Sunday Recreation

While it's sweltering hot in the afternoons in our top story, un-air conditioned apartment, we have really been trying to take advantage of the Summer.

Over the weekend, we took a nice hike that was only a few minutes away from town. It's still amazing to me how accessible the mountains are to where we live.


When we moved to Colorado from Texas, one of the things I most appreciated about our new location was the sheer amount of real things to do. In Texas, we were often limited by the fact that the Fall/Summer/Spring heat could give you a heat stroke, and therefore entertainment consisted mostly of eating out, going to movies, and shopping. When you're newly married and poor, that leads to a lot of...nothing. haha
I love the outdoors. Truly, being in the midst of God's creation gives me such joy. (The fact that I've turned into this person is still bewildering, even to me.) Weekend hikes in these breath taking mountains in Wyoming are good for my heart (literally and figuratively!) and even better for our family.


Outdoor play and experiences are essential for children, in my opinion. They come into close contact with everything, they drink it all in.
The butterflies, marching ants, wondering beetles, the water, the trees, purple and yellow and pink and blue wildflowers, rocks, dirt...the sky and the clouds, the colors and smells, all of it is noted.


Two miles up and two miles back affords us opportunities for quiet reflection, prayer, jokes, conversations.
"Mama...why did God make all of this for us? He must love us!"

We get to encourage our daughters to be strong. (Push on further, there's a waterfall and a pool at the top!) We encourage them to trust their bodies and minds, and to trust each other. (Slow down, we must go at the pace of the little one!)


While, yes, this is about Sunday afternoon recreation, more than that, it's about teaching and experiencing together as a family.
Wonder.
Trust.
Perseverance.
Joy.
Faith.
These are lessons learned that we would not have found in the chilly movie theatre or the shopping mall.