Extreme Dating!

This past weekend was a really good weekend! We "dated" the whole weekend.

Friday evening we were able to see the 4th installment of Pirates of the Caribbean in 3D and it was pretty darn cool.

Saturday we tempted fate on a zip line.  We got a Groupon offer a few months ago for Zip Line USA and decided the zip line would make for a fun date, so we purchased it.  I had never been before so I thought this would be an interesting experience to say the least.  Many of you know I have a small fear of heights and might be wondering what I was thinking. I was thinking the adrenalin rush might just be worth facing the fear. Turns out I was right, though I did have a few drops of sweat and butterfly's in my stomach before finally letting go on the first line. After the first line it was not so bad. :)  In our group there were a couple of girls around 9 and 12 and I kept thinking if they can do it, so can I. LOL  The younger one was a little nervous on the first line but I think I was more so than her. Our guide did point out that he had a tour with a 3 year old and the 3 year old went alone, now that really made me think.  No way I could chicken out knowing a 3 year old had done it! So, I did it and now I would do it again but I am still not sure I could do the line that is 380 feet above ground and over 3000 feet long.

The description of our tour - (from the website)

Our Treetop Canopy Tour utilizes 8 of our zip line cables, multiple suspended platforms and 2 sky bridges. You will experience the Ozark nature at heights up to 65' above the forest floor. This tour is perfect for those adventurers that might be a little intimidated by our Extreme Zip Line Tour.  (1.5 hours-2 hours)

View from the point of the first line.  Out and above is the 3k foot line that is 380 feet above the ground.

getting ready for the first line

almost ready to let go

The first line

Me getting bounced on one of the lines

View ridding the first line

Cherilyn comes across

Cherilyn films the ride


After our trek through the trees, we went into Branson and checked out Branson Landing, a shopping and dining venue.  The recent flooding had done some damage to the facility so the water/light show is not in operation at this time. The lake level came up over the wall and up into the seating area.  The water has since gone down but it is still not very far below the wall and walking path.  The path itself is still closed because the water is still so high.

On the way home we checked out another camping facility.  Kind of primitive but might be worth a try some time. It is near a small windy river and have several hiking trails.  We walked around some of the camp sites and spent some time down by the river.  It looks pretty nice.

Thoughts for Easter

(This was intended to be posted prior to Easter weekend, however, my internet access quit on me before I had a chance to post this - that was Thursday 4/21)

The other day I was driving and I passed a church with a sign outside that caught my attention - "Easter, the rest of the Christmas story"  I think I like that.

I do not know how bunnies laying eggs filled with candy for children to hunt came to represent Easter but I think I have a good understanding of what Easter truly is. I am touched every time I read the account in the gospels as to how our Savior willingly took upon Himself the pains of the world. (Luke 22:41-44) I am also touched at knowing He rose again (John 20:1-18)  How sweet this knowledge is! At this time, I hope all of us can take the time to gain a better understanding of what has been done on our behalf.  Please enjoy the following pictures, words to ponder and links to special videos.

Luke 22:41-42

Luke 23:44-46

The Gift

The gasp

From the crowd was

Audible

And a few smiles even

Vanished

As the mallet drove the first

Spike

Through the torn

And bleeding

Hand.

With haste and little care

The other monstrous

Nails

Were blasted through

His flesh

And he was lifted, silent, naked,

Blood-covered and agonizing

Amid the jeers, the applause, the lust

Of the ones he loved

So dearly.

Dark clouds boiled, winds tore

At the rocky summit

As the people slapped and mocked

And spit

And taught their children –

Yet in silence He endured, weeping

Not in pain but pity

For those He loved

Had

Still

So awfully far to go.

Eyes closed, He

Spoke often

With His father, who stood

Very near, of Gethsemane

And the torment which left His blood

To stain the ground

Atoning for this so great

A sin

And all others, past and

Yet to come.

Anguish-filled hours dragged

Slowly by

As He hung trembling because

Of pain

And suffering

Both body and spirit

Till the Father in perfect

Love

And understanding

Withdrew.

Now alone and

Totally so

The Son cried out

In agony of

Spirit

Shrinking –

MY GOD

MY GOD

Why hast thou

Forsaken my?

And then a time

Only moments perhaps

But longer than all

Eternity

When the Son, lonely still

And in silence

Partook of the bitter cup

And finished His sacrifice

For the children

Of men.

Father, the glory be

Thine

I have given the gift

Thou sent me forth

To give –

My love for them is now perfect

That theirs may one day be.

It is finished!

Into thy hands, as always

I commend

My spirit.

~Blain M. Yorgason

John 20:16-17

He IS risen!!

It is my testimony that Jesus is the Christ, He alone was the one who could atone for our sins and I know that He did. It is my prayer that we would all be able to apply the Atonement in our lives.

Please take a moment to view the videos below, enjoy the spirit in which they were made.

The Purifying Power of Gethsemane
A talk given by Bruce R McConkie

I Am Christ
Music Video (one of my favorite video compilations ever!)

I Know That My Redeemer Lives
Music Video

I Will Rest In You
Music Video (another must see, and hear, as with the I Am Christ Video)

Quick Tongue Carissa

This past week we were working in the yard, Cherilyn and I along with Carissa.  Cherilyn had been driving the lawn mower with the trailer attached and had had a rough time maneuvering it before she got it where she wanted it.  I jokingly asked her where she learned to drive to which she replied, "apparently I can't!" Without missing a beat Carissa piped in "well Scott can!"  LOL :-))

Our project - clean the old sand out of the sand box and add the new

Carissa helps by removing all the toys before we dug out the old sand

(we are going to build a raised bed for the strawberries and use this sand in it)

Carissa had fun jumping from the truck into the sand pile

A couple of weeks ago we assembled a play house/swing set.  Some friends had given it to us since it came with the house they purchased and their kids were older and not in need of such a thing.  I had to cut some new pieces of wood for ladder rungs and bolt them in as well.

The kids' picnic table fits nicely under the deck of the play house

Marriage is hard work

So the saying goes that marriage is hard work and most of us know that to be true albeit the definition of hard work may be different for each of us.  I was thinking the other day of the work I have done since being married last fall and it has been hard BUT WORTH IT. I am happy with the results.  The following is a list of the "HARD" work I have done -  ;-)

1,200lbs of dog food carried, scooped and fed to the dogs
9,000lbs of gravel shoveled and spread
12,000lbs of wood hauled, stacked and or cut, and fed to the fire furnace
6,000lbs of hay moved and fed to the horses
2,000lbs of sand shoveled (the kids needed new sand for the sand box)

It's never as easy or as SIMPLE as it looks

I have been putting off a "SMALL" project for some time now, installing a closet organizing system in the hall closet.  Sounds pretty simple and for those of you who know me, you know I have done MANY of these things and so I should be able to do it with relative ease.

Looks like it should be easy - 2 screws go into the support bar and into the studs.  2 tracks go on that and 3 screws in each of those.  Cut the wire shelving, hang the 4 cantilevers and install the shelves!  NOT SO FAST!  Because of the way the house was built - NO studs behind that wall to screw into!!!!  UGH

The end result after several hours of wall removal, stud installation, wall rebuild and the installation of the closet system!

Yes, those are my clothes.  Not enough room for me in the master closet. LOL  When the addition is done to the back side of the house, the master bedroom will have a walk in closet and a larger bathroom.  This will get a couple of shelves and some baskets that hang from the bottom shelf to become the linen closet.

Sping Weather

So, evidently SW MO has interesting weather as Winter transitions into Spring. 

And the hail came down - Topper didn't seem to mind.

And then there were 2

After many years of loving the miniature horse world through ownership, training and showing, Cherilyn said goodbye to her horses.

Now there are only two horses - Topper and Tattoo 



So now it's time to raise a glass - ........ VIDEO  It's the first song I thought of dealing with horses :)