Today's Harvest

Lunch today was brought to me by my garden. 

Bon Appetit! 

Neighbors

Since our first summer in our house, we've had the coolest neighbors,

Red-tailed Hawks.

We've watched them soar around the neighborhood, build their nests in our trees, raise their babies and then kick them out, and we've also picked up the occasional rabbit leg that's fallen into our yard when their eating. Gross, but kind of cool too.

They've been great neighbors.

A Little Project for our Relief Society Activity

Just in case you needed it, here's a little enticement to Come to our 

Relief Society Activity this thursday.

I'm teaching the section on how to use our cameras more effectively. I've spent hours compiling images and putting together a little handout and slide show so we can learn how to better tell our stories through images. Yes definitely a nod to Family History.

I'll post the rest of my little project later, but come thursday and bring you camera for some hands on fun!

My Lila

My Sweet Great Aunt Lila passed away while we were away last week. 

I feel so lucky that by "chance", but really by providence, I was able to go see her last monday, 

hold her hand, and whisper I love you in her ear.

My Lila.

Probably everyone that meet her felt that. She was someone you adored instantly because she loved you instantly. She had a way of making you feel special and she was always glad to see you.

She so fun and so happy, and it rubbed off on anyone within arms reach. She always lit up a room and knew how to spend quality time with people building strong, deep and lasting relationships. She has so many dear friends that just love her. She's a wonderful hostess of gatherings larger and small and one on one time with her was always a treat and a treasure.

Lila knew how to live, and she did. There's was such a richness to her that ran deep into the soul. She is beautiful. She felt beautiful things, and expressed them in her art, in her actions, and in her relationships.

She was a hip lady too. Always so stylish and put together. 

 I appreciate her special friendship. 

She was one of my favorite things about any Stevenson get together, I looked for her as soon as I arrived and wasted no time in running over for a hug. I am so so so so grateful for the special interest she took in me, for her kindness, her example, her love, and her wisdom.

I am so blessed to have such a rich heritage of beautifully amazing women, whose lives, souls, and hands have forever changed this world for good. 

In her obituary Vicky included a beautiful quote that I think is perfect:

"Because she has died we will mourn for a time; 

                      because she has lived we will rejoice forever."

So I rejoice whole heartily for her life, that she was a part of mine, and for the assurance of the life after this one where we will reunite and rejoice with our family and loved ones once this mortal journey is over because of our loving Savior Jesus Christ. 

Oh how I rejoice for the blessing of My Lila. 

You can read her obituary here

A Deep Breath of Fresh Air

Oh how we've missed the mountains.

I know you'd think living in denver we'd be in the mountains all the time, and although we have a lovely view, it's like a 2 hour drive to really get into them. I miss the 20 minute ride up the canyon to the mountain tops in Utah. 

So we headed up to Rocky Mountain National Park to spend the day together. We explored the Beaver Pond with River running wildly on the board walks, and us just waiting for him to fall in.

Then we drove up to the Tundra and walked the literal mountain tops, our heads among the clouds.

Beautiful, Breath-taking (quite literally) and Renewing.

Always, always a deep sense of calm and beauty comes in to my heart. A thrill of wildness and release as my hair whips in the wild. 

But this time it was better.

Better because I got to share it my little family.

There's a sense that River loves the mountains as much as we do. 

He wandered off the path many times, insisted on walking by himself. 

 He stopped to explore and play with rocks.

He even read every sign, just like his dada.

 It was a beautiful day - sun, rain, cold and all.

Our perfect ending included: a rainbow, a nap, a black bear, and 

a beautiful sunset that bathed my beloved Loveland fields in golds.

Best Buds

You know you have a special buddy, when he'll let you squeeze into the car with him and drive. Thanks Buddy Doug!!

Beep! Beep!

Busy at the Kitchen Table, Together

I have a good little buddy and we do everything together,

 even work at the kitchen table on our church callings. 

Thanks Bud.