Carving with Hannah

I used to have a tradition with a friend for the last few years of carving pumpkins around Halloween time. Well...for obvious reasons, that tradition is no longer in existence.

However, I was blessed this year to carve pumpkins with my beautiful friend Hannah. We spent a relaxing and great evening together. I was able to see her new apartment and she baked a cake while we sat around chatting. Then we carved our pumpkins while we waited for her husband to come home and make us dinner. It was a refreshing and fulfilling time spent with a woman that I am so grateful to call my friend.

Hannah and I met a few years ago through a website and have quite a lot in common. I'm so blessed that we're "Internet friends."

Love you Hannah!!

Exploring with Layton

I can't tell you how proud I am of my husband and a new hobby that he's recently taken up. He came to me a few months ago and said that he wanted to start backpacking. At first I was really unsure about him doing this. I let me worry get the best of me and I started picturing him getting lost or really hurt and never coming home. I didn't want to let me worry stop him from doing something that he really wanted to do. He did what he always does...he took extra measures to make sure that I felt good about what he was doing. He started reading books about hiking and backpacking, he took a GPS class at REI so he'd know how to properly use his GPS. Before he left the first time with his brother he provided me with the GPS coordinates that they'd be using. He prepared himself and made it so that I really couldn't be worried about him while he was out in the middle of nowhere.

All that to say...he talked me into going on a day hike with him yesterday. Right now my back can't physically handle carrying a pack and sleeping on the ground, otherwise I would have loved to have done an overnight trip with him. However, it is strong enough for me to do Tree Pose on top of a very high rock :)

We went up into Tahoe National Forest, where he'd previously gone backpacking with his brother. We packed the backpack with lunch, snacks, TONS of water, toilet paper, and a few other essentials. I wore quite a few layers of clothes because it has snowed up there just a few days ago.

This was such a FUN experience for me. I had never done anything like it. I had never walked out into the middle of nowhere...completely surrounded my God's wonderful creation...leaving the civilized world behind. About 5 minutes into the trail and the noise of the traffic on I80 totally disappered. All I could hear was the wind blowing through the trees, songs of beautiful birds all around me, and the occasional conversation between Layton and myself. We hiked up to the top of "the hill," which was actually about 8,000 ft elevation. It was gorgeous and freezing up on top of that mountain. Overall, we hiked about 6 miles. We stopped at a hut called "The Peter Grubb Hut." This hut is a place where hikers and skiers can stop if they are stranded. It provides shelter and a warm place to sleep. It was kinda creepy. It reminded me of something that would be in The Blair Witch Project. We ate lunch sitting outside the hut and I had to use the DISGUSTING out house. At least I got to wash my hands with biodegradable soap that Layton brought along! It was all part of the experience. We then turned around and went back on the trail the way we came.

I am so glad that Layton asked me to do something with him that is outside of my comfort zone. Like I said before, I am so proud of my husband for venturing out of his comfort zone too and finding a hobby that isn't "the usual" for him. I really enjoy seeing him enjoy something so much, and he's spent some quality time with his brother and a close friend in the process.

Yesterday was truly a day that I will not forget. At one point we stopped because the wind was blowing so much through the trees. I looked up at trees that were SO TALL and I couldn't help but close my eyes and think how amazing my God is that he created such beauty. I sat there with my eyes closed, listening to the trees blow, and I was grateful for such an amazing day spent with my husband.

We've already started looking at hiking boots for me :) I'm hoping that in a few years my back will be strong enough to carry a backpack and to sleep on the ground. That way I can enjoy an overnight backpacking trip with Layton!

Until then...yesterday's blessing was spending 4 quality hours with Layton out in the middle of nowhere, enjoying God's amazing and breathtaking creation!!

GET BEHIND ME...

This may be a jumble of words and thoughts, but I just had to get it out.

I was thinking tonight while I was soaking in my tub about life's blessings. I was thinking about a children's book that I used to read about a character named Ramona and she would always have a pity party for herself. Right in the middle of my tub I was starting to have a pity party, just like Ramona. I was starting to feel kind of bad for myself, wondering why...when I heard God say to me, "YOU ARE BLESSED! Yeah, you may have people that choose to not be in your life. Yeah, you may have pain in your back A LOT! Yeah, may be SO EXTREMELY tired doing your job everyday...

BUT...

You have people that truly care about you. People that call you, text you, set up dinner/lunch dates with you, an amazing and devoted husband that truly has your best interests at heart, and at least you can get out of bed everyday and at least you have a paying job!"

I felt a check in my spirit. Why do I complain to myself in my head, and to others out loud? Why can I not see the TREMENDOUS amounts of blessing that surround me everyday? Why can I not see past the hurt and the rejection?

I CAN! And I WILL see past all of that! If not now, when? I choose to see past the pity party and to look God's blessing head on in the face. I choose to see that I am an amazing person and deserve to be treated that why by all who are in my life. I will embrace those blessings that God has placed in my life and I will allow them to make me prosper. I will no longer allow the enemy to place obstacles in my way, be it through people or things. Those things no longer have control over my life!

I invite you to follow me in this journey and maybe you'll learn a little about yourself too!

THANK YOU GOD FOR MY INFINITE AMOUNT OF BLESSINGS!!!