O Home Beloved

To me, the word home still most often refers to Arbon Valley, Idaho, where I grew up on a wheat farm. I miss it often, and decided that while I was there last weekend I had to capture its beauty on camera for those times when I'm homesick. As I wandered through the familiar acreage of my childhood, I was reminded of the hymn, O Home Beloved:

O home belov'd where'er I wander, on foreign land or distant sea, As time rolls by my heart grows fonder and yearns more lovingly for thee! Tho fair be nature’s scenes around me, And friends are ever kind and true, Tho joyous mirth and song surround me, My heart, my soul still yearn for you.

It isn't the most beautiful time of year, since the leaves have all fallen and the fields are stubble instead of golden wheat, but it is still home. I assume few, if any, will really appreciate the pages I've made here; perhaps one has to have experienced it to recognize its beauty.
Grant was fun this weekend. He just taught himself to click his tongue, which he did often, and he still loves to show off with his "strong man" pose where his hands are in fists and he grunts while tightening his little arm muscles. My mom had a toy truck with a handle on the back that Grant could use as a walker, and he was in heaven! He had freedom to walk on his own (granted, it always had to be in a straight line and he had to be turned around often, but still...). He loved Barkley, the dog, and has figured out his own way to bark (it sounds a little like a grunt). Jake's parents came to Idaho, too, and Grant had a blast with all four grandparents giving him all of their attention!I forgot to include this picture. It wouldn't be home without it!