What an amazing week we had with the Bodds! Formerly "From MN", whom I am hoping to rename by the end of this post came with most of her clan. The two eldest kids had jobs back at home but we got the pleasure of she, her husband and the 5 youngers...... How about "The Jubilant Gardeness"? I think I like that.....
They arrived while I was off working nights at the hospital. I could hardly wait to get home and see them!! The Sock Fashion Expert had prepared a lovely dinner of elk steaks the night before and Cinnamon rolls with breakfast bake that morning. It was all delicious and I was glad not to have had to start cooking quite yet.....
"The Jubilant Gardeness" was ready to see and do everything!! We hiked down forest trails with lupine full in bloom. We watched the children play in the laughing waters of Heavenly Lake. We took in EVERYTHING we possibly could in a weeks time. Meanwhile the kids played hard, fished hard, hiked hard, swam long and did everything they could to make the MOST of the week! The Sock Fashion Expert, in ecstasy having her "BFF" with her floated around the place as if we were on a space ship near Mars....
That first night, after swimming, fishing and hiking, I had a brilliant light bulb of an idea. "Why not take her down to see Goat Girl's Garden?!" The Goat Girl has one of the most beautiful gardens in all the valley. She knows how to do what few can. She is such an amazing Gardener! The plan was an amazing success. My Jubilant Gardeness came alive chattering the foreign language of greenery while I watched giggling at my ignorance. The Goat Girl seemed to be enjoying the visit too as they exchanged gardening knowledge and growing prowess. Moonbeam ate spinach leaves and clung closely to me while the boys fed grass to her baby goats. I felt happy to make my friends happy :-)
The next day we drove to a far away lake so that her husband could make some good use and variety of his 2 day fishing license. For me, well it was an awe inspiring place. Crystal waters danced in front of rocky shores and sandy beaches. It had probably reached 80 degrees or more as we pulled into a secluded bay with a wooded picnic area. It was just perfect. We ate home made tortillas with chicken in the shade and then headed to the beautiful sand to play. The men headed out in boats. I could have stayed forever. My Jubilant Gardeness wasn't quite her ecstatic self. She's not a sun and water chic like I am, though she sat nearby covered in white towels smiling pleasantly. The children ran around wildly laughing and playing for hours. The "Fish Princess", who would later out fish the boys on several occasions, swam across the bay with me. The children feasted on water melons. "Sock Fashion Expert" an her "BFF" tanned near the peninsula. Idyllic.
That night my friends exhausted husband stayed home to sleep and study (as he was speaking the next morning at our local church) and the rest of the gang headed over to the local fire works display. They did them early here, so that people can go over to the next city on the 4th. What a nonstop marathon pace we were keeping!
The next morning, bright and early, we were cooking up a storm to get off to church in time. I knew we were going to have to get an afternoon of rest. Everybody needed it. The church was packed out and the message riveting. Goat Girls husband took it upon himself to decide we would be having a worship night at our place that night.... "What?!" We were all exhausted. "Worship night?!?" The house was a disaster. We'd been running and playing and the kids hadn't even been around to assign chores. Could we possibly pull off a music night with our company?!
I felt tired, but I knew that if people wanted to come over to worship who was I to stop them? Jubilant Gardeness is an incredible worship leader and her gift was being requested. I cleaned the house in a hurricane manner and my friend helped. The kids were off fishing and hiking and rightfully so. They deserved some fun time. The couch was brought into our monstrous dining room and table pushed back to facilitate a crowd. By the time Goat Girls husband showed up with his drum set I was layed across the couch in a rest deprived state of extreme exhaustion.... I couldn't hardly move I was so tired. Goat girl floated by to cut up a water melon. Friends started showing up. Yet I laid there, like a slimy slug stuck to a tomato leaf - lol.
Soon my dining room was packed out and I was beginning to question my own sanity. What was I thinking? My company is probably ready to keel over with exhaustion..... Then it happened. The worship began and with it came an outpouring of the Spirit. Jubilant Gardner played, her husband began sharing things that were on his heart about each person, and I found myself on the floor barely able to contain myself. It felt like rushing rivers pouring down on me that never stopped. People were singing, a child crying - overcome with Gods presence, miracles happening.......This gathering was God ordained. It just was. I don't think anybody was expecting it, and certainly nobody will forget it. A couple of small children especially - they inherited a language of love......................
After that, everything just seemed to flow together peacefully but fast. There was a lot of hiking on forest roads, some spades and unfortunately I was bitterly defeated losing my “Scrabble Queen status to The Jubilant Gardeness. Oh the agony. The kids had so much fun doing a day long river float. The boys hiked out to far away lakes to bring home aquatic gold aka fish.
One day the 3 older girls went on a hike up a mountain! BFF dropped down dramatically upon return and was carried into the living room where she was fanned, given water and had her toe nails painted. After that, dropping down dramatically became a favorite pass time of all though none received such royal treatment – lol!
The littlest Bodd boy liked bugging Miss Moonbeam and there was a good share of mischief between the two ;-) Super Catman also had his rival friend whom the kids blog named “Lightening Princess”. Oh she was such a cutie and what a good helper!
On the day they were supposed to leave, they postponed till the next…. Everybody was having such a good time! I took The Jubilant Gardner up to one of my huckleberry mountains and the evening was serene. They got a “great idea” of going to see the Cedar grove on the way out. As it ended up we spent half the day at the cedar park taking HUNDREDS of pictures! Its my friends favorite place. After that we headed over to the local pizza joint. It was sad to see them go, but I can honestly say that seldom have I ever seen any one ever lived up a week so richly ;-) It was most definitely a WEEK LONG WEEKEND.........
That first night, after swimming, fishing and hiking, I had a brilliant light bulb of an idea. "Why not take her down to see Goat Girl's Garden?!" The Goat Girl has one of the most beautiful gardens in all the valley. She knows how to do what few can. She is such an amazing Gardener! The plan was an amazing success. My Jubilant Gardeness came alive chattering the foreign language of greenery while I watched giggling at my ignorance. The Goat Girl seemed to be enjoying the visit too as they exchanged gardening knowledge and growing prowess. Moonbeam ate spinach leaves and clung closely to me while the boys fed grass to her baby goats. I felt happy to make my friends happy :-)
The next day we drove to a far away lake so that her husband could make some good use and variety of his 2 day fishing license. For me, well it was an awe inspiring place. Crystal waters danced in front of rocky shores and sandy beaches. It had probably reached 80 degrees or more as we pulled into a secluded bay with a wooded picnic area. It was just perfect. We ate home made tortillas with chicken in the shade and then headed to the beautiful sand to play. The men headed out in boats. I could have stayed forever. My Jubilant Gardeness wasn't quite her ecstatic self. She's not a sun and water chic like I am, though she sat nearby covered in white towels smiling pleasantly. The children ran around wildly laughing and playing for hours. The "Fish Princess", who would later out fish the boys on several occasions, swam across the bay with me. The children feasted on water melons. "Sock Fashion Expert" an her "BFF" tanned near the peninsula. Idyllic.
That night my friends exhausted husband stayed home to sleep and study (as he was speaking the next morning at our local church) and the rest of the gang headed over to the local fire works display. They did them early here, so that people can go over to the next city on the 4th. What a nonstop marathon pace we were keeping!
The next morning, bright and early, we were cooking up a storm to get off to church in time. I knew we were going to have to get an afternoon of rest. Everybody needed it. The church was packed out and the message riveting. Goat Girls husband took it upon himself to decide we would be having a worship night at our place that night.... "What?!" We were all exhausted. "Worship night?!?" The house was a disaster. We'd been running and playing and the kids hadn't even been around to assign chores. Could we possibly pull off a music night with our company?!
I felt tired, but I knew that if people wanted to come over to worship who was I to stop them? Jubilant Gardeness is an incredible worship leader and her gift was being requested. I cleaned the house in a hurricane manner and my friend helped. The kids were off fishing and hiking and rightfully so. They deserved some fun time. The couch was brought into our monstrous dining room and table pushed back to facilitate a crowd. By the time Goat Girls husband showed up with his drum set I was layed across the couch in a rest deprived state of extreme exhaustion.... I couldn't hardly move I was so tired. Goat girl floated by to cut up a water melon. Friends started showing up. Yet I laid there, like a slimy slug stuck to a tomato leaf - lol.
Soon my dining room was packed out and I was beginning to question my own sanity. What was I thinking? My company is probably ready to keel over with exhaustion..... Then it happened. The worship began and with it came an outpouring of the Spirit. Jubilant Gardner played, her husband began sharing things that were on his heart about each person, and I found myself on the floor barely able to contain myself. It felt like rushing rivers pouring down on me that never stopped. People were singing, a child crying - overcome with Gods presence, miracles happening.......This gathering was God ordained. It just was. I don't think anybody was expecting it, and certainly nobody will forget it. A couple of small children especially - they inherited a language of love......................
After that, everything just seemed to flow together peacefully but fast. There was a lot of hiking on forest roads, some spades and unfortunately I was bitterly defeated losing my “Scrabble Queen status to The Jubilant Gardeness. Oh the agony. The kids had so much fun doing a day long river float. The boys hiked out to far away lakes to bring home aquatic gold aka fish.
One day the 3 older girls went on a hike up a mountain! BFF dropped down dramatically upon return and was carried into the living room where she was fanned, given water and had her toe nails painted. After that, dropping down dramatically became a favorite pass time of all though none received such royal treatment – lol!
The littlest Bodd boy liked bugging Miss Moonbeam and there was a good share of mischief between the two ;-) Super Catman also had his rival friend whom the kids blog named “Lightening Princess”. Oh she was such a cutie and what a good helper!
On the day they were supposed to leave, they postponed till the next…. Everybody was having such a good time! I took The Jubilant Gardner up to one of my huckleberry mountains and the evening was serene. They got a “great idea” of going to see the Cedar grove on the way out. As it ended up we spent half the day at the cedar park taking HUNDREDS of pictures! Its my friends favorite place. After that we headed over to the local pizza joint. It was sad to see them go, but I can honestly say that seldom have I ever seen any one ever lived up a week so richly ;-) It was most definitely a WEEK LONG WEEKEND.........
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