Atop a Mesa

     As promised, here are the pictures Laura took atop the Mesa in the panhandle of Oklahoma. It was great to stretch our legs after about 8 hours in the cars! (It's only about 6 hours directly to Black Mesa, but with so many people, we hardly ever travel "directly"! Too many stops for that. ;) The views from the top were majestic - and perfect hiking weather. 

 

(All these pictures were taken by Laura.)

 

 

All who made the hike except for Laura (who is taking the picture)

This one has everyone in it - we balanced the camera on a rock for this one. However, you can't see the background as well!

The boys being a little goofy

Our Bed & Breakfast as it looked from atop the Mesa (it's in the foreground)

A little closer view

We really enjoyed the front porch

And Amelia LOVED the dog

The Panhandle

I was born, raised, and have always lived in Oklahoma, but there are many parts of it I've never seen.  One such spot is the panhandle of Oklahoma. Several months ago we were asked to minister at a church in Colorado Springs on October 28th, and we began making plans on where to stay. As it takes about 9.5 hours to get there, we decided to stop off in the Panhandle for the night & make the trip in two days instead of one.  We booked rooms at the Black Mesa Bed & Breakfast, right at the foot of Black Mesa (the highest point in Oklahoma at about 4,973 feet above sea level).
     And so, last week we headed off. We arrived after driving through veritable desolation - nothing for miles around but scrub-brush & open prairie.... and the occasional house & barn.  Truly it was dubbed No Man's Land for a reason.  Our hosts (Monty Joe & Vickey) were so great & put us up in style. (Wonderful breakfast the next morning too!)  After a short rest & putting our bags into our rooms, some of us headed out for a hike up a nearby mesa. Black Mesa itself was too long of a hike, so we contented ourselves with another.

    The guys made it to the top first - it took us a bit longer as we were helping Amelia make it.

     We did take pictures from the top with Laura's camera - maybe I will post those tomorrow. The sky was so gorgeous that afternoon - such a brilliant blue with the puffy white clouds. We had a blast taking pictures. I love these next few I took of the trees. I really don't get into scenic photography much, but tried my hand at it here and was pleased.

     After making it back down, we headed back to the B&B, but Laura & I took the longer way around & took more pictures.  I got these two of her - she's a little hard to spot in the second one.

That night we slept well.  The beds were soft & we were exhausted! We had heard that the stars are gorgeous there as there are no city lights ANYwhere around to diminish their numbers, but the moon was nearly full and it made for poor star-gazing.  Maybe another time.

Beach Beauty

     How I wish I were at the beach today..... it's been a regular "monday" at work and I could use a little stress-relief. :)  Oh well, we can't always have what we want, and God is still faithful - even when we're stressed. Reminds me how much I need Him.

     Two years ago my mom & I loaded up the three littlest ones and headed on an hour drive to the closest beach for these pictures. I can still remember the calm of the water (a BIG rarity in Oklahoma) and not a breath of air.  It was a late fall day, but warm for that time of year. So perfect for taking pictures and for just basking in the glow of God's creation.

 

 

     I knew how I wanted these next pictures to look, so as soon as the ball of sun disappeard below the horizon, I started snapping in a hurry. Sweetlight - one of my favorite types of lighting. Can't look at these pictures enough. I just love the lighting - and the cutest little face!

RV Park Promotional Pictures

     Our family runs an RV Park in Northwest Oklahoma. We live on the premises and it makes for a very busy & exciting life. Right now, business is booming in NW Oklahoma and we are as full as we've ever been. Over 200 RV's in our park right now! Over 100 of those sites have been put in just this year.

     The park recently hired someone to update our logo & website. On Friday afternoon I went out and took some pictures to use on the website, rack cards & business cards.  It was blustery & a little cool, but I was able to get what I wanted.

 

 

One of our many bridges

Laundry & Restroom Facilities

 

A birthday....

Six years ago she hadn't even made her appearance yet.  She would come into this world not long before midnight - a beautiful, lovely little girl who didn't want to close her big bright eyes.  So eager to take in everything she saw - just as she is now.  We loved her before she ever arrived, but she has now cemented her place in our family. So many memories.  Can't believe how fast time flies.

I took these a few days ago - reminds me of another picture.

A favorite pastime - feeding ducks

We went down to Oklahoma City last week for a family reunion. We spent the afternoon visiting, then all went out to eat at a Mexican place in Bricktown. The kids especially liked feeding the ducks at the place where the reunion was held. And I loved the opportunity for some great pictures. So happy with these.....

More from Samuel's Outdoor Shoot

A few months back I posted a preview of Samuel's Senior Shoot. With the busy summer we had, I never got back to posting more.  Soon we'll do a studio session, hopefully our schedule will allow that soon. :) I was really happy with the way these turned out. Samuel is pretty easy to photograph - his quiet, layed-back personality comes out pretty clear in these shots. Great job Sam!