Creek Beauty

As summer slips away, I really appreciate the creek as much as I can. 

State Fair

Some people think our state fair in Louisville is not very good. They have a decent reason for this. It's located in the huge exposition cnter in the middle of the city, surrounded by acres and acres of parking lot and the interstate. So, I kind of get it. However, we're still big fans. It's fun to bring the kids and see all the cars, rides, exibits, fancy horses, and livestock.

I don't think Taliya was thrilled to be in the ambulance. 

I absolutely love the art exibits. Isn't this painting incredible! It's looks like an old black and white photograph. 

And it's no wonder this huge painting got first place. 

This picture was done with yarn. 

This is the close up. 

I also love the quilts. The detail and skill that goes into these is amazing. 

Of course, the big tractors are always fun to see. 

This year we got to see a bike show, which might have been my favorite. 

V

A Man of God

I don't usually post about news and big events happening in the world, but Charlie Kirk dying feels like a different kind of big deal to me. If you don't know, Charlie Kirk was a conservative Christian who would often converse with young people about religion, politics, and challenges they face. Last week he was shot and killed while speaking at one of his events.

There are a lot of conservatives trying to debate and converse with liberals, which is great. However, most of the ones I hear are mainly just trying to bring social reform. That can be helpful, but Charlie Kirk seemed special to me. He wasn't afraid to boldly proclaim the Gospel. He knew that true social reform only comes with a changed heart. 

Charlie Kirk is an example to Christians in America to not be afraid to stand up for what we believe. Most of us are too embarrassed or afraid of speaking our beliefs, but Charlie wasn't and it cost him his life.

I think Charlie Kirk is a modern day American martyr. I hope that I, too, will learn to not be afraid to speak the Gospel, no matter where I am. 

Because We're Crazy, We Went Camping Again

I keep saying that camping with kids is too hard, but I keep doing it. This particular time, we had originally just planned to spend a day in the Red River Gorge and go hiking, but that morning I asked Jacob if I should pack a few camping things just in case we decided we wanted to spontaniously camp that night. I had  basically decided I did want to. Haha! And we did. Somehow it ended up being a decent camping experience. We had a quiet camping spot and a good time.

Someone offered to take our picture on the top of the Natural Bridge.

Watching the lift go up and down. 

The views are not as splendid as they are in the mountains, but the gorge is still beautifull. 

Our camp

We left camp in the car to find a swimming hole. We had to drive through this very dark, one-way tunnel to get there. 

And we had dinner at the swim hole. 

A Near-death Experience: That's Jacob jumping from that rock. I've never jumped from anything that high. I'm guessing it was close to 20 feet, but I'm terrible with estimates. Anyway, after several other girls and even some kids had jumped and Jacob tried it, I really felt like I had to do it. It was absolutely terrifying. There is something so weird and scary about being in the air so long before you hit the water. I don't know if I panicked or what, but when I hit the water, I ended up inhaling a lot of it. I seriously thought I was dying. I also thought I was just going down and down deeper and deeper, and then all of a sudden I popped out again. I was sputtering and gasping for air. I thought people would come rushing to save me, so I tried to give a thumbs up that I was alive, but apparently no one was going to save me anyway. I guess the whole thing looked a lot less dramatic to on-lookers. Jacob even said I popped out of the water almost immediately. It was such a scary experience. I did not jump again. 

The rest of the evening was much more chill. 

Reading stories by the fire before bed. 

Sitting by the fire with a cigar late at night is a very nice way to end an evening in the mountains. 

Taliya still sleeping the next morning.

Cuddly Micah

Camp breakfast

We camped right next to a creek, which was so nice.

More my speed. This is great rock to jump from.

The water was cold, but it was so nice.

V

I Needed to See Farms and Fields

A few weeks ago, I got a craving for the countryside. The real, plain countryside. Not tourist attractions, just fields, cows, and old farm houses. So I searched Google Maps and found the tiny little town of Bloomfield, about an hour south of us. Then the kids and I drove down there one morning. We walked by old grain elevators, looked at old houses, went into the few shops along the main street, peeked into an abandoned warehouse, and sat in a cemetary surrounded by farms. It was exactly what I needed.

I love the country.