adventure – Sherida Stewart

SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER-Adventures in Yellowstone National Park & huckleberry treats!

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

~~Romans 11:36 (KJV)

Welcome to my September newsletter blog post. (I skipped summer posting because we were out and about most of the season to escape to cooler areas.) I hope your last three months were filled with just the right amount of fun and relaxation. Where did the summer go?

Recently, my husband and I spent almost four weeks in Yellowstone National Park admiring God’s glorious creation. There are so many highlights of our time there, but the best blessing was having our older son, DIL, and our three oldest grandchildren (16, 13 & 9) join us on a five-day backpacking adventure with over twenty miles on backcountry trails and viewing places few visitors get to see.

Three different backcountry camp sites, with sleeping in tents, hanging our food bags out of bears’ reach, fording cold creeks, eating dehydrated food (backpackers’ cheesecake was the favorite), and playing card games (Cambio-have you heard of this game?), plus everyone reading books during downtimes. Our adventure was truly a treasured experience of spending time together. We were restored in the wilderness by God’s awesome creation.

Our lightweight tent hiding in the forest

After the family headed back to start school, my husband and I stayed another three and half weeks to enjoy 42 more miles of trails and view amazing places. We did see a few things on the trail I didn’t care to see….bear tracks near our backcountry camping site, a creek crossing with a narrow “bridge” (I crawled across), and a bison blocking the trail junction causing us to detour around.

And we saw awe-inspiring views where we praised His creation.

Yellowstone River Lower Falls from Red Rocks Lookout Trail

Bison herd in Hayden Valley as seen from the Howard-Eaton Trail

Plus we treated ourselves to HUCKLEBERRY goodies whenever possible.

Huckleberry ice cream by Lake Yellowstone

Huckleberry milkshake at Wylie’s Canteen in Lake Lodge

Huckleberry margarita, tacos, and chips with queso at Lake House Restaurant in Grant Village

Huckleberry Mocha at Lake Yellowstone Hotel

TEATIME TREATS

Well, with all the good food we ate while on our trip (and even with lots of trail exercise), we need to be on a post-vacation diet. I intended to bake scones, served with huckleberry jam and huckleberry tea, for our teatime celebration, but to save calories, I’ll just post a photo. Hope you understand!

BOOK SUGGESTIONS FOR SEPTEMBER

If you’re looking for a new release inspirational book to read this month, the Faith, Hope, & Love Christian Writers organization puts out a list of members’ new releases each month. You can check out September’s books here: https://fhlchristianwriters.com/available-in-september-4/

THANK YOU FOR JOINING MY TEATIME BLOG POST FEATURING YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK AND HUCKLEBERRY TREATS. I PRAY YOUR AUTUMN WILL BE FILLED WITH TREASURED MOMENTS ENJOYING OUR LORD’S AMAZING CREATION.

WITH BLESSINGS AND PRAYERS,

SHERIDA

APRIL NEWSLETTER-an adventure in Canyonlands National Park, a teatime treat, and a book review

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

~~Psalm 19:14 (KJV)

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Welcome to my delayed April newsletter celebrating Easter….the season of celebrating our new life because of our Savior, Christ the Lord! I hope your Easter was blessed in many ways and you are rejoicing in the arrival of spring, the season of new beginnings.

TO FIND WHERE SHE BELONGS by Robin Lee Hatcher with blueberry scones and lemon tea

MY REVIEW OF TO FIND WHERE SHE BELONGS BY ROBIN LEE HATCHER

A sweet love story set amid stunning scenery! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

To Find Where She Belongs is the fifth book in The British Are Coming series. I’ve read and enjoyed them all, but this one may be the best because hero William Overstreet finally gets his story and finds love. He’s a moral, kind, and faith-filled man who takes his responsibilities seriously. He manages his cattle ranch, Eden’s Gate, with dedication…to his employees, to his neighbors, and with his livestock, often doing the necessary chores himself alongside his cowboys.

At first, I wasn’t fond of heroine Keely Boyle. She escaped from England and sailed to America to pursue acquaintance Roger Bernhardt, William’s artist friend, who lived on the ranch. But as past situations are revealed, I began to understand there were reasons for her actions, even if she wasn’t forthcoming about everything. I admired her work ethic and her courage fight for a new life.

The relationship between William and Keely slowly evolves with a hint of the Cinderella story. She’s destitute and he’s wealthy. At times it seems their worlds are too different, but love finds a way…with plenty of forgiveness and understanding….as the couple works together facing evil actions which threaten the ranch they both cherish.

I was pleased to find this book is part of the Christian Fiction Readers Challenge 2026. Since I’ve enjoyed all the other books I’ve read by Robin Lee Hatcher, I knew I would like this one. And I definitely did! The author’s way of describing the stunning scenery of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming makes you feel you are in the mountains and valleys of this gorgeous area.

I highly recommend To Find Where She Belongs to those who prefer sweet historical romances with engaging characters and threads of faith.

Favorite quote: “Discernment is a gift, William. Too often people confuse discernment with judgment, but they are not the same. All I can say is, listen to the Spirit.”

To find out more about the author, check her website at http://www.robinleehatcher.com.

TEATIME TREATS

For a perfect springtime treat, I’m serving lemon blueberry scones (as shown in the photo above) from our local farmers’ market with lemon tea. I hope you’ll pause for a bit of refreshment while reading my blog.

OUR BACKPACKING ADVENTURE IN CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Along the trail, then up and over the rock ridge

During this month, we spent two nights in the backcountry of Canyonlands National Park in southern Utah in the Needles district of the park. The views are amazing everywhere you look. With our backpacks loaded with extra water for desert hiking, we covered dusty trails and climbed over slick rock ridges. Wildflowers popped up here and there. The nights were so quiet! I’ll include a few of the photos we took along the way.

On the trail with a view of The Needles of Canyonlands National Park

Dropping our backpacks at the backcountry campsite

Bright yellow blossoms along the sandy trail.

Thank you for joining me for an adventure, a book review, and a springtime treat. What do you have planned to enjoy the blessing of spring?

With prayers and blessings, Sherida

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APRIL NEWSLETTER-the Rocks of Canyonlands National Park

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, The God of my rock; in him I will trust.

~~2 Samuel 22:2-3 (KJV)

Our family planned a four-night backpacking adventure in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park for spring break. With the possible lack of water in the area, my husband and I arrived early to stash three gallons of water. The trail to the caching site was challenging. As I hiked and climbed through the rocks and canyons of this amazing place, the Scripture above came to mind often.

Though I believe in stepping outside “my comfort zone,” I used discernment to decide carrying a heavy pack over difficult terrain was beyond my abilities. I became the Trail Angel for my family, ranging in age from eight-years-old to seventy-five, as they adventured into this exciting experience in a remote and beautiful area.

They had a fabulous time with overcoming some challenges. They are all experienced outdoor folks, who know good backcountry skills. With a winter storm coming in, the wise decision was made to cut the trip short. I was blessed to see their smiles of accomplishment as I met them at the trailhead, with thanks to God for their safe and successful trip!

NOW ON TO MY APRIL BOOK REVIEW

For those of you who appreciate Victorian historical romance, I recommend author Edwina Kiernan’s The Letter.

Delightful story with plenty of action, a sweet romance, and an inspiring faith thread!

Feeling restless in her parents’ town, Grace Stratton, a pastor’s daughter, accepts a job in the distant town of Lindenfell as a companion to Miss Withers. Questions arise when the wealthy lady’s nephew arrives to stay at the manor. Grace senses something odd about his situation, but he appears to be a caring and compassionate man.

I found this book to be a delightful read. The details of Victorian life were interesting. The mystery surrounding the nephew was intriguing. And the obstacles to the developing romance between the young couple provided fascinating challenges along with some surprising twists.

If you enjoy Victorian romance with rich details and fascinating characters, you’ll want to put this book on your reading list.

Favorite quotes:

God can cleanse, heal, and forgive even the most bitter, broken, and stained soul.

He knew that the Lord’s peace remained within him and could not be removed.

For more information about the author and this book, visit: https://www.EdwinaKiernan.com

TEATIME TREATS ON THE TRIP

The motel where I stayed had a lovely selection of tea and a great coffee bar featuring a Pin-Up Girl mocha flavored with white chocolate, maraschino syrup, and whipped cream.

Here is the selection of foods we packed for our trip. With four homemade backpacking dinner entrees (with M&Ms for dessert) and our trail food for breakfasts and snacks, we wouldn’t starve.

Thank you for joining me on my #teatime adventure to Canyonlands National Park and my book recommendation. What springtime adventure do you look forward to experiencing? May you enjoy His creation to the fullest and remember the Lord is our Rock….forever!

With blessings and prayers,

Sherida

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