Pretty-Happy-Funny-Real

I am once again linking up with Like Mother, Like Daughter for {p,h,f,r} this Thursday.  Click over to her blog for more posts about everyday contentment.

Pretty

I had asked my mother-in-law to write an icon for me for Christmas, it took her longer than both of us expected, but I was surprised by a beautiful icon of St Therese for my birthday.  Inspired by wanting a special place for the Little Flower and all these posts on "little oratories" in the house, I decided to change my vanity table into a prayer table.  The vanity is very special because my parents gave it to me for my wedding, however, I am not one to sit and brush my hair, or stare into a mirror, or even wear makeup, so it has been fairly neglected.  I am hoping this new purpose give not only the vanity new life but me new motivation to deepen my prayer life.

Happy

Father's day was a happy day, despite me missing my own father. (The holiday fell on his birthday this year, as well.)  I had planned on doing something bigger for my husband but with all the work put into the Mother/Daughter the day before and some really rough nights with Little Man, it just didn't happen.  However, he really enjoyed getting to have ice cream for lunch, as did the kids.  We went to our favorite ice cream spot, which has the world's best ice cream.  Thankfully, Little Man slept through the whole thing so he wasn't crying for his own ice cream.

Funny

My grandmother is a pretty extraordinary lady.  Our trip to her home for her 93rd birthday was a delight.  The funniest thing was how excited she was about the birthday hats.  She had to put it on before answering my cousin's birthday phone call.  We had a great time.

   

Real

We live in the mountains, as I have already stated and over the past decade or so, more wildlife has moved back into the area. This is a mixed blessing.  It is common in spring time for bears to visit our property.  Usually once or twice, at most three times.  However, this spring they have been around a couple of times a week. It has made it hard to let the kids outside.  I have had to keep them off the trail that they have up in the woods because it is just too thick for me to see if a bear is up there or passing through. I am hoping that no one is feeding them in the neighborhood.  They are amazing to look at and we get so excited every time they show up, but I would rather they didn't come right up to the house.

Yes, that is a Mama bear on my patio, and no I am not zooming in.  She was only a few feet away on the other side of our glass door.  She had had her nose pressed up against the glass but once she saw me whip out the camera, she started to wander off.

This is one of her cubs, the other cub was up on the upper terrace of our yard riding the teeter totter.

Thanks for stopping by, hope you are having a great week!