrelevant to the subject matter - but every post is better with a little eye candy right??

Never Forget

Today is a day to reflect and remember. To pray for those who lost loved ones in the horrifc attacks  on 9/11 or in the years following as they defended our country. Even more important, is to continue to pray for and thank those still fighting for our freedom. Thank you to each and every one of you that serve and your family members that support your efforts. Thank you to the members of our police and fire departments that always rush in to help regardless of the dangers. I know these aren't easy jobs and ones with the greatest of risks.

Brooklyn Limestone posted a really neat photo of the Memorial, click here to see it.

Guatemala - the Market

Every Sunday the village has a huge outdoor market. We were lucky enough to get to go twice during our time in Guatemala. We would go first to do our shopping, then head back to the orphanage and grab all the kids to take them back to the market for goodies or treats.

I still have several sets of Guatemala pictures to share so figured no time like the present to try to catch up. These are from the local market in San Andres Sajcabaja. It was truly a local market and not touristy at all. I LOVED it for this reason.

Plus it felt great to know we were supporting the local economy and people of that village in a positive way. Shopping is always fun, but even more so when you are directly helping others. I wish I would have filled up an extra suitcase with goods to sell back here. Next time I just might as then could have a portion of the proceeds go to the missionaries and orphanage. Just such beautiful textiles and pottery.

Probably the best part of the market was taking the orphanage kids for treats, they had so much fun and were the most patient kids I know waiting for their turn. Amazing.

There were so many more photos I wanted to take and several times I wanted to break out the real camera not the Iphone but the missionaries had told us not to use our big cameras and to not be over the top with pictures as in these small villages it would feel like an invasion of privacy. Which makes total sense as I wouldn't want some stranger taking a bunch of pics of me either during my day to day tasks.

The Golden Hour

I love that golden hour, the final bit of sunlight for the day. Not nearly as harsh as the full midday sun but still gorgeous and full of promise. 

 Of course this golden hour is even better in Niobrara where I have time to stop and enjoy it, relax outside with a drink, take a ride on the ranger, go for a walk, read a book, all those perfect things that one rarely fits in during normal hectic life.

Dreamy I tell ya! Moments like this and views like this also have me yearning to take a few photography classes so I can learn how to truly capture this beauty through the lens of a camera.

Our First Camping Trip in the Holiday Rambler

Our fist camping trip in the Holiday Rambler was a complete success! We all loved every minute of it. My dad, Grandpa, and Rhonda only half camped (they didn't stay over night) ;) but we had a great time together enjoying the views, the company, and the new to us motor home. We made delicious campfire dinners, snacks, and breakfast, played cards, got eaten alive by bugs, enjoyed the cool night air, and most important spent quality time together.

I can't wait to go on another camping adventure, next time for a few days instead of just one. We are so lucky to have the Niobrara State Park a mere two miles from our cabin so it makes camping crazy easy. I also can't believe what a bargain this motor home was. Everything works like a charm! Obviously it's quite dated but at the same time it was clean and free of any stains or odd smells once I put some elbow grease into it. I am sure in the near future we will undertake a modernization and revamping of the Rambler but for now it works just fine.