Category Archives: Uncategorized

August 7, 2020. Some hikes bring heavy times, like today on our hike around Indian Lake. We stumbled upon a rather large cricket in the path, struggling to move. It was alive, trying to fly/hop, but seemed stuck. It was struggling and we felt helpless watching it struggle. We were able to move it offContinue reading “Grief and Loss.”

August 3, 2020. Today I celebrated my birthday in one of the most wonderful ways I could imagine…hiking with my family. We caught a snake together…spotted a bald eagle together…skipped together…ran together…played silly games together…laughed together…explored together…and did trust falls off a ledge together. There are a host of ways to give and receive love.Continue reading “Together.”

August 2, 2020. Feeling inspired after a morning filled with donning costumes in the “pretend center” of their playroom, Elijah and Penelope floated the idea of hiking in costume. Lacking any good reasons to deny that request, Nick and I agreed. Before we knew it, Elijah was a vibrant parrot, Penelope was a beautiful butterfly,Continue reading “Making time for play.”

July 31, 2020. Today, we heard crickets during the “mindful walk” portion of our hike (we quiet our voices and pay special attention to the things we see, hear, smell, and touch in the present moment). Lots of crickets. So many crickets! Despite the number of bug books we’ve acquired throughout the years and theContinue reading “The Crickets and Faith”

July 29, 2020. Today we brought our pup (yes, that’s our dog Moca, not a small horse in those pictures) with us to Indian Lake. He loves the dog park and we love exploring it with him. He is a gentle giant and such a good listener in so many ways. However, we don’t quiteContinue reading “Practicing our Recall”

July 24, 2020. Having traveled the Ice Age loop so quickly yesterday, we decided to return today to linger a bit longer. Near the end of our hike, we paused in the prairie to spend time with the clouds. Elijah and Penelope saw such different things in the clouds. As they shared their visions (aContinue reading “Sought to Understand.”

July 23, 2020. Some hikes we linger longer, some we move more quickly. We were limited on time today but the kids felt like they could move quickly. My, oh my, they did!! We hiked 2 miles in 50 minutes. Given the steep hills and little legs, it was remarkable!! Elijah and Penelope even foundContinue reading “Turbo Speed…”

July 19, 2020. Pure joy—we lived it. Today, we experienced pure joy on the Indian Lake trail. That doesn’t mean things were always happy and full of smiles. In fact, there were several moments of exhaustion, annoyance with bugs, hunger, and aches/pains. Yet, in it all, we found joy. The joy came as we gaveContinue reading “Joy!”

July 16, 2020. Today, on the Ice Age Trail, we walked our usual loop but in reverse. Typically, we walk the loop clockwise. There isn’t a specific way we are supposed to walk it…There are no signs pointing us one way or another. Simply, the first time we walked the loop, we went clockwise. AndContinue reading “Open to a new way.”

July 21, 2020. I am so grateful for kids who get me out of my head. Especially on days (like today) when the business of life becomes exhausting. Their mindfulness, observations, and sense of wonder ground me. While on the ice age trail today, we stopped frequently to smell the flowers. Today, we lived anContinue reading “An old adage.”