Today I joined four other moms for a day at the L. A. County Fair. There were so many school groups and other people there it was quite overwhelming, especially at first. But the kids all had fun watching and petting the animals, exploring some old trains and a large set-up of scale model trains.

Here are Alyssa and Jonathan riding tractors.

Alyssa has wanted to see inside a train for a long time, and this was her chance.

Jonathan loved the whole day, too.

One of the cutest things we saw were a baby goat and a piglet playing together. The piglet would chase the goat until it jumped up on a log. Then the goat would paw at the log and put his little head down like he was trying to butt the piglet. Then he would jump down and the game would start again.

The most amazing thing to me were these rainbow-colored roses. Yes, they are real! Colored dye was injected into the stems in four places which created the mix of colors. They are called Italian Tapestry roses.

Growing

Jonathan is growing so fast! It's so amazing to watch him learn new things and imitate the things we do. Alyssa and I were just outside pulling some weeds from our flower gardens and lawn and throwing them over the fence out of our patch of green yard and onto the brown dirt that won't grow anything until the rain comes this winter. After watching us do this several times, Jonathan picked some leaves from one of my herbs and took them over to the fence and threw them out, too. Yesterday when I sat down at my computer, he crawled into my lap and put my hand on the mouse. He knew just where it needed to go. He watches exactly what we do, even when we don't realize he's looking. He doesn't miss a thing!

Reminds me how much I need to be watching Jesus, reading what He did when He was here on earth, listening to what He wispers in my ear minute by minute, and imitating Him in everything I do. Maybe I'll grow as fast as Jonathan is!

To Be Content

I don't live in the mountains. Wind blowing through tall trees, green everywhere with clear blue sky above, fresh air, a mountain stream singing on its way to who knows where. Nope, I don't live there, although I'd love to.

I live on a tiny patch of green that is my yard on a very brown brushy hill in Southern California, with sounds of trains and heavy traffic blasting up to us from the valley. And at times we don't breathe by faith, we breathe by sight! I try to escape whenever I can, to refresh my spirit and rekindle the longing to live in the mountains... someday... But I'm learning to be content. It's taken some time - five years, in fact. But God put me here for the time being. And I'm learning that in whatever state I am, I can be content. It's a hard lesson for me, but I think I'm learning, little by little. I'm with my family, and God has blessed me with some very good friends. And for living in the city, my location is not too bad. We have a pretty good view from our hill, and on clear days we can even see the mountains in the distance. My kids have space. I don't have neighboring houses inches from mine. I have palm trees that serve as nests for barn owls, hooded orioles, and a host of other birds. When I put my feeders out I have hummingbirds come by the dozen. I need to keep looking for the little blessings that will keep my heart content. I still long for a better place, but perhaps that's the way God intended it.