My Wild Side (lol)

Good morning!! Today I'm currently on a crazy wildly fun adventure that I'll probably share about later. But for now, here's a post that was super fun to write!

This post is all about adventures! Guys. I'm. Not. Adventurous. (Or am I?)

Interestingly enough, I've had my fair share of adventures... In today's post, I'm going to be talking about them. 

"I was a wild child, Zoe." -Mom's Night Out 

Ahem. Now that I got that out of my system, lets start this post! I also linked back to related posts.

Twenty Adventures worth mentioning: 

White Water Rafting 

I've gone white water rafting once, and it was a BLAST! Like, so fun and exciting! Honestly, I didn't feel as scared as I thought I would. I actually kinda got into it. Our guide was very skilled and that made a lot of difference! Also, I belly laugh every time I see the pictures. lol.

(Also on this trip, I jumped off a boulder into the water!)

Zip Lining

*blog graphic picture*

I've gone zip lining twice! And the second time, I went zip lining in a cavern! Talk about a.d.v.e.n.t.u.r.e! 

Rock Climbing 

I've only been rock climbing indoors, but the few times I've done it, it's been fun! And quite the forearm exercise...

Horse Riding 

Riding Rosie definitely qualifies as an adventure! Hitting the ground coming off of a 1,000 pound animal at a high speed is not recommended by yours truly, but when you live to tell the tale, it does make for an exciting adventure.

Parasailing 

OK, so this adventure, I had to be talked into. Like, why would I want to be suspended by a parachute thing over a large body of water filled to the brim with ocean life? That doesn't make logical sense if you want to live a good, long life! But--nonetheless, I was persuaded. And I'm rly glad I got to go on this adventure! Such a fun family memory!

Roller Coaster 

So, I've been on quite a few roller coasters. But, the last time we went (years ago), I stepped outside of my comfort zone and rode a upside down roller coaster! Talk about scary! Honestly, it went by so fast, I barely remember it. *winks*

Mountain Roller Coaster

This was a lot of fun! 

Rooftop Party :) 

I know, I know. Totally unlike me to go to a "rooftop party." It's not how it sounds. Besides the fact that I had to be around people my age and stand on top of a rly tall building, there wasn't much "adventurous" about that experience! But. I had to mention it!

Water Park 

The only reason I mention this one is I once went down a really tall waterslide that went straight down! Literally straight down. I'm actually still surprised I had enough courage for this one...

Ride and Tie

I was 12 years old when I did this adventure with my sis. A Ride and Tie is like a trail endurance race for horse and rider as well as a runner. This was such a fun adventure! We got to ride a horse that we had never ridden before, (riding said horse through unknown trails, over roads, and through a creek) for a four mile Ride and Tie! (But, it was longer than 4 miles bc we got lost.)

That was a spontaneous trip that is definitely a special memory.

Jet ski

Jet skiing is not very adventurous unless you yourself is not very adventurous... then even jet skiing can be scary at times. Especially when you've been on a jet ski that's flipped over. As scary as it was in the moment, I'll still smile when I think about that adventure. ("I can't touch!")

Now, my water skiing attempt didn't go so well. I kinda sorta just got drug across the lake.

Kayaking at Night

Yup. I've been kayaking in the pitch dark. It was an experience. *grins* 

Four Wheeler 

Riding four wheelers can be fun. It can also be crazy scary. I guess that's why I decided to mention it as one of my adventures. (Like rolling it in the creek and somehow surviving with it landing on top of us. God is good, y'all.)

Houseboat 

So... I slept in a boat, out on the water, tied to whatever was on the rocky land for 4 days. Now, that was an adventure!

Henna Tattoos 

I've had a henna tattoo done by a professional artist, but I've also done my own! I guess it's not too wild, but kinda?

Here is a design I did on my cousins!

5Ks & Mud Runs

We've done lots of 5ks! And I've only won once in my age group when I was younger, but it's still fun to participate!  

We've also done a few mud runs! Great team work! <3

Triathlon 

Yeah, that was fun! And wild.  (Especially the practice round, lol...) We canoed, ran, and then biked (18 miles) to the finish line! 

Go Carting 

Go carts are fun! One time, we even did the ones where you have to put on a helmet...

Snow Skiing

So, I've been snow skiing a few times. All on man made snow. And surprisingly, I don't crash as much as I thought I would. (Now, I did fall just standing in line, lol) Saying I'm "good" at it would be a stretch. But I'm not half bad. On the less scary slopes. Plz don't put me on a Black Dimond! 

Little Dirt Bike Episode 

Notice "episode." The reason I remember this being adventurous is because when I was little (I mean, real little!) I was learning how to ride our little motorcycle. Long story short, I got the gas and the break mixed up. My dad literally chased me down as I kept going faster and faster (trying to stop!) Thankfully, as I hit the tree line of our property, there was a water hose strung between the trees that stopped me. 

Oh, and I might as well tell y'all of the time I flipped over one of those little kids cars. Note that this was when I was even younger than the motorcycle adventure. (Riding with the same cousin I flipped the four wheeler over with.) Guys! I'm accident prone, and I'm not even trying to be crazy! Trust me, I'm very responsible... *puts on my best convincing smile* It's true, just things seem to always happen when I'm the one driving. 

^^Those were my favorite boots! 

^^ My dad is way more adventurous than I am... *winks* But if I’m adventurous, it probably comes from him... XD
 

Now it's your turn! What adventures have you gone on? 

On a level of 1-10, how adventurous are you? How adventurous would you say I am? Who's most adventurous in your family?

Comment Below! 

Also, let's not forget most recently when I climbed Grandfather Mountain in NC! There were ladders bolted into the side of the mountain. And cables to hang on to! Yikes!

Many Blessings, Brooklyne Elysse

What Airplanes Can Teach Us

What Airplanes Can Teach Us...

Last December, I flew for the first time in 10 years. I don't typically like airplanes because I don't like trusting someone else for my well being. Also the "what if's" usually come to mind and I get a little nervous. But there is one thing about flying that makes it almost worth the fear of being off the solid ground: the views. I love window seats, and every time I look out that plane window, I am AMAZED. Flying up in the sky, watching the clouds that God has created and admiring the painted masterpiece is just breathtaking.

But let me tell you a little about my experience.

We boarded the plane after navigating through the busy airport. I was praying hard as I stepped onto the plane. It was icy/snowy so they de-iced the plane, which was kinda neat to see.

As soon as we took off, the grey smog flew past my window. I was praying even harder. But then, as we got higher and higher, we passed through a layer of clouds. As soon as the grey clouds cleared from my view, I saw something beautiful. And when I saw the clear sky and sunrise, I felt a peace. I'm not joking or just saying that ya'll. I was so nervous and then all the sudden, I was just peaceful because I was so in awe of the view.

Then we accelerated even higher and my peace went away. I saw yet another layer of gray cloud my window and I couldn't see the peaceful sunrise any longer. I was tense again and started praying. Since I was just sitting there, there wasn't really anything else to do. But to observe those around me (can't help it, I'm a writer) and eat the snacks I brought. The snacks helped with my ears popping for anyone new to flying. Skittles were especially good! *winks*

But then, as the clouds cleared, my praying ceased because all was good again. The view I saw was even more amazing then before. The sun was so bright and I couldn't help but to think, "Wow, God." Not to mention how fluffy the clouds below us looked. It was a perfect ocean of clouds. Soon after, I saw a "rainbow" that the sun had made. I don't know about you, but rainbows bring a sort of promise to mind. A promise that through and after the storm, God is still here with us. The rainbow calmed me further and I couldn't help but relax and enjoy the view. That's when I took 83649857 pictures out my plane window.

The scene out my window kept changing from blue skies, bright sunshine, patchwork clouds, and then the clouds cleared to be the ground below. The water, trees, rough terrain, etc! I literally got the birds eye view. Overall, my plane experience was a good one. But it had me thinking about my reaction to the unknown of the flight.

My outlook changed as quickly as my view. One moment, when the gray clouds covered my window, I felt more anxious. But as soon as the sun pierced through the clouds and we were above the clouds, I was ok. I was more than ok, maybe even enjoying the ride.

The point of this post:

Prayer is so important. But it's important all the time...

I found myself only truly praying when the plane ride got scary. And I think God desires a relationship with us that goes beyond the emergency prayers. Sure, He is right there with us when we go through tough times, He's even there before we utter a single word of prayer. But what about on the good days. The days when life is not scary, how often do I pray and talk to God?

This plane ride has showed me that God is with us through it ALL. Every passing moment, He is here. On the bad days, when we earnestly need His peace, He is there. On the good days, when we get distracted by life, He is still there. And He has given us prayer as a way to have a relationship with Him.

(Our world right now is in a constant state of uncertainty and fear of the unknown. We need to be praying for all affected by this virus, and know that God hears those prayers. When this is all over, He still hears our prayers. Although this grey cloud is over out window right now, blue skies are coming. Keep looking up.)

My challenge today, is to talk more with my Heavenly Father in all areas of life.

In both the gray skies and the blue ones.

Is there a time when you found yourself focusing more on the fear than on the faith? 

Have you flown before? What's your favorite plane ride snack?

Many Blessings,

Brooklyne Elysse 

True Cowgirl // Once Upon a Time

I was dubbed a "True Cowgirl" one decade ago. Some of you may have heard this story before, but the majority of you haven't. And all of you haven't heard it with this much detail. I thought I'd share this story with you today: The story of how I became a True Cowgirl.

I didn't realized the quote "If you climb into the saddle be ready for the ride" was talking to me one day when we were out with the horses.

I have always had a healthy caution for 1,000 pound animals, but my love for them have always overcome that fear. I went to horse camp, took riding lessons, posted a trot at age five, and had fallen off my fair share. But that day was different. That day, I didn't just get thrown over a horses head. That day I didn't just slide off because I couldn't ride a bareback trot. That day... that day I was taken on a out-of-control, wild ride ending with a hospital visit. Well, I won't spoil the rest of the story for you.

(All pictures for this post was taken out of a old photo book before I became a "cowgirl." I was eight.)

Bucking Brooklyne 

Written by a nine year old me

"Wednesday, Sept. 29th (2010) started out like any other Wednesday. We did two days worth of school and it seemed like we were in the "home school room" forever. After lunch, we went to the barn. (At the time we were boarding our horses.) We started on the stalls while the moms went to the pasture to  get the horses. It had rained this week and the horses were really muddy so we had to spend some extra time cleaning them up. Knight (at the time, we also had just the two older horses: Knight and Shawnee) was being a good boy and let us groom him. J, L, and Auntie had Shawnee saddled up with a bareback saddle. We put the Western saddle on Khnight and headed outside. (Note: our old Western saddle was just that-- old. Very vintage with a long horn.)

We walked the horses around the playground pasture and stopped to tighten their saddles. K and L rode first. Mom lead Knight through the hay pastures and through the first part of the trails. J and I walked behind everyone and made a map of the trails we were going though. We got to the second hay pasture and sissy road by herself. It was fun to watch Khnight and sissy trotting around free in the pasture. We went back into the trails and then it was G's turn to ride for a while. We walked and walked and then it was my turn. Shawnee had gotten a bit ahead of us during the time it took me to get on Khnight. (Lol, Idk why it took me so long to get on?) Mom lead me for a bit and then I said I wanted to ride by myself.

Knight was still a ways behind Shawnee so as soon as mom let go of the lead rope, off he went at a trot trying to catch up. I tried to stop him as he was running me though tree branches. (Poor baby!) He finally stopped when he saw Auntie on the trail. She had to get "big" with him to get his attention. Auntie hung onto Khnight's bridle through the rest of the trail and out into the hay field. Knight became very aware of his herd that was out in the pasture bordering the hay field. Auntie stopped Knight and let him see the horses from his herd that had ran over to take a closer look at what we were doing.All seemed well so I asked Auntie to let me go so that I could ride by myself back to the barn. J was almost to the barn when Auntie let go go the bridle.

I don't know what was going through Khinight's mind at this point. Maybe he just wanted to catch up with Shawnee. Maybe he thought he was being left behind, but whatever it was... he totally stopped listening to me. He began to trot and started going faster and faster and faster. I was pulling back on the reins as hard as I could, but he just kept going faster. I started yelling, "Mommy help me." And Mommy started yelling, "Dear God help her." (As dramatic as it sounds, it was very scary at the moment...)

Knight rounded the corner at a gallop (to me it felt like a gallop, he could have been just going at a fast canter, idk) and started bucking. I have never felt so scared in my life. (Poor me again!) He bucked three times and on the last buck, I flew through the air and landed on my head. I had no idea how hard the ground was. 

When I hit the ground, I was sure that I had a bloody nose, but it was just snot. (?) Mommy, Auntie, and Sissy ran up to me. Mommy held me and I told her that I thought my head was really hurt. I started feeling like I was going to throw up. Mommy carried me to the barn and we went to the bathroom to check out my injuries. While Mommy, Auntie, and Nannie were tending to me, Khnight had ran over to where J was standing with Shawnee. Knight started to run towards thee road so J grabbed his stirrup and tried to stop him. Sissy ran up to help. They took the horses and put them in their stalls fully tacked.

This was before out western saddle...

Mommy had talked to Daddy on the phone and he was on his way. When he got to the barn, Mommy and I were sitting in thee lounge and I was feeling quite sick. They decided to take me to the ER at a Children's Hospital in big town. Now I felt hurt and scared. (Just to let everyone know, I hate hospitals.) Nannie took Sissy and G to her house. Daddy, Mommy, and I headed to the hospital. I was so upset the whole way to the hospital. I was scared that there was something wrong with me and of what they would do to me once we got there. Daddy dropped us off at the door and went to park the car. Mommy carried me in and put me on a wheelchair. (Can I just say how my mom rocks? I don't remember this part about her carrying me so much.) I didn't want to be in a wheel chair, but I knew that she couldn't carry me for long. Once inside, Mommy got a mask for me to wear and we stood in line with lots of sick kids. We got registered and the nurse gave me a ID bracelet. This bracelet had my name and birthdate on it. The nurse was very nice and took us back to a room. Another nurse came in and asked me tons of questions about what happened, and how I was feeling. She asked mommy if I was allergic to anything. Mom told her the names of a couple drugs. She wrote that on a red bracelet and put it on my arm with the other one. They were talking about putting a neck brace on me, but a doctor came in and looked at me really quick and said that I didn't need it. I was glad about that because it really looked like a uncomfortable thing to wear. 

They said it was time for us to go to another room. I felt weird because Daddy wasn't using me to the other room. It was a man that worked at the hospital. I wonder if he had been doing this job for very long because he ran me into a door and a chair. (Oh my, I'm dying of laughter over here while I type this up!) 

This room was quieter because it had actual walls and a door, instead of curtains. (Does anyone else thinking I'm being super observant with my young writing style?) This room we pet the rest of our time in. Two different doctors came in and examined me, and a nurse brought me Advil. The doctors said that I had a mild concussion, whiplash, a bruised sternum (my sternum had hooked on the saddle horn during Khnight's bucking...) and leg. But other than that, I was going to be ok. We stayed in that room for several hours and I really started to get hungry. About 10pm, they finally let us go.

We all were starving so we went to McDonalds and got sandwiches, french fries, apple pies, and water. Then Daddy saw a Dunkin' Donuts with a drive thru. So we got donuts too, but they weren't very good. I was really tired and fell asleep in the car on the way home. When we got home, Mommy carried me to her bedroom and let me sleep with her. The next day, I was really sore. My legs and head hurt the worst. An my sternum felt worse than it did at the hospital. I took cdcil and did feel a bit better. Mom let me watch movies all day, which was fun, but it got boring. Auntie, Nannie, J, and L, brought lunch over and we all talked about what had happened.

I have to say that was the scariest thing I have ever been through. I know that my angel kept me from getting hurt worse than I did!"

The End.

Wait, there's more... my cousin J, wrote me a poem!

True Cowgirl

Written by a 10 year old

My friend Brooklyne

Rode the trails

This time was scarier

Then riding the rails

You see, I heard her shout

And there came Khnight 

Running about

I grabbed his stirrup

To stop him

Then my thoughts 

Grew very dim

She fell on her head 

With a bump

Laying there in a small

Little lump

She's a true cowgirl in 

My mind

A concussion, whiplash,

And a bruised hind

I thank God she will be 

Alright

For she really did 

Put up a fight.

I'm so cute!

(Then she drew me a little picture of a girl with a bandaged head.)

I have this story I wrote, J's poem, and a hospital mask with my "bracelets" saved in a special folder. I will forever remember the day I became a True Cowgirl.

"Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway"

Have you ever been bucked off a horse? Have you ever had a concussion? Tell me all about it down below in the comments! (P.S. This is my 150th blog post!!)

Many Blessings,

A Thankful Little Cowgirl

Life Happenings & I'm Back // WOW

ASDFGHJKL!! I'm back!!! And boy, do I have lots of "life happenings" to talk about! Today's post is going to be similar to a wrap-up post (same concept) but in a different format...

Without further ado: my November Recap!

~I Had a Birthday~
Just for all you younger girls who think nineteen is such a big number, trust me, it doesn't feel like it now that I've arrived. How this will be my second year as a "adult" is beyond me...
But, hey, turning nineteen wasn't as scary as I thought it would be! I celebrated my birthday by having "chicken" dumplings with 7-layer salad and apple dumplings for dessert! It was a lovely birthday, and special in many ways. Special thanks to those of you who sent me b-day gifts, messages, etc. Y'all. are. the. sweetest! <33

~Hot chocolate~
Believe it or not, hot chocolate has actually played a huge role in my November! Not only is it delicious (especially how my sisters make it) but it also has that Fall/Winter #vibe! I may or may not have taken a multitude of "Hot Cocoa" pics! ;)

~Video Chats~
I kinda sorta FaceTimed with a blogging bestie for three whole HOURS! Then two hours the next week! And then a third time a couple weeks after that! #scheming #bookshelftours #funtimes

~Sister Staycation~
Mom and Dad had a weekend trip and us girls stayed home to hold down the fort. We did face masks, movie marathons, built horse fencing, you know, the typical things that three sisters do. And of course, made sure the animals were cared for... and tried to keep the house mostly clean.

~It SNOWED!~
It snowed for the first time this year! And the snow came super early for us! It looked like a winter wonderland out there, and we scrambled to get all out winter gear from the attic in time. Course, now it's just muddy...

~Soapmaking~
I'm trying to have enough stocked up for Christmas time, my busiest soap selling season!

~Writing~
Hmm, I'm not sure what to say under this category. A huge part of my hiatus was to get more focused on my writing, and I feel like I have. But I'm also discouraged. It's almost as if I want this too bad, and God is asking me to be patient. With myself. With my writing. So, I didn't reach the Nano goal, or my personal goal for that matter. But I did make a pretty good sized dent in my story, and I am thankful for that. Nano didn't go like I thought it would, but I truly believe that with a little perseverance, I can write a story that will make a impact. I just gotta learn to stop beating myself up about not being fast enough at writing. My words might not be the best quality in the first draft, but giving up this dream is not a option.

With that said, no snippets yet. Sorry, maybe someday... :)

~Shopping Spree~ 
 My mom, two sisters and I went into big town for a day of shopping (as part of my birthday gift...) We had lots of fun and I got bell bottom jeans and winter boots! <3

~Car Wreck~
I was in my first car accident, and I am so thankful God protected us. We were on our way home from  shopping when at a intersection, a car t-boned a truck that hadn't stopped for a stop sign. We were slowing down to turn, and after both vehicles hit each other, they both came slamming into our Ford. Both other vehicles had to be towed away and their air bags had gone off. Thankfully, everyone was ok, but one lady had to be taken to the hospital. It was very scary, I will admit. But God kept us safe.

~Baptisms at Church~
On Sabbath, three people made the decision to be baptized!

~Escape Room~
This was my second time doing a escape room/break out room and we had a blast! And it was my first time we had actually made it out! We celebrated by going out to eat. :)

~I met a blogger friend in REAL LIFE!!!!~
ASDFGHJKL!!!! Like, whaaa? Who am I? Surely not my mom's shyest daughter who would have never even dreamed about meeting online friends! This year, I have learned to step outside of my comfort zone...a lot, and God has done some wonderful things for me because of it! Meeting with this lovely was such a great out-of-the-blue opportunity and I was so glad we got the chance to meet and spend the day with each other! We had a really fun time with her and her fam!

~Babysitting~
I got a babysitting job once a week watching three boys while their moms are in a Women's Bible Study at church. We do lots of fun stuff like active games and then crafts (and don't forget the snacks!)

~New Phone~
My old phone wasn't working right, so we ended up getting a new one! (but now I have to figure out a new phone, which I get a bit frustrated when I can't figure out why it won't let me comment on blogs! *headdesk*)

Also, because of this reason, I can't do a photo dump as I had planned. Hopefully I can figure out how to transfer some of my pictures on my old phone... sorry abt that!

~Playlists~
On said new phone, I'm starting to build my playlists! It's been a lot of fun! Feel free to recommend to me some or your favorite songs!

~Thanksgiving~
Thanksgiving this year was AMAZING! We had the best food ever! All I can say is, my mom, auntie, and nannie sure know how to cook/bake! After our Thanksgiving meal, we had some awesome family time... we played games, and did karaoke in the living room. The next day, we did a scavenger hunt (a tradition) and then went and watched Playing With Fire. Btw, its a hilarious movie! :)

~5K Race~ 
My family and some friends participated in a Turkey Trot 5k as well as celebrated my nannies birthday! It was so much fun. <3

How was your November? Anything new happen around the blogosphere while I was away? I hope you are staying warm and having a great December so far! 

I can't believe in one month it will be 2020! :)

October Wrap-Up Post // Hiatus Notice

Wrapping up October already? Craziness!

➳Bookmail!!! I received both Freedom and Beloved!➳Designed a Fall Barn Party invitation➳Made amazing Mediterranean burgers from scratch!➳Took a dog photo shoot➳FROZEEN HOT CHOCOLATE DRINKS (hey, its never too cold for my favorite drink!*winks*)➳Country Roads are my fav➳Flip the coin which direction we should go ➳Its always a adventure with the sisters➳Face mask selfies #goodtimes ➳Got two giveaway prizes in the mail!!➳Funny face pictures with lil sis➳Chiropractor➳Chinese food➳Early workouts at the gym (trying to get back in habit!)➳NanoWriMo Prep➳I'm a amateur at outlines... send help!➳Pink cotton candy skies ➳Morning dew glistening in the sun makes the perfect picture➳Soap packaging!➳Getting ready to start a Etsy shop!!➳(btw, go check out my new page on the blog Winds of Faith Co.➳Went hiking➳Carried moms dog, Tucker➳Texting convos that I screenshot➳Pretty views on the hiking trails (or off the trails)➳Fall leaves changing colors➳Apple cinnamon pancakes!➳Cleaned my room and reorganized bookshelves➳Went to the Amish auction and got a ton of mums and pumpkins➳Like, a car full of flowers! And truck bed full of pumpkins!➳I was the guinea pig with moms new hair curlers(Pictured below)➳More Nano preparation➳Planting our small fall garden in thee hoop house➳Got garlic in the mail that we will plant soon➳Found a baby snapping turtle! So cute!➳Fall barn Party=lots of planning➳Made three crock pots of chili➳Cleaned/decorated the barn➳Candy pit➳Hayrides➳Bounce Houses➳Doughnuts➳Apple cider➳After that, we decided to go raw for 7 days (yeah)➳Equine dentist➳Building horse fencing➳Putting up gates with Papa➳Thrift store shopping➳Um, my 19th birthday is in 3 days... can't believe it➳

➳At studio C videos (not the new ones...)➳In the bounce house➳At my cousin's dog, Petey➳He's adorable and goofy➳At my sisters➳The funny selfies we come up with➳Like, who even needs funny filters...➳When the sweet little older lady at the grocery store sneaks you a mini Twix bar➳When I took a huge gulp of water and then realized it was a old water bottle that had sat in the car for a while... not to mention it was lemon water... and it looked like there was a floating mouse because my sister had put her peppermint tea bag in it... so yeah, I spit it out the window pretty fast...XD➳At the fact that I don't feel like I should be 19 in 3 days!➳

➳My family and the way we stick together➳Our animals and the joy they bring us➳The fall leaves on our property➳A good book that makes me smile➳The memories➳The "good" days➳When I have deep convos➳I'm just thankful for the ability to write because its one of those things that I don't feel like I'm necessarily good at, but I have a calling that's stronger than my doubt in myself➳

➳To surrender➳To be myself and to actually like me➳That 99% of the time, social media doesn't portray "real" life➳Don't take for granted the ones closest to you➳God works in mysterious ways, but never distrust His ways➳His ways are always higher➳Seasons change in not only the weather➳Be intentional and know your "why"➳Don't stop and don't give in to doubt➳To stop putting myself down➳To say no to things that will just overwhelm me further➳That raw food is hard to make a menu plan for➳Sometimes it takes endurance even when your tired of it➳

Not-So-Mini Photo Dump:

^^ A small photo shoot of Beloved...

^^ Charlie is a sweetheart! 

^^ Flip a coin and drive

^^ Face masks with the sisters! 

^^ Moon Child Goats Milk Soap

^^ Tranquility "Lavender" Bath Salts

^^ At the auction 

^^ Pumpkins!!

^^ The curlers worked! 

^^ Nano Prep

^^ Planting spinach and lettuce

^^ Gotta have funny faces XD

^^ YUM

^^ Lots of chili! 

^^ Putting in a gate for the fencing with Papa

~~~

Hiatus Notice: I have decided to really plunge myself into my writing this Nano, and because of that, I'm taking some things off my plate. I will be taking a hiatus from blogging for the month of November. I know this will help me focus more on my writing, even though I wish I could keep blogging. But with that said, I'm hoping to come back in December fresh and ready to continue blogging! Thanks for understanding. And I hope y'all have a wonderful November!

How was your October? What is one thing God has been teaching you? Have you ever put in horse fencing? What is your favorite soap scent? Are you going to do NanoWriMo? 

Lets chat in the comments below! <3 

A Houseboat Adventure

Last month, my family went on vacation... We decided to rent a houseboat for the weekend! It was a lot of fun! This trip held many first-time experiences for me...

We set out on a Friday morning and once we loaded the car up, we hit the road. Lots of singing/listening to the radio, goofing off, and snacks later, we arrived at the boating place. There were tons of houseboats at this place! The people we rented the houseboat from were super nice and helped us bring our bags to the boat.

Once I stepped on to the boat, I got a bit nervous because I realized I was sea sick from the rocking. Great, just great. I thought to myself. They hadn't turned the air conditioner up yet, so it was 80 degrees in there, and that made it a lot worse. After the guy taught my dad how to drive the houseboat, they untied us from the dock and we floated away.

Thankfully, my sea sickness went away when we were driving and it never really came back. The scenery was amazing, and there wasn't too many people out boating.

The first couple days were tough... it was just my luck that I had cramps. You girls feel my pain here. Anyway, after the first two days, the trip turned around and we had a blast!

I had never done anything like this before! Staying 66 hours on a boat! Like--that was so cool! We went fishing and skipped stones (My sisters are better at skipping stones... I don't have a very good technique.) I got to go down the slide at the back of the boat, and guess what? My sisters and I got to wash our hair in the lake and shave our legs! Talk about a first time experience. We watched movies and made cookies. And somehow survived having next to none cell reception (which turned out to be a blessing in disguise.)

Each night, we would drive around to different coves to tie off. It was really cool, and a adventure tying up... XD

The last night there, we went stargazing, and let me tell you, it was so pretty out. So peaceful.

Have you ever been tickled so hard you fell off the couch? Yep. I have... thanks sista. Have you ever gotten to drive a houseboat? I got too drive it! Have you ever explored the steep river bank in search of the "waterfall" only to discover that we all have different definitions of a waterfall? It's possible we may have gone on a little detour and our boat may have almost floated away...

My family made lots of memories on this trip! Memories that we will look back on for a long time. Ones we will cherish, ones that will forever be laughed at, and ones that we'll shake out heads at.

This trip was a blast! And I 100% recommend a houseboat vacation! =)

Have you ever gone on a houseboat? 

What is your favorite vacation memory?

 Comment below!