And walkin’s just what they’ll do! Eventually!

I’m so over this cold weather! I want to go outside, to the mountains, and go for a walk. Not in the snow.

The Walks Are The Best Memories

Kim and I have traveled to five continents and dozens of countries and in each of the places we’ve been, it’s the walks we really remember. (helicopters, boats, jeeps, and scuba gear all seem to stick well too!)

A Couple of Amazing Walking Destinations

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil – it’s tough to pin down the best walk we took in Brazil, and we only saw a small part of that amazingly beautiful place. The area around Rio has two don’t miss walks (excluding the beach and city, which could keep you enthralled for months).

The Botanical Gardens – I’ll never forget the rows of absolutely magnificent towering palms lining the main walk through the Jardine Botanico in Rio.

Tijuca National Forest – Wild toucans, views of the city of Rio and Cristo Redentor (Christ The Redeemer) are totally incredible. Only a five minute drive up the mountain from the city, this place feels wild and exotic. I could walk, and walk, and walk.

Waitomo, New Zealand

Of all the jaw dropping things you’ll ever encounter in your life, the glow worm caves of Waitomo, New Zealand will make the short list of “best wow factor”. There is no describing the first-hand view of a dark cavern with a ceiling covered in tiny bio-luminescent creatures that literally…glow!

The area around the caves is amazing and one of my favorite hikes, was just down the road from there. We had an amazing time in an incredible setting where rivers literally pop out of the side of a mountain. And not just water, mind you, but tubers too! They do cavern tubing there where you go into the dark on an inner-tube with nothing but a head-mounted lamp to light your way… and more glow worms!

I’m Hooked On Walking Boots

I’m not sure what it is, but while I’m not one to spend much money on clothes, I’ll sell the farm for some good hiking boots! They just represent freedom and adventure to me in a way that only jeeps and leather backpacks can compete with. I’ve got probably six pairs of great boots. Waterproof boots, leather boots, lightweight boots.

In fact, it was a web page full of walking boots that got me started on this post to begin with!

I’m really yearning to go now!

I know we don’t post much here, but I know some subscribers are still out there… tell me, you loyal ones, where is your favorite place to walk?

Tim here:

Did you know that there is a huge discrepancy between the new ways and the old ones? Well, not just one but many. One is this whole concept of being authentic.

What does that word mean anyway? I didn’t know I could be otherwise. I thought that, by default, I’m the real me. Even when I’m not. Right? Like even when I’m pretending to be normal, that’s the real authentic me, faking like I’m better than I really am. See, so even when I’m faking, I’m being real.

Now you understand.

But maybe that’s the whole point of the new authentic. Maybe somehow, somewhere, people got sick of trying to look normal. Maybe the crazy idea that everyone is different and that there is no one-size-fits-all “right” way to live is starting to gain some traction.

Hmmm. I’m not sure what I think about that. Social “norms” have some safety built-in. You know what people will think is okay, and what they think isn’t okay. So if you don’t want to upset anyone, you know how to behave. Without the ideal, what do you do? Be totally, like, authentic?

That sounds risky.

But it sounds nice too. What do you think? Do you show your true self on your blog, or do you keep it within the “norms”? Or are you actually normal?

Travel has been an integral part of the fabric of our family since day one. Even before Kim and I were married, her parents used to let me come along on family vacations with them. I think they figured that if I wasn’t going, neither was Kim! So they let me come.

Great Trips Always Have Great Food!

One of our favorite family conversation starters always brings one of those trips with Kim and her folks to mind. Here is the question:

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?

We qualify the question be suggesting that the food itself can’t be the only criteria. The real “best meal” has to take into account the overall scene. Where were you? Who were you with? What was the weather, the surroundings, the sounds and smells. All of that goes into the answer.

It’s no easy task, and after twenty years of playing, we still love this game and then answers still change.

Stir Fried Fresh Fish and Conch – Stingray City Style

Stingray City is a dive site (scuba diving) just off the leeward coast of Grand Cayman, in the Cayman Islands. It is beautiful, it is tropical, and it is way fun! Snorkelers and divers are in for an adrenaline pumping treat as they enter the water surrounded by hundreds of huge stingrays.

We sailed out on a catamaran. About a dozen people, with our group being four of those. I still remember the thrill of laying on the net stretched between the front of the hulls and looking down into the crystal clear water. The ride out was worth the trip!

As we played in the water, the captain (and owner of the small boat) did a little bit of snorkeling of his own, but he had a spear. He speared plenty of fresh fish, and collected some conch shells, which anyone who’s been to Key West knows are great food! Then he stir-fried it all up on the deck of the little sailboat and served it fresh.

Swimming in the ocean one minute, on our plates a few minutes later. That’s fresh.

Of course I was highly enamored with the beautiful young girl who was my date for the trip, which didn’t hurt!

That meal, on the bow net of a catamaran, as the sun dropped low in the sky over the clear waters of Grand Cayman, was…

one of the best meals I’ve ever had!

Easy Pretzel Turtles

Do you need a yummy treat that only takes a few minutes to make? Who doesn’t! These Pretzel Turtles are perfect for a party or a last minute gift. I’ll show you how quick and easy you can make these sweet treats!

Gather the stuff…

I gathered more than I needed! I had an idea to make them with mint candies and maybe some with candy cane sprinkles…but time has a way of slipping away!

All you really need is a bag of Rolo candy, pretzels, white chocolate, and pecans.

Top off a pretzel with a Rolo…over and over again! I use parchment paper, but you can place them directly on your cookie sheet.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake them for 3-5 minutes…that’s all!

Smush a pecan half onto each one. See, baking can be fun! It’s starting to look pretty good, isn’t it? You could stop right here, or you could add a little something extra to them…like more chocolate!

I

I slowly melt white chocolate chips in the microwave and spoon the melted chocolate into a plastic bag. Then I cut a tiny, tiny hole in the corner. Just squeeze to decorate.

I could have been a little neater, but it was fun to see how fast I could make them. Hey…Tim stole one before I took my photo!

You can use cashews, candy, or whatever else you can think of to top them off. They look like you spent awhile making them, and they taste like it too!

If you don’t get a chance to make them for Christmas, there’s always Valentine’s Day!

I found this wonderful recipe on Our Best Bites.  You should see how cute Sara wrapped her turtles up!

I’ll be making these again. I’ve already shared the recipe with everyone I’ve talked to this week.

Y’all have a great Christmas!

Decking the halls at our house…

We have always made a big deal out of decorating our tree. It’s a major thing in our house, and the way we do it is a tradition that I’m sure my boys will always remember. Over the years our tree has turned into a Blessing Tree {explained more by Tim in our post last year} and way more than just part of decorating for Christmas.

When were were first married we started a little tradition that we didn’t even plan. I think those work out best, don’t you?

We have always been travelers, not like in a circus, but we go EVERY chance we get. When we had children some people said we wouldn’t be able to travel as much with little ones, but we went even more! The joy of showing children new places and discovering God’s amazing creations together is one that no one should miss!

On each trip we collect ornaments from new cities or countries we visit along the way. They’re small, they pack well, and they’re jam packed with memories of where we bought it, what we were doing, and how we got there. Ornaments are some of the best souvenirs ever created!

This year Grandma Shuman came over to join us for our tree decorating event! What a blessing to have her share in our memories as we unwrapped each ornament. Some were even from trips that we had all been on together, like New Orleans and a family cruise.

We have to buy a big, fat tree each year. That usually involves at least three stops to find just the right one, but this year we found one in record time! {The boys were thrilled about that!}

When we’ve finished hanging ornaments, we have a few baby ornaments, some the kids made, a handful that were gifts, and TONS of trip ornaments!

Here’s one from London…one of my many favorites!

One year we stopped to check out Austin. A.J. was named after the city and he just happens to be a guitar playing freak, so this is the perfect ornament from such a cool town.

A.J. topped off the tree this year without anything to step on…he’s THAT tall now!

This ornament always reminds us all just how amazing a hail storm can really be…we were parked there during one. Oh, and the monument was neat, too.

Here’s the newest addition…Panama! The boys went on a fabulous cruise to the Panama Canal with their grandparents last month. {We didn’t get to go with them, but I won’t go on about how sad that was in this holiday post.} Since they’re homeschooled, we just called it a BIG field trip!

Thanks for stopping by to share in our Christmas tree decorating. One of the things I’ve really enjoyed about reading blogs is learning how other families celebrate. Do you have some Christmas family traditions that you just couldn’t go without?

Merry Christmas~

There really is something special about a dog. Speak to them, and they’re ready to listen. Offer a little table scrap ,and you get a look like you’ve just given them the best, most awsomest, gift ever! If you really want to get them excited, grab a leash and stand by the door.

Dogs Love To Walk!

I went on a walk with my dogs this morning. The sun was rising over palm trees that I know are part of my soul. The sky was ablaze in a million shades of brilliant orange, pinks, greys, blues, and whites. The air was downright chilly, couldn’t have been above 57, maybe 58 degrees. Brrrr. Despite a crisp breeze, the surface of the Harbor was a flat calm. Looked like glass.

On a beautiful morning, with two pups slobbering and tail-wagging all over the place, it’s easy to be happy. Everything takes on a new perspective when your companion’s biggest concern is which tree to annoint, and exactly where. Watching something so silly be so important, kind of makes you just breathe.

Kind of like… maybe I make silly things important too.

Our dogs are a BIG part of our family and I realized the other day that we don’t stop and take photos of them often enough. This is Miss Buttercup! Isn’t she sweet? We all love her, but I think Tim and A.J. fight over who she loves the most on a weekly basis.

She was in an awful accident last year and we thought she wouldn’t make it, but she is very tough! And the best begger I’ve EVER seen!

Both our Shar-peis are from a really nice family of show dogs, Sundried Shar-peis. They were the smart ones that opted out of the whole show scene. We are major Shar-pei fans not only because they are extremely cute, but they have very laid-back attitudes.

They’re both wondering why I am taking their photos. I think they’re looking for some type of payment for this…maybe a sandwich or something.

This is Hershey! Doesn’t he look strange here? He’s yawning because he’s over the whole photo session thing. I am always amazed at how many hours they can sleep in a day!

Hershey really loves ME! Well, he tends to think Jacob is pretty cool for scratching his head all the time, but I’m the one he follows from room to room all day. He’s starting to get a little grey in his face…soooo sweet!

Hershey is the only dog I know that can say he’s been to all the lower 48 states and Canada…he’s a travelin’ man.

If I listed all our other animals in this same post we would be here AWHILE! I’ll save the rest of the zoo for another day.

Today belongs to the dogs!!!

I’d love to hear about your awesome pets. Do you have dogs? Cats?

I know you have all been reading Nester’s 31 Days to a Better Dressed Nest! Well, Tim (Remodeling Guy and my sweet husband), is at Nesting Place today with a guest post. You can even ask him questions on Facebook. Isn’t that neat? If you are looking for great ideas and a ton of laughs, stop over there and read his tips!

I made a quilt!!! That’s big news for me since I don’t sew that often. Visit Everything Etsy to read more about it!

Fall wreaths are beautiful, but I found a few other ideas for those stunning leaves that are all over…well, everywhere but here. I’ll just have to pretend they’re here and buy them at the store.

Making a swag couldn’t be easier, and it’s a great way to dress up a garden gate or door. Okay, I want the garden gate in the photo along with the swag!

Each leaf is so beautiful on its own. You can turn them into beautiful wall art. This is something that would be great to do with your kids!

Start by collecting a few fall beauties the next time your outside. Flatten them under a book, and then copy them faced down with a color copier. Glue your copy on a canvas-covered art board. Hang one or several in a row. What a beautiful display for fall!

This window box over the fireplace looks sooooo cozy! Inside or outside you can keep your fall leaves fresh by arranging them in wet florist foam.

Doesn’t that look easy? Window boxes are a great feature anytime of the year. {Not that I’m hinting about wanting window boxes or anything.}

If you live in Florida, this might be the best option…tissue paper leaves. Just cut out some fall leaves of your own and hang them with fishing line. Most people around here have fishing line everywhere!

Of course, any fall branches would look great in a vase! Enjoy your beautiful leaves, and we’ll keep hanging in there with our super-hot weather in the 90s! I know you’ll all be wishing you were here in February!

photos: Sunset.com/Marthastewart.com