Unforgettable Memories
Like that one time Isaiah somehow ended up with half of his body in a nasty gas station toilet. Or when Zoë whined continually up and down the hiking trail, only to start doing cartwheels and wanting to go rollerblading upon our return to the cabins. And when Isaiah had the most gleeful smile on his face when he got to drive the go-kart. When the kids both got to feel their baby sister kick for the first time. Or when Zoë happily spent hours and hours digging in the sand on the beach. And how almost every day their fingernails were so filled with dirt from throwing rocks in the river, making"nature" meals with cousins, creating a construction site on Lola's sidewalk and building sandcastles on the coast.
Peace Like a River
There were moments of beauty and moments of chaos, laughter and tears, joy and heartache, sweet tender love and ugly sibling (and even cousin) fights. Some moments were very, very difficult and left me utterly exhausted, and some filled my heart to overflowing. Real life with real people whom we love - messy but glorious. And oh, the adventures we had!
This river scene was the view from our cabin in Estes Park. As I sat on our front porch in my precious few moments of quiet solitude, my Bible study (from Beth Moore's Breaking Free) led me to Isaiah 48:18 - in which God offers to give those who walk in His way "peace like a river." It does not say "peace like a quiet pond" or "peace like a glassy lake." A river is neither quiet nor still. It roars with never-ending movement, flowing forcefully over rocky terrain, pushing through tight places, changing and forming the environment around it. I love Beth's quote about this passage: "When God used the analogy of a river, He described a peace that can be retained while life twists, turns, and rolls over boulders." There were a lot of twists and turns and rocky terrain on our trip and even more yet to come. I am grateful for this refreshing view of the peace of Christ that transcends all my understanding and how His peace has carried and will continue to carry me through all the unexpected bends of life.
Close enough to be sisters
Alberta Falls
Trails and Wails
Colorado was a breath of fresh air - not only because of the cooler weather, the gorgeous mountains and pine trees and rushing water, but also because of the precious time with our family. Free from the distractions of home and my continual to do list, I enjoyed time playing with the kids and watching them run around delightfully with their cousins. I enjoyed mostly uninterrupted conversations with aunts, uncles, Didi and the adult cousins. We filled our days to the brim with fun and adventure (maybe too full). And even though Zac was busy studying most of the afternoons, we valued the time we did have together.
We took the kids with us on every hike - four hikes in five days. I really want my kids to love hiking and being outdoors as much as I do, and it was a bit difficult this year to recognize that...well, maybe it is not their favorite thing. At least not right now. There was a lot of whining, complaining, dragging feet, unbearably slow steps and more breaks than imaginable. But we made it. And I think it was worth it - because what the kids remember about each hike is not how hot it was, or how tired they were, or how they wanted to go home or that they were never going to make it. They remember making snowballs, discovering a family of ducks, counting piles of horse droppings and singing Jingle Bells in the woods in the middle of July. I hope that they will cherish that feeling of being on top of the world, relish the beauty and majesty of the mountains, remember hearing the rushing sound of the waterfalls, and gain confidence from the victory of pushing through all the way to the end of a long trail. I'm proud of my kiddos and I am grateful to share these memories with them (and with Baby Belle, who did an amazing job on the hikes. :)
Gruncle Herm deserves a medal of honor
for putting up with us and our whiny kids, and for
carrying Isaiah most of the way on almost every hike!
Pony rides
And the big girls on horseback
Our cabin porch with Didi (and Zac inside studying)
Nymph Lake
Dream Lake
We found snow!
S'mores with the cousins
Fun City - check out that smile on Isaiah's face!
Ice cream in downtown Estes
Bierstadt Lake
Mama duck and her ducklings
Mr. Incredible Herm
Old Ute Trail
"Climb every mountain..."
Aunt Judy helped get us safely to the Denver airport
for our next part of the adventure in Oregon!
Harwood Campground (and more cousins!)
We spent the first few days in Oregon tenting in style with Grandpa in the backyard of my brother and sister-in-law's home, and had the privilege of meeting sweet baby Christopher for the first time! I loved the baby snuggles and Zoë is in full baby-adoration swing (perfect preparation for her little sister who will be joining us soon!). It was so fun to watch Zoë, Isaiah, and Elizabeth enjoy many little adventures together and have the opportunity to spend special time with Grandpa, Uncle Corby and Aunt Mary. We had a backyard campfire and cookout, trip to the pool and splash pad and enjoyed picking fresh Oregon raspberries behind their home.
Oh, those cheeks!
I like being an Aunt. ;)
A lap-full of grandkids!
Uncle Judah joined in on the party
To Grandmother's House We Go
Over the river and through the Gorge we went and were warmly welcomed by my mom in the late hours of the night. Isaiah was so excited he didn't want to go to sleep! The next morning they were busy at play with all the fun things Lola had stored up for them and even convinced her to let them turn her sidewalk into a construction zone. Picnics and playgrounds, trips to the children's museum, visits with Oma and Opa and Uncle Judah filled our first few days in The Dalles.
What happens at Lola's stays at Lola's.
Playing on the same playground I enjoyed as a child :)
These kids are blessed with the best uncles.
Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
When Zoë and Isaiah see mountains they think: snow. And snow means that it is time to make a snowman. So when Lola took us to Mount Hood on a gorgeous, warm blue-sky day, that is just what we did! But first we made them hike for it. ;)
Let's Go Chasing Waterfalls
Multnomah Falls has always been one of my favorite stops, from when I was a young child traveling to my Grandparent's home, and then to my mom's home when we lived in Portland, and still now every time we go back to visit. My kids love it just as much as I do! From the moment she heard about our plans to fly to Oregon, Zoë made several requests to make sure that we would stop to see the "big waterfall." It did not disappoint.
Wind and Waves
The Oregon Coast welcomed us with its normally cooler weather and chilly water, and this time with exceptionally strong winds. That didn't stop us, especially Zoë. That girl would stay digging in the sand forever if she could. We made the most of it and braved the beach with sweatshirts and blankets and tried to get our time in in the early mornings before the stinging windblown sand became too intense.
I love the ocean. All at once, the waves are powerful, uncontrollable, pounding with an unceasing roar...and yet somehow peaceful, reassuring, calming, mesmerizing. I think that is why I feel so near to God when I walk along the waves - reminded of God's uncontainable, untamable might whose presence brings inexplainable peace and reassurance of His steadfast faithfulness and unending love.
Isaiah loves to dig too.
He's not a huge fan of the wind.
Uncle Corby, Aunt Mary and the cousins
joined us for a picnic and some beach fun
Christopher's first trip to the beach :)
We can't go to the coast without a meal at Mo's
Hot cocoa with marshmallows -
because between me, my mom and my grandma,
we were unprepared to get a fire going for s'mores.
The kids didn't seem to mind.
Happy as a clam buried in the sand.
More Hellos and Goodbyes
We soaked in every moment of our last couple of days with my family and were so happy to get to see Uncle Kenny and my Aunt Nancy and celebrate my mom's birthday together! It was difficult to say goodbye knowing it will be a long time before I will see these beloved faces again, and difficult to leave a place that feels like home to go home to a place that is often lonely and still becoming "home." But I am so loved by my family and this precious time with them left my heart full, refreshed, strengthened and encouraged. And I am so glad that my mom will be visiting in just a few short months to welcome her new grand-baby into the world!
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