Sunshiny Days!

Hello my friends! We have had weeks of unbroken sunshine and warm temperatures. Perfect for lake living, at least in my mind. Tomorrow is supposed to be the last of the 90+F for awhile anyway and it will be a welcome break. I've even had the AC on at the trailer in the afternoons or it's too hot at bedtime to sleep. Today is supposed to be 98F. Ick! But since I'm home waiting for my new washer to be delivered I have lots of cool air conditioning here.

Yes. You heard that right. The repair estimate for my washer was over $400 and I bought a new one for $600 including taxes and delivery so we thought that was the better thing to do. My washer was only 11 years old and the repair person told me that they are building them to last only 8-10 years now, unlike my first one that lasted 20 years and was still working when we sold that house. The buyer wanted the washer and dryer and now I know why! I didn't get a super fancy one. I just wanted one that does the basics...water level, load size, delicate, normal, etc. So, it's supposed to be here between one and three today and none too soon. We're running out of undies and I almost had to make a trip to the Laundromat!

Here are a few pictures of my week.

This first picture is of the private residents swimming beach. This past week there was a family reunion and there were lots of people at the residents beach. Usually there are 8-10 people there at any given time. When you're swimming, you can see the bottom of the lake the water is so clear.

This is the public beach early in the morning about 6:00 when I was out for my morning walk. In the afternoon when it's hot there are hundreds of people here.

Just another early morning shot of "our" lake.

The resort staff has planted these happy sunflowers all along our road and they just began blooming this week. I love the joyful faces they turn toward the sun all day long. :-) The pansies are in one of my 18 flower pots I have around our trailer. The berries? I don't know what they are. Can anyone help me? Are they edible?

This last picture if the view I have when I'm laying back in one of our zero gravity recliners. The treetops in the blue, blue sky are beautiful to me.

In two weeks our family will ALL be together again if only for the weekend. I am just so excited I'm ready to POP! We're flying Hubby's Mom here from Nebraska on August 6. She'll be here two weeks. Alex, (our son who lives in Tokyo), is flying in on Aug. 7 for a week. Mandy, Brad and Piper, (live in Portland, OR), arrive on Thursday the 8th after work, for the weekend. Jamie, Kyleigh and Caleb, (who live in Helena, MT), will be here Thursday night also for the weekend. It will be the first time since Brad and Mandy were married over three years ago that we'll all be together. I can't wait!!!!!!! This Mama is so very, very excited. I know the time will go way too fast, but I'm determined to enjoy every single minute of every day.

Any of you Mama's that still have their children at home and it seems they will never grow up? Don't be in a rush. Those days go quicker than you think and I never for one minute thought our children would all leave Spokane for other cities, but that's where their careers took them and they made lives for themselves. When "old" people told me to enjoy every day when they were small I sometimes thought those people were a bit "off in the head". A screaming baby, unruly toddler??? Enjoy that? Now I understand and would take every one of those days back again just to have my children close to me.

So that's what our focus is on right now. It will be an interesting weekend too in the fact that it will be the first time we've been together with so many dietary challenges. Kyleigh and Caleb both have confirmed Celiac Disease which means no gluten at all. Piper can have no dairy or soy so that means Mandy can't have it. I need to find some good easy recipes soon.

I haven't made much progress on crafting these past days. I've been reading and just enjoying summer. I know that the long winter days are ahead and I'll get lots done then.

Have a lovely week my friends. I'll be popping in to visit you on your blogs as the week goes by. Hubby got me a hotspot for my phone so I can use my Ipad at the lake now! Very nice.

With all of the tragedies the past few weeks including train and plane crashes, let alone every day trials I thought this is appropriate.

"Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

BLessings,

Betsy