Death Valley Part I

When we were little our parents would take us out to Death Valley over President's Day weekend. It was always the perfect time to go; it wasn't too cold and the summer heat hadn't yet made its way to the valley. We camped, hiked, and explored the beauty around us. With a name like "Death Valley" it may not seem like the most appealing place to visit, but we LOVED the time we spent there. There is so much to see and God's hand is everywhere you look.

A month or so ago my mom and dad suggested we take a trip out there again; we haven't been in years! They packed up the trailer for us all to use, purchased food and planned meals, and did dang near everything so that we could all have a good time.

We met Zach, Rachel, and Lucy on the way and made our way to a campsite. Our first campsite was more of a parking lot and we were bummed that there wasn't even a fire pit! The kids didn't care, though. As soon as they were up the next morning they got to work attempting to crack open every large rock they could find in search of crystals.

While the girls were hard at work, Zach and my mom went on a search for a better camping spot. They saved the day by securing the last and BEST spot at a nearby (actual) campground, fire pit included! We made our way over there before heading out to explore some of the valley...

Cutest Lucy after her very first night of camping.

The wildflowers were beautiful. We mostly saw these yellow ones but there were some really pretty purple and pink flowers scattered here and there. They smelled wonderful but, sadly, Kaylee was terribly allergic to them and exploded into a fit of sneezes any time we were close to them.

(Wildflower photos provided by Rachel. Thanks, Rachel!)

Next we visited the Devil's Golf Course which is a giant field of crystallized salt structures. They were wonderful and amazing and also dangerously sharp and treacherous. Luckily we made it out without so much as a scrape! We tasted bits of these little formations and they were... you guessed it. Salty.

 (photo by: Rachel)

 (Photo by: Zach)

(photo by: Zach)

Poor Mallory was hot, tired, and very snot-nosed by the end of our little excursion.

Floyd Kids in 2015

I made this video and it took me like 2 hours because I didn't know what I was doing. But I finished! Hooray! It's not perfect but I learned some things for next time. Yay for finding fun new apps. I used 8mm and Reel Director II for this.

Rub-a-dub-dub

It was Matthew's idea. We couldn't understand the request he was making at first, but fortunately for him, Mallory translated. When I learned that he wanted to fill the giant toy bucket with water I didn't even consider granting his request. But then I thought...

why not?

Sometimes the simplest and silliest things bring the most joy. These 3 thought it was the best time ever. I did too. If only I could have squished in with them.

Lucy Darling

I had the absolute pleasure of photographing my newborn niece a couple of weeks ago. I love you, little Lucy girl!!!

from frustration to bliss

Last night at home was the definition of chaos. There was fighting, yelling, crying, the house was a mess, the girls' paperwork from school was covering every space I looked at, there were unattended dishes in the sink and laundry waiting to be folded. Tension was high and we were on the verge of at least a couple of meltdowns. So we grabbed our scooters and skateboards and left it all behind us. We live right across the street from the school so it's easy to escape to the playground for a little while. 

I ran into a friend and had a lovely conversation. The kids played (mostly) happily. It was just what we needed; a literal breath of fresh air.

(I love my daughter Lily, but she didn't make it into any of the photos from last night)

The smoke from the California fires creeps over the mountains and floods the valley every evening; this is what we see every day around sunset. It's getting better and there seems to be less every night but sometimes it's so bad that it stings our eyes and makes our throats hurt. It's a nuisance and eery and beautiful all at the same time.

Kaylee

This little girl turned 8 today. 

What a special age to be!

We ate breakfast at the cafe, swam at the pool, 

and had grandparents and Auntie Emma 

over for a birthday dinner and gifts.

It was a great day.

title goes here

Maybe someday I will be better at blogging. If there is one thing I struggle with (there are MANY) it is consistency! That and I have at least one child screaming at my feet every time I try to sit at the computer. Right now there are two.

I have so many thoughts and SO MANY things I want write about and then sadly, over a few days time, the thoughts drift away. It makes me so sad when I realize that there was something I really wanted to put in my journal but I just can't remember what it was! I need to STOP.

Tonight I want to remember the kindness that my children show to each other and to me. It was Lily bringing home Goldilocks and the Three Bears, knowing that it's Mallory's favorite story to have us tell. It was tonight when Kaylee brought a tray of food to Riley as she lay in bed not feeling well. It's every day when one of the big girls sees Matthew crying and stops to play with him and try to make him happy again. It's any time one of the kids wrap their arms around me. It's when they thank me for a meal. It's when they play happily together. It's when they say 'I love you'.

Oh, I am blessed. Some days being a mom is sooooo hard, but there are blessings and happiness in every corner if you're looking for them. I feel like the more I appreciate my kids, the more fulfilling it is to be their mom.

Enough sap! Now I will show you Mallory's amazing photog skills. She loves to take pictures with my iphone. Who can blame her?

From Kaylee's 2nd Grade Veteran's Day Program

(this is but a fraction of the photos she took!)

The people seated behind us (we know them, thankfully;)) 

"I'm gunna take a picshur of my san-wich"

"I'm gunna take a picshur of you, Mom"

I love Matt Boy's face.

end.