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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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January 5, 2012

It’s not a DIY Project but it’s sure fun…four wheeling in the desert

Wow! It’s been quiet here At The Picket Fence.  We’ve had such a great time being together that it’s been hard to pull ourselves away to update the blog….that and the slow as molasses internet connection.  Could one blog and live in the middle of nowhere? A question for the ages. grin.

One of our favorite activities and by far the most popular during our time together has been four 
wheeling! 

Ian (Vanessa’s Rascal #1) and Bama Boy

That’s a mighty big four wheeler, Ian! 

Lauren has her helmet on and she’s ready to ride!

And they’re off! 

Vanessa and Ian head out
Michael’s not far behind

There is nothing more beautiful then trekking through the desert and getting up close and personal with it’s beauty. 
The subtle beauty of the desert
The views

a replica western town
Bama Boy armed and ready for any wild critters

The only wild critters we saw…on a cattle ranch

At the Petroglyphs
Seeing them up close and personal is fascinating! 
Heather…all dusty and dirty …and not the DIY project kind of dust 😉

Poppa with The Girl and The Boy
Thank you Poppa for providing so much fun when we visit! We love you!

17 Comments Filed Under: Family

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Previous Post: « On vacation with the gals At The Picket Fence
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Comments

  1. Ginger Zuck says

    January 5, 2012 at 3:13 AM

    Love to 4 wheel. I’ve got a Yahama and use it most weekends! Would love to do it in the desert! Love the BAMA t-sirt – rolltide!! Have a great week!

    Reply
  2. Pam - diy Design Fanatic says

    January 5, 2012 at 3:27 AM

    Looks like soooo much fun!

    Reply
  3. Kim @ Savvy Southern Style says

    January 5, 2012 at 3:34 AM

    Looks like fun and great pictures.

    Reply
  4. Kelly says

    January 5, 2012 at 3:52 AM

    My family would be ALL over that!! We used to go four wheeling up in the North Ga mountains when my inlaws had one and a cabin up there. It was alot of fun. Now they live on alot of property and have one that they can use in the woods behind their home. I would’ve loved to have done that with you all!

    Reply
  5. NanaDiana says

    January 5, 2012 at 4:17 AM

    What fun it looks like you are all having. tat is the best part of it all, isn’t it? Making family memories! xo Diana

    Reply
  6. Debbie refreshredtyle says

    January 5, 2012 at 4:44 AM

    I love it! Beautiful place and people! Can I go next time?
    Debbie

    Reply
  7. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    January 5, 2012 at 5:26 AM

    Looks like you guys had a blast!! Great pictures too. I love the one of the old western town!!

    Reply
  8. Creative Raisins says

    January 5, 2012 at 6:15 AM

    Looks like it was a great time, This is one of my families favorite things to do too, so much fun.

    Reply
  9. Sue says

    January 5, 2012 at 7:33 AM

    I am one big chicken and probably wouldn’t hop on one of those suckers! Oh to be back out west again- you’re both so lucky to have made the trip, Heather. Such wonderful shots, btw. 🙂

    Reply
  10. Cindy @ Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home says

    January 5, 2012 at 4:12 AM

    Looks like a great time for all…wonderful memories in the making!!!

    Reply
  11. Judy says

    January 5, 2012 at 12:46 PM

    That looks like so much fun. You guys made some awesome memories on this trip. The four wheeling looks like a blast. Your photos are great too.

    Reply
  12. Vicki says

    January 5, 2012 at 3:11 PM

    Wow, so fun! I love those mountains in the background and that the beauty of the cactus. Sweetness! (Just don’t touch!)

    Reply
  13. classic • casual • home says

    January 5, 2012 at 4:06 PM

    I would love to try four wheeling! What a beautiful place.

    Reply
  14. Debra @ Common Ground says

    January 5, 2012 at 4:24 PM

    The scenery is just gorgeous, looks like you all are having such an amazing time, I’m so glad you could all get together!! great pics of you all! xoxo

    Reply
  15. Tanya@takesix says

    January 5, 2012 at 5:14 PM

    F A M I L Y!!!! There’s no life like it!! So glad you had a wonderful week, even though it was marked with sadness. When we go to our spot in the country all our family shows up on 4-wheelers!! Wishing you both a blessed New Year!

    Reply
  16. Robin says

    January 6, 2012 at 1:04 AM

    Four wheeling is so much fun. We try to get out as much as possible. Kids love it, adults love it. it’s perfect. We go to my parents cabin alot during all season but in the summer we camp and four wheel almost every weekend.

    Reply
  17. Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia says

    January 6, 2012 at 3:35 AM

    How fun, love seeing all the pictures!!!
    XO
    Kristin

    Reply

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Yesterday on the way home from school I had the ra Yesterday on the way home from school I had the radio tuned to my daughter's favorite station and a song that was playing had a line in it that really stood out to me. It made reference to a 'season of the sticks' which I think its safe to say must mean winter. I thought that was such an accurate, albeiet kind of depressing, picture of this time of the year.

While we definitely have more than our fair share of evergreen trees here in Oregon, we also have plenty of trees and bushes that are reduced to sticks during the cold months. But, this morning as I looked out my kitchen window, greedily sipping from my mug of coffee, I marveled at the beauty of the winter sunrise. The sky was all pinks and oranges with frost on the rooftops and a little bit of fog. And, I realized that part of why it was so amazing is because I could see it more clearly through the sticks. The bare branches allowed me a view that I wouldn't be able to see if those same branches were covered in leaves. Being stripped down to almost nothing revealed something magnificent.

We have seasons of the sticks in our lives too, don't we? Times when we feel as though we've been stripped bare and left exposed. It's easy to think that this is a place where all is ugly and dark. And yet, just like the winter sunrise was more visible because of the bare branches, the vulnerability we feel in the winter season of our souls allows us to get a glimpse of beauty that we wouldn't see otherwise. In the lush, warm seasons it's so easy to become comfortable. But in the bare, cold seasons we recognize just how much we need to rely on the One who placed the stars in the heavens and is sovereign over all.

If you feel like your soul has been stripped bare and you've been left exposed and vulnerable, may I encourage you today to ask the Lord to help you to see the beauty in this 'season of the sticks'.

“Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:7
I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake a I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake and grabbed a banana out of the freezer and was about to put it into my shake before I realized it was a frozen egg roll. Sooooo that's how my day is going so far! 🤪How about you?

It's honestly fairly representative of my state of mind these days as I can't seem to make the date on the calendar match the date in my spirit because it feels like it should be January 45th. Every year this month drags on and every year it seems to surprise me for some reason. In addition, my heart just feels heavy as I witness a lot of darkness and sadness around me. So, I'm choosing to control what I can control by making my house feel as cozy as possible, relishing the sunshine whenever it dares to peek through the clouds, gathering inspiration for warmer weather projects and, most importantly, resting in the comfort of the sovereignty of my Father.

“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ So that everyone he has made may know his work..." Job 37:5-7
What if you could do something at the beginning of What if you could do something at the beginning of your day that would be a gift to yourself later on? That’s what we’re talking about on this week’s Tip Tuesday! #tiptuesday
The sun decided to make another appearance today! The sun decided to make another appearance today! It’s been such a lovely Sunday. Chocolate croissants for breakfast followed by church then naps/football/reading/etc and soon we’ll be heading out to dinner with friends. These are my favorite kind of weekends. Hope yours has been lovely too! 🌿
Yesterday was stormy and cold but today the sunshi Yesterday was stormy and cold but today the sunshine is breaking through the fog and my house just seems happier. We definitely needed to see that light streaming in through the windows and it’s a gift I don’t take for granted.

And yes, there are still twinkle lights on my mantle because those help when the sunshine goes away again. ✨
Happy weekend! The rainy and gloomy weather here i Happy weekend! The rainy and gloomy weather here in the Willamette Valley has me feeling less frustrated about my migraine forcing me to just snuggle up indoors and these flowers in my kitchen are lifting my spirits. What are you up to on this holiday weekend?
It’s time for TIP TUESDAY! This week, I’m offe It’s time for TIP TUESDAY! This week, I’m offering a gentle reminder from my own parenting experience after feeling my heart pricked with conviction about what was waiting for my daughter every day after school. I hope it will encourage you! 🌿#tiptuesday
The day after Christmas I found myself laundering The day after Christmas I found myself laundering and folding all of the linens we used the previous night as we hosted my husband's side of the family for dinner and other festivities. As I laid out each cloth napkin and folded them one by one, I couldn't help but be struck by what a simple, yet meaningful, task it was. It's such an honor and privilege to be the hostess and, at this stage of my life, I realize that this has almost one hundred percent become my role now. Our parents are in their 70's and have either downsized significantly or simply don't have the energy to take on hosting duties for a large group. I could resent this. I could feel overwhelmed by it. But, instead, I'm choosing to embrace it knowing that, someday, I too will pass the hosting torch and I hope that I will be welcomed with love and attentiveness. So, I fold the linen napkins, taking pleasure in the way all of the creases line up and how neat and tidy they look in the drawer of my dining room buffet. These seemingly simple chores are part of the lifeblood of homemaking and my attitude towards them can either be one of gratefulness or grumbly-ness (yes, I'm making up words now). 

And I’m choosing gratefulness. 

“This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God’s way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness.” (Elisabeth Elliot⁣)
Welcome to Tip Tuesday! I’m so excited to be kic Welcome to Tip Tuesday! I’m so excited to be kicking off the year with a brand new series! Each weekly installment will feature a tip for everything from your home to faith to parenting to family life and so much more. My goal for 2023 is to have far more personal interaction with this community while continuing on with the mission of weaving together all things heart and home. I hope you enjoy this first tip and I’d love to hear from you about whether or not you decorate for winter! 
#tiptuesday #organizing #winterdecorating
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. H “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” 

Here’s to beginnings. Happy new year friends! May you experience the majesty and sovereignty of the Lord in 2023 like never before! ✨
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