Sandi Hester

Paintings by Sandi Hester

Category: Trips

Colorado Take 3

This is a self portrait from Saturday when we were on the slopes.  And one of Grady with a spectacular view behind him.

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The rest are from yesterday’s snowmobiling adventure.  We go snowmobiling every time we go on a ski trip because it’s my favorite part of our ski trip.  Yesterday was quite an adventure.  We went on terrain that I would have never thought I would go on.  If the 3rd picture looks like I’m clinging to Grady for dear life, I am.  We are on top of a huge mountain (can you tell by the views?).  We had just snowmobiled straight up the mountain we’re standing on – I mean straight up it – no snaking up it – just straight up – I was screaming the whole way up!  We actually look like we’re in the clouds.  We could not have picked a better place to be on the Lord’s Day than where we were.  We got to hear a great message ‘preached’ by creation (Ps 19:1) telling of God’s glory.  I sang my heart out while we road through the beautiful forest.  That’s one thing I love about snowmobiling – the machines are loud so I can praise the Lord all I want.  I have to admit I do wonder sometimes (Grady’s going to die that I’m admitting this) if they have microphones in the helmets and listen to you – but I quickly get over that knowing with my horrible singing if they were listening they would quickly turn the microphones off!!!  So I really enjoyed the day, the creation, and my God the Creator.

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We had a great guide named Mike.  He worked very hard that day – mainly because of me – I kept getting stuck.  It takes a lot of strength to maneuver those machines and I’m not the strongest girl ever :).  At one point, Mike had us go up an incline that was covered in powder – very deep powder (when I stepped off the snowmobile my entire leg disappeared in the snow) and I got stuck going up it.  Actually Grady got stuck too, but I think it’s just because he was behind me.  Poor Mike had to come back down and DIG OUT both of our snowmobiles – serious hard work.  In the first picture you can see that Mike dug part of it out but still had to get it turned around.  I’m sitting on the side resting :), but got tired from watching all the hard work and from the fear that had overcome me as we got stuck on the hill – I decided to lay down (or more like collapse) and rest – result of second picture.  I thought about sending the second picture to my Mom and telling her I had had an accident, but Grady said that wouldn’t be nice.  Today I’m resting and recuperating in the room while I paint and read while Grady is skiing in Vail.  I’ll get back out on the slopes tomorrow.

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Colorado Take 2

A few more pictures of our trip…

Flowers Grady had for me in our room when we got here – he spoils me rotten!

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The two of us in our hotel lobby…

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You can’t see this tree very well, but the trees are covered in lights around here – you can at least get the idea – they are beautiful!

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Some pictures from the slopes yesterday.  The second one is quite interesting.  I didn’t plan on this, but I grew a beard yesterday on the slopes :).  My hair was all in my mouth and up my nose all day because I forgot to pull it back.  It was really weird feeling and even funnier looking!  We had a blast together yesterday!  Can’t wait to get back out there today.

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Colorado

Wash me, and I will be whiter than SNOW.  Psalm 51:7

Grady and I are in Beaver Creek Colorado – the same place we came in the Fall.  It’s beautiful here and this morning the snow is coming down hard.  Thought I would post some pictures for you.  You can click on them to make them larger.

First two are from our room and the third is the creek by our hotel…

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The first picture you can see my paints set up and where I was painting and the second picture is a self portrait :)…

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These are from lunch yesterday.  Grady had been on the slopes all morning – nice hair Grady 🙂  (I can’t say much about hair – mine is looking quite ruff in the above picture).  I ordered soup for lunch and it came in this really cute pot and it even had a lid!  I love cute stuff like that – I had to take a picture of it.  The lady took the lid off for me and I put it back on so I could take it off myself :).  Grady was embarrassed.

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The Mountains

In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him.  Psalm 95:4

Grady and I just got back from Colorado.  We had a GREAT trip!  It was very relaxing – the town was dead – that’s how we like it.  Some nights at dinner, we were the only ones in the restaurant!  We enjoyed the river, mountains, good food, and each other.  We really enjoy just hanging out together.  Grady spoiled me rotten – we stayed in a great hotel, he had 33 (that’s how old I’ll be on Oct. 29th) roses in the room when we got there, and a birthday gift EVERY NIGHT – can you believe that!!!  I told him that we should start doing this every year :).  We had an amazing view from our hotel room and I painted from our window every day.  Below are some of those quick sketchbook type paintings I did while there – none are really any good but they sure were fun to paint.  We were surrounded by mountains.  There is a song we sing at church (I can’t remember the name of it) that has a phrase I love and sing often – it says, “My Savior, He can move the mountains, My God is mighty to save…”  I LOVE the song and sang it (to myself) all week.  My Savior not only created the mountains, but He can move them if He wills – He is mighty – that’s for sure!

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Here are some other pictures from our trip…

1.  View from our room

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2.  33 roses

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3.  We went up to the top of the mountain the first full day and had lunch and I painted – Grady took this shot of me painting – notice the snow in the picture – it snowed the first night we were there!

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4.  The last day we hiked down the river and Grady walked around while I painted – he took this picture of me painting too…

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5.  Grady and I taking a picture of ourselves.

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6.  This is the creek that was right by our hotel – that’s me on the bridge.

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Mission Trip To Central Asia

I recently went to Central Asia on a mission trip with our church.  We had an amazing time!  One of the many things we did there was to minister to some of the lady missionaries in that area.  I painted some cards for them before I left to be given away as door prizes.  Here’s one of the cards I did for them.

Ladybug

How many are your works, O LORD!  In wisdom You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.  Psalm 104:24

Here is a card I sent to my friend Mary Julia when we got back from our trip.  She was one of my roommates on the trip and we laughed our heads off together.  One night at dinner while looking out over the sea, Mary Julia thought she spotted a whale (as far as we know there aren’t whales in the sea), it was actually just a large wave she saw, but we all had a great laugh over it!

Card for Mary Julia

 

This is a painting I did while there in Central Asia.  It is the view from one of our hotels.

Central Asia