Dear Loved Ones,
My 30th birthday isn't until Friday, but David has a Cross Country meet all day Saturday, so yesterday he planned a day trip to celebrate a little early. My favorite hikes are the ones that make me feel like I won't make it to the top, but when I do I am rewarded with a beautiful overlook view. It is also really fun to watch the kids explore and be active, but if I'm honest, those hikes challenge my patience more than my muscles and I really have to work on not getting bored of the slower pace. Often times we can find trails that offer a safe stretch for the little legs to get worn out, and then put them safely in their packs while David and I climb the steeper stretches.
Yesterday we ended up doing an easy 2.2 mile loop along the Metolius River. I had prepared my heart to set aside the competition that I usually have with myself, and found intentional ways of making it a really fun experience for Addison and Dodson. Addison particularly loved when I notice a trout stuck in the weeds along the bank. Before setting it free, I caught it and brought it too her so she could see it wiggle and glimmer in the sunlight.
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| For safety reasons, if we don't know what the trail will be like we wont bring Brody. Since we knew the trail would be wide and not on a cliff he got to come. Addison LOVES when Brody joins our adventures :) |
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| I was hoping that Dodson would nap during our hike, but he was having too much fun taking in all of the scenery. He is so peaceful in his pack that I kept asking David if he was asleep. |
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| Brody gets so excited when we hike by the water! I took him for some drinks, but it was moving too fast and too cold for the swim he really wanted. |
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| Usually Addison can easily hike 2 miles, but she didn't sleep well the night before so she asked to be carried. Now that she is so tall, we traded her pack in for this soft Tula carrier. Both her and David said it was really comfy. After our hike we drove into Sisters for lunch. It was truly my favorite kind of day! Love, Heather Dawn |
