Amazing Magnetics

The boys discovered they could hang their creations from the slats under Ian's top bunk. Pretty cool! They could even spin them and they'd still stay on.

The Newest Cub Scout! (and most handsome)

It's official! Ian is a Tiger Cub Scout in Pack 107. He's been waiting and waiting for this day. He went to his first meeting on Monday and we have our first "go and see" to the Greer Heritage Museum this coming Monday. He's got his dad's Cub Scout knife all sharpened and ready. Doesn't he look sharp?!

My "Sunshine" Tree

We are blessed with an abundance of wonderful shade in our yard during the hot summer months. In the fall, this becomes a double blessing as the leaves turn colors. This tree in our front yard literally stopped me in my tracks the other day as I pulled out of the driveway. The brilliance of the yellows and lime greens brought me to tears at the creativity of our God. It was one of those moments where I felt like He "painted" this tree into my front yard just for me--to bless me with a view of His awesome lovingkindness "just because". As the days have passed, the colors mellowed into an abundance of deep yellows and oranges. I couldn't help but take another shot of it. It seemed to fill the whole house with its yellow glow (we're also blessed with a couple big windows in the front too!).

Yesterday it rained. I knew it was coming. The leaves were falling fast and hard. In fact, this was the last of the trees to hang onto its leaves. The rain continued throughout the night and I awoke to a sad sight this morning--a bare tree, its stark and empty branches stretching heavenward, a thick carpet of yellow covering our front yard. Tonight, the leaves are all bagged up awaiting the trash truck. And my house no longer glows with yellow...

But the lessons remain in my heart. God can take something that is dying and make it so beautiful. But it's never for our glory--only His. Just when we begin to think there's something special in us, He strips it even further, just to be sure that underneath we are stretching and growing heavenward. Pointing to our Creator, pressing on to know our Lord, despite our emptiness. Spring will come with its "times of refreshing". But for now, I will raise my empty, barren branches to my Father, clinging to Him, worshipping Him, waiting on His perfect timing and full restoration.

Isaac Stephen

Ian Frazier

Proof:

No, we're not THAT hard core. We drove most of the way up the mountain.

The Devil's Kitchen...

... is the name of this narrow passage through the rocks at Ceasar's Head. Isaac especially thought this was really "ins-tresting" (sic).

Awe inspiring

We stopped on our way back down the mountain to climb out onto Ceasar's Head--a rocky outcropping that supposedly looks like Ceasar's profile. This was the view we were rewarded with! That's Table Rock and Table Rock Reservoir, and also Pinnacle Mountain, the highest peak entirely in SC. Any question as to why they're called the Blue Ridge Mountains?

Trees

Are you jealous yet?





I have a love affair with the colors of fall! The fact that God would create such beauty simply for our pleasure stops me in my tracks. I love to drink in the scent and sight of the fall kaliedoscope. Even better, the fact that God can so beautify something that is dying--truly miraculous!

A few more shots from the trail...

Ian and Isaac were pretending to be spies sneaking up on me as I rested on a big rock outcropping.

Big Leaves!

 

No "perspective" tricks here--these leaves really were as big as their heads. We'll be studying the Blue Ridge Mountains next week in school, so I intend to search through our "Foliage of the Blue Ridge" book to discover what kind of tree these things came from. Anyone know already?

Worth the hike!

 

Today the boys and I decided to do some serious hiking (well, actually, I decided and dragged them along). We headed to the northwestern corner of South Carolina to the Mountain Bridge Wilderness area. Raven's Cliff Falls was our goal and we made it! Three solid hours of hiking, rewarded with this magnificent view of the falls. The water drops 400 feet! We were a quarter of a mile away and it was still breathtaking. We laughed a lot along the way and enjoyed the gorgeous fall colors still blanketing the Blue Ridge. After being reluctant when I announced our plans for the day, we ended with Ian saying, "Well, today was sure a great day!"