LIVING Summer to its Fullest

Thursday, July 18, 2019

I can't believe it has been May since I've shared a blog post! Sunshine is to blame for the lack of posting on my part... we have been soaking up every ray possible! But to recap where we left off, I had last posted about our daughter's return from Spain.

She returned from Spain the last weekend in May and it was so wonderful to pick her up at the airport and hear all about her travels. We had spoken several times a week through Skype while she was gone, but it is just not the same as in person!

I asked her to put together a slideshow of some of her pictures that she took while she was in Spain and the other countries she visited to share with you... so here it is :)



I hope you enjoyed the video of our daughter's travels!  It has been wonderful hearing all about her experience, and seeing her pictures.



Our daughter's treasures and gifts that she returned home with ...
We had so much fun as she passed her gifts out to us and heard all her stories!

She cooked a Spanish tortilla for us the next evening. It was her first attempt, and delicious!
A Spanish tortilla is a potato and egg dish that pairs beautifully with just about any meat.  

A ride out into the mountains on our 4-wheelers with spectacular views. 

It's wonderful to ride out in the mountains, exploring the beauty around us!

The wild rose blooms this year were stunning and magnificent!

Then come the lupins with their cheery purple blooms adorning the landscape.

Irises are next in line to bloom in our spring blooming season with their decadent blooms.

I found these gorgeous hydrangeas on sale and planted them in my garden,
it will be interesting to see whether they stay pink or blue!



Gardening season is in full swing, everything is planted and growing happily!

A garden tea party was planned for my ladies bible study group,
and we had a lovely time together with sweet fellowship. 


I set up a canopy over my little tea garden area,
and it has been such a blessing to enjoy
the shade all day long.
Time for tea in the garden!
 
I finished the teacup quilt that I began during the winter months. I put it out for display when
I have a tea party. I'm glad to have finished it! 


Homemade strawberry shortcake... my Dad arrived for a visit when the strawberries were at their peak,
and we enjoyed quite a few of these treats! 

As we walked one evening after an afternoon thunderstorm,
this beautiful rainbow arched the sky in front of us as we walked. 

God's magnificent handiwork at its best!

Another view of the gravel road we walk in the evenings... oh the skies in their magnificence never cease to thrill my soul!


While my Dad was here we went on lots of picnics and drives.  We bought this sandwich at a local
Mennonite bakery/deli and enjoyed it down by the river. They make their bread homemade fresh daily, and their sandwiches are the best!!

The brilliance of the water and skies was glorious! 

A peek into my little Prayer Garden area... 



 I planted these alliums last fall in anticipation of their blooms, and they did not disappoint! 
 
One morning my husband had just left the house and called to say our local herd of elk were grazing just down the road. Dad and I drove over to watch them, and were lucky to get one good picture of them before they spooked and ran.
 Elk are very flighty creatures and a challenge to photograph. 

We took Dad to the local rodeo, always an exciting event!

This rodeo queen is a friend of my son's. She spotted us in the crowd and made her way over to see us during the event.

Enjoying the views of the river

Glorious flowers - poppies and bachelor buttons growing in abandon.. we saw these at a local state park. 
Someone had a vision for beauty in this spot, to plant such a glorious array of blooms on this hillside!  
 
Oh the glorious beauty of land, water and sky!

Down at the local state park... the views were spectacular!
Well... this post could go on and on indefinitely... we've been LIVING this summer to its fullest, and I've struggled to find time indoors to put this much of a post together. Honestly, I've been working on this post since the end of June... so I will just stop here and share more in a later post. I just wanted to let everyone know that summer is when we get outside and enjoy all the beauty that our world has to offer. Warm summer days are so fleeting, and we have waited so long for them, that they must be enjoyed! Lots of things have been happening here, not the least of which is that we were able to get our place logged. But I'll save that story for another post! 

Blessings and love to all!

45 comments

  1. What a beautiful post. I'm going to come back tomorrow and read it all over again.
    I think it will sdepend on the type of your soil as to the colours of your hydrangeas eventually.

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  2. Your daughter is as beautiful a photographer as yourself, Marilyn. :-)
    What a wonderful slideshow and such amazing beauty.
    That is quite an experience for a young lady.

    Your summer sounds to be wonderful!
    All your activities, and the love of your garden sounds glorious!
    That rainbow is absolutely perfect and what a glory to God.

    Thank you for sharing your beauty with us and may you continue to enjoy your summer days.

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  3. Marilyn, You posted some awesome photos. I loved seeing them. Your garden area and seating surrounded by the pretty garland is so cute. The rainbow is so pretty. I have never been to a rodeo, but it looks fun. Seems you have been busy . Blessings to all, xoxo, Susie

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  4. I enjoyed all your pictures, each more lovely than the next!! The rainbow photo and the one with the elk are amazing.
    I'm sure you are enjoying having your daughter home again and full of stories of her year away. Keep enjoying your summer!!

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  5. Oh my goodness!
    Your photos are so beautiful!
    And the rainbow????
    Amazing!
    So happy your daughter is home and full of stories of her travels.
    Keep enjoying summer!

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  6. Beautiful scenes. Each one a testimony to God's greatness.

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  7. having child back after long time is joy indescribable dear Marilyn :)
    i am so happy she is back safely with her exciting stories and plenty of gifts :)
    loved the glimpse of Spain such a splendid country and your daughter captured it brilliantly !

    tea party arrangements and crockery is gorgeous :)
    views of your surroundings are heavenly my friend
    you are so blessed to live in such lovely area
    more blessings to you!

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  8. The tortilla looks so yum! Have a lovely weekend ☺

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  9. The rainbow! The elk! The scenery! The cowgirl! Great photos. But I gotta say...the shortcake stopped me in my tracks. :)

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  10. Loved all the pictures and the video was great . What beautiful buildings in Spain . Oh i know she must have enjoyed that trip very much . Beautiful pictures on the slide she made . I hope that you have a great weekend . Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  11. Glorious photos, Marilyn! Glad to know that you are out and about, enjoying every moment summer has in store for you all.
    Blessings!

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  12. What a beautiful summer, Marilyn! I love your sky and water photos! Also, your daughters' video of her trip! So much beauty in the world. We are changed by our travels and I know this trip with stay in your daughters' heart forever!

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  13. Beautiful photos, my friend. I love the quilt. smiles

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  14. I enjoyed the slide show.

    You’ve had a full summer indeed. Enjoy the remainder!

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  15. Beautiful video of the places your daughter visited. Your garden looks truly beautiful. The table with the fine china looks lovely!

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  16. I certainly enjoyed your post today. Each and every photo was like unwrapping a gift. You are so talented. I do love that sweet teacup quilt.
    Haven't we had an amazing summer so far? The weather has been perfect. Not too hot, not too cold! And the rainbows! Oh my! We have seen several so far, but unlike you, I have been unable to photograph them. Your blog always reminds me of why I love to live in this beautiful part of the country. Thank you.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  17. Welcome back Marilyn! Your pictured are great and I especially love your teacup quilt. Lord willing, I will be getting my first quilting lesson from my friend next week.

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  18. Marilyn, I think it's wonderful that you're spending your time enjoying the season instead of parked in front of a computer. That's what summer is all about! We've been doing much of the same. I have tons of DIYs and crafts to share, but the pool and beach are way to pretty to ignore! Enjoy the rest of season, your stateside daughter and all those banners!! What a delight they are to see placed around your yard. Now that's summer!! Hugs to you!

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  19. hat an amazing trip your daughter had. Glad to read she is safe and sound and back from her travels. What a wonderful Summer you are having and enjoying all the beauty that surrounds you.

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  20. Welcome back. What a nice photos!

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  21. Oh my goodness . . . what an amazing post. I'll be back when I have more time and go through it again. Your daughter's video was wonderful. She covered a lot of territory on her trip. Did she travel alone, I missed that part, if you printed it.
    Then your photos . . . so pretty, too. Our Dear Lord created an awesome land when Him created the earth. You can travel the world to see beautiful sights, or just stop and look around you :) He is everywhere.
    I always love seeing your garden party photos, I'm sure that your church friends look very forward to when it is your turn to host. You make it very special :)
    God bless you,
    Connie :)

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  22. I've enjoyed watching you LIVING your summer on IG :-) xoxo

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  23. Hello,
    A great slide show. I loved the kitties included in the photos she selected for the slide show. :-)
    I do love your garden.
    Happy Summer,
    Carla

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  24. OH wow, what a wonderful summer you are having! God is blessing in all the details. Love seeing all your adventures.

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  25. So thankful to see a post from you, dear friend, and to know you are enjoying summer so much! May the Lord bless you and keep you and your family always. Much love to you today.

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  26. Wow, that is a marvelous video your daughter put together. I love the music too. Looks like your summer is a very enjoyable one. Thanks for sharing all this goodness with us.

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  27. I love the video! The pictures and the music. You live in such a beautiful beautiful place. That teacup quilt is so pretty, just like your garden tea party.

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  28. Oh Marilyn, your photos are always just so glorious...they make me want to be able to jump right in and enjoy that stunning scenery along with you! And I wanted to take a bite of that yummy looking sandwich too! I know your are tickled to have your girl back with you...what a wonderful experience for her that she will carry with her for a lifetime! Enjoy the rest of your beautiful summer and thanks for sharing it with us! HUGS!

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  29. Summer is looking good on your mountain! Glad you had a little time to catch us up. What a nice setting for your Bible study tea. That Mennonite sandwich looks delicious for sure.

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  30. Well welcome back to you both! So very good to get caught up a bit again ...

    ;-)

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  31. Oh I love all of your glorious color and beauty surrounding you. The tea party in the garden is so lovely..That would be something I would want to participate in. Love the prayer garden and the garden plates. Love that elk! Wow! We just sold our house here in Florida to a couple from Idaho! They wanted to escape the cold winters! I hope they won't miss Idaho too much. I think I would after seeing your pictures of how beautiful it is. I'm not sure what part of Idaho they are from, but they seemed really happy to be in Florida! I love Florida too, but I think I would love where you are. At least in the summer! Have a wonderful rest of summer. Loved these pictures so much.

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  32. Marilyn, I too have been "gone" for a few months and am finally back anew. I'm so glad you are enjoying your lovely tea parties! The colors of your summer are gorgeous! xo. Gina

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  33. What a beautiful summer you are having …
    A wonderful post.

    All the best Jan

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  34. I loved reading this and seeing all the pictures! It looks like you
    are having A peaceful and enjoyable summer!

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  35. Living the Summer to it's FULLEST, is the best way. Go and enjoy!
    (enjoy the video and music from your daughter)

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  36. How lovely to see you making the most of the season and to catch up on all your news, Marilyn. The yard looks as colorful and welcoming as ever, your daughter won't miss her travels with such views all around you.
    Amalia
    xo

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  37. Just popping in FINALLY to say that I have missed your blogging (and have been bad about blogging myself). I always enjoy your photos-they are as wonderful as always. xo Diana

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  38. I’m far behind in my blogging visits and I’m glad I made it over to see you! What a wonderful and blessed summer you are having. My favourite photo is the rainbow- I always like those.

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  39. Hi Marilyn, I just came back to your blog to see if I'd perhaps missed a post since July! But no... you've been so busy and no more..... I know you do Instagram but I hardly ever go there, so have been missing your wonderful photographic blog posts! I so enjoyed this one again.. and seeing all the wonder of the land where you live! I can see why it's your little (or big!) big of Heaven on earth! All of the water there must just be so wonderful, and being able to ride up into the mountains.. the only thing that would make it better would be if the rides could be on horseback! I miss having horses and riding in the beautiful mountains of Washougal, WA. I did pop over to IG last night and saw some of your gorgeous photos of late summer and the early snows there. I just miss you here in blogland! I'm getting ready to send you my husband's book.. I keep forgetting to get it packaged up! Love and hugs... Marilyn

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  40. Here it is October and I'm just now seeing this post. I just haven't spent anytime in blogland these past few months. Just now trying to catch up. I enjoyed your daughter's video so much! I'm glad there were some photos of her included. She's such a pretty girl; I love her smile! She's a great photographer, just like her mama. Several photos made me chuckle out loud, one in particular was the squirrel on the wall that she shot from the back. It appears that he is enjoying the view of the city right along with her. Great shot! So, so cute! As always, I enjoy seeing your stunning locale and the beauty you create in your own personal surroundings. Love to you! Hugs, Nancy

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