50's a pretty big number...

That's right! I am 50 years old today! I can hardly believe it myself. Just where in the world has the time gone? I guess I can honestly admit to being middle-aged at last. Ha! In a lot of people's opinions, I'm surely a lot older than middle-aged depending on just what you think of as old...or when you expect to kick the old bucket! But...I'll let you in on a little secret. Just don't tell anyone...kay? I plan on doing a whole lot of livin' in the next half of my life. That's right! The next half! I've decided that as of today - I'm middle-aged and I need to get busy livin'. Uh-huh, that's right! Like Morgan Freeman said in the Shawshank Redemption..."Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'". This gal's gonna get busy livin'!! So, I have no idea what is the acceptable protocol for ones' 50th birthday, so I'll just do what I wanna do. Sounds good to me!

As might be expected, I'm feeling a little retrospective today...about a lot of things. I've got a lot of memories stored up and a lot of adventures in my memory banks. Some are amazing, some are funny, some are sad, and some are just plain enjoyable. So, in honor of my 50th birthday I have decided to ignore the fact that it's January and only about a third of the way through winter...and reminisce about some wonderful times I've experienced just this past summer.

There are a lot more pictures here than words. You see, I happen to enjoy taking pictures and because of that...I have a quite a few photos to choose from, and it's no easy task just picking one or two; and if I were to add everything that I could or wanted to say about each one, well it just might be the longest blog posting ever. I could have called this post "blessings" because every single picture here, to me, represents a blessing that I have enjoyed or still enjoy immensely...and, God willing will never forget and with God's blessing, will have a whole bunch more to add to my ever-growing list of life's beautiful and bountiful experiences.

Last summer my hubby and I got to go to Hawaii. A dream come true for us. And while in Hawaii, we got to go swimming with dolphins and snorkeling with turtles and all kinds of amazing ocean critters. It was phenomenol!!! And, I will truly never forget it...and hopefully will get to do it again someday.

Like totally cool dude...how old do you think this guy is? Turtles are actually kind of shy, but if you're respectful and quiet, they let you get pretty close for a really close look. Amazing!!!!

Spinner dolphins that we got to swim in the ocean with and respectfully observe. This was so cool that I was brought to tears...and nearly drowned because I forgot to remain expressionless so as not to let water into my snorkeling mask. Oops!! Very, very cool. I actually had a family of dolphins swim right in front of me, about 6-8 feet away and they turned and looked right at me! I felt so honored! And, in their eyes I saw so much intelligence. Not at all like a fish, but indeed an intelligent and compassionate animal. I will never forget this as long as I live.

A beautiful whale. I can't even imagine being in the water when one of these big guys swims by.

More spinner dolphins. These shots were taken about a half mile off the coast of Oahu near the southern tip of the island towards the west coast or the leeward side.

My hubby snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean. Way cool. I'm very thankful for this guy.

Some pretty fishes doing what fishies do best in the coral reef of Oahu.

This picture was taken on the boat just before we headed out. My hubby looks great. Me? Not so great. But, what the heck...I am after all a 50 year old mature woman. I cannot be expected to look like some perky, skinny-assed little teenager. Am I right? Still. This picture does indeed cause me some pain.

Pineapples growing in the beautiful, red, volcanic soil of interior Oahu. This is part of the very large, Dole Pineapple plantation. We were on our way back to our beach cottage after having spent the day on the eastern shore of the island...where the big waves are. The surfers hang-out. I met a gal working in a shop there who was from a tiny little town in Eastern Oregon. Very small world we live in.

This is actually the moon shining through a palm tree just outside our beach cottage. I thought it was pretty.

A sunrise shot taken from "our" beach, just down a sandy little path from our cottage facing towards Molokai.

This is another shot taken just a few moments later, still looking towards Molokai. You can rent kayaks and paddle out to the Molokai islands. I stood there on the beach in total amazement at the beauty and the gorgeous colors that just kept changing...beautiful!

Same beach in the daytime. We were taking a little stroll. The Molokai islands can be seen in the distance behind us. This is Kailua Beach. The water is always a very comfortable, warm temperature...just right.

This is a gecko. Flighty little things. This little guy let me get quite close because I moved very slowly and quietly. They were everywhere...not on the beaches, but in the yards and one morning when I was in the outdoor shower rinsing my hair, I opened my eyes to see a little, tiny voyeur watching me. Eeeks!!

An orchid from the yard of the beach cottage.

This was our beach cottage where we stayed on Kailua Beach. The bed is straight ahead in the loft. At night we could crank open the skylights and let in the cool, ocean breeze and watch the stars. You can't see it in this picture, but on the left is the kitchen area and a wall of windows that faced the ocean.

This picture is taken from up in the loft looking out at the mountains.

From the deck of the beach cottage looking out at the mountains of Kailua town.

This is a sunset shot taken from the cottage. The ocean was on our east side, so the sunrises were more spectacular. I still like this shot though, there had been a torrential downpour shortly before.

This is a beach shot taken from the car. Sorry, it's a little blurry. We had gone from Kailua town along the shore to Hanauma Bay and spent the day snorkeling and sunbathing on the beach. This was taken on our way back to the cottage. What a gorgeous drive with spectacular ocean shots!

Here we are after our day of snorkeling and baking in the sun with Hanauma Bay in the background. The pictures just do not do justice to the exquisite beauty of this place. It truly is breathtaking. There is a rather steep walk down to the bay from here. We were fortunate and got a ride back up and were thankful that we didn't have to make the climb carrying all our stuff. We look a little fried huh? Fantastic snorkeling though...although my preference would have to be from a boat out in the ocean. The coral reefs are torture on the knees!

Another ocean shot somewhere between Hanauma Bay and Kailua town. Gorgeous color!

Arriving back home at our little cottage all tuckered out. Ready for a shower and a little relaxation (nap) before heading to Kailua town for dinner.

I forget the name of this beautiful bay, but this is maybe 10-15 minutes south of Kailua. I just loved the way the sun was streaming through the clouds and upon the water. Again, the camera cannot convey the beauty of real life.

Here we are back in port at Ko'Olina after our adventure of swimming and snorkeling in the ocean with the dolphins and turtles and fishies. To say we had a blast is an understatement. And, don't you just love our hair!? That's one thing I would totally love about living in Hawaii...no one gives a rip about their hair. You just put it up and go!! My kinda place!!

Day 4 of camping at the Flying M Ranch over the 4th of July weekend 2009. We are lookin' good!! Probably smelling pretty good too...just be thankful that there is no smell in pictures!!

A pretty sunset seen from our campsight at the "M" - I remember wondering if we were in for a little of God's fireworks that night. Those clouds look a little imposing...

Relaxing after a long, dry, dusty and very hot day of horseback riding in the Cascade Mountains at Flying M Ranch outside Yamhill, Oregon. We are very thankful to be able to load up the horses and in 30 minutes time be up here in complete wilderness, camping and enjoying nature. We love it up here.

Here's my beautiful boy and trailhorse extraordinaire...Harley.

Looking out from our campsite. 4th of July weekend and we had the entire place to ourselves. Ya just can't beat that!

Me and my boy returning from a ride. Those are Ladde's ears you see in the foreground. My hubby is my favorite trailriding partner. Again, one of my blessings that I'm eternally thankful for.

The little creek that was just behind our camper. What a great place to soak hot tootsies after a day of horseback riding. Annie spent a lot of time in the creek playing. That's her favorite place!

I'm very thankful for these spots!! This is Harley. He's a totally adorable package!!

And...every cowgirl knows to give thanks for their boots, right? My toes have been spared more times than I can count because of these boots.

Here's the boys. Ladde and Harley. They are the best of buds when they're on a camping trip. At home...not so much. I count these two as some of my most very special blessings ever. You just couldn't find better horses. We love these guys!!!

Well, I guess that's it for now. It's been a nice birthday. My friend Beth took me out to lunch today at the Thai restaurant. Yummy!! Thanks Beth!! I've gotten many wonderful birthday wishes from some treasured friends, and what's better than that? This weekend my hubby and I are celebrating my birthday with my family at Marco Polo in Salem...one of my favorite places to eat, and then are finishing up with dessert at Konditerai's in Salem. If you've never visited there - you need to. They have nothing but desserts and trust me, there's no wrong choice at this place. Everything is to die for good!!! 50 is a pretty big number alright, but whatever...it's just a number. I'm thankful to have made it this far, and God willing, I'll be honored to see what's lies around the next 20 or 30 or 40 or...

Happy Birthday to me!! I'm 50 years old today and absolutely okay with it!!

Blessings everyone from cingspots!! :)

It's a dog's life...

We've had Jasper, our newest canine companion since New Year's Day. He and Nellie enjoy each other's company. This is definitely more entertaining than watching tv.


Jasper is a 4 year old Golden Retriever who we adopted from Golden Bond Rescue. We've had him for a little over 2 weeks now. He's amazingly patient and playful with Nellie. She's the small, black pain in the butt on the right. Too bad we don't have sound with this post. Nellie's constant growling is hilarious.

He's a very handsome boy.

Jasper and Annie in our backyard. If you don't want it destroyed, then you don't want to let Jasper near it. We sometimes call him "destroy boy". He and Annie are good companions as well.

I apologize for the posts in the middle of our picture, but I was inside the house shooting these across the deck.

This is Nellie. She's the little throw-away pound puppy I adopted in early December. She was one of 4 that someone had discarded on a little country road. I can't imagine anyone doing that. But, the ending is a happy one. They were rescued and taken to our local dog control shelter and have all been adopted out. In fact, they went like hotcakes! She's definitely Lab, but who knows what else might be thrown in.

Here's how Annie spends her time while Jasper and Nellie go at it for hours on end. I told you she was a smart dog. :)

He's very photogenic. I enjoy taking pictures of him, but it's hard to get him to look at me.

If he's not playing with Nellie...he's keeping track of what she's doing.

Sorry for the glowing eyes here, but it was fairly dark in the living room and I had to use the flash. She regards herself as the princess. She's proving to be a very smart little dog. So far, she has been very easy to teach.

Nellie has no problems posing.

Meanwhile...mustn't forget about Annie. She had a very long day apparently. Poor little thing!

Destroying a weed...

Patch doesn't approve of the puppy. Not one little bit.

This flock of geese took flight from the field while I was snapping pictures. This was only a portion of the total flock.

Yow Yow doesn't approve of Nellie either. I'm sure he's coming up with a grand scheme to get rid of the puppy.

The chubby, hairy, dirty, but happy horses. Harley was somewhere else at the moment.

This is how they spend their days at the clinic. It's a tough job...but somebody's gotta do it.

Little Nells Bells.

Annie makes a very cushy place to rest a weary puppy.

When do we take her back mom??

She's not as innocent as she looks...trust me.

Nellie's got Annie's "precious". Oh no!

And last, but certainly not least...our beloved woodstove who we love very much!! Pay no attention to that lovely linoleum. One of these days hopefully, very soon, it's going to be replaced.

We have decided to take Jasper back to Golden Bond. He's a great dog and we definitely have mixed feelings about our decision, but 3 dogs in our little home is a wee bit too cozy if you know what I mean. I regret having to put him through another transition in his life, but I'm certain that he will be in his forever home very soon. He's a totally cool dog and we'll probably regret giving him back, but we believe it's the right decision for all involved. Annie sort of disappears into the background a lot of the time while Jasper and Nellie are playing. And, getting a companion for Annie was my original plan when we decided to get another dog. Nellie will fill that slot, and with Annie as her mentor; she just can't help but turn into a wonderful, sensible dog. Golden Bond already has a family in mind for Jasper. This family has 2 little boys. Jasper will be in "hog heaven", I'm pretty sure. He has been a pleasure getting to know these past couple of weeks, and I'm sure we'll miss him for a while.

That's it for now from cingspots...

Life in Limbo

Today is January 6, 2010. Amazing! My bright and shiny new calendar states that today is "Epiphany". I understand the definition of the word, or at least I think I do...pretty much; but what does that description have to do with today - this day? So...I looked it up. A divine manifestation. 12 days after Christmas celebrating the 3 wise men visiting the birth of the infant baby Jesus. I have honestly never heard of this "holiday" before. Hmmm, I guess we really do learn new stuff every single day.



So, anyway - it's been a while since I've posted anything on my blog again. Really not sure what's going on with me lately. Time goes by...as the song says, "time waits for no one" and surely not for me. I feel like I'm in a limbo of sorts. I've been feeling discumboobulated (is that a word?) and out of sorts lately. Thanksgiving...gone. Christmas, too has come and gone. New Years is over. Significant dates. But for some reason, they feel insignificant to me this year. Like I said, I feel somehow detached. Almost like I'm outside looking in. I don't expect anyone to understand because I certainly don't understand my feelings myself. *sigh* So strange. Please forgive my ramblings, but after all, this is my blog and I started this thing as a journal of the happenings in my life. A way of keeping track. So, I'm going to go over things and just put my thoughts and happenings of late into words.



Thanksgiving for my hubby and me was spent at my sister's house with the family. Oh fun. We cooked, we ate, I guess there was more, but nothing worth talking about. I have said for several years now that I have wanted something different for the holidays, not sure what, but different for sure. But, as usual we had dinner at my sister's with my side of the family. It was the usual. We arrived and the first thing we knocked on the door because it was locked. My brother-in-law answered the door with "don't you know this door is always locked?", then he hastily retreated to his chair in front of the computer where he was playing online poker. Aah, no I replied...wondering how else we were expected to get in...anyway, we proceded into the kitchen where we deposited our dishes. My sis was nowhere in sight...upstairs showering we were told. So, I visited with my niece for a while and my hubby sat in front of the television. The day unfolded, dinner was eaten and things deteriorated from there. An altercation between a great-nephew and his sister ensued, angry words were spoken and we went home. There were no words spoken of being thankful, no blessings mentioned and my thoughts about not spending Christmas here were cemented in my mind. My hubby and I went home where we spent the remainder of the evening in the barn doing the chores and being with our horses and our dogs. This was without a doubt, the best part of the whole day.



Life went on and before I knew it, another month had passed. I got off work a little early on Christmas Eve day. My boss gave me $300 for a bonus which was a really nice surprise since this past year had been so unusually slow and profits were down. I surely didn't expect anything, but was very thankful. I spent the afternoon wrapping the few gifts I'd bought for family members and delivered them to my sister's house. My niece Shelley was the only one home. We had a nice little visit, wished each other well and I headed for home. Christmas eve my hubby and I stayed home for the first time in many years. It was peaceful and quiet. Too quiet. We spent time in the barn with the horses, did the chores and had a simple, but delicious dinner of cheesey broccoli soup, homemade rolls and ham. Our son Justin and his family have recently moved to Idaho. They invited us to spend Christmas with them in their new house, which we would have enjoyed, but driving was really out of the question with the winter weather and the bald tires on our car. We considered taking the train, which seemed like a romantic adventure, but the nearest depot to their home was nearly 200 miles away. We were disappointed, but decided to make the best of it and enjoy the time relaxing at home. We enjoyed the day, but it surely felt unusual just being at home by ourselves. With both sets of our parents gone, it just didn't feel like a normal holiday. Too much quiet time alone leaves me feeling reflective, nostalgic and longing for days gone by, and definitely missing my mom and dad. I'm sure my hubby was having similar feelings, but he kept his thoughts to himself.



New Year's Eve we again, stayed at home. I worked all day and went home and spent the evening in the barn with the horses. It was nice, but unusually quiet. Again...too much alone time fosters thoughts that I'd just rather let stay below the surface. Gee, I sound so cheerful...

Anyway, fast forward to the present. We have just been going through the motions of everyday life. There's nothing really new or significant to report, which depending on ones' perspective, can be a very good thing. My hubby and I continue to go to work each day (of course, being thankful we have jobs to report to), come home to do chores in the barn each evening, a quick supper usually in front of the woodstove or television, and then off to bed...just to repeat again the following day. We are both healthy, again very thankful for this. My hubby is recovering from a very nasty cold bug which lasted for a couple of weeks, my back is on the mend (very, very thankful for this) which means that I can now begin shouldering more my portion of responsibilities where the horses are concerned and we are managing to keep our bills paid and food on the table. Hopefully, a friend and I will soon begin riding our horses at least once, possibly twice a week in a nearby indoor riding arena. That would undoubtedly bolster my spirits and generally improve my outlook on life immensely. It sure would do the horses some good too, for they surely must grow weary of being stall potatoes (or pasture pets) every single day with nothing to give them physical or mental stimulation.

We are thankful each and every day for our new woodstove. It does a dandy job of keeping our little home cozy and warm. Love it!! The only news in our winter-weary lives is that we have added two new dogs to our menagerie. Yes, we have 3 dogs total now! We're probably lacking good, common sense in this department, but whatever...they bring us joy. We've adopted Nellie, the black lab puppy from the local animal shelter and Jasper who's a 4-year old Golden Retriever that we adopted from Golden Bond Rescue of Oregon. We still have a slight question of whether Jasper is a keeper because he is completely naive around livestock which is proving to be a major pain, but we'll continue to work with him daily in this regard. Otherwise, he is a wonderful dog. I promise to post pictures of all the dogs very soon. As in every other area of my life as of late, I am remisc in my picture taking as well.

My head is swimming with possibilities for wintertime projects inside our house, but for some reason I can't even muster the energy to keep my housecleaning up to date, let alone some grand project. Hopefully, I will get the rest that my body and mind are obviously in need of and soon I'll be back on my game. I sure hope this is the case because I am seriously tired of feeling tired. My mom used to call this the winter doldrums or a case of the blues, although I don't feel the depression that so many winters have brought. Not really sure what I'm feeling, but I can freely admit that I don't like it...not one little bit. Out of sorts, in limbo, not in my game - whatever you call it - it's a drag.

Hope all my friends, readers, fellow bloggers are doing well. May we all prosper and feel blessed in this, the year of our Lord...2010 - or as the tweens are calling it - 20X - much more cool.

Cingspots over and out

A quick update

I keep hoping for things to slow down a bit. Life has been very busy lately for one reason or another. I had thought that once summer was over and we wound outside projects down to a minimum, everything would just move at a quieter pace. But, that hasn't been the case...yet. Yes, we did get our woodstove installed and we have been loving it. The timing couldn't have been better because for nearly two weeks we had beautiful, but cold, sunshine. We were blessed with no damages to pipes or hoses due to freezing temperatures, and the horses enjoyed the weather as much as we did. We found that by keeping our pellet stove going round the clock, and having a fire in the woodstove in the evenings, our little home kept us toasty and warm. I am so thankful for not having to use our furnace anymore.

We adopted a black lab puppy from the local shelter on December 4th. We've named her Nellie, and she's a joy (most of the time). Annie is still adjusting to not being the only housepet, and slowly she's warming towards the pup. My hope is that Nellie will help keep Annie young-at-heart, and that Annie will pass along her quiet demeanor and general good dog sense to Nellie. So far, so good. We are still looking at adopting a Golden Retriever from the rescue as well. After Christmas, we have a meeting to meet a dog named Jasper. He sounds amazing too. So, if all goes as planned, we will be back to having our standard of 3 dogs again. Are we crazy or what?

Last weekend was the annual Christmas cookie bake-off and exchange at my house. I had a total of 7 friends there baking and it was a lot of fun. Tiring for my back, but fun nonetheless. That evening I had severe back spasms and thought I was going to have to make a trip to the emergency room, but my hubby found some old vicadin tablets. I took one of those and a very warm bath and the spasms eased enough for me to get to sleep. I did go to the doctor the following day and got some muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatory meds and more pain pills. I don't want to get caught when something like that happens with nothing to help. Now I just need to be careful for a while and let my back heal from whatever I've managed to do to it this time. Sheesh! It's always something.

We got our Christmas tree up and all decorated, and I've made an evergreen wreath for the front door. We've put a few decorations inside the house, but are keeping things very simple this year. We had planned on taking the train to Idaho to spend Christmas with our son Justiin and his wife Jenney and our grandkids. I definitely didn't want to drive there in winter conditions, but taking the train sounded so very romantic and part of the overall adventure! But the nearest train depot to the small town where they live is Spokane, and that would mean they would have to drive over 170 miles one way just to pick us up. We don't want them having to do that, so I guess we'll just stay home and have a very quiet Christmas, just my hubby and me. Maybe that's exactly what the doctor ordered. A peaceful and quiet day at home with the dogs. I might even stay in my pj's all day...doesn't that sound nice? I'll fix a nice dinner, play some Christmas music and have a fire going in the woodstove. Who knows? Maybe we can even squeeze in a Christmas day nap...that sounds heavenly!

I realize it's been about 3 weeks since I've posted anything here on my blog. Since Thanksgiving, we've had a couple of weeks of very cold (as low as 9 F), dry and sunshiney weather which I loved. But the last few days the temperatures are back up into the upper 40's and low 50's with rain. Tons of rain. The skies are grey and gloomy and everything's looking rather dismal again. Oh well, winter begins in just 4 more days so I guess we should expect this kind of weather. One good thing about the winter solstice is that's the shortest day of the year, and after that the days will begin slowly lengthening again. That's good. The seasons sure seem to come and go a lot quicker than they ever used to. A sure sign of aging, I guess.

I hope everybody is enjoying this Christmas season; spending time with friends and family and remembering just why we celebrate this time of year. Merry Christmas everyone!!

That's it for now from cingspots

Blessings!

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing for everyone a blessed and peaceful Thanksgiving holiday spent with family and friends. May there be good food aplenty and a host of reasons to give thanks to our Father in heaven for our bounty of blessings.



We are travelling to my sister's house for the holiday, just a short jaunt from home. My niece and I have agreed to be the main cooks for this year's feast. We are planning on having a turkey with all the trimmings, bunches of buttery mashed potatoes with gravy (yum), homemade dinner rolls with (of course) real butter...and pies...delectable, homemade, delicious, pies. *sigh* My sis always makes chocolate and pumpkin. My hubby is making an apple (our favorite), and I'll be making a banana cream. I'm getting full just thinking about all of it.



But, other than the food and the gathering of family and friends, Thanksgiving is above all others, my most favorite holiday. I love the fact that it's so non-commercialized, and that there's no hustle-bustle involved and the "to do" list is so very short. Cook, eat, socialize, and above all else...be thankful. What could be better? I love it!! My hubby and I have a lot to be thankful for, and I feel so very blessed. It's a good life. The 4-day weekend doesn't hurt either. Oh yeah!!



One of the many blessings I'm giving thanks for this year is that all our animals are healthy and sound. Last year at this time I was worried about Ladde because he had a torn suspensory ligament...this year he's as good as new...not a smidge of lameness!!



So, remember...give thanks and be happy!!



"Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving"



Blessings, Cingspots


p.s. We got the woodstove in and it's awesome!! Another thing I'm thankful for. I took some pictures of it, but forgot my camera at home today...

A Beautiful Hot August Day

So far this fall it's been quite mild and we've had plenty of rainfall. The colors have been beautiful, the horses are putting on their woolies and the mud is aplenty. I can hardly believe that we're almost 2/3 of the way through fall; it's almost Thanksgiving and winter is right around the corner. I guess I must be getting old because the time sure does fly anymore, and I fondly remember my mom telling me that "the older you get, the faster time flies". She really did know what she was talking about. Funny how that happens.

This past summer was such a whirlwind of activities that I hardly had time to post anything at all on my blog, and I really don't want to forget any of the wonderful memories that were created. One of the main reasons I started this blog was to keep a journal of our daily lives and have a source to look back through and remember.

This post is about one day in particular that I will remember with a special fondness, and I want to treasure it always and keep it fresh in my thoughts.

It was an exceptionally hot, sultry day on August 1, 2009 and the sunrise that morning was amazing...

The fields were ripe and dry from the heat we'd been experiencing over the last several weeks. Summer had arrived in all its' magical glory and I gave thanks for having risen in time to take in the magnificent sunrise that we'd been blessed with.

My best childhood friend's daughter was getting married today. Kelly and I had grown up together and were neighbors and were both instilled with the wondrous love of horses, and the tenacity to get what we wanted the most in life. We spent countless long, summer days riding our horses until darkness forced us back home. Wonderful, precious memories and to this day, a cherished friend.

Today was Brittney's wedding day.

How adorable are these little girls?

Anne and Kelly are sisters. They are both beautiful women and I love them dearly. Anne is on the left and my wonderful friend Kelly is on the right. It just seems like yesterday that we were all kids. *sigh*

The wedding was held in Dale and Kelly's yard. Kelly did all the flowers for the wedding and they were gorgeous. Kelly has been in the business of flowers for almost as long as I can remember. She does flowers for weddings all the time and works as a florist for Safeway.

Here's my handsome honey wishing I'd stop sticking the camera in his face... have I mentioned that it was excruciatingly hot and humid; and that we were all positively melting from the heat? No!? Well, it was and we were!!

And here's Brittney. She was the most breathtakingly beautiful bride that I've ever seen! She is a lovely girl, inside and out.

It was such a tranquil setting for the wedding. Kelly's dad, Lee built this pergola and it was the perfect touch with the flowers.

Father and daughter dancing...for some reason, seeing the daughters with their dads always makes me cry. Poor Dale looks like he was about to pass out from the heat! I did notice that the jacket he was wearing didn't last long.

I think evening weddings are so nice. It must be a trend, because all three of the weddings we attended this past summer were held in the evening.

My camera focused on the fir branches instead of the couple, but I kind of like the hazy effect it gave the picture.

This was the bar. Notice what it's made of? Kelly's husband, Dale is a logger and he fell the tree and cut the flat top and finished it himself. It was absolutely beautiful! What a great idea! After summer was over, he donated it to a local tavern as their outside bar. Very cool idea.

First kiss as husband and wife. I didn't do such a great job of including the groom - it looked better through the lens.

Husband and wife - Tony and Brittney. This was such a pretty cake, but you know what? It tasted even better!! :)

First dance...always a tender moment.

Ooh la la !!

Brittney has always loved kids. All the children spent a fair amount of time dancing with the beautiful bride - they loved it!

Grandpa Lee dancing with his youngest (to date) granddaughter. This is one of Anne's daughters.

Uh oh!! What's happening here? The bride and groom are gettin' a little crazy!! I guess it's a good thing that's a very sturdy bar.

Weddings truly are one of my most favorite things. Everybody's happy, full of hope and looking forward to a wonderful future. It's also a great excuse to kick up your heels and have a little fun!! Now that's something we all need to do every once in a while...keeps a body young!!

Cheers everybody!!

Love the ones you're with...Cingspots