Finding Joy Among Natural Beauty

August 14, 2020

Stress can be so tiresome. Sometimes I don't even know I'm carrying the weight of stress until I allow myself to be still, take deep breaths, and relax. That's when I feel the weight being lifted and that's a great reminder to remember to leave my worries at God's feet. Once I acknowledge this, I tend to feel lighter and less anxious. What also helps me to stop thinking of myself or whatever is troubling me is to be out in nature. 

On a Friday evening, after Jacob was off from work, we went to Owen's Beach in Tacoma. 

I took my book and read for a short bit while Jacob and Riley skipped rocks. 

It was a very warm evening which brought the bugs out, so we didn't stay too long.

The following day, Saturday, August 15, we left the house by mid morning. This time we went to the Woodland Park Rose Garden in Seattle. We visit this garden every summer. I love nature, flowers, trees and I'm glad Jacob also finds pleasure at the garden because of the roses. He specifically loves the most fragrant ones.  

It was warm, in the high 80's. 

This rose garden has an abundant variety of roses. It's quite pretty.

I like dahlias. They are so pretty. 

I think vines are so charming and wish I could have them growing on the side of my house, but I've read they can cause structural damage and attract pests. Too bad too because vines do have a special appeal when you see one growing on the side of the house or up a chimney. 

It would be awesome to have a backyard that looked like this. 

I don't know what type of rose this is, but I love the color. It's like a lavender. Very pretty.

After we walked around the entire rose garden we stopped at Paggliaci and got pizza to go. We ate it at a new park in Bellevue called Meydenbauer Bay Park. Just like any other park near water, it has beautiful views. 

This park sits on Lake Washington. How awesome to be able to launch your kayak right off your backyard. If I lived in one of those houses I would spend hours out there on the water. And not only that, one can stop at a marina and have lunch in one of the restaurants in the area. That would be a fun way to get around. 

Any outing that involves being out in nature either hiking, sightseeing or going on a casual walk fulfills me so much. 

Revel in the beauty and goodness of His creation. 

Out Enjoying the Day

May 9, 2020

My favorite way to a good start to my day is when I first wake up and the sky is cloudy. This makes me so happy. The only downside to this is that it makes me want to linger and stay cozy in bed for a while longer and if I'm not careful an hour can pass by really quick then the things I wanted to get done in the morning extend into the afternoon. I like to get my chores and errands done the first part of the day and just have dinner to do in the afternoon, unrushed. So yeah, when the day starts out cloudy, I do allow myself about ten more minutes in bed then I turn on upbeat music which helps to boost my mood.

It was in the 80's all week. We also had a storm where it thundered once. It's always awesome to experience. 

We left the house just before 11:00 am. Although it was cloudy, the weather was warm and somewhat humid. We first headed over to Issaquah. It was humid, which about gave me a headache. Had fish n chips then stopped by Triple X Root beer drive-in for a root beer float. Again, dine in was closed so we had to hang out in the back of my tahoe and eat/drink ours just like the rest of the other people there. Some sat at the curb and ate their food. 

After a home cooked meal, we ventured out again, in the late afternoon but this time we headed to Dune Peninsula Park on Ruston Way in Tacoma to be right by the Puget Sound. Wow, it was so fresh out there and of course so pretty!

Others had the same idea.

Mt. Rainier looking gorgeous back there.

Riley was sure enjoying himself doing what kids do ... run, climb, roll down a grassy hill and attempt to do a cartwheel. 

Overlooking the Sound is one of my favorite ways to enjoy my day, whether it's a morning, an afternoon or early evening. It's so calming and such a beautiful sight. It happens often when one can spot sea lions and if you're lucky, a whale. But we only saw an orca once in our ten years of living in WA. That's kinda sad. We did see gray whales, narwhals, and jellyfish.

A ferry ride is always a treat. It's a fun experience every single time.

I was always apprehensive to go kayaking in the Puget Sound though. I always feared a whale would creep up next to me. That would freak me out. So, we kayaked in lakes. It was just as fun. WA lakes are pretty large. 

When you see the beauty of nature all around you,

let it remind you to give thanks to God for the world He made.

Outdoor Moments Along the Water and Eating Pizza

March 2020

The pandemic had started. It quickly turned into chaos. Stores ran out of toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, disinfectant wipes, and bottled water, as well as canned goods and frozen food. Church cancelled in person services and had to watch online. 

Also, Jacob began working from home (just like everyone else), and school got shut down as well for the "supposedly" stay home order that they initially said would be two weeks, but it wasn't of course. Riley had school online which he didn't like and I noticed that it was hard for him to engage. Just an all around horrible situation.

A lot of people behaving just crazy. Being around all that makes one stay away from all that hysteria and seek peace, so we spent a lot of our weekends and outings doing things away from people, just how we like to live anyway. We usually opted to hang out in nature before the pandemic hit so continuing to do just that wasn't an adjustment. We love being out in nature. 

We got takeout from Pizza Hut and ate it at Owens Beach in Point Defiance in Tacoma. The parking lot was half full. I guess we all had the same idea (even though we didn't see many people walking around) of continuing to enjoy life even through the pandemic.

I'm one of those few people that love to add pineapple and pepperoni to my pizza. To most people, that's unthinkable and plain gross but to me well, I just love to combine the sweetness of the pineapple and the saltiness of the pepperoni. It just tastes so good to me. 

There's not a better feeling in the world

than a warm pizza on your lap.

Riley was taking a nap because he had just gotten a cold. We did save him some pizza though.

This sky right here is lovely to me. It really is.

Whenever we drive on this freeway I can't help but stare at the HUGE American flag. It is beautiful. 

Although we enjoyed our pizza from Pizza Hut a few weeks ago we just had to have pizza again, but this time from our favorite pizza place.

We drove to Snoqualmie just to enjoy a nice drive then got take out from Pagliacci. 

Found a park and ate our food. I believe we were the only ones at the park. Nice.

One of my favorite things out in nature are the trees, whether they're full of leaves or just bare branches.

A nap after being out on a cold day.

A perk about Jacob working from home is that once he gets off (at 3:30) we are able to go out and enjoy the day.

After dinner we went to hang out at Des Moines for some fresh air.

It was pretty cold so we didn't hang out for too long. It was nice just seeing the Puget Sound. I love it!

This trail is not that far from where we lived. I'm glad there are several trails that weren't far from our home which helped keep our spirits up during this crazy time of being told to stay home day after day and instilling fear. Being stuck at home days on end is not healthy either. That's no way to live. There has to be a balance.

It felt good to be walking out on this cold cloudy day. We walked about a mile. It always feels good to go home after being active outdoors. It makes coming home that much sweeter. I always look forward to getting cozy after an active day.

Peace. What a wonderful way to live, to experience 

harmony and order and live in an agreeable, calm atmosphere.

Family Togetherness

April 2019


I like that there are so many areas where one can enjoy the beautiful views of the Puget Sound. Whenever we're not in the mood to deal with chaotic Seattle we head South. The N Tacoma area is very laid back even when it's busy. It's just a different vibe than that of Seattle. One spot we like to hang out at is Owen's Beach in Point Defiance.

It was low tide and we got a chance to walk around the beach quite a ways.

Usually this area is under water.

We try to take pictures together as much as possible. Sometimes several weeks go by without taking a picture of us together. I think it's important. I would hate to regret not having enough pictures of the two of us together ten, twenty years from now.

I love caramel apples and I'm grateful that there's a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory about twenty five minutes from our house. It's such a delicious treat and this is the only time that I truly enjoy eating an apple. I used to get one with nuts but I wasn't a fan about chunks of chocolate falling off when I took a bite. Now I either get the butterfinger or the cheesecake apple. So good!

I like when low clouds cover mountain tops. I really do. It reminds me of cozy times.

The following weekend me and the boys went bowling.

Surprised that Nathan joined us!

We got Riley the Toilet Trouble game and had everyone participate, even grandpa.

Funny kid. Riley has always enjoyed playing games/board games. I'm not necessary fond of them, I would prefer to read to him or go on a walk but I'm glad Jacob is the parent that likes games and the active one. We definitely balance each other out.

Being together is what matters but being active and enjoying this wonderful world that God gave us is something that I don't take for granted and I am totally grateful for.

Deep inside me are personality traits, strong convictions, a sense of right

and wrong, a love for God, an ethical compass and a commitment to my husband and kids.