Adventure in the pines of Arizona

Adventure, I love the word and all it promises. Newness, the strange and unknown, finding the courage in yourself that you didn’t realize was there; all these thoughts are awesome to think of when you are safe in your home with a roof over your head. There was no roof over our heads as my husband’s family and I hiked to the spring that makes Christopher Creek. The day was beautiful with what I like to call “Flagstaff Clouds”, perfectly white and fluffy and huge floating across the blue sky peacefully. We followed a little dirt path that led us through knee tall grasses, past huge fallen pine trees covered in fuzzy mosses and smaller trees completely encased in silk threads from silk worms. I felt like I was walking through one of my beloved Stephen Cosgrove books about unicorns and princesses.

The Silk Worm tree

 

We didn’t make it to the spring but decided to stop at one part of the creek and just sit and enjoy it. As we cooled our feet the first low rumbles began overhead. I glanced at my brother-in-law (who is Mr. Eagle Scout, rock climbing, spelunking outdoor’s guy) for any signs of concern. There were none. After a while we all decided to head back to the cars and as we did so the rain began to lightly fall. Once more I looked to my B-I-L. He told us if it got worse to just start counting the seconds between a flash of lighting and the resulting thunder and if it there was only a second or less between we should hit the ground because it would be right above us. He said this all very nonchalantly. Then it started really raining, great big globs hitting the top of our heads. Before I knew it there was a flash of light, a bang and my B-I-L had hit the ground just like he instructed us.  We all took shelter under some bushes for a while until it seemed to calm down. I’m not gonna lie, I was scared. I love thunderstorms. And now I know I only really love them when I am inside my house with a hot cup of tea and my favorite blue throw. And adventures, well I think they are a lot more fun after the storm has passed and you find yourself safe and giggling, soaked to the bone, walking through muddy streams that were a little dirt path only an hour before on your way back to the car that will eventually bring you back to your blue throw and hot cup of tea. I joke but I seriously loved this trip!  Here are a few other things we did!

 

Horseback riding at Kohls Ranch Stables

My love, my hero, my husband.

 

Hiked down into the Tonto Natural Bridge

 

Petted the baby goats and enjoyed the delicious goat’s milk fudge and lavender pepper goat cheese at the Ranch at Fossil Creek / Creamery.

 

Wisdom from Life Created

Hello!

Sorry for the lack of posts…I’ve been on vacation in the pines of AZ! Photos soon to come but first I wanted to share a post that I read this morning and loved by Stephanie, a gifted photographer and crafter, http://www.lifecreated.com/.  Each of you are special and gifted in your own way. The world needs your voice and your story! Never be afraid to be you because you are precious and one of a kind!

Peace and joy to each of you this day!

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Where I Am At…Being You

Yesterday my youngest daughter turned 11 months old. I’m “lucky” enough to live in Arizona where we’ve had record heat for the past week, so staying inside is a MUST. We took some photos in the living room..I blew up a few balloons and I thought to myself- how blessed am I to be their mom?

No one in this world gets to be their mom–but I do!

We can assign people a number, a name, a title- but someone else can reuse those things very easily. There is only one you……sounds like something from Barney, I know.

No one’s life is the same.
I struggle with my attitude sometimes, and see blogging and Facebook as real life, when really they are glimpses of a life. Maybe artificial glimpses, because who really posts about their marriage falling apart, or the daily struggle they find themselves in. Really, who’s business is it anyway?

Life is really supposed to be us going OUT and doing- not staying inside and dreaming of what life could be, or how our life doesn’t measure up to so-and-so’s life.

It seems every mom and her dog has a blog or a FB page that shouts “hey look at me, I can make this/I can do this/ I can wear this/ Ive traveled here….and you just haven’t.”
If you want to learn something Ive made before, let me know and I will gladly tell you how. I am no better than you.

One friend recently posted :
Do what you love. Others can tell.

Its so simple, yet so true.
No matter what the crowds around you are doing, what the newest trend is in your genre of creativity, stick with what you love, because it will be what you do best.

By BEST, I mean YOUR BEST, without comparison to what others do.
We have become such a group of people looking for self-affirmation from others, that we spend this short life living for others.

If you love to run, then do it and you will do YOUR best.
If you love to sew, then do it, and whatever you make will be cherished by the one who uses it.

Its great to have fans, and “likes” on a facebook page, but if electricity went out, you’d still be a living person with a life to live.

Whether people want to realize it or not, our hearts were beating long before someone liked our abilities. Our purpose was planned before the discovery of hot glue.

Sounds dumb, I know, but when we spend our lives trying to be different, we just need to sit back and realize we already are.

Do what you love, and others will notice you do.  I can’t tell you how exciting and fun it is for me to take pictures and to play with my kids. Only I am their mom, and they need me now. They need me now, more than the world needs another how-to- post, or recipe.