Wrapping up....

As usual, life has been pretty busy.  Ben and I are participating in our church's quickly approaching Reformation Day play, which means costuming!  As usual, I have put things off until almost the last minute (I know...one day I'll learn...but sewing requires inspiration!!!), so in between mothering and house-wifing, sewing has managed to squeeze into my daily routine.  I'm taking a quick commercial break to posts a few pictures from the last day of our trip, though this one will be short for two reasons...the aforementioned busy-ness and the sad fact that my camera died on the very last day!  I managed to keep it going for the whole trip, but on the last day, it was tired.  And horror of horrors (well, for wannabe photographers like me), I had to use my phone for a few!!! :(  

Next post will be full of pictures and stories from our visit to the Young Living Lavender Farm in Utah.  We are also excited to announce that we'll be hosting a giveaway for one of their wonderful blends!  So check back soon!

Okay, the sewing machine is calling me...so I'd better run.  Enjoy!

 Coming back home on 120 means crossing Tioga Pass and driving through the always beautiful Yosemite!

 Well pulled off a few times to enjoy the view, breath the mountain air and eventually go for a hike.  But, the camera didn't last that long, so we have no photographic evidence. :(

 Home...

 ...sweet home.  Yes, my husband was hugging the tree....does that make him a tree hugger? ;)

In other news...other BIG news...guess who turned 6 months old this month?!?!?!

 Yup...my little girl is growing up!  She couldn't believe it, either!  Well, mostly because we let her eat real food!  She's been begging for table food for quite a while now, so she was tickled pink when we pulled out her silver spoon (yes, she has one...thanks Grandmommy!!!) and gave her some egg yolk.  The video is below...

 Not only does she gab all of the time, and smile and coo, and eat her feet, and all the fun things that babies do, but she figured out how to sit up!  

 She's is trying hard to crawl, much to her father's excitement...I, however, am quite content with her being immobile.  Her rolling all over the place already has been pinning her in...  This, as you will find out in the video, is her excited face.

 Now, doesn't she have the sweetest smile ever?   

Okay, time for the video! 

Be SURE to check back SOON for our Young Living essential oil giveaway!  We have some neat stories about our trip to the lavender farm in Utah and some oils to giveaway! 

Even the ghosts have left.......

Whenever the word "Ghost Town" is mentioned, you automatically have my interest. It is a perfect combination of old, abandoned, and non-structured, which appeals to our family's off the beaten path mentality. 

Delamar certainly qualified as being off the beaten path. Sixteen miles off the paved road, we braved several treacherous descents into gullies, and roads that could have been cobblestone, if the rocks would have agreed to sit all at the same level. 

Founded in 1894 as a gold mining town, Delamar once boasted a population of 3,000, but while we were there it only had a transient population of the three of us, and a rather large snake, which I could not get Tiff close enough to take a picture of. 

The mine shafts are still scattered about the hills, some of them going straight down, and others digging into the mountain. We sadly were without a flashlight, so our exploring of the tunnels was rather limited.

Tiff refused to go very far into the dark recesses. 

The baby and I braved the dark.....

After the coolness of the mine, the dry desert air seemed even hotter, but there were ruins to explore! 

Even stone walls eventually fall down.

While Tiffany was being artistic, I looked around for buried treasure.

All of the walls were constructed from local stone. 

"Tiff, can we take the wall home?"

A window, to let in air....

This was probably part of the line of shops.  They once had several stores, and even an opera house!

"Once more, unto the breach..."

The breach is taken!

Sometimes, the smallest part lasts the longest. Poor stovepipe....

I think it needs a little water, and some trees.

Still no treasure. 

The mines on the hill, which produced $13.5 millions.

Desert ground, green mountains, a big blue sky...  Now, if we could only get some water up there to keep the grass green and to fill a large swimming pool, it would be a nice place to live!

Who lived here?

For sale, well positioned house, quiet neighborhood, wealth nearby. Solid stone walls, could use new roof.  

The baby and I, plotting to take home rocks!

The sun sets over the ruins, just as it has for the last 100 years.

We had a delightful time, picking through the old buildings, guessing about what each place was, and who lived and worked there. Several hours passed before we knew it. It was getting dark by the time we left the ruins, but we were still a long ways from our destination. Part three of this day will have to wait for the next post!

Coming up, ALIENS and LOCALS. Oh my!!!!!!!!!

BFH