He told me he only had a few goals for the day. First, he wanted to finish all of the laundry with me. Second, he wanted to do a bunch of his ironing. Third, he wanted to do something really fun with the kids.
Well, I got the kids cleaning up a bit while Greg folded clothes. Then we all put our clean clothes away. And to show my appreciation, I started in on the ironing pile. I made it about three-fourths of the way through before we decided we'd better get going if we were going to go on a hike.
It turned out to be a beautiful hiking adventure. The day has been super overcast and chilly. But the rain stayed away today, even though it had rained throughout the night. We packed up and headed to the Red Cliffs Preserve, just outside of Leeds. We hiked up this neat little canyon to a little waterfall. The kids were having the greatest time. There were so many rocks and boulders and trails to explore as we went along. Lance was so cute. He kept saying, "OK!" and then running along after the kids. He wanted to climb everything and be right in the mix. Emma took him up some little slots in between the boulders. Once back down on the trail, he'd say, "This way!" Miles was pretty much off the beaten path the whole day. We'd be hiking along the trail while Miles was traversing walls and boulders above us. Sometimes we'd hear him crashing down through the scrub oak, and one time I had to catch him as he slid off of a slick wall, but he was having the greatest time. We criss-crossed over the little stream, stepping on stones and occasionally getting a little wet. The boys threw rocks in the river, and I couldn't help but think of Mom. She is the ultimate "throw-rocks-in-the-river" kind of grandma. Greg hefted along his professional camera and captured some really great shots.
I loved the laughter. I loved the adventure. I loved seeing my kids running and jumping and exploring. When we saw all of the campsites tucked up against the red cliff walls, we all vowed to come back and stay a little longer next time. It was just one of those ideal childhood days. And I loved it.
We spent the evening relaxing at home. The kids and I watched "MacFarland," which is a great movie about a cross country team from a really poor town, while Greg was rested on the bed, having overdone it with basketball and hiking all day. He started to feel really chilled and sick. We've tried everything to get him to feel better. We've given him lots to drink in case he is dehydrated. I filled up the bathtub for him, gave him some medicine, and fed him. He is sound asleep next to me, but he keeps stirring and acting really uncomfortable. I hope he's okay tonight. Poor guy!
Someday I'll look back on these pictures, and I'll wonder where the time has gone. I'll remember holding Lance's little hand as we walked and I'll marvel that he's all grown up. I'll remember the boyish way that Miles and Austin climbed and explored, and the childish exclamations from Owen as he heaved a huge rock into the stream and made a big, ol' splash. I'll look at Emma and Julia and smile at my young teenagers, and I'll miss how helpful they are with their little brothers. I'll just miss it. I know it. I can't stop these times from passing. It's like I can stare at these pictures and already feel the nostalgia. I am at a moment in time, and it's a small moment. God has given me this moment, and I intend to live it with an incredibly grateful heart. I'm so grateful tonight for muddy little shoes, for extra clothes to wash, and for a fun batch of pictures to go through. I'm so grateful for these little people who are growing up too quickly. And I'm grateful for this wondrous world we live in. It truly is a wonderful life.
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| Hang in there, Miles! |
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| Lance is up there exploring with his brothers! |
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| Lance had such a fun day. |
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| Julia, Emma, Austin, and Miles |
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| The Cameraman |
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| I love being with my crew. |
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