We are wrapping up a short trip to the Uintahs.  Connection is sketchy so this will be necessarily short. While reading during some down time I ran across Jane Kenyon's poignant poem Otherwise.  I was thinking of it when I saw this picture of my dog and I pausing partway up Mt Timpagonos.  We are a little sore after our climb, but grateful for this very good day.  I take not one single one of these for granted. 

Otherwise

I got out of bed
on two strong legs.
It might have been
otherwise. I ate
cereal, sweet
milk, ripe, flawless
peach. It might
have been otherwise.
I took the dog uphill
to the birch wood.
All morning I did
the work I love.

At noon I lay down
with my mate. It might
have been otherwise.
We ate dinner together
at a table with silver
candlesticks. It might
have been otherwise.
I slept in a bed
in a room with paintings
on the walls, and
planned another day
just like this day.
But one day, I know,
it will be otherwise.

~ Jane Kenyon

I came across a wonderful summer bucket list a teacher made for her students encouraging them to experience all nature has to offer this summer.  My artsy kids were inspired to take the framework of her sketch and make their own list to which we continue to add more ideas.   The four element categories remind us to broaden and balance our study of the natural world and incorporate more aspects of it into our summer days.  I should clarify that our love of the natural world does in no way verge on the magical in a religious sense.  We simply believe the Creator made a rich, multi-faceted world for us to enjoy.  A feast for the senses. 

I have also been thinking about some ideas Donna Simmons had years ago about therapeutic or healing education and addressing the full spectrum of needs in a child versus focusing solely on the intellectual.  Her thoughts would be echoed later by Kim John Payne in Simplicity Parenting.  It's a big busy world.  Who of us does not feel a tangible peace spreading when we light a candle before dinner or at church, when we gather around a campfire, when we run a warm bath at the end of a hectic day, when we dig in our gardens, or feel a little rush as the kite tugs back on its string? We are on top of to do lists, academic goals, lessons, meetings.  Why not also be intentional about incorporating those simple things that ground us and brings us back to that quiet place where we can regroup and shore up again?  Peace, it's a good thing.  

Some ways we checked off the bucket list lately….

Some opportunities to explore this week:

Fireworks Science links

Outside: Summer announced its commencement with temperatures approximating those on the surface of Venus.  Ok, I exaggerate.  (no, it's true, I do that sometimes) We have been spoiled by exceptionally mild weather for some time now.  It was bound to happen.  I was not prepared for it to happen at the moment I walked outside thinking I would plant a couple extra annuals this afternoon is all.  Check the forecast, self.  

Speaking of planting though – look at us planting stuff!  I just mentioned a while back that I enjoy gardening about as much as I enjoy cooking.  That was super tongue in cheek for those who don't know me.  (I don't usually enjoy either) However all that changed with truckloads of new dirt.  New dirt being better than old dirt, our kids wanted to know.  In this case, yes.  WAY.  We had nasty gray fill dirt in our back yard which was essentially incapable of supporting plant life.  The sloping side of the house had eroded borders as well.  The additional topsoil is amazing.  Fingers crossed the new plants 'take.'  Probably could use more of these…

A nearly there shot. Mulch to follow…

Wearing: Coral tee and coral and white cotton A line skirt.  Comfy. 

Listening to: 

Aidan and I found some common musical ground.  

Reading:  The funnies.

We have gotten two papers delivered the past week or so.  We don't subscribe here but have veen thinking about it. The three youngest don't remember when we got the Sunday paper regularly while living in Colorado and had not read newspaper comics before.  Such a treat.  This was my fave 

Laughing at myself here.  I really could use a seven second delay.

In 'real' book reading news I have been slogging through The Scarlet Letter waiting for it to pick up.  It hasn't.  This concerns my teens to no end.  I think I am going to start over and read it aloud to them. Say a prayer for us. 

The younger three have enjoyed some slightly irreverent histories:

Poop Happened    Which is about pretty much what it sounds like.  Some things are constant.  Death, taxes, and waste disposal.  Tess now knows how the latter has been handled through time.  

They also devoured Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tale's.  Disclaimer – I have not devoured them myself so if you find offensive content, please know I am clueless.

Creating: An outdoor dining space out of a sad sorry table and chairs which were painful to behold.  They were increasingly painful to sit upon as well due to the inevitable splinters.  We came very close to tossing the whole thing.  Then it occurred to me to tackle it for my husband's birthday surprise since the deck is literally his favorite room of the "house" in summer. Tess, did not love gardening like Brendan did but she was a good sport for refinishing furniture.  We sanded the whooooole thing yesterday morning.  Then realized we got the wrong color stain.  Ran to replace and stained with deck wood waterseal.  The transformation was incredible.  My husband was on the phone with his mother when he got home. He had wandered out to the deck to finish his conversation and was gesturing wildly through the kitchen window.  We did good.  Even if my arms and back are complaining today.  $25 for a second life for the set plus more $5 Walmart cushions.  

With this success under our belts I think the bathroom cabinets will soon follow.  Soon, being a relative term.  

From the kitchen: People, check out my new favorite food.  (we added a nut to each) Our friends Annie and Mike made these when we were over.  I was able to replicate with no disasters.  SO so good.  I want one right now.  

But I am not having one right now because A) husband and I ate every last one of the last batch and B) IF      

What is IF you say? Well….

Towards wellness:

Exploring Intermittent Fasting.  Our boys have been practicing forms of this with great success.  It is connected with improvement in autoimmune conditions as well. Giving it a shot. Most likely this will be on Friday's right now given that the Church has built in a day of the week, days of each season (ember days), and one entire season (lent) to eating exactly like this.  Looks like what is good for the soul is also good for the body.  

It was such a rare blessing to meet friends from California and friends from Maryland in this beautiful place. We aren't exactly halfway but it worked out that we could all get here at the same time which is something of a mini miracle.  While we were all in the same vicinity each family did their own hiking based on the age of their kids and what everyone wanted to see.  Our family opted to hit Kolob Canyon this trip.  We had driven into Zion and it is breathtaking.  Truly.  But it is pretty "people-y" in this, the high season.  I'm not a crowd lover let's say. My husband  did some homework and found some less traveled but still amazing trails for us.  (ps we do plan to go back again in off season)

On this hike we went down to the canyon floor and followed the river.  There was forest and red rocks all along the sides of the trail. 

The temps were in the upper 90's much of this weekend but we got some wind while hiking which kept things comfortable.  Ducking into the shade of red rocks helped too.  

These little lizards were spotted several times darting across the path.  We didn't see many other hikers which meant lots of little critters were daring to come out.

"Look!  It's a dinosaur face!" 

It's always a treat to find a semi-secluded trail and I can't tell you how amazing it is to see these places.  I won't pretend that all family members are equally enthusiastic over every single hiking or sight seeing excursion however.  That's just not real life.  Kids are delightful.  They skip rocks over pond water.  They hide behind big trees and leap out when you pass.  They yodel off the top of the summit to see if their voices echo back.  

Kids.  Are.  Awesome. 

Kids are also childish at times, being that they are children and all.  Their shoes bother them.  They drop the last protein bar in the sand.  Sunscreen annoys.  So do brothers.  Or sisters.  And you would not believe the passion with which they can argue that riding a scooter round and round and ROUND the pavement of the RV park is a better option than seeing, oh, you know, a NATIONAL PARK.  They can however.  

One person was having such a day when we began this hike.  It was sort of the pits for a while.  In fact that part was kind of a drag riiiiiiight up to the turn around spot at which point all of a sudden it was SO much fun crossing the stream hopping on the dry rocks or being the first to notice the huge butterfly or watching the grasshoppers fly through the air.  The snacks were good.  The drink hit the spot.  All was well with the world for the second leg of the hike. 

Thing is, it always ends that way.  It would be swell if every single family member was always on the same positive page.  That's not real life though. Still there are ways to deal with those crummy scenarios which can get everyone back on board and keep your sanity as well.  You can listen.  You can empathize.  You can troubleshoot little problems.  Sometimes you encourage them to push through anyway because you know something awesome is up ahead and it would be such a shame to miss it because of a temporary bad mood.  Perspective – you've got it, they don't.  If you can just keep your game face on and encourage them to hang on for a little bit it pretty much always turns around and ends on a high note.  

So that's how we hike.  My disclaimer is that all the above applies to generally well children who are rested and fed and in good health. Sometimes we get frustrated when a child's behavior is really the fault of a parent who has not met their needs and planned appropriately. That's no good obviously.  Empathy goes a long way.  Know when they for real are not ok and call it.  As the saying I've shared before goes, "The purpose of the task is to strengthen the relationship."

So here we are refueling.  You get to the end of the trail some hikes and look at each other and the two of you just have to laugh because he is wearing one sock since he gave the other to a child whose shoe was bothersome. His giant Curious George hat was claimed shortly after that.  And someone got wet.  And two were having a hysterical conversation in made up voices.  And one joked that little kids were fired from the next hike.  And you're sort of tired and sore but happy you did it anyway and suddenly it all strikes you as super funny.  It just really is. 

You gotta laugh y'all.  It's a crazy life.  

Alannah sent me some video she took so you can walk along with us for a minute.  We are working on getting more video.  #goals