Taliya and Me in the Yard

These first two aren't exactly in the yard, but they are Taliya. I love how she stands at the windows and watches the cars and trucks. 

Some of the flowers I planted by seed. It's so fun having flowers in our yard. 

The cucumbers are really blooming. I can't wait for some fresh veggies. 

I thought this scene of the houses next door was cool. I am jealous of pretty much everyone else in our neighborhood because they have trees. We used to, but they were cut down shortly after we moved in. Oh, the sadness. At least there's plenty of sun for growing stuff. 

I guess it's kind of a weird picture, but I like it because it's so summery. 

I love summer!!

♥♥♥

V

A Very Cool Sunset

Last night the sunset was very cool. We had had thunderstorms off and on throughout the day, but the sun would not be stopped from having its own moment of glory. It's hard to stand under that sky and not feel awe for the Creator who makes storms and calm. I've always loved the sky so much, and I think it's partly because it makes us humans so tiny, and there's nothing we can do to control what it does. 

It was so bright!

For some reason, I really like to take pictures of reflections in windows and doors. 

Help! I'm Addicted....A Strange Way to Announce

A month or so ago, this scene would not have looked very appealing to me: black tea with dark chocolate. I lost interest in these two things the last time I was pregnant, too. 

Yep! We're having another baby. 

The black tea, in the form of homemade chai, came back a little while ago, while the dark chocolate only came back after the camping trip. Boy! It's bad, folks. It's a real addiction. 

Anyway, I'm through the first trimester. I feel pretty good. Actually, this pregnancy has been much better than the last, which I am very thankful for, especially since I have a baby to look after. 

We expect the baby to come early January. We plan to find out the gender in August probably. 

We're very happy and feel very blessed. Sometimes the thought of having another tiny kid around here does sound rough, but I also look forward to our family growing. 

♡♡♡

V

A Hike, a Train, and a Fire

On Sunday we went on a nice hike to another waterfall. It started raining as soon as we got back to the car and rained for a while. So we looked for something we could do. Josh found out about a scenic train we could ride on. 

Above Cumberland Falls. 

People take raft rides to the foot of the falls. 

There are a bunch of big ol' cliffs. 

Eagle Falls

Jacob and I climbed up behind the falls.

There are so many rocks. 

Jacob got way too close to accidently stepping on this copperhead. Eeks. 

There was a big garage full of old Fords. 

The train we rode on the get to an old miners camp. 

The church/school

Our camp site was right next to the bath house, which was interesting. Next time we're gonna try to find something a little more in the woods. 

Making s'mores

We stayed up late into the night talking and enjoying the peace. 

Well, that was fun. 

Taliya's First Camping Trip.

Last weekend we went camping for the first time together. Of course, it was Taliya's first time, too. I hadn't been camping in nearly 11 years! It's sad. When we were little we did a lot of camping, but as we got older, it was less and less. So, I've been wanting to go for a while. We went down to Cumberland Falls with Jacob's brother Josh. His brother Simon and his wife Val came up for Saturday afternoon. It was so nice to be out of the city and be outside all the time. The city has really gotten to us. It is so noisy and busy on our street. Of course, I'm a very country girl anyway. We hope to have a few more camping trips this summer. I highly recommend doing it your self. Tents and sleeping bags aren't too expensive, and we tried to be as simple as possible. It's just nice to get away from all the stuff and noise and be outside and smell the fresh air. 

The waterfall. They call it the Niagara of the south. 

Josh, Simon, and Jacob pretending to fish. No luck. 

Val enjoying the water, sun, and peace. 

Taliya loves water; a girl after my own heart. 

A difficulty with Taliya was constently trying to keep her from eating the gravel. 

After all the excitement, she gonked out pretty quickly that night.