Filled With Joy

Home! I need a vacation from my vacation. Collin and I spent some time on a drive this evening. It was beautiful. Of all the amazing places I saw this past week, I still find the greatest joy in our beautiful mountains that surround where I live.

Seattle is a city full of people. It was crowded with people. I had a hard time trying to keep everyone moving and enjoying a place that I had never been and knew nothing about while at the same time playing tour guide. This is a job I didn't want and wasn't prepared to take on. However, everyone was looking to me to do it. I admit I didn't find a lot of joy there, because I was so stressed.  But, once we were on the airplane I took some breaths and calmed down. I focused on the day, hoping to find something good. Then I looked out the window. What I saw was breathtaking. It was my joyful moment. I watched as long as I could. Mt. Rainier will always remind me of the peace I felt when I needed it so much.

At sea for the day. There is joy in a sea day. Today I found a happy place. I will return to this place, mentally, when I need to relax.

Ketchikan is a busy place when the ships come in. There is so much noise and commotion. There are too many trinket stores and very small sidewalks to accomodate everyone. We did see a very fun lumberjack show that was better than expected. I find great joy when I was full belly laughing. We saw salmon getting ready to run upstream and bald eagles perched to eat them. We weren't able to tour as much as we would like due to tour difficulties. We will have to return.

Today we went to Sitka. Sitka is very quaint and quiet. I found great joy in this peaceful place. We did a lot of walking through the trees, along the coast, and through the town. We are tired but happy.

Glacier National Park is SPECTACULAR JOY and there are no words to describe it. This picture is only cropped. The water is literally this blue. We saw otters, bears, mountain goats, harbor seals, and several giant glaciers. I will go back there someday.

Today we went to Juneau. It is so beautiful here. I was not prepared for the enormity of the mountains, the blue of the water, and the green of the land. We had a lovely time. Trent and I hurriedly ran took an excursion to Mendenhall Glacier. It was worth the walk/jog to see it and return before the ship left. Joy in Juneau. I love exploring new places. Bonus Post: We took a class on the ship to learn to take pictures with our phones. It was so informative! My pictures will be better here on out. This is one of my very favorites from the day.

I have so many beautiful pictures and happy moments from today that it is hard to pick just one. But, I'm going to choose exercising in the ship gym, on a treadmill, overlooking the ocean. That is joy! I'm not sure anything can top that today. If I had this view every day, I'd probably exercise longer and more often. Also, today is a day at sea. The water was a bit choppy and many people got sick - including my sisters and mom. Poor them. We spent most of the day just giggling as people wobbled side to side as they walked. I include myself in that.

Joy is knowing that after seven months of planning we have made it on board the ship. The flight, transfer, and embarking went extremely smooth. Holland America's Eurodam. It is a beautiful ship. I'm so excited for this next week to begin. I don't even know what to expect, but I think it is going to be wonderful.

Today I am packing and getting the house and yard ready for the cruise. We leave tomorrow. Today I am feeling joy as I think about all the time I will have to relax, because I can't do anything for the wedding or the yard or the house or the family from a ship in the ocean. This will be nice. Before then, I hurried and picked the strawberries which gave me another big bowl full. I had to make another batch of jam. That is not a problem as I love strawberry jam!

Thursdays must be my adventure days. I went hiking with Susan, Michael, and Tanner. It was cold and perfect for an uphill climb. We went down to Bear Gulch and are a little lunch on the riverbank. It was beautiful. I’m so grateful to live in such a spectacular area. It truly is a blessing in my life.

Yesterday McKenna and Justin got engagement pictures done. Tonight I saw this. Seeing her so happy fills me with joy. All I’ve ever wanted in life was for my children to be happy. She is happy!

Today the twins and I drove to Logan to get Kenna for “Dress Shopping Day!” Along the way we met Justin’s Mom and sister, who are delightful. They love Kenna and that is a bonus! That made me full with joy as they said how wonderful she is. Then we went shopping. I was nervous. I didn’t need to be. We had fun and she found a gorgeous dress that she loves. Wow! She looks stunning. One hour later, we were finished and everyone was happy. That was a joy moment!

Today I walked to the garden to determine if the rain had done a good enough job last night. While there I got distracted by some weeds that I dug out. Suddenly my heart jumped for joy as I saw little red bulbs of goodness in the strawberry patch. I was able to pick a bowl-full, probably enough to make one patch of jam. They are sweet and delicious! Another sign signaling summer’s arrival.

Happy Father's Day to the wonderful men in my life. First to my father who has always been kind, generous, supportive, and fun. Second, to my father-in-law who is also kind, uplifting, and a spiritual strength. And then to the love of my life, Trent, who has also been the perfect dad and father to our four kids. He has been my parenting partner. We have done it together and supported each other along this journey. It hasn't been easy. It has been much more rocky than I ever imagined when we started 26 years ago. But, we have done it together. Always trying to improve day by day and decision by decision. Joy came today when I thought about how grateful I am to be able to spend the rest of our forevers together.

Today we celebrated the 62nd anniversary of Grandma and Grandpa Grant. We love them so much! But, one of my favorite things is the time we spend together with everyone. We really do have a lot of fun. Today the grandkids played the "Ball Game" which is always loud and awesome. Tracie does a brilliant job of making it. I love the joy that is expressed and felt when we are together.

Today was one of my favorite summer vacation days, so far. I was went bike riding in one of my favorite areas in the near mountains. I went with Susan and Michael. We had a great time along the river. The bugs were at bay. The water was fast, high, and clear. The sky was so blue and the brush green as green. It was spectacular. Being in nature is where I find my most joyful peaceful moments. Thanks for the little adventure biking buddies.

It is exploration season. That means you can find me biking, kayaking, and hiking. In order to protect a whinny foot, I decided it was time to invest in some hiking boots. They arrived today. They are wonderfully comfy. Also, they gave me a reason to wear these super awesome socks. I’m going to really enjoy these guys as I trek up and down mountains.

I love daisies. I’ve been waiting all spring for these little guys to show up. Today they started. I love watching them turn their little faces to follow the sun each day. I think that is why I like them so much. I’m always trying to follow the Son and feel the light upon my little soul. They are also pretty hardy. I try to be hardy, also. Joy in simple little daisies.

The goal for this week is to get the quilt all put together. So the twins and I went to Idaho Falls to shop for fabric. We found just what I needed. So I was able to see the entire quilt top. Today I found joy in knowing that it has all turned out, correct measurements and beautiful colors. I think McKenna and Justin are going to love it.

Today I ventured into a new realm. I attempted to piece together a quilt. Sure, it is simple and straight, but it was a big deal to me. I even sewed on my own machine. That machine stitched beautifully until suddenly, "click, chug, bang, kapow, kabam, thunk!" Something was not right. I opened the bobbin case area and parts fell out. I carefully thought things through and was able to piece the puzzle back together, and JOY OF JOY, it worked! I was able to finish. Tomorrow I'll work on the edges.

We got snow last night. The temperatures dropped below freezing. All the plants in the garden and flowers in the yard had to be covered. There is no joy in any of that. However, there was great joy when I discovered today that each plant had stayed nicely tucked inside their covers and the wind didn't expose them to the frost. Also, Trent and I took a little drive. I had to get a picture of the Tetons because they are beautiful today and VERY snow covered. No hiking for us up there anytime soon. Also, look at all those green rolling hills. I am very blessed to live in such a beautiful area.

I have subscribed to an online meal planning thing-a-ma-jig. This is the first week of meals. They are healthy and delicious (so it says). I'm really excited because I feel I am stuck in a rut with cooking and don't know what to fix. That tends to lead us to eating out which is not cost effective or healthy. The six meals also come with a shopping list so you can get everything you need. Trent and I had fun shopping for the six meals. Tonight we fixed the first one. This Citrus Berry Salad with a Balsamic Vinaigrette was very, very good. There is great joy in new ideas and being able to expand my cooking horizons.

Today the garden was too wet to work in. We have had a lot of rain. So, I decided to make some sweet rolls. I used rhubarb. I really like rhubarb with lots of sugar. They turned out delicious but HUGE. Then I shared them with people so we only had a few left. There is joy in sharing. Delivering rolls in the rain was probably the highlight of my day. And, sampling the rhubarb until it was just right.

Today we had a very large wind and rainstorm. It was quite impressive. I had anticipated a storm all day. Sometimes a storm is fun. I quickly mowed the grass because I didn't want to do it in a storm. But, the storm didn't come. However, in the late afternoon, it hit. Branches from our tree were ripped off and tossed down the road. In fact, debris from our tree covered the entire road and the neighbor's yard and everyone else's yard. Luckily, we didn't lose the entire tree. It is huge. We did lose a little tree in the back yard and part of the fence. Our tree actually looks better now, because so many of those limbs were ones that were dangling anyway. And, the little tree in the back was one I had been debating about cutting down for a couple years. Now I don't have to think about it anymore. I had so much fun watching it. There can be joy found in the storms of life. There is usually a blessing somewhere in there. You just have to look for it.

Today I finished weeding the garden. I enlisted the help of my two nephews, Hunter and Tucker, and we were speedy quick. Last year I put in a lot of time and RoundUp into getting rid of the weeds. It was much better this year but still a weed-fest back there. Another year of weeding and weed-killing is in my future. As for today, I stood back and enjoyed the sights of a weed-free garden many times. I just need to add some more veggies.

I set up the hammock today. I love this thing. It even has a bug guard so the mosquitoes can't eat me alive. It has a pocket for my drink or book or phone. It is in a perfect spot so it can gently sway in the wind. It is always in the shade. It truly is one of the most joyous parts of my summer. Can't find me? Check the hammock!

For some unknown reason, I have decided to make a quilt for McKenna before she gets married. Maybe it is a bit of guilt. When I got married I had MANY quilts that my grandma, mom, and I had made (or I purchased material to have it made). I am not a domestic goddess like my mom or grandma. I don't enjoy it. But, I embarked on this venture. It is simple to do, but it is time consuming. This is where the joy comes in for today. My mom and sisters have joined in the "old lady stitching" as Collin calls it. We are nearing completion of all twelve blocks. I sure love those people. I can always count on them to have my back.

I love Sundays. The JCC was particularly wonderful. The weather was gorgeous. And, we went on a little drive and ended up somewhere in the mountains at the Idaho/Wyoming border. I find great joy in taking the road less traveled. Today it was Forest Service road 266. We ventured until the snow blocked the road and we could no longer continue - about 2 feet. There is still a lot of snow up there. We'll give it a few weeks and try again. What a view overlooking the Teton Valley. (In those dark clouds straight ahead was a tornado touching down.)

Today I got to go on a beautiful "walk" with Susan and Kendall. Kenny hates hiking but he will tolerate a walk. It was uplifting to be in the trees again. I had never walked along this trail before so I didn't know what to expect at the end. It was spectacular. Pictures don't do it justice. As we walked, Susan was so encouraging of Kendall. Usually he stayed behind, slowly plodding along. Sometimes, he needed to stop to take a rest. And other times he would quickly catch up, grab hold of Susan's hand, and let her help him. When we reached the end, the view was amazing. I thought about this experience all day. I thought about how our Heavenly Father has a path for us to follow. He leads us while we plod along, doing our best. Sometimes we have to stop, things get hard, and take a breather. Other times, we truly need to reach out to him and let him pull us along. But, if we stick it out, the reward at the end is going to be spectacular. I felt so much joy in that...