Thunderstorms - Day 257

Thunderstorms are one of my favorite things in the world. I remember being terrified of them briefly when I was a little girl. I can't remember why, or when it changed, but now I can't wait for them to strike. I hear they are especially frequent in Wyoming, so I was a little disappointed to have to wait a couple weeks for my first one, but it only made me appreciate it more! And now, I can't wait for the next one!

“It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, the earthquake.”   Frederick Douglass

The Moon - Day 256

A few weeks ago we had some of the most amazing full moons. This picture really doesn't do it justice, but it was the best I could do! The night I took this picture, we were watching a movie. It was a perfectly good movie, but there was no way it could compare to the beautiful scene unfolding out the window next to me. The earth was glowing from the bright light of the moon, and the clouds were gliding by below, sparkling in the silver glow. I spent a while being distracted, then finally stopped the movie and went outside to try to capture it. Even if it isn't a great capture, it allowed me to soak it all in for a few moments. Just me, the moon, and the Creator of the moon on a cool summer evening. Sigh...

“When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in worship of the Creator.”     Mahatma Gandi

The rubber meets the road - Day 255

Stepping out in faith is just that - stepping out! Where the rubber meets the road, and you discover what you really believe. While it hasn't been easy, and I have had my little breakdowns along the way, I am so glad that life isn't boring. Sometimes I do wish it was, but I know I would be missing so much along the way if I never moved from where I was. So...here's to the road ahead!

“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.”   Edward Abbey

Silence - Day 254

One of the things I really miss in Wyoming is trees. There are a few, here and there, but certainly not as many as in Washington! There also isn't much grass, at least not the green kind! There is sagebrush, and some brown dead stuff that kind of looks more like wheat to me. It has forced me to look a little closer and see the beauty in it though. One thing I have learned to appreciate is the silence. And then the soft whisper of the breeze blowing over the grass that is here. There is a silence, when the wind is not blowing, that you can almost feel. Peaceful and quiet. "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10 

“See how nature – trees, flowers, grass – grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence…we need silence to be able to touch souls.”   Mother Teresa

Landscapes - Day 253

Some scenes just make me want to be a painter. I'm not - even though I've tried. So I will just settle for capturing the amazing world that God created with my camera. I love in this one where the sky meets the land and the sun plays shadows across them both. Beautiful...completely...

“Are not the mountains, waves, and skies a part of me and of my soul as I of them?”   Lord Byron

Clouds in the Sky - Day 252

I do enjoy a beautiful sunny day with no clouds in the sky, but I generally think it is far more interesting to have at least a few clouds in the sky. Doesn't matter if they are cute little fluffy ones that the sky can dip and dodge behind, or the small, faint, wispy ones that look like feathers painted across the sky. Or the deep dark ominous ones that mean a storm is on the way. Any way you look at it, they just add to the beauty for me! 

“A cloudless plain blue sky is like a flowerless garden.”   Terri Guillemets

The satisfaction of accomplishment - Day 251

I love how something like losing a tooth is the most wonderful thing in the world when you are 7 years old! This was a particularly proud moment, because she has always been my least tough about pulling loose teeth. This time, she was determined to get it out before Daddy came home. And after about an hour of wiggling it every way possible, she came running out of the bathroom yelling, "I've got a surprise! Look!" Nothing like a job well done!

“You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however.”    Richard Bach

Like the Sunrise - Day 250

Our new house doesn't have the same fabulous view of the sunrise that our last one did, but I still find myself enjoying the daily reminder of who is in control. As beautiful as it is, there is nothing I can do to make or stop the sun from coming up in the morning. Nope, that is in God's hands. But, I do get the privilege of watching it happen!

“Like the sunrise, some things just have to happen, and all you can do is watch.”  Unknown

Lasting Love - Day 249

Nothing like a lot of stress in your life to reveal who you really are. And although sometimes it isn't pretty (trust me!) - it tests your marriage right through the fires of change. Despite the occasional bumps and bruises along the path, I'm so glad that the Lord is at the center of our marriage, because I know that nothing can destroy it. Test it? Try it? Make it tough sometimes? Yes...but it is still good. And I'm humbly grateful...

“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.”   John Steinbeck

Family Adventure - Day 248

One thing that has already happened, and I know will happen even more as we have stepped out on our own - we have grown together as a family in so many ways. Suddenly, the only ones we have to turn to are each other. We are leaning on each other in so many ways that we never have before, and developing a deep and lasting bond. Not that we ever weren't close as a family before, but not like this!

“Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life!”   Albert Einstein

Popcorn - Day 247

Sometimes I forget how much I love popcorn! It is such a yummy snack! I usually associate it with movies, because who doesn't love to sit down and eat popcorn while watching a great movie! But every once in a while it occurs to me to eat it while just sitting and talking to my kids, or watching a storm, sunrise, or sunset out the window. Life is the most interesting movie...

“Of course life is bizarre, the more bizarre it gets, the more interesting it is. The only way to approach it is to make yourself some popcorn and enjoy the show.”    David Gerrold

Holding on to each other - Day 246

I keep telling my girls that the best part about moving to Wyoming is that I get to take them with me! I'm so glad that they have each other through all the changes and new things that life is bringing them!

“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.”   Audrey Hepburn

Great Big World - Day 245

I think to some extent, Wyoming has helped me realize what a big world it is. Not on the same scale as my one visit to the Grand Canyon - nothing can match the immensity of that! But the sky is so big, and you can see so far in front of you! We have visited a lot of different places, but this one definitely makes me think BIG.

“There’s a big world out there…Find out who you are and try not to be afraid of it.”      Unknown