Camping w/ Koda

Is there anything sweeter than a boy and his dog?
Well, this camping trip was all about taking Koda with us... and getting out of 113 degree temps... and finding rain. And it was a complete success on every level! Koda was a dream to travel with and loved sleeping under our bed in the cozy cottage. The weather was near perfect. And we found rain, just before packing up to come home. Good thing, cuz we weren't coming home till we did.


Isn't our Koda Pop the sweetest? We love her so much and knew how sad she has been without her pal Wiley, so we thought we'd take her on her very first camping trip to the Rim Country.


We kept her on a chain the first day, but then realized she was not going to leave our side, especially her master's side. She adores Randy!


We love the Mogollon Rim about as much as we love the Grand Canyon. And that's saying ALOT! You can't imagine how beautiful the vistas are along the Rim. And it changes hourly as the sun casts shadows that give it even more grandeur.


Check out this sandstone slab that was stuck in the roots of this tree and hanging over the edge of the rim!


I don't even want to know how someone had the guts to carve initials on the stone.


My sweet man and his dog.


Camp fires and charcoal fires are prohibited because of all the wildfires throughout Arizona, so we cooked our meals on the Coleman stove that came with our cozy cottage.


What's camping without bacon sizzling in a fry pan? Like pointless. And Koda could not agree more!


Can you believe we found these camping chairs at Sam's, and they matched our cottage perfectly! The little tables are so handy dandy.


My favorite picture of the whole weekend. Love our Koda. Click all the pics to enlarge, but especially this one.


Koda was terrified when we took her to Woods Canyon Lake. The water lapping up on shore was so scary to her.


And then... how do I say this... this strange phenomenon occurred. Rain. YES, RAIN! We couldn't believe it! We were like little kids as the thunder roared in the distance, knowing we were about to experience RAIN while snuggled inside our cozy cottage. Folks, dreams really do come true! It was heavenly.


And when it was over, the colors were even more vivid and the scenery more breathtaking. We were in awe of God's creation.


The perfect ending to a perfect weekend get-away.


And we were ready to go home.

Cath Kidston oil cloth

I finally found a use for the Cath Kidston oil cloth that I bought while visiting our daughter in England a year ago. Do you remember me telling you about entering the Cath Kidston store in Bath and literally shaking I was so excited?! Well you can read all about that memorable moment HERE. Anyway, that precious piece of oil cloth has finally found a home... draped over the darling table & chairs set that Randy & I found last weekend at a yard sale for $15.00! I know!


And just when I thought I couldn't love it any better, I find this set of dishes on clearance at Target last night for $10.00! And yes, the set came with four goblets, real metal flatware and red gingham cloth napkins! (that happen to match the apron that Mrs. McGillicutty is wearing) And the raspberry red plates match the oil cloth roses perfectly. (Double click and see for yourself) Again I was shaking, I was so happy! Randy & I could hardly wait to set the table this morning and anticipate all the meals we will share with our granddaughters in the very near future.


You see, that's the coolest part about the table & chairs set, they are so solid that we can actually sit with her and share a meal while sipping juice from the crystal clear goblets. Ok, so they're plastic, but Emolyn will think they're real. And that's all that matters.

Family Camp~ Part 2

SUNDAY, 4th of JULY


4th of July was a day filled with celebrations! We had worship outside overlooking the meadow, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Col.3:16) So amazing!



In fact, there was a moment during worship when I was so overcome with emotion watching my husband and our son leading us in worship. God is so faithful to guide each of our children on their own personal journey of faith. I am so proud of Shawn... as a son, a husband, a daddy and a faithful servant.


Then we gathered at the creek for baptisms. Oh my gosh, talk about the ultimate celebration!



Finally~ Western Night! What a fun way to celebrate families and friendships! Thanks Kelsie~ PINKERTON PHOTOGRAPHY, for taking all the family photos and the group shot below. What a wild & crazy bunch of family campers!



Emolyn is getting so excited for their little family to expand. Her baby sister is due 10/10/10! I can't believe how fast it is going. Of course we're praying the baby goes full-term and is born healthy. Emolyn came 7 weeks early, weighing 2 lbs. 7 oz... but very healthy!


Nicole & Emolyn ~ Kelsie & Rori ~ Meredith & Jack


We ended the festivities with a hayride... singing patriotic songs as we made our way around Mountain Meadow Camp. I couldn't help but snap a pic of our cozy cottage as we passed by. She was manufactured in 1976, the year of our Nations bicentennial birthday. So as you can see, she is very patriotic!

Family Camp~ Part 1

We made it! Oh my gosh, I can't even begin to tell you how special these past 4 days have been. Our cozy cottage on wheels got us to Family Camp @ Mountain Meadow Camp near Christopher Creek in 2 hours. I was euphoric. And cooled off! I mean come on, it was the road trip of my dreams. After 8 months we finally got our Travette travel trailer out on the road and she did not disappoint. SO cozy, cute and comfy!


Emolyn calls our cozy cottage "Mimi's house". And her cousin Nora, Nora's friend Hannah and Emolyn happened to be our first house guests after we got settled in.


Mountain Meadow Camp is so rustic. One of the prettiest settings in all of Arizona. We parked our little cottage mere feet from this historic bridge over Christopher Creek.


Have I ever told you how much I love creeks and rivers? Well Christopher Creeks happen to be one of my very favorites.


The first thing I thought when I saw this stack of firewood... photo shoot with the pretty princess!

Emolyn was singing Jesus loves me during our photo shoot.

... they are weak, but He is STRONG!

YEEEES, Jesus loves me!

... the Bible tells me so. Oh man, I love her to pieces.

And I love this man too.

What is it about moss that is so intriguing? I love the varied texture of moss to rocks... and the blue sky reflecting off the crystal clear water.

And these yellow flowers were everywhere.

Stay tuned. Part 2 coming soon.

Our Cozy Cottage maiden voyage

Our cozy cottage on wheels hits the road this weekend. For the very first time! This is an etsy print that Miranda got me for Christmas and I have to say, on this particular trip we really do want it to be about the destination. Getting to our church family camp up north without any problems would make us so happy! And btw, it was 115 degrees today in Tempe, AZ!! I am SO ready to cool off.

Thought you might want to read the story of our cozy cottage on wheels, that I originally posted back in October of 2009. A week later our house flooded and most of our weekends since then have been devoted to getting our home back in shape. Thus the delay in getting this beauty out and about.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Can you believe it! She's ours!
You know how much I've talked about one day having my very own cozy cottage in the woods? Well, my dream has come true! Only this is my cozy cottage on wheels... that will transport me to the enchanted forest of my dreams. Ok, so I got carried away... I meant the woods.

How cute is my little 1976 Travette travel trailer! Like way cute. Like, talk amongst yourselves way cute! Like... ok, you get the picture... my cozy cottage is cute!
I know, it's not the '56 Shasta of my dreams. They either cost a pretty penny... or they need total restoration. This one was hit the road ready and totally within our budget. And the whole 70's motif? It's growing on me. Throw in some tangerine orange and you've got my kitchen colors when we married in '79. (aka Tupperware colors)


Here's the scoop-
~ found her on Craig's List
~ located near Chino Valley
~ that was the main reason for our 356 mile Sunday drive
~ it was love at first sight
~ totally restored to our satisfaction
~ the bench seat & cushions make into a queen bed
~ a 13 footer which was exactly what we wanted
~ only $1100.00. Such a sweet deal!
~ fits in our side yard perfectly
~ and will double as Emolyn's playhouse

Randy & I are so excited to take it up to the Mogollon Rim and experience our first rainfall inside our cozy cottage. Can you imagine the sound of the rain pelting on the aluminum roof? Heavenly.


Basically she's a step up from camping in our van. We are now camping in a travel trailer where we can actually sit at our table and play cards, watch dvd's, share meals, scrapbook, write blog posts on my Mac, sip mugs of hot chocolate, read books... whatever suits our fancy! And when we're tired, we make it into a queen bed, turn out the lights and call it a day. Heavenly.

So, my awesome husband and cute sons are bringing her home today. And I get to spend the day with Emolyn while they make the road trip up north... praying they make it home safely.
And in case I don't say it enough... thank you Randy! I love you. You're my favorite husband ever! :)

All of the above pics were taken upon meeting her for the very first time. Ain't she a beauty!

Well, the time has finally come AND not only is she ready for her maiden voyage but there's a huge likelihood of rain while snuggled inside our cozy cottage on wheels. Can't wait to tell you all about the adventures that await us. Till then, have a safe & happy 4th of July weekend!

Nothing better than fluffy, soft vintage sheets.

So fun decorating 70's vintage ~ with thrifty finds I found throughout my home.

Thanks for visiting my cozy cottage on wheels!