I have taken a few days off writing and taken advantage of this spectacular place I call home. With my children being spoiled by grandma for the day, I embarked on a much-needed outing and break. Surrounded by abundant wildlife, I must admit, it’s pretty awesome. Heading out to the desert and mountains for the day brings refreshing landscapes and along with it, a plethora of antelope, deer, big horn sheep, even cotton tails, bald eagles, grouse, rattlesnakes, coyotes, and bears, all in just a few short hours without traveling very far.
Love this place!
Being out in the wilderness hearing the faint whisper of the wind and smelling the fresh scent of sage, with no cars, cell phones, or people, recharges my batteries in a way like no other. It’s quite amazing.
Then back at home, the normalcy returned. A short time before dinner, after the yelling and crying subsided, I found that the couch in the living room was painted a bright shade of pink watermelon, an exact replica of the fingernail polish my daughter had been packing around the house for the past two days. A quick glance revealed the tips of her hair shimmering pink, while the little guy had pink highlights in his beautiful blond hair. I walked into spatters of pink on the back of the couch and a new varnish of pink on the wood floor. Can you say disaster?!
I wanted to scream; yet, with some degree of difficulty, I managed to compose myself, keeping my words to a select few. Taking deep breaths, I told myself, “it’s only furniture,” and “it could be worse”..(which seems to be my mantra lately!) I wanted to take a picture to remember this moment, but had to get the nail polish off quickly so it wouldn’t stain!
Then that evening at dinner, the six of us sat surrounded the old brown dining table. Spaghetti was the main course, which always makes for an eventful time. Before I knew it, three of the four kids were stripped down to their shorts, baring it all, tossing noodles at the wall to see if they would stick. After diffusing and regaining control, I caught myself staring at each of them and admiring their unique characteristics.
Innocent children with a zest for life! What incredible little people God has given me to love. They were adorable even as they slurped up their noodles, laughing all the while as the red sauce painted their bodies while they downed nearly a gallon of milk. They were like little ravenous creature from the wild. Not sure what I would have called it, but it resembled something similar to a zoo no doubt!
Things have been action-packed and this house continues to be full of life. We ended the evening with family movie night, laughing as we watched Pippi Longstocking, a childhood classic of mine that the children thoroughly enjoyed. Now, this week, its back to the drawing board! I’m hoping to finish a couple of books and pass along some incredible stories to you all. Have a wonderful week.
