Tractor Supply Company "field trip"

Didn't want to forget about a funny local "field trip" the kids took with me last month:

January 4th:  "Checked out our local Tractor Supply Co store for the first time today, just for fun. It was great! As much as I love Ridgecrest, I admit it was pretty cool to pretend I was in Idaho or Texas for a little while, instead of California, haha! When we told the sweet older cashier Gloria that it was our first time in the store, she gave us a big smile and said 'I’ve been waiting for ya!' 💗

We’ll be back."

Blue Angels at the China Lake Air Show!!!

Yesterday we went to the China Lake Air Show here in town.  It was a BIG DEAL for our little desert community, especially since it had been over 20 years since the Blue Angels had last come to Ridgecrest.  We got on base early Saturday morning and were impressed at all the efforts made to accommodate big crowds--there were many, many volunteers, desert areas cleared for parking lots, incredible publicity for the event, food booths everywhere, and on and on.

Security was pretty tight, as expected, but we were surprised that we couldn't even bring the bags for our camping chairs.  We carried the chairs around all morning, but were sure glad we brought them when we ended up sitting for 4 hours for the air show display!

The flying expertise of the performers was insane, watching them cross over and loop and scream past us flying low.  We loved it!!!

Desert skies in this week

There have been some LOVELY skylines here in the desert this week!

First sunrise picture for 2016

I've been sick a lot the last week and a half.  It's been rough.  I understand a little better how people with chronic illness must feel, who can't get away from it and have to deal with it every single day--I know I certainly haven't been myself.  Luckily I've got a daughter who helped me see what I was missing!  Rhiannon made me smile today when she noticed this outside:

I almost didn't see it, being too focused on myself and other things.  Thankfully I am feeling more like myself today and hope to be 100% soon!

An amazing petroglyph tour experience

In mid-November, Jason, Wade, and I went on a private petroglyph tour on base.  (Rhiannon was at an all-day band event out of town--we missed her!)  We met at the local movie theater parking lot with some other folks and then, after an extensive discussion of rules and what not to do, traveled on base to Little Petroglyph Canyon.  We had the "primo" experience and went all the way to the end of the canyon--several others with different tour guides just stopped about halfway.  April and Roy were our guides--they were the best!!

We scampered and climbed and had an amazing time, enjoying perfect weather, too.  I was pretty sore the next day (hello, out of shape!), but Jason and Wade were fine.  We agreed that we'd love to do it again sometime and take Rhiannon with us!

Info from the local museum's website:

"In the canyons and plateaus of the Coso Mountains are thousands of images left by the hunter-gatherer people who populated this region in times past. The images, called petroglyphs, are carved into basalt rocks, and range in age from Paleoindian times to the present. This is the largest known concentration of petroglyphs in the western hemisphere and is located on the Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake. Public access is permitted to the petroglyphs that are located in lower Renegade Canyon (also known as Little Petroglyph Canyon). Access is limited to tours with Navy-approved guides. People interested in visiting the petroglyphs can take museum-sponsored tours during the Spring and Fall months. Individual dates are announced on the Maturango Museum website."

I had to laugh at the info on Trip Advisor about this experience--it's rated the NUMBER ONE thing to do in Ridgecrest (out of 6 possible things, hahahahaha!)

3 beautiful October sunrises/sunsets

They really have been amazing this month.

A really great date night

Jason and I had a great date on Friday night.  Rhiannon was off playing at the high school's Homecoming football game, and Wade was at a friend's house, so we took off on our own.  First we had dinner at China Express--love their dinner buffet!  In the middle of the meal Jason told me to save room for dessert.  I asked him about the frozen yogurt served there at the restaurant, but he had other plans.

After dinner we drove down Ridgecrest Blvd to this place:

This little dive has been around for years and gets steady business.  We love their milkshakes!!

The surprise of the evening was when we headed for home.  I thought we were going to go out in the desert somewhere and do some star gazing.  Jason had an even better idea--he had our comfy camping chair recliners all set out on the porch; we took those out to the backyard and watched the stars from there.

I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

Thanks for a great date, babe--I love you!

Today

Today's cloudy sunrise was glorious.

That beautiful sky helped me forget, for just a few moments, about our local weather.  Uncomfortable would be an understatement.  I melted into a puddle yesterday and plan to live in the pool during the next 7 days.  It's pretty awesome until 10 or 11 am, and then...it's not.

Today Jason is on the China Lake golf course, participating in a tournament with folks from his new work group.  He and others are doing some good things to promote unity and community with co-workers.  A few months back they had a low-key family barbecue and I mentioned to someone there that I was looking forward to the work Christmas party.  "Christmas party?  We haven't had one of those in years!"--was the response.  Jason is working on issues like this along with all the other million trillion things he has to do.  It's been a busy week with testing and out-of-town guests and retirement party mc-ing.  I'm glad he can relieve some stress today!!!

Today Rhiannon has 3 quizzes at school, but she gets a break from Friday night football and doesn't have to be up late playing in the band.  She enjoys doing that, but it's nice to have a free weekend every once in a while, too!  I'm looking forward to some quality mother-daughter time tomorrow when we go to the General Womens' broadcast.  For fun Rhiannon de-stresses with music, texts back and forth with friends, rocks out on the piano, and daydreams about Halloween costumes.  I believe she and her friend JenAi are going with a Star Wars theme this year...

Today Wade is going to a birthday/slumber party next door for his best friend Nick.  He has been looking forward to this for several days.  Middle school is treating him well, too.  He's getting used to moving around and being responsible for several different classes.  Band practice and piano practice at home are rarely missed--yay!  Oh, and he will start braces back up in a few weeks--he got molds taken again on Wednesday.  The dentist office gave him a break for the past few months while he lost SEVERAL baby teeth.

Today I recuperated from yesterday.  Thursday I woke up feeling yucky.  I didn't know if I was sick or just all kinds of nervous about subbing at a new school that day.  I asked Jason for a priesthood blessing and that helped so much.  Still, it was a long, hot day subbing for that first grade class.  I got lots of hugs and little "I love you, Mrs. C" notes, which I loved, loved, loved.  But a large group of first graders takes its toll no matter how hard you try to keep up.  I felt like I'd been hit by a bus!

We will enjoy this last September weekend as much as possible!

A Monday morning at 7:21am

I had to smile at life in the Cushing home this summer morning.

As I type this, Rhiannon is pounding out some beautiful hymns ("Called to Serve" is going on right now--fast!)

Wade jumped on his bike at 7:00am to do his "pick up dog doo" job at the Collins' home.

Jason was up at 5:50am or so and off to work shortly after that.  He goes on business travel for the rest of the work week tomorrow--we will miss him!

The dogs are crashed out on the floor because they just finished a 3-mile walk with me.  It took an hour, but I did it!  (For my mental health, I don't know how much longer I can do these long walks with the dogs--Samson wants to stop and pee on e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g and Oscar wants to b-a-r-k at anything with 4 legs...!)

So much for sleeping in and being lazy!  I don't mind, though, because it is getting HOT here in Ridgecrest, highs up to 108 later this week, so getting things done in the morning when it's a tiny bit cooler is smart!!!

Hiking with Dad

Jason has taken both kids on some fun local hikes.  Rhiannon needs to prepare for a tough pioneer trek at the end of July, and Wade and Jason are going to go on their annual backpacking trip that month, too.  

They had gorgeous weather and enjoyed the hike!  The kids enjoyed that "one-on-one" time with their dad, too!

Tender mercy on a dreary Monday

After such a heavenly Christmas break, that first Monday back was TOUGH for all of us.  I was so grumpy that Sunday because I didn't want our vacation to ever end, haha!

Thankfully, God knew I needed a boost that Monday morning.  After taking Rhiannon home from seminary, I looked out the kitchen window at the first rays of the sunrise.  It calmed my heart and helped me feel at peace--I needed it in a big way!

The Christmas Train

The first weekend in December, some friends gave us tickets to go ride the "Christmas Train."  It's an annual Ridgecrest tradition and SOOO fun.  I wish I'd taken better pictures, but just imagine sitting on a little train and riding through so many cute Christmas decorations, lights, and themes.  It was also really fun to run into our old friends the Morrows, who took really good care of us when we first moved to Ridgecrest.  We were semi-newlyweds, far away from extended family, and they reached out to us and other new China Lake employees.  It was great to see them!

Thank you to the Grant family for the tickets, too!

Cruising down Balsam Street

This weekend Ridgecrest hosted the first annual Petroglyph and Heritage Festival.  It was a smash hit--they're estimating over 10,000 people came through all the different events!

It was a busy day for us and so we didn't make it down until the evening, when most of the street vendors were closing up.  Thankfully the USO building was still open, so we checked out their photography contest winners there and just had a good time soaking up the beautiful weather.  Love these guys!

Talent in the desert!

On Saturday night Rhiannon and I joined our friend Sandi Collins and went to a musical put on by the RMES, the Ridgecrest Musical Education Society.  Most years RMES puts on a play and donates all of the proceeds to the schools and scholarships for music education.  It's pretty neat!  They do auditions and then work on it all summer, voluntarily.

This year the play was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

It was FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We also knew several people in the play from school and church, so that made it even more magical. :)

I had no idea that much talent existed in our little desert town!  Can't wait to see what they do next!

The boys got milkshakes and then had a "guys night" watching Need for Speed.  They had a good time, too, but hopefully I can convince them to join us next time. :)