Unscripted October Moments

October 2020

How quicky time pass us by. I wrote down in my agenda about, "how quickly October seem to come around". This is the reason why I try my best to live intentionally. To not live life with haste. To live in the present. To document life from the ordinary mundane moments to fun outings. And this is why I don't ever rush time by saying, "oh, I wish it was Friday, or I wish it was summer, or I wish it was Christmas break". Because I know better. When you think that way it prevents you from living in the present moment.

There's a pumpkin patch about five minutes from our house. Around early October is when you spot a tractor pulling a wagon filled with a huge load of pumpkins driving from their pumpkin patch to several blocks down the road toward their farm store. These were huge pumpkins.

For a few months I began to notice my eyes becoming a little blurry and burn when I read so, Jacob and I both went to see the optometrist. We got our eyes checked and we were both prescribed reading glasses, unfortunately. Fast forward six years to today and we still think having to rely on reading glasses to look at small print is a big inconvenience. I'm still not used to the idea of having reading glasses.

It is such a de-stresser to me to take the backroads whenever possible when I'm feeling overburdened. Driving along pine trees and seeing farm animals lifts my spirits, more so when it is cloudy. I'm keenly aware of my surroundings, observant, and I'm very detailed oriented so at times too much mental overload tends to cause overwhelm. Thankfully, I also know healthy ways on how to relax and decompress.  

This girl, wherever I go especially when I rest, she's sure to follow and lay next to me. I love her fur. She's got a very soft coat. I like to say she's my comfort animal because she feels so familiar to me. She's very patient when I'm holding her and loving on her. I wish she was just as loving towards other cats though.

For those of us that appreciate cloudy weather this scene never gets old. I get excited about cloudy weather as if this type of weather hardly happens, but we know that cloudy weather is a staple in the PNW, still it gets me every time. 

The above cloudy weather brought on a storm. It rained hard late at night which caused a power outage. Power came back on around 5:00 am. I'm glad it did because a cookie bake was planned on this Saturday. 

Riley enjoys helping his dad bake cookies. Sydna grabbing some lunch.

Now adding the icing. I failed to write down what type of cookies they made so I don't have a clue what they're called but I'm sure they were tasty.

This one I know. It was pumpkin cheesecake with crumble. It looks amazing! and I'm sure it was. 

Lila looking pretty.

I had a birthday in October. Riley had the day off for school. After a delicious breakfast we headed N to Redmond and Woodenville. We like taking the scenic route. 

The gorgeous colors of autumn leaves just beg to be displayed.

One of the coziest things to do when it's cloudy and cold is to curl up on the couch and watch a good movie.

After a while though I do feel the need to get up and move around, so we went on a long walk around a couple of neighborhoods.

Spotted these two pretty flowers.

Slow living isn't about doing less; it's about being present in everything you do. It's about connecting deeply with loved ones, nature, and the quiet beauty of daily life. 

This time it was Lila who wanted to sit near me. She's giving me side eye. I love her furry paws. 

Taking the back roads near our home just so I can look at these beauties. Such gorgeous trees.

Nathan dressed up as Bob Ross. So silly.

All ready to head out to a Halloween party.

The devotional book I was reading at the time. (I read it as a book not one devotion a day.) This devotion really caught my attention. We should all heed what it's talking about. We cannot do life on our own. At some point we have to realize that we cannot do life without God.

October was a fun month. It is my favorite month of the year. Anytime I can spend time by the water is always a relaxing enjoyable time for me.

Our lives are made up of time, and the quality of

our existence depends on our wise use of the moments we are given.

4th of July at Silverwood Theme Park

July 3rd-5th, 2020

We left for Coeur D'alene Idaho on a Friday. The drive is just under five hours. We hit traffic several times. It's unbelievable how the terrain and landscape differ from Western WA to Eastern WA. Totally two different climates as well.

Driving across the Vantage bridge over the Columbia River. It would be nice to be out on the water in a kayak on a cloudy day.  

Stopped at a rest area to stretch. 

Always dead bugs smeared on the windshield on a road trip. This long stretch of road sort of reminds me of the TX 20 freeway heading West. Driving through Abilene and Odessa. Gosh now that freeway seemed to go on forever. 

We arrived in Coeur D'alene just before 5:00 pm. We checked in to the hotel then we went out for dinner. 

We watched President Trump deliver the 4th of July speech from Mt. Rushmore. It makes me so happy to see how much he loves our country. 

Saturday, on the 4th of July, we went to Silverwood Theme Park & Boulder Beach Water Park. It's 413 acres and boasting more than 70 rides, slides, shows and attractions. We were excited to visit.

It wasn't overly crowded which was nice. 

I immediately noticed the theme's park many trees and floral landscapes. 

Whenever I know that I'll be spending time outdoors I make sure to search for shade, either from buildings, umbrellas or trees. Happy to have found all these.

It's a cute place. 

One of their pretty floral landscapes. 

Riley was looking forward to go on a fast roller coaster but first we needed to find out if he would be tall enough to ride. We forgot to check beforehand. 

Fortunately for him, he was. That made him very happy.  

Here's a pine tree shaped as a saguaro. That's cute.

Jacob, always the competitive one. He did win a stuffed animal for Riley. Riley gave it a try too but wasn't as lucky. 

However, he did enjoy target shooting.

It's always fun riding in an antique car.

Jacob gave the 3-point shootout a try. I took video of it and I believe he only made one basket. I think they get a minute to see how many 3 point shots you can make. He wasn't too happy about his performance, lol. 

We had pizza for lunch then a while later we stopped by Sugar Shack and got an apple funnel cake. The first few bites were good but then it got to be too much and too rich. Even when I order a simple one with just powdered sugar on top I can never finish it. 

This looks so pretty. 

After we were done with the rides and games, we then walked over to the waterpark side. 

The waterpark was busier. 

Jacob and Riley coasted by on the lazy river. 

Good thing I brought a book to read because I ended up with a headache from the heat and getting on the two fastest roller coasters didn't help either. Your brain rattles in your head, lol. So, I found a shady spot to sit on and read while the boys enjoyed themselves.

Once we noticed Riley losing steam we left the theme park and headed to the hotel to shower and to rest for a bit. We then had dinner at Cracker Barrel then to walk off our food we walked along the waterfront. It's a very nice area.  

Unfortunately, Coeur D'alene cancelled the fireworks show amid the coronavirus surge. But yet people were out at restaurants, theme parks, movie theaters, etc but no fireworks. It's ridiculous and makes no sense. 

We still enjoyed our time here. Taking in the view of Coeur D'alene Lake was pretty. There's a park with a large grassy area nearby that these two took advantage off throwing the football around for a while.

This 4th of July was definitely different. We usually celebrate it somewhere along the W coast but we weren't able to due to the fact that the hotels along the coast were only available for first responders. That was upsetting so we had to make other plans.

Visiting the theme park was fun. We enjoyed our time. This trip was a new experience for all three of us. And we talked about the importance of why we celebrate Independence Day.

We got home the following day. It always feels good to be home after a trip/vacation.

May we think of freedom, not as the

right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.

-Peter Marshall