SUNDY'S SEVEN SABBATH SENTIMENTS - EDITION 10

Disclaimer:
I'm a day late... due to camping.
This post will have tons of pictures.

1.

Before we left for camp, I decided to use up a few items in my refrigerator.  The onion and lime were needing to be used so I decided to make some pico de gallo.  I cut up the tomatoes and the onion and realized I had no cilantro.  Cilantro is the best part!  I couldn't make my pico without the herb.  I was about to get into the car and head to the store when I remembered that we had planted cilantro in our little garden. It was just right for harvesting.  So our pico de gallo was perfect - with homegrown cilantro.  I also realized that I needed to harvest the rest of the cilantro soon (before it turned to seed).  So I ended up drying the herb for the rest of the day.  It was a lot of work, but I'll be glad I did it this winter!

2.

These remind me of Grandma T!  I LOVE snap dragons!

I love flowers!  I don't love growing things.  I'm not a gardener like some talented friends and family, but I do enjoy taking pictures and appreciating the beauty of God's creations (especially flowers.)  The snap dragons above remind me of my grandmother.  She used to pick them with me and help me squeeze them just right so they could "open their mouths."  It used to make me laugh.  Here are some more wild flower and mushroom pictures I took while camping:

This mushroom was about 6 inches tall.

This mushroom was only about an inch tall.

This flower reminded me of a Dr. Seuss flower.  It looks prickly, but it was actually really soft.

I couldn't believe that this small branch of leaves were still left over from LAST fall.  The color was so vivid amongst all the green.

I LOVED the colors in these dainty flowers!

3.

Before I left for camp I made these cute peanut butter M&M treats for the women I visit teach.  I thought they turned out cute.  And they made me laugh.

4.

The day before we left for camping, the girls and I went to Jan Melanson's home to sew and visit.  She is so sweet to share her talents with my daughters.  We are blessed to have great mentors (like Jan) in our lives!  Key Lime Pie made a cute, blue, pioneer bonnet for the trek.  (She'll be leaving later this week.)  Kotten Kandy made some cooling scarves for all of us to wear at camp.

5.

I just finished reading Hamlet again.  I like re-reading classic novels as an adult.  This time I found myself realizing (again) that Shakespeare is so quotable.  I often found myself saying "Oh, that's where that comes from!" and it's like finding an old friend in a new story.  "To be or not to be, that is the question." is one classic quote, so is "Neither a borrower nor a lender be" and so is "To thine own self be true"  and don't forget "Frailty thy name is woman."  My new favorite?  "O there has been much throwing about of brains."  I can't wait to use that quote!  :-)  PS - my favorite movie version of Hamlet? = Kenneth Branaugh's version!  He is an AMAZING actor!

6.

Kotten Kandy with our dog, Karmel and Key Lime Pie with our other dog, Kamelot

Scott is so cute!

Here's me.

OK, it's time to talk about camping.  We had a great time!  I loved watching my daughters and husband so happy in their outdoor element.  (I'm not much of a camper but I did love taking pictures.)

Chris and Scott coking brats and burgers for the 4th!

Scott using his new dutch oven...

So first:  The food was divine!  I don't know what was better the burgers on the 4th or the dutch oven chicken and rice or the hobo dinners.  It was all delicious!

We also love dancing!  So one night we got crazy.  You can tell the girls and Scott had a ball!

Dance as if no one else is watching... except mom with her camera!

Why walk when you can dance?

Let's Boogie!

"All the Single Ladies"

7.

We also got to go boating on Saturday.  Chris rented a boat and we had a ball!  Key Lime Pie and Kotten Kandy had never been boating before.  They loved it, but it took awhile for them to get their "sea legs."  Scott was definitely in his element on the lake.  He grew up with a boat and his family often went camping on the boat.  He was like a kid in a candy store!

Key Lime Pie

Kotten Kandy

Beautiful Girls!

A family that swims together....

All wet...

Our little fish...

H 2 Oh!

Bathing Beauties!

It was a happy way to spend the 4th of July!  We love our country!  And we enjoyed celebrating in God's beautiful outdoors.  Even the dogs had fun:

Kamelot, Kallie and Karmel