He Leadeth Me

My sister is a walker. I am not. Last week when she was here, she inspired me by walking most afternoons in the area where we live. I have decided that I can do it too. This morning I was rewarded by mountain views, Michael W. Smith playing in my earphones, and by this little wildflower. And when I arrived home, this beautiful pot of mums. Could fall be just around the corner?

Book Cover courtesy of Titlewave.com When I first thought of having my own blog, the name I thought of was Children's Literature Nana . Because I love children's books and love to share them with all children (and adults when they will listen), it seemed only natural that my focus would be children's literature. However, when it came time to create my blog, I was starting a new adventure and decided that I would focus on that part of my life. From time to time in He Leadeth Me , I will share thoughts about some of the wonderful children's books that are out there for both children and adults to enjoy. My favorite book of all time (you will probably hear me say that many times) is Charlotte's Web by E. B. White. It was written the same year that I was born so if you are like my former 4th grade students, you will be hustling to find out the copyright date. I'll save you the time--it was published in 1952. I love Wilbur the pig, but most of all I love Charl...

This will be the final post about the fun visit with my sister Kim and brother-in-law Randy. We went to lunch on Saturday before they flew back to Houston at the famous Broadmoor Hotel. The grounds are beautiful and the food was delicious especially the famous Berries in Cream and the Creme Brule. And I must include the QUOTE OF THE WEEK in this post. When Uncle Randy arrived in town on Wednesday, Caleb was delighted and didn't want to let Randy out of his sight. At one point, Caleb had a dirty diaper. We told him that we needed to change him, but he wanted Uncle Randy to do it. Smart man that Randy is, he told Caleb that he didn't know how to change his diaper to which Caleb replied, "I'll teach you!"

While Kim and Randy were in The Springs, we decided that going to the top of Pikes Peak, America's Mountain, was a must. David was the only one of the 4 of us who had been before and he had driven up. The other 3 of us decided that we would prefer going up on the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. After all, it has been running for over 110 years with no serious accidents. On a bright sunny morning, we boarded the train in the little town of Manitou Springs and I must say, the sights exceeded my wildest imagination! What a loving God to create such beauty for us to enjoy! Although these pictures definitely show the beauty of the sights we viewed, they don't even begin to compare to the real thing. The conductor on the rail car we rode was a delightful college student studying to be a lawyer. She taught us many things and made us all laugh and have fun in the process. There was only one time when I felt a little nervous (I am afraid of heights), but it was worth a little fear to see...

If you are ever in Colorado Springs, you need to visit the United States Olympic Training Center. This is the center where Olympic hopefuls spend anywhere from a summer to 2 to 3 years training. I would have thought that they trained in Colorado for the Winter Olympics, but that is done at Lake Placid, New York. The Colorado Springs center is for Summer Olympic Athletes. The grounds are beautiful and the tour is very informative. In the front of the center is a wonderful Sculpture Garden. Some of the sculptors were there and asked David, Randy, Kim and I to pose for their newest sculpture. They were able to complete it in record time and you can see the results in the picture above. (If you believe that, I have some swamp land in Florida to sell you.)

My sister's brother-in-law and our friend, Grady Burke, was killed in the line of duty, performing the work he loved as a firefighter. Today, we went to the Fallen Firefighter's Memorial here in Colorado Springs. As you view the photos from this peaceful place, please take a minute to remember Grady's precious family as well as the families of all our fallen heros who protect us each and every day. Thank you, Grady! We miss you!

This picture is of me with my two daughters--one by birth and the other chosen for me by my son Jeremy. David and I cannot imagine life without our precious Mandy and today, August 27th, is her birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MANDY!!!