..."Harmony"...(oh yeah, and the fair!)

I LOVE discovering new places!!! When we left the hotel Sunday morning, the one thing I wanted to check out was this "town" called Harmony. What a great name for a town! You can continue walking with me and I'll show you around!

The first "stop" was outside a vineyard where I attempted to take my first photos of grapes on the vine.

They weren't as "pretty" as I was hoping, but still fun to take pictures of! And now, I welcome you to the streets of Harmony!

...population 18. We saw two people in the town and we were there for about an hour!

This town would be perfect for a "photoshoot." So we played around a little! :)

Once we got our "photoshoot" out of the way, it was back to taking shots of nature!

I really wish I could take the credit from this next picture, but it was the work of Meghan. I LOVE this shot!

I wasn't going to post this next one, but it is kind of funny...

After we had our fun in "Harmony" we began to drive to our next stop, San Miguel Mission. On the drive, we stopped on this dirt road:

I almost think we could pass for sisters! :)

...Finally, the Mission.

...and a little goofing around!

Final stop...the fair!!!

...flexing for the camera. Can you see why no one wants to mess with me?! :)

I have NO explanation for this next one...it looks a little odd!

There you have it...my latest weekend venture!
Simple, fun, but as always, too short!

July 30th...

Today is my brother's birthday (...not that he even reads this to see that I'm recognizing it or anything). It was also one year ago today that my grandpa passed away. My thoughts have been with my grandma and my heart has been melancholy most of the day. I wish I was with her right now and I know that she is wishing that she was with her husband... I also spent some time chatting on facebook last night with an old friend who just lost his dad yesterday. Needless to say, I have had a lot on my mind.

I was going to continue my blog from the trip this past weekend but instead I'm going to share something with you that really touched my heart today.

If someone were to ask me, "Angie, if you had the opportunity to meet anyone in the world, who would it be?" I would have to say that Max Lucado is at the top of that list. I don't even remember how I stumbled upon his books...but I am hooked and have been for years! I enjoy them because they are "easy reads"-yet have depth. He sometimes brings out a sense of humor that is similar to mine. Most of his words paint incredible pictures in my mind as I read them, and sometimes he touches on something that brings tears to my eyes. One of those times was today.

Last night I picked up his book, "Traveling Light" which was inspired by David's writing in Psalm 23. I cried when I first read this, I cried a few hours later just thinking about it, and I am sure that as I type the excerpt, the tears will well up once again. This is taken from a chapter entitled, "The Prison of Want...The Burden of Discontent"

"...he had learned to be content.

So had the leper on the island of Tobago. A short-term missionary met her on a mission trip. On the final day, he was leading worship in a leper colony. He asked if anyone had a favorite song. When he did, a woman turned around, and he saw the most disfigured face he'd ever seen. She had no ears and no nose. Her lips were gone. But she raised a fingerless hand and asked, "Could we sing 'Count Your Many Blessings'?"

The missionary started the song but couldn't finish. Someone later commented, "I suppose you'll never be able to sing that song again." He answered, "No, I'll sing it again. Just never in the same way.""

Yep...couldn't even make it through the typing. What a testimony... What a way to make a person feel deeply convicted. What a way to immediately drop to your knees, to be thankful for all that you have already been given, and earnestly seek forgiveness for always wanting "more." This deeply impacted me today.

The chapter continues:

"Are you hoping that a change in circumstances will bring a change in your attitude? If so, then you are in prison, and you need to learn a secret to traveling light. What you have in your Shepherd is greater than what you don't have in life.

May I meddle for a moment? What is the one thing separating you from joy? How do you fill in this blank: "I will be happy when _________"? When I am healed. When I am promoted. When I am married. When I am single. When I am rich. How would you finish this statement?

Now, with your answer firmly in mind, answer this. If your ship never comes in, if your dream never comes true, if the situation never changes, could you be happy? If not, then you are sleeping in the cold cell of discontent. You are in prison. And you need to know what you have in your Shepherd."

I am a worrier. Usually, I make jokes out of my worries, but most of the time they run deep and weigh heavily on me. It's not that I enjoy worrying, but I guess that part of me has a tenancy to look at my life, my age, my circumstances (i.e. being single and a single parent), and figure that worrying is par for the course. I don't want to worry, but feel as though if I don't...people may think that I don't take life "seriously" enough. Ugh...

Anyway, I am SO glad that the bookstore didn't have the book that I initially wanted to purchase and that God placed this one in my hands instead. God knows I needed it, and now I know I needed it, too!

Upon reading the first few chapters I was thinking about the baggage that we seem to drag with us through life's journey, and I think that my bags carry bits and pieces of everything imaginable crammed in them. Then I got to thinking about the countless number of conversations/arguments that I had with my son this past school year. He literally went through three backpacks in the 6th grade. One ripped at the shoulder strap, one ripped at the zipper, and the other just plain bottomed out. Seriously...and two of them were fairly expensive! I was so tired of buying backpacks that I dug out his old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles one from the 1st or 2nd grade! It was obvious that he was cramming his books, football, basketball, jacket, you name it...he'd stuff it in his bag! I don't understand it...it can't be all that good on his back, neck, or shoulders. And most of the junk he'd put in there wasn't even necessary...in my opinion. But in his...it made life easier. Does it? Why did he feel he "had" to lug all of that stuff around?

...Why do I feel like I have to lug all of my "stuff" around? Granted, I'm not physically walking around with a million backpacks...but emotionally I am. And they are tearing at the seams, bottoming out, and causing the same stress on my mind and heart. Why do I allow them to weigh me down?

I believe that every once in awhile I will place them on the floor, but once I "trip" over the backpack of doubt I grab it again and throw it over my shoulder. Why? And there are so many!!! Doubt, fear, insecurity, regret, worry, loneliness...even jealousy, to name a few.

Did I mention that Max Lucado's books have a way of challenging me spiritually?

A lot can be learned from the woman in Tobago.

Nick's backpacks have made their way to the garbage, never to be seen again.

...I think it's time to work on doing the same with mine...

Trip to San Simeon

First of all, I am excited that I picked up a new book tonight. Sad that they didn't have the one that I was looking for, but happy that I found something else to read anyway! :) Truth be known, I went to the bookstore looking for Jane Austen's "Persuasion." I found it, but after browsing through it figured I'd never make it through to the end. THEN I looked for the other one (that I didn't find) so ended up with the one I have. Make sense? Didn't think so! :)

Anyhew...I took a weekend road trip to the Paso Robles area. This was sort of a last minute journey, but I am SO glad that I decided to go with the "what the heck" attitude and went. It was Nick and I, and two girls from church. It was such a great opportunity to get to know them better...and we had so much fun!!!

Take a "walk" with me and I'll give you a glimpse of the trip!

Welcome to San Simeon. The beach was amazing, and even had this great pier!

And then...came the sunset over the ocean...it really doesn't get any better than this!




Apparently...it was quite the sight to see as I bent over to take multiple pictures!

This is the second picture I have taken in which the "flare" from the sun creates a very distinct image...and people wonder why I like taking shots of nature!

Here are a few shots of the twins...

I was SO excited to discover starfish, in their habitat, and amazed at how difficult it is to remove them! Nick's reaction to them was hilarious! He would not hold them in the palm of his hand, he was afraid they would bite or something!

So there is a glimpse of our first day. Day #2...our journey to "Harmony!"

It's "Official"

On this day, I have dubbed myself an "official redneck!" Always wanted to be one, and now...I think I am!

When Nick called me this morning, the first thing he "had" to tell me, was that there was a hole in our couch, big enough that one of our cats had climbed in it. IN IT...inside the couch! Granted, Nick didn't actually see him climb in, but he claims he saw him coming out. Great...

So I come home today and there are scissors on the couch, I look down and there is packaging tape all across the side of it. (at least it wasn't duct tape!) Wonder how long it's going to keep the cats out...

I got to thinking about that "hole" and the cat "escaping" into it and I thought how wonderful it would be to discover a hole big enough to climb into every once in a while. I think I'd be there now...

It would have to be someplace "serene." I remember when I was a kid (younger than Nick) every year we would watch "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" in the library at elementary school. And I always thought about how cool it would be to find a magical place like that (without the Witch of course!). I still think it would be cool to find a place like that...

...and on days like today, I would escape. Long enough to sort through my thoughts, to soak in the quiet, and "rest." Physically and mentally.

I think we all could use our own holes to crawl into...

To "think" before we "speak." To take time and concentrate on the things we should be grateful for and not complain about those things that we may not have. To be still long enough to have an encounter with God, without having a phone ring or a to-do list that "needs" to be completed.

...I need that "hole."

The past few weeks I have found a new "hobby" and in doing so, I have discovered some amazing quotes. This is the one I'm stuck on today:

The framer of our destiny is familiar with our denseness. God knows we sometimes miss the signs. Maybe that's why he gave us so many.

-Max Lucado "He Chose the Nails"

Amongst the "many signs" He gives me, is the story of the hole He gave me today. Holes for us to climb into are all around us. The one in my couch may not be big enough for me to fit into, but I can use my imagination!

Swimming with the "Fam"

So it has been SO HOT in northern California, that I even questioned whether or not swimming sounded good! But Sunday afternoon Nick and I headed over to my brother and sister in law's to spend some time in the pool.

Grandpa got the kids excited as he tossed the sub skate into the air for the kids to jump and catch. They had a ball!

Landon "getting some air."


Landon getting ready to showcase his water basketball skills!

Nick and grandpa after their "race to the wall."

Crazy, I know!

Nick proving that grandpa is "not too old" to play "Chicken."

Matt preparing to show everyone he is NOT a basketball player! :)

Nick showing off his "follow through" during their game of HORSE...

...Matt again. He may have actually made this shot! :)

And THEN the "real" game began!

Check out the skills in my kid! FYI, I was "owning" the game, but decided to jump out and take a few pictures!

It was a great day...and the most time I've spent in the sun all summer!