What came first...

I'm very excited to tell you the chickens have begun laying eggs! We have had 5 so far, they've all been small & white. We will be building nests in the chicken house this weekend. I can't wait until the rest start laying. We should end up with brown eggs and blue/green eggs too!! 

A Saturday Drive

We went for a long drive yesterday exploring some of the towns South of us.  We packed a picnic lunch and headed out. We passed Fence Lake, which has no lake, then went to Quemado. It was a small little town. With a cafe, motel, gas station, and a hair shop. We learned that it means "burnt" in Spanish and was a thriving town in the late 1800s with ranchers and Rodeo Celebrities. 

From there we went another 14 miles South and turned in to see Quemado Lake. It was really beautiful. It was frames in pine trees with several people fishing from the shore and small boats. We decide this would be a good place for a picnic. 

Then we explored the shore a little bit. Anabelle and I took off our shoes and dipped our toes in. It was shallow and warm. The water level was definitely low but there was still plenty of water. And based on the cranes and hawks diving, there must still be plenty of fish. We drove up the road and previewed the two campgrounds. Maybe we will be back with a tent and some bathing suits next time. 

After Quemado Lake we headed East to Pie Town , NM. We stopped at a Pie Shop, of course, and I had a piece of Pecan Oatmeal Pie. It was delicious!  Anabelle opted for vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. 

Next we continued East to Datil. We passed through beautiful green country side all day. And this was perhaps the most beautiful with a mix of green meadows, pine trees, and moss rock formations. Datil as a town was even smaller than Quemado. Datil was a strategic stop along the livestock drives back in the day. It is part of a series of wells developed to sustain the traveling cowboys and their livestock. 

After Datil we turned back North and made our way home. It was a beautiful drive and a beautiful day. 

Summer salad

I was so excited to make a salad today. I used the lettuce, spinach, and radishes from the garden. It was delicious and I was so proud. 

Wildflowers

The wild flowers are in bloom and they are beautiful. All the colors of the rainbow if you stop long enough to look. What a blessing. 

Crazy country road

Friday afternoon around 3:30 when we turned up our road we came to this raging river gushing over the road. The reservoir just to the side of the road had breached and sent a flood across our dirt road. I stopped to take a picture and engaged to 4x4 and proceeded slowly across to get home. 

As I continued on the road home I saw a white Nissan with its headlights flashing stuck in the ditch. I stopped to check on them and it was a couple from New York that had made a wrong turn and got stuck in the mid day down pour. I called two tow trucks for them and one said they wouldn't risk the mud and couldn't come and the other couldn't come for several hours. So they decided to wait for Trace to get home and pull them out. 

By the time Trace got there to save them. Just before 6:00, the road had washed away from the water rushing over. Now he was stuck on one side and the New Yorkers were stuck in the other. I'm pretty sure I had driven over the washed out road by the skin of my teeth. Thank you to the angels that carried us across!  So Trace called the county and they sent a backhoe to repair the road. So finally at 9:30pm the New Yorkers were able to get off our dirt road and Trace could come come. Crazy day on a country road.  

Dentist

Anabelle had her first trip to the dentist today. She was very excited and anxiously waited her turn in the waiting room. It was a children's dentist office that just came to Gallup. They had Lion King playing in the lobby. That certainly helped with the wait.

When she made it to the big chair she was happy to show the tech her teeth. She did well with the cleaning but wouldn't let her use the suction of the rinsing tools. But we made it. Then she met the dentist who looked at her teeth. He told us she was in great shape and her last molar should break through any time. She had a great experience and went home with a balloon, a toy, and a goodie bag. She was a happy girl and I was a happy mama.

Blueberry muffins

I bought a huge basket of blueberries and we're not eating them quick enough so I made blueberry muffins from scratch for the first time and they came out great!  Next I'm going to try blueberry banana bread. Wish me luck! 

Happy Birthday Anabelle

Soroptimist Luncheon

I am excited to be the recording secretary for the Soroptimist International of Gallup club this year. They are a great group of ladies doing wonderful work in the community. 

Meanwhile at the ranch

We spent a few days at the Griffith ranch helping with cows and catching up. Anabelle was a proud little cowgirl and so eager to help dad. Always beautiful!

Pine cone bird feeders

Step 1: Attach a string and cover pine cone with peanut butter.

Step 2: Cover pine cone in bird seeds. 

Step 3: remove gently and shake off any loose seeds. 

Ta da!

Step 4: hang them outside and watch the wildlife enjoy!

Thank you Pinterest. 

Our growing yard

Trace has done an awesome job turning an empty dirt lot into an incredible outdoor living space. 

In about one year we have transformed it into our favorite place to be!

Peas & corn & squash

Today Anabelle and I planted the three sisters. Corn, peas, & squash. The corn gives the peas something to climb, the peas give the corn nitrogen, and the zucchini and yellow squash grow along the bottom and act as mulch keeping the roots cool. Neat!  Thanks Pinterest!  

There's not much to see yet but we have 35 mounds ready to grow!  

Stepping Stones

Saturday was Traces bday and Anabelle got him a kit to make stepping stones to put in the garden. She's gas been having a ball mixing the plaster in the mold and painting each stone. I learned the hard way that acrylic paint is not washable. Yesterday we also made a painting dress. So look forward to seeing her creations in the yard next time you come by. 

Back on the Blog...

I've decided to try blogging again....  I just logged in and it's been TWO YEARS since my last post!  Where does the time go?  I won't spend all of my time back dating posts but I will do some.  I look forward to sharing our Griffith Family Adventure with you again.

LA Zoo

Anabelle went to the LA Zoo for the first time with Gramma Beth and Papa Jim.  She saw elephants, monkeys, tigers, and more.  Her favorite part was the Carousel  she rode it over and over and got to pick a new animal to ride on each time.  

Earth Day

We visited the SEA Lab in Redondo Beach for the Earth Day Festival.  They have a ton of huge tanks with native fish and sea creatures from our coast.  Anabelle could see the sea stars, crabs, fish, etc.  Belle was happy to have mom touch them all but didn't want to touch anything herself.  Across the parking lot was another Earth Day celebration with booths and vendors talking about how we can enjoy our Earth and take care of it too.  Anabelle joined the drum circle and had so much fun!

Disneyland

Our good friends the Odom's ( Steve, Coni, & Maegan) invited us to Disneyland.  This was Anabelle's first trip and she had a great time!  We spent time in both parks.  We got to see the Pixar Parade, ride It's A Small World, have dinner with the Princesses and so much more!

The Harbor Church Preschool

Anabelle started Preschool at The Harbor Church Preschool in Lomita this January.  I couldn't be happier about her experience there.  She has grown so much since this picture was taken.