Romans 8:28

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Annual Vacation with the Rouse's

Another great get-away with Richard and Lane, and this year was a simple travel plan beginning in Kerrville in their home, and venturing out to spend time on the Frio Cielo Ranch in their little cabin, as well as to visit three beautiful missions in San Antonio.   Our fondest memories of time spent together this summer is my purpose for writing this afternoon.  Lane has such a gift for making us feel at home by always offering a peaceful home for relaxation, providing an inviting guest bedroom, and preparing wonderful nourishment for us to enjoy while we are there.  Contributions from Richard to our wonderful week together included great wine each evening, inspirational music, and a generous helping of humor combined with stimulating conversation about anything and everything!  My "Top Ten Great Things about our Getaway" include:
  •  receiving a generously warm welcome when we arrived on Sunday evening at sunset
  • enjoying "quiet" time on the front porch in the late evenings, overcome by the active sounds of Mother Nature, specifically the cicadas
  • sleepily sipping our steaming cups of coffee each morning, again on the front porch, but this time, entertained by the vibrant morning songs of a wide variety of birds
  • venturing out to see the shocking demolition of the old hospital in downtown Kerrville
  • perusing the aisles of our favorite store, Gibson's, to uncover any treasures we deemed necessary to purchase and take back home with us
  • leisurely sitting outside the cabin at the Dry Frio, on the upstairs deck, with eyes intently focused on the brilliant half-moon and stars, hoping desperately to catch a glimpse of a falling star!  after all, doesn't that bring one good luck?
  • admiringly gazing at the sweetest looking family of deer crossing the ranch property just beyond the porch at the cabin, a momma, daddy, and 2 brand-new fawns
  • lazily sunning in the river after suffering the initial shock to our bodies because of the chilly spring-fed waters
  • hysterically laughing when David decided to accomplish one of his items on his "bucket list" by skinny-dipping
  • exploring and photographing 3 beautiful old missions in San Antonio...my favorites in order of preference were Missions San Jose`, Espada and San Juan
Simple summer times this year, my children would say, but oh, so memorable, as wonderful times with great friends.   Some of the photos we shot on our Texas Hill Country travels are included to visually share the beauty we experienced.  May you uncover your own simple summer times in 2010!  
LindaM:)


Friday, June 25, 2010

Simply Summer in 2010

My eagerness to begin exploring my creative talents in the form of writing and photography has just recently surfaced with a vengeance as summer slipped in on the tail end of my most challenging year of my career as an administrator. My new camera David purchased for me has presented new trials for me as I strive to master just the perfect photos, capturing my love of family, friends, and beautiful scenes I've experienced. Most thankful for the Auto setting on my camera, I have been fairly successful up to this point with my Canon Rebel, but on our week away with Richard and Lane in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, David gave his best faith effort to teach me the in's and out's of manual settings, F-stops and shutter speeds! My learning curve has been rather steep, but I think that I will slowly emerge as a better photographer with more opportunities to playfully master my skills. It is my hope to freeze frame time with the images I visually capture along my journey of life, representing what is most meaningful to me. My passion for photography is certainly not new, but rather emerging into something beyond my desire to collect memories for the purpose of scrapbooking and journaling about the lives of those I love. My wishes to extend my written thoughts have lingered for years, but around my birthday this summer, I began to wonder "What am I waiting for?" Most who know and love me would recognize my perfectionist tendencies, which, up to this point, have been roadblocks for getting my thoughts on paper. How frustrated I have been! I have skimmed books, magazines and websites on delving into writing and publishing, but I end up tucking them neatly away in my tote bag with all of the tools that should inspire me to get started, including pens, books, and a beautiful journal full of stark white pages, minus my innermost thoughts. My problem has been where to start-my thoughts about all of the possibilities are just racing around in my mind! My admiration for dear friends who blog has not gone without notice, as I love reading about their children, families and my most recent favorite about Ruby, Lauren and Trevor's precious puppy and her exciting adventures. In a recent conversation with Cara and Lane, I shared my dreams of writing and photography and they encouraged me to begin a blog. I must admit that I have been a little intimidated by the thought, but Cara assured me it was easy, and provided a few simple steps for getting started. Her blog "Ainslee Grace" has been one of my inspirations since Ainslee was born. Upon our return home, I have had the itch to get to the computer and thus tonight my blog "Linda's Family Favorites" was created. My hope is that I will somehow feel less threatened by writing in this format, and that my family and friends will enjoy my blog as much as I have enjoyed others.     
LindaM:)