| hitting the trail. |

So I guess I haven't posted in a little while. I should admit right here that I probably wasn't cut out for social networking as much as I was for being outdoors.  LOL. Some people seem to have the gift of pouring out their hearts on a social network. Well, not me. =) But Mama was wondering when I would post again, and because I did have a legitimate excuse to post, here we go.

 Yesterday some sweet friends took me along on a beautiful hike to a nearby mountian. It was gorgeous, to say the least! It started out pretty easy and flat, but quickly turned more "adventerous" steeper, rockier, (more in character with this state's terrain!) and turned out to be quite a climb! It was so much fun though.Interestingly enough Matthew and I had climbed the ridge behind our pasture many times and seen both the mountian and the fire tower at the top, (it's only about five miles from our place) but we never thought that there was a hiking trail going up to the top of the mountian.

The trail was quite rocky near the top. In fact in a couple places it was just flat slabs of rock.

Anyone up for a natural camp site? There were a couple little caves and interesting rocks on the way up.

Standing under this little overhanging was just a little scary-- I couldn't help but wonder if that rock near the top was loose??

At the summit~ the fire tower. Someone was saying that the forest rangers or somebody used to stand at the top and look for fires?

It was a little scary at the top at first~ especially since we thought we saw it swaying a little bit? But the view was totally worth it.

How can you not possibly worship and stand in awe of the omnipotent Creator with such awesome evidence of His power?

I couldn't resist retouching one of them. Hopefully I didn't wreck it?

We ate lunch at the edge of this little cliff. It was so peaceful and quiet-- no cars, no traffic, (not that we have traffic at our farm anyway!) but it was just like being in the wilderness. Definitely my style!

There were many of these little crevasses around where we were sitting. Some of them were pretty deep. But they were pretty neat to see!

Back home ~ a group of kids sitting around on the lawn. I think Matthew was demonstrating how to throw a stick like a spear?

I got a serious kick out of this one when I saw it. I think Matthew got all the kids wearing some form of "war" uniform (some may have been mismatched) and with a by-now bedraggled flag got them all into a play battle. They have really gotten into re enacting battles lately. One of the boys got the Soldiering Through History series for a birthday, which is where they got the idea. See the little pilgrim in the middle of the warriors?

 Joy Joy is so funny. She always hangs out with the boys, playing boy games (such as hunting bears with wooden guns and re enacting WWII,) and pretty much does things with them. Except if I am baking something, she always does come around to lick the bowl. Mama was saying she thinks it is the fact that she is the little sis to a row of boys. I guess I was always the same way, running wild with my brothers in the woods and being a good example of a "tomboy." Thankfully by the time I hit my teens I picked up some ladylike habits (hopefully.)

Well, I guess this turned out to be longer than I expected! Maybe I'm more "bloggy" than I thought. ;)

Guess that's all for now, and hope you all have a wonderful night!

~Hannah

| at the lake. |

Some pictures of the beautiful lake we have been visiting just about every day. Summer slips by too fast (I know, I've said that already) so it has been so fun to get out as a family and enjoy some special time together. Some day when I have my own kids I hope I can do something like this with them.

Observing the world through rose colored glasses?!?

Recently I was reading some comments about taking self portraits. It appears that someone else has developed an interest in that as well, lol. =) (Psssst, don't tell him I put this one on!!)

The beautiful veiw from the small lake shore. It was really private and looks just like you might expect a northwoods lake to look like, all surrounded with pines and everything. The road is a good distance away which is also nice. 

He's probably wishing that the picture taking sessions involving him would be over??

I loved those pink goggles. =) On her at least. I think she liked them too, she wore them the whole time we were there. =) It appears that she may have had them on upside down?

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the LORD."
       ~1 Corinthians 15:58

| wild blueberries. |

Mom has been taking us to the lake a lot during these warm July days. I thought about taking some more lake shots, but I thought it might be nice to have a little change... ;)
 After we went swimming today Matthew and I hiked up to the mountian to see if the wild blueberries were ripe yet. Unfortunately there were only a few that were ripe, so we weren't able to bring home a nice big bucketful yet. Oh, well, that will come soon. But it was nice to take a little hike together, (despite the heat!!) and take some pictures.

A little shortcut we took to get to the mountian. It reminds me of one of those roads you might see in a Lang calendar painting. =)

Hay feilds waiting to be baled. I have always loved the look of hay feilds. They smell like a  clean barn (one of my favorite smells, lol) and they are so pretty and out-in-the-country like especially after the hay has been baled. Round bales especially have a nice look, for photography uses, at least, but square bales are probably more practical, from a farmer's point of view.

I thought these little wildflowers growing alongside our dirt road were really pretty. A country road should have wildflowers growing alongside the edge. =)

Examining the view.

Yes, I did edit this one. =)

I was thinking the other day, sometimes I feel eager to assume the priveledges and responsabilites of an adult, and yes, that will be special too, but right now I want to enjoy these special days of being at home with my dear family! I am so blessed to have them as my family~ they mean a LOT to me!

Anyway, to everybody else, have a wonderful evening, enjoy the beautiful weather, and spend some time with your family!

~Hannah~

"For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face: now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."

~1 Corinthians 13:12~13 ~

| more sips of summer. |

A little blurry, but I love her little smile.

More pictures of my sweet family and I trying to enjoy this beautiful weather. Hopefully the "journal entry" won't be a repeat of my last post. Oh, there are a few other things I wanted to talk about. =) But first, some pictures.

Last  night I was sitting on the swing outside and the boys were all climbing on the beam that it hangs from. I confess to praying a little that they wouldn't all come crashing down on top of me. But it did make for a nice opportunity for some interesting pictures. A few years ago I would have been right there with them. I guess that's what growing up does to you. I might still if no one was around. =)

Our homestead. ;)

  We all went to a lake on Saturday as a family. It was so nice to do something special as a family together. It was a beautiful little spot, too, nestled right in the mountians and made for some nice photo shoots.

Christopher took this one of me. It was a little tough for him as he was wearing a life jacket when he took it and I was treading water.

Recently a well known preacher passed away of a brain tumor. I was able to follow the progression of his illness on a CaringBridge web site a little bit here and there. He had many dedicated friends following him as well, and they often mentioned him as their hero and great blessing in thier lives, thanking him for the many things he had done for them, and assuring him of the reward waiting for him in heaven. It was touching to see how much they loved him and wanted to hold him up as a brave soldier of the cross but it seemed that at least from an outsider's perspective that the main focus was upon what he had done for God rather than what God had done for him. It is sad as well that this man seemed to have this focus as well. I have found it so important to trust only in Christ's work on the cross for us, and believe in Him alone. I'm not saying that this preacher didn't do this. We hope and pray that he did. But with regards to our salvation God does it all, and He should be the only one to recieve our praise...

Well, some more of my somewhat disconnected thoughts....... but may God recieve the glory!!

Hope you all have a good night. =)

~Hannah~ 

| sips of summer. |

Beautiful summer .  .  . up here it seems to slip away so fast, as Mom says, "after the 4th it's all down hill. Too true .=(

When we lived in the Southwest summer was my least favorite season ~ it just seemed to drag on forever! Sometimes the way winter does here, lol.  =) And of course winter was our favorite out there and snow was savored!!! But here I have switched to summer being my favorite ~ and we try to savor it as it has a habit of flying by!

Special summer memories ;)

My poor puppy swam out too far and had to be rescued. ;)




Pure sweetness.

Beautiful foxgloves growing in Mom's flower bed. Mom has always had a green thumb and can turn a black patch of ground into a beautiful flower bed. Usually all I can coax to grow is weeds =(

But I've been noticing that there are plenty of beautiful weeds, too. =) In fact, technically the flowers we usually have in a jar on the table are weeds. =) Or you can be nice and call them wildflowers.

Little sister.  The sun was right in her face, but she still smiled for me =)

2012 vegetable garden.

Christopher is our lawn mower. It is so cute how much he loves to do it. He says he wants to be a farmer when he grows up. Whenever our farmer neighbors harvest their corn he runs over and watches.

The current family prodject is painting the trim on the house and the deck.

Enjoy the beautiful day!

~Hannah~

 "Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul.

While I live will I praise the LORD, I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. . .

Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.

Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever....

The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the Lord."
~Psalm 146: 1~3, 5, 6 & 10