Bishop/Pine Nutting

For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God.

Ecclesiastes 2:26

Our time in Bishop flew. Another memory......

Chloe all set for her trip!

 We arrived at my parents around 8:30 in the evening, the kids insist on taking off their seat belts, and rolling down the windows the moment we hit the driveway! But this time we creeped in, we wanted to surprise my dad, Chloe spilled the beans that we were coming to Grandma earlier on the phone! But we decided to still keep Pop's out of the loop! So we turned into Jenny my big sister's house,  and we hid the car. We devised a plan to have Jenny call my dad and tell him that her stove wouldn't lite. Too bad the World Series was on, it took him a little longer to come, but we waited. I felt like I was 10 again, we hid in Jenny's room. He finally came, he then started to look at the stove, we sent just Chloe out by herself!! She walked very slowly to Papa, he glanced down, then did a double take, "Chloe???" He said, Then we all busted out of the room, we all were soo happy to see each other, my dad said this was the most surprised he had ever been!
Chloe instantly getting spoiled by Grandma, milk and a muffin!

 Sadie too!

 My mom is so sweet hot tea is always ready for any one who walks in!

 Although it was late the girls always ask Grandma to make some sort of craft with them, this time they made little books, they turned out so cute!

 Sometimes when I travel I'm not "regular" so my momma brewed me a tea to help! Well let's just say it helped a little tooooo much and I didn't get that much sleep! So at 11a.m. I finally emerge, and this is what I find Papa giving the kids tractor rides!

 This little guy in Indian is called "P-i-u-g-y" the Indians used to eat them for a good source of protein. My parents pick them up when ever they are in the woods. So momma fried some up! I passed
But the kids took it as a dare and ate

Proof

 Here is my beautiful big sister Jenny Bugs!

 Sadie got to play with my cousin's daughter Bella

 Breakfast, the berries are elderberries, my mom picks these and makes jam, or just freezes them.

 Jim, my mom, and I escaped early to get a workout in the desert. I was talking big to Jim, like "could he hang with me," But one run up the hill, I was ready to faint! The elevation kicked my butt!

 Here we are doing Ab's!

 This guy is such a motivation, he eats soo clean and works out, as good as he looks on the outside he's even more amazing on the inside!

 My dad has been hunting since he was a little boy, and his dad before him and on and on! Hunting for my family is not a "sport" but a way of life. He raised us on his game. I was blessed with some of his deer antlers, I plan on mounting them. It amazed me, he would pick up a random set, and say I killed this one on this mountain, when I was ???

 Two of his trophy's

 Sadie getting acquainted

Baby deer

 The girls enjoying the morning

 Pine Nutting!! God blessed us with such a great day, we traveled 2 hours out of Bishop to harvest the nuts! The day couldn't of been more blessed, the weather, company.... Although having my other siblings there would have been over the top, Rachel, Johnny, and his wife Rachel! Miss them

Here is a shot of Jim high in the Pine tree, scouting the nuts!

 I love how my dad is so willing to teach my son, many of our traditions

With long sticks we "beat the cone's" causing many nuts to fall into our tarp below! 

We then gather the tarp

 Then harvest, now the work begin's, we hit the pine cone, getting any left over nut's to fall out!

Jenn's and Sadie, Chloe

 Some tree's yield is exciting

 It touches my heart soo much to see my kids out in nature, no T.V. Ipad, I touch, just them and God's creation! They did so well, my dad and mom kept saying how happy they were, to see their grand kids, enjoying themselves.

 Here is my cousin Stan, he's more to me than a cousin, he's like an Uncle, Papa, second Dad, mentor, he also is our Pastor! Many roles...

 Grandma holding Chloe

 John's hands, poor guy he didn't bring gloves!!

 Sage, Sadie, Chloe with their cousin's, friend, at church

So after we bring the nuts home there still is a lot of work to do! Next it's time to clean them

 This is how we do that, winnowing them, we use the wind to carry away the needles, rocks

Jim winnowing, on my Great- Grandmother basket, over 150 years old!

 Me giving it a go, I was a little rusty

 Jenny

 Coco

 Left with just the nut's!! We then roast a batch at a time, and crack open the shell, they are soo satisfying! 
We went to lunch with John's parents Cindy and John, so good to see them we don't spend enough time with them, Cindy runs the school transportation, and John owns a Muffler Shop, so they work hard!  We are going to make it a point to get together more, the kids need it, as well as John and I!

Time to capture where we are 

 Sphene, our family dog, after years of moving him house to house, small yard to smaller yard, we decided that he was most happy in Bishop, we miss him, but know it's for the best!

 Coco wanted one more ride!

 Jenny and Chloe have a special bond

 Saying goodbye, I think Sage was saying, "Do we have to go???"

 On our way home!

 We love you Dad, and Mom you are so important, special, needed in our lives, like the guy at Mobil said, "How does it feel Shirley, to have thee most Awesome Parents Ever!!!" It feels amazing! God bless, Shirley