tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20369310677661104152024-03-17T18:23:41.528-06:00Morningstar HappeningsThe lives and times of the Utah MorningstarsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1420125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-87208502778009361412024-01-14T21:36:00.001-07:002024-01-14T21:36:18.764-07:00New Year, New Focus: Inward<p style="text-align: center;"> <span class="text Prov-4-23" id="en-ESV-16514">Keep your heart with all vigilance,</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Prov-4-23">for from it flow the springs of life.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Prov-4-23"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+4%3A23&version=ESV">Proverbs 4:23</a></span></span></p><p><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Prov-4-23">It's a whole new year. I love stepping back at the start of the year and choosing a focus for the brand new year before me. Not a resolution. Not a goal. A word or concept to hold before me as a theme and an aspiration. </span></span></p><p><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Prov-4-23">As I work through my counseling degree, as I refine my vision of the next chapter of my life, as I gain age and perspective, I recognize that I have spent a lot of time and energy trying to arrange and control my emotions. Some of this is crap from both Christian and western culture about emotions being bad (and intellect being good). Some of this is that I spent a lot of years just trying to hang on and survive, and being in touch with my feelings and wants just didn't make it to the agenda. </span></span></p><p><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Prov-4-23">So this year, in a continuation of the "slowing down and simplify" themes that have permeated my new years reflections for many years, I'm focusing on going inward. Attuning to myself. Giving my emotions space to breathe inside my heart. Letting those emotions flow. Nurturing my heart. </span></span></p><p><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Prov-4-23">Hello, 2024 - I look forward to all you want to show me.<br /></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-12271900460525220012023-08-14T21:21:00.002-06:002023-08-14T21:21:40.462-06:00Year 1 Complete<p>This weekend I completed the classwork for my first year of graduate school in Clinical Mental Health!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGrLORC0oJ1oT0ruIRP7uXpvKaJETJ7GVIFK1C-p0CxswqpI8KcJZdZalPbEViTzlHwDy0You65sA-pYaWhJ7kkN4W2NFjQDyO8k2BxYLxGqt22EtLX4GwJbW50IngZx35IFpi5LkMaoSJeL6scXYPC3kBao-OPUGT6DzJsQsUdCJeCTTXx_lDspI-7Y/s4032/IMG_5342.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGrLORC0oJ1oT0ruIRP7uXpvKaJETJ7GVIFK1C-p0CxswqpI8KcJZdZalPbEViTzlHwDy0You65sA-pYaWhJ7kkN4W2NFjQDyO8k2BxYLxGqt22EtLX4GwJbW50IngZx35IFpi5LkMaoSJeL6scXYPC3kBao-OPUGT6DzJsQsUdCJeCTTXx_lDspI-7Y/s320/IMG_5342.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Like most such things, the past year has passed in a blur and also a laborious series of daily choices. I have thoroughly enjoyed my coursework and the delight of stretching and growing in new ways. There are assignments I've had to gut out and some that have written themselves. I've had to prioritize very carefully to maintain a schedule of family, hobbies, work, and school that I can enjoy. I've had to declare "good enough" on some papers that I could have poured into (I am terrible at this). I have grown as a person and as a professional. <p></p><p>If I could distill these 21 credits, 7 classes, thousands of pages read, hundreds of pages written into the most profound lesson learned it would be this: <b>we need each other</b>. There are many factors that contribute to the efficacy of counseling, but more than counselor experience or advanced certifications or the techniques used the best predictor of whether a client will benefit from counseling is the strength of the therapeutic relationship between the counselor and client. We were made to solve problems, grow, mourn, heal, and celebrate together. </p><p>God created us this way! He created us to do life in relationship. In Western thought it's so easy to believe that the best way is to figure everything out solo and, if you can't cut it on your own, then, fine, call a friend. But, no! That is not how God designed us. Relationships are not God's Plan B - relationships are Plan A!</p><p>One of the greatest and most unexpected joys of my counseling program has been my intensive group. We have walked through classes, personal wins and losses, and a million tough assignments together. I thought I was starting grad school all on my own - and I gained a phenomenal set of sisters, friends, and colleagues.</p><p>I'm an introverted gal. I don't need or want to be surrounded by people constantly. I need less chatter and noise in my life. Less chatter, and more deep interactions. And as I've learned more about the power of deep and mutual relationships, I've invested more in purposeful check-ins with Steve (nod to the <a href="https://www.gottman.com">Gottman Institute</a>!), creating a life team of gals for support and encouragement and accountability in growth (thanks, Townsend, for <a href="https://drtownsend.com/follow-3-steps-find-life-team/">the concept</a>), and being more present in my relationships.</p><p>I am grateful that I have survived this intense year. I emerge with excellent knowledge, deeper skills for helping people, more meaningful relationships, and some serious prioritization abilities. Bring on year two! But, first, let me disconnect for two glorious weeks!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-40821076881275575142023-07-18T18:14:00.002-06:002023-07-18T18:14:44.919-06:0025 Years<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhBTd1XWSFVNL-LZCjV8xABqljtjcW54MqPFDC41zPn6NkdpE1HIEDCk-wCAeWOHKjlri6trUYaWCpIgrsy33p42qfJgkbEaljpdxV3oFnuKJhdhgGBqge_YnzTtJxWGxib-KDhdsT_d6XeU3PNu-gMXvA3Mb7PFbs1sl9CD2v4FnfesIgpZr_tJGbD4/s1297/IMG_0969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1297" data-original-width="973" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhBTd1XWSFVNL-LZCjV8xABqljtjcW54MqPFDC41zPn6NkdpE1HIEDCk-wCAeWOHKjlri6trUYaWCpIgrsy33p42qfJgkbEaljpdxV3oFnuKJhdhgGBqge_YnzTtJxWGxib-KDhdsT_d6XeU3PNu-gMXvA3Mb7PFbs1sl9CD2v4FnfesIgpZr_tJGbD4/s320/IMG_0969.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>25 years. Whoa. When we got married, the top TV shows were ER, Friends, and Fraiser. Semisonic's <i>Closing Time</i> ruled the airwaves. There was still commercially viable radio. Only very fancy people had cellphones. Lindsay Lohan starred in <i>The Parent Trap</i> remake. Bill Clinton was president. I had just turned 19. This was a long time ago, people!<p></p><p>25 years. </p><p>Anniversaries are moments to reflect. There is so much I am grateful for over the past 25 years. Here's a quick list:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYyl2gmDl_aBw96h3UUTxJTwF80drDWEtVZQen4JN50js89mAnIw4NAgvIwAj5ZwxuI_xGtHRPY7akF4k0RqU0WlRh1RfD4XihXPB3835HIXd4szStyspmEqj9XmzisZqqdwZEETfgzJvsjZJqcV5PVqsQ6R1ePqkPQ760FrE_Xm6VOZ87R3GcM1Izlw/s4032/IMG_2524.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYyl2gmDl_aBw96h3UUTxJTwF80drDWEtVZQen4JN50js89mAnIw4NAgvIwAj5ZwxuI_xGtHRPY7akF4k0RqU0WlRh1RfD4XihXPB3835HIXd4szStyspmEqj9XmzisZqqdwZEETfgzJvsjZJqcV5PVqsQ6R1ePqkPQ760FrE_Xm6VOZ87R3GcM1Izlw/s320/IMG_2524.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>Growing up together. We got married young. It wasn't the plan, it wasn't the goal, but it was the path we chose. As a result, we got to grow up together. We entered adulthood together. Our stories have been intertwined for almost as long as either of us can remember. I am grateful for that.</li><li>Shared activities. We love doing so many of the same things. That doesn't always mean that we do them together... but we sure do a lot of skiing and biking and camping together! I love that our hobbies overlap, so that we get to spend time doing things we love with people we love.</li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9xe0loXpGx6j3lFoiGyhGomT37OTUox8EmPnN7v3t7mzvCPVrxGxnsrjMi7A3r2z3O02-nbYJHipUZIyxNsnnICTOft33O4Cj0xDZN3xb6ttmqU-9I2WH1Jn8OhjYC3VXKErBBj4gGMmQlfsGPMvDBhQWQSXa467V1ispLmYIQ33T9C4FT4_0RAzNe8/s4032/IMG_4290.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9xe0loXpGx6j3lFoiGyhGomT37OTUox8EmPnN7v3t7mzvCPVrxGxnsrjMi7A3r2z3O02-nbYJHipUZIyxNsnnICTOft33O4Cj0xDZN3xb6ttmqU-9I2WH1Jn8OhjYC3VXKErBBj4gGMmQlfsGPMvDBhQWQSXa467V1ispLmYIQ33T9C4FT4_0RAzNe8/s320/IMG_4290.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>Learning to respect our differences. We are very different people with different personalities, motivations, and priorities. It took a while, and this is still a lesson I'm learning, but we have learned to respect our differences and the person the other is and is becoming. We have very different strengths and weaknesses. That doesn't change our individual responsibilities to grow, but to that individual growth we get to add complementary styles and strengths. We are better together.</li><li>Supporting each other's dreams. I could not have experienced the workplace, personal, and academic success that I've seen without Steve's support. He has believed in me, given me freedom to set my own priorities, and made space for me to pursue my independent goals. Thank you for respecting, valuing, and supporting my ever-evolving, ever-escalating dreams!</li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0W8D9BaMVnfixdsbaFYaapJwOrFPz7r4GW4q5HastQMHVQ3779d9mOdC18VPENupgzRxDEXqAPfpysk3IdKRhxS-Rm7eqmgciDYIdtzZuH0M4448DL0eWfuq52P-GhSwOIX8GsXCDvI6H2cZvwFbVqKbKxsW_QCdo9J3QqY59Br9aF04-SCq5AgqZlzI/s4032/IMG_2288.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0W8D9BaMVnfixdsbaFYaapJwOrFPz7r4GW4q5HastQMHVQ3779d9mOdC18VPENupgzRxDEXqAPfpysk3IdKRhxS-Rm7eqmgciDYIdtzZuH0M4448DL0eWfuq52P-GhSwOIX8GsXCDvI6H2cZvwFbVqKbKxsW_QCdo9J3QqY59Br9aF04-SCq5AgqZlzI/s320/IMG_2288.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>Making sound financial decisions early. We worked so, so hard early in our marriage to make good financial decisions. We saved, lived within our means, invested, and sacrificed (while still having a ton of fun). I do not take for granted the blessings and hard work that set us on a solid financial foundation early on. And I am grateful for the flexibility we experience now and in the future as a result of that foundation.</li><li>A shared commitment to do the work. All relationship is hard work, marriage even more so. Over the years we have learned to do the work and honor our commitment. And we have even grown (sometimes) to enjoy the work of learning from each other and about each other, applying new skills and getting curious about what makes the other tick. I am thankful that year after year we choose to learn to do marriage better.</li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh402GBX-u-a-xZx65FUy3kcw0VDXqOAj66SMxRG_f_3JYI76kLL4c5kO-4OZj2rp1BqumdwO0x77orNY9s_QHqY4eeIupXEd5jxQ7Y1hgrVBQYyLcIBMphNbX9pzkaV_PUJWfTK03XSwZ780Y4xvKqpHxL4d3U3wOdJ48fY35_eUQplHBKWkIKQlohBmM/s4032/IMG_4198.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh402GBX-u-a-xZx65FUy3kcw0VDXqOAj66SMxRG_f_3JYI76kLL4c5kO-4OZj2rp1BqumdwO0x77orNY9s_QHqY4eeIupXEd5jxQ7Y1hgrVBQYyLcIBMphNbX9pzkaV_PUJWfTK03XSwZ780Y4xvKqpHxL4d3U3wOdJ48fY35_eUQplHBKWkIKQlohBmM/s320/IMG_4198.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div>Enjoying hanging out together. I am so grateful for a partner I love to hang out with. And not just because he lets me win at cards.</li></ul><div>It's been 25 years and I think we're starting to figure this marriage thing out. Give us another 50 years and we'll be pros. We are not the same people we fell in love with. We are deeper and more flawed and richer and more beautiful than we could have imagined as teenagers. I am privileged to be on this journey. Thanks for an exceptional quarter century, Babe.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLNDampmGybzfJKbmGCMddi0_g5QnmyZtGIAmrtgpUN1r_C7lOW55GMH5A5s1mABl7WAODZWrblfgV43PcnHk-vc0rhhP4vwyOyWWX-zFdyZypvHDJu-NFuznJSEnu0pWbEWllzfFG3KVWC28BZ8uKd3-NUkwHs7TkxJUo9aR2kbOmPyz61bnPoy68SU/s4032/IMG_4915.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLNDampmGybzfJKbmGCMddi0_g5QnmyZtGIAmrtgpUN1r_C7lOW55GMH5A5s1mABl7WAODZWrblfgV43PcnHk-vc0rhhP4vwyOyWWX-zFdyZypvHDJu-NFuznJSEnu0pWbEWllzfFG3KVWC28BZ8uKd3-NUkwHs7TkxJUo9aR2kbOmPyz61bnPoy68SU/s320/IMG_4915.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-24143193235616498052023-01-08T19:43:00.003-07:002023-01-08T19:43:55.475-07:00New Year Reflections<p> 2022 was a darn fine year. I mean, yes, there was war and economic recession and a lot of layoffs. Plus, COVID. So, perhaps I should rephrase: 2022 was a darn fine year for learning and growth. </p><p>As a family, we embarked on a bunch of new adventures - we rafted the Yampa River, visited Hawaii for the first time, Ben and I started new university programs (Ben's undergrad, Jamie's MA in Clinical Mental Health), Steve and I went to Fairbanks and saw the northern lights, we celebrated Sasha's quinceañera in Colima. We got a new dog. I biked a respectable 1,968 miles. Sam got a new job and a motorcycle, Ben went to France to the Unicycle Olympics, we bought a Mini Cooper, and Sam, Ben, and I went to Mini Cooper stunt driving school in California. The half of the family that didn't get COVID in finally 2020 got it. We skied in California, biked in St. George, camped in Nevada, rock climbed in Colorado and St. George and California, saw a show in New York City, and did a ton of mountain biking all over Utah (I have a stunning new shin scar to prove it). </p><p>So, yeah, a good year. Lots of adventures. Lots of learning.</p><p>I love to set a focus or intention for the new year. It's not a resolution, and there's nothing magical about it, but it's healthy to step back and consider where one wants to focus in this bright new year. </p><p>I haven't settled on a single word, but my focus is on going slow. Doing one thing at a time. Being open. Finding serenity. </p><p>For those of you laughing at this intention, I'll remind you that this isn't about staying still. I am not good at staying still. But it's about cultivating more space even in the doing. Yes, maybe doing less, or maybe just doing less frantically. Between school, work, family, and hobbies, I have a lot going on. It's true. And all of that makes it all the more important to focus on going slow and doing with serenity. </p><p>Here's my start-of-2023 memory verse:</p><blockquote>Trust God from the bottom of your heart;<br /> don’t try to figure out everything on your own.<br />Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;<br /> he’s the one who will keep you on track. </blockquote><blockquote dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+3%3A5-6&version=MSG">Proverbs 3:5-6</a></blockquote><p>I love this focus. God's not saying, "don't plan," and he's not saying, "let go and let God." He's saying, "You don't have to figure everything out, and you don't have to plan for every contingency. That pressure isn't on you. Listen and watch and trust. I got you." And that is an excellent way to enter a new year.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHNBDDNjDpd6pFdNacolXt4Ff_H9fg1REnlADQymS2rBg0brp2nvRlRUTaLjEXiIc7O2CQVbfAqGR9pENkMcDdRAa8yQAIQZC6RHhn8Lg5dtrsZ2MNVSV0ij8xk8pjyBFHJJNGMe3A5ppQi19uTL3Qwc_PDWWAv3nUcPCQKsmTv1xhz-4dexNn5x7/s1280/IMG_1916%20Large.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiHNBDDNjDpd6pFdNacolXt4Ff_H9fg1REnlADQymS2rBg0brp2nvRlRUTaLjEXiIc7O2CQVbfAqGR9pENkMcDdRAa8yQAIQZC6RHhn8Lg5dtrsZ2MNVSV0ij8xk8pjyBFHJJNGMe3A5ppQi19uTL3Qwc_PDWWAv3nUcPCQKsmTv1xhz-4dexNn5x7/s320/IMG_1916%20Large.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcJc-iL_3HRaHjMAu_DNO4lzCcjWPfzsT812Pqjw4J72_Q0_hhlCpQ-CzCbZWFpoKOjeaOllNONmz7-ydqFYCBkeznN6ja9_gY_RIN3behCNhBy-rzaQM5eCWF5y4B9CV05GMrfgnfIVCbJQOhtH6U2uB97g6mCwJhRFO4ik2DKuYCF2Ma5CntBwI/s1280/IMG_1994%20Large.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="850" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcJc-iL_3HRaHjMAu_DNO4lzCcjWPfzsT812Pqjw4J72_Q0_hhlCpQ-CzCbZWFpoKOjeaOllNONmz7-ydqFYCBkeznN6ja9_gY_RIN3behCNhBy-rzaQM5eCWF5y4B9CV05GMrfgnfIVCbJQOhtH6U2uB97g6mCwJhRFO4ik2DKuYCF2Ma5CntBwI/s320/IMG_1994%20Large.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQBJsT48M73aOxc8DOp7b7tqcasAK3IN3bg9m9HWrLtbjucBqumC15o_HSKr4cnQEZBySD44iOVwEnDY_99s4VAHsUzjcsRBso09AtnL8asyi6HfdgSv6-7-a_BCIXX5R6pcmQ3dkG6WigVCp8H3yfRrmS59dkqKJMBNyye2dc7IzFhv804ZIspQH3/s1280/IMG_2019%20Large.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQBJsT48M73aOxc8DOp7b7tqcasAK3IN3bg9m9HWrLtbjucBqumC15o_HSKr4cnQEZBySD44iOVwEnDY_99s4VAHsUzjcsRBso09AtnL8asyi6HfdgSv6-7-a_BCIXX5R6pcmQ3dkG6WigVCp8H3yfRrmS59dkqKJMBNyye2dc7IzFhv804ZIspQH3/s320/IMG_2019%20Large.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4KW2zAnOnVRC3U9-R0WK_ElYUHkgdi8uqwkB66o5RzXMbPzpUvk162t8yxhjmkGmyJt5FffSWoo24GLVMUxQ9KdOy_ececSb8uyXeoYCx2Uz1aFOh6_uFy--OcFCI34BJv_VNMocw_hfFLe2HOXT9dmhYuIvNJPr20GOF0ZgRQmxMRkEwnwJbngD/s1280/IMG_2136%20Large.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4KW2zAnOnVRC3U9-R0WK_ElYUHkgdi8uqwkB66o5RzXMbPzpUvk162t8yxhjmkGmyJt5FffSWoo24GLVMUxQ9KdOy_ececSb8uyXeoYCx2Uz1aFOh6_uFy--OcFCI34BJv_VNMocw_hfFLe2HOXT9dmhYuIvNJPr20GOF0ZgRQmxMRkEwnwJbngD/s320/IMG_2136%20Large.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_suPFBbryF5VN13xTA642jHCHT2Iw2E-X5meo5faYbS12exDksxMaoRi20FtA1JsiRTZzgs8agBvSd74XHKmr83uO7y1qEbr61brq8XdTIt9oZl_77lm_04naasjaE20oq_03iSNl_BmKi7h-we-lI8m1sOb_8uzCX1_lCSNt_znowavWpf2ORvP/s1280/IMG_2176%20Large.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_suPFBbryF5VN13xTA642jHCHT2Iw2E-X5meo5faYbS12exDksxMaoRi20FtA1JsiRTZzgs8agBvSd74XHKmr83uO7y1qEbr61brq8XdTIt9oZl_77lm_04naasjaE20oq_03iSNl_BmKi7h-we-lI8m1sOb_8uzCX1_lCSNt_znowavWpf2ORvP/s320/IMG_2176%20Large.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofUOuaptL4OekuRSAWqwxSn8HUkz9IbiPaUpV6WILrZkpeD9VcmzubnxQX4PPDRI37srq_iORViptu7USlFeSpvyokThxBWnbgUGx1g3eFkduGM6-pPVw-myoZ1IULLyAafjRyKVS43-TCY3Ilwj7ZHp1UIPsUoYxNTdCbSu5cgW79UgZg6tZwE9n/s1280/IMG_2280%20Large.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofUOuaptL4OekuRSAWqwxSn8HUkz9IbiPaUpV6WILrZkpeD9VcmzubnxQX4PPDRI37srq_iORViptu7USlFeSpvyokThxBWnbgUGx1g3eFkduGM6-pPVw-myoZ1IULLyAafjRyKVS43-TCY3Ilwj7ZHp1UIPsUoYxNTdCbSu5cgW79UgZg6tZwE9n/s320/IMG_2280%20Large.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShFrbiQvgIS0yQOHC52dcLQyxIsnKC77b9eXSb21DOxKGBDd7Bqtp1WsnmiKsLMOEFgklW9zrfs-5QOhgbSozmWZKTFLyUVdSxocnJR7Jjg_-TVfYIzxiwzhS-8ZkyMf4QxJZPjnjkKscV57xVGV4lZLVFXPWygd_k4iOr63Aswompkx09kEdNRZT/s1280/IMG_2355%20Large.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgShFrbiQvgIS0yQOHC52dcLQyxIsnKC77b9eXSb21DOxKGBDd7Bqtp1WsnmiKsLMOEFgklW9zrfs-5QOhgbSozmWZKTFLyUVdSxocnJR7Jjg_-TVfYIzxiwzhS-8ZkyMf4QxJZPjnjkKscV57xVGV4lZLVFXPWygd_k4iOr63Aswompkx09kEdNRZT/s320/IMG_2355%20Large.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLL5ziC1K_chBHalxgvZyuVGFNrLRobmBCC94Uz9zkGJ_pVHXoAkPk0489D_zUO4GVZIzex54SPeeq_9W2mRIVWI44f0bYtlNSJfHx27Z291--Hoq8Tqvzc5kkxSiF_3in6F4E9A8yrn8CdrqLsIA2SgBQ_iyg30y-X94qsKwmPyxKcWcp_Udf3Qk3/s1024/IMG_2426%20Large.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="771" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLL5ziC1K_chBHalxgvZyuVGFNrLRobmBCC94Uz9zkGJ_pVHXoAkPk0489D_zUO4GVZIzex54SPeeq_9W2mRIVWI44f0bYtlNSJfHx27Z291--Hoq8Tqvzc5kkxSiF_3in6F4E9A8yrn8CdrqLsIA2SgBQ_iyg30y-X94qsKwmPyxKcWcp_Udf3Qk3/s320/IMG_2426%20Large.jpeg" width="241" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17rmJE9qMGdjU41JCMf-b34KyvFx2fDr4m9F_SbrwuoMpR1aUc4TO2gXaR55e9sQkL3O-Asq8NB7R8nW0dHfp3XXVubBze4ofltb3KI_CCAD2f8IAN1YdkQefb5twUKEvepYtmx4jwFkTYPpavfrXgmFS6njLxNsUzwaV5J800zak0DeIB-l8s76M/s1280/IMG_2427%20Large.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="853" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17rmJE9qMGdjU41JCMf-b34KyvFx2fDr4m9F_SbrwuoMpR1aUc4TO2gXaR55e9sQkL3O-Asq8NB7R8nW0dHfp3XXVubBze4ofltb3KI_CCAD2f8IAN1YdkQefb5twUKEvepYtmx4jwFkTYPpavfrXgmFS6njLxNsUzwaV5J800zak0DeIB-l8s76M/s320/IMG_2427%20Large.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qPvRnUvhtVQoV96dcGD38hbT17OzWe5XqQA-LxYkSeeBz0yQUASdyzbUzLCo5y9ZXehs4mKSuWXo7fxxnDApmU6MZ2p_qWioE_r6iAihk2nE0Mfpfs-2j0JChn6vMynBSDvfjd2Lq8ZhJ6XH9uu8UjSz5fh3FwUzIzkKQOu09JZmiqUYV6mqH_RD/s1280/IMG_2201%20Large.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qPvRnUvhtVQoV96dcGD38hbT17OzWe5XqQA-LxYkSeeBz0yQUASdyzbUzLCo5y9ZXehs4mKSuWXo7fxxnDApmU6MZ2p_qWioE_r6iAihk2nE0Mfpfs-2j0JChn6vMynBSDvfjd2Lq8ZhJ6XH9uu8UjSz5fh3FwUzIzkKQOu09JZmiqUYV6mqH_RD/s320/IMG_2201%20Large.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br /><p><br /></p> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-12660959909330768742022-06-13T22:05:00.002-06:002022-06-13T22:05:50.134-06:00Time on the River<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbGFdMzrd8Fse-wM3dLk7yCo6aTESEM06a7UMPN25JJ0i7oZm1LHmzNW67E00tpTjGqjwgJATlHLSgoSai-Nntj4z2CBDDQi1RLQI4Pt_sG0dPcIM4FRf2I7t6WUpX09kfwHDASDay5wgUOaNimMw87RiKhphjCwBu-CZKZcu-nmVcHmr1RP129by/s4032/Yampa%20rafting%20Wednesday.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbGFdMzrd8Fse-wM3dLk7yCo6aTESEM06a7UMPN25JJ0i7oZm1LHmzNW67E00tpTjGqjwgJATlHLSgoSai-Nntj4z2CBDDQi1RLQI4Pt_sG0dPcIM4FRf2I7t6WUpX09kfwHDASDay5wgUOaNimMw87RiKhphjCwBu-CZKZcu-nmVcHmr1RP129by/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Wednesday.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>I love river rafting. I think I could happily go once a month. Maybe more. Definitely more if somebody was going to cook and do all of the hard work. I love the water (fresh water, I'm not a huge salt water fan), wilderness, backpacking, and camping, and river rafting combines all of those things in this amazing melange of adventure and slow, slow time.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJDy2eleKSmg4R4ATkCT7-c57iDVNX5-DI8_KfY4GjfqQxLzDz3Tk8Y7HMusZHHHiopZB3gO4SHMi-pMw6Ycgso32O0_62rnkZXAOq4kRTI2SPg9gi4SJnJtqttGvLkdv_coxGiLu9BW-ef1x4b01LYkfjHMhJI3AANhZelAEIiGXct3vbktRz53G/s4032/Yampa%20rafting%20Friday%20Jamie%20Steve%20Ben%20Ethan%20Collin.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJDy2eleKSmg4R4ATkCT7-c57iDVNX5-DI8_KfY4GjfqQxLzDz3Tk8Y7HMusZHHHiopZB3gO4SHMi-pMw6Ycgso32O0_62rnkZXAOq4kRTI2SPg9gi4SJnJtqttGvLkdv_coxGiLu9BW-ef1x4b01LYkfjHMhJI3AANhZelAEIiGXct3vbktRz53G/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Friday%20Jamie%20Steve%20Ben%20Ethan%20Collin.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>And I am blessed to be surrounded by people who embrace the dirt and the wildness of it all and are willing to sleep under the stars and poop in buckets and bathe in the river and play endless rounds of cribbage under a slowly setting sun. I am grateful that this family is happy on a raft. They are just amazing people to be with out in nature, and they just keep getting better and better at this wilderness thing!<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>But enough overly sentimental reflections of a proud mom and wife - let's talk about this trip. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgoK3eoJvMrkWCVFf1dM4UVDekTjB1mUPWUjzuIDsXBnRw0UH_Fa-gqFFkjzC_Akf0EQJyEdx8BymFZZkwsbf89o-7bbZCzuO0824znTsyhSTylIzqGYoOHKDg1fpyorZzXyUgsInYyhPrhZj6ocJwIvBg_oZ0u148G6cvULSxS_0J9SitOfq1D74/s4032/Yampa%20rafting%20Sunday.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgoK3eoJvMrkWCVFf1dM4UVDekTjB1mUPWUjzuIDsXBnRw0UH_Fa-gqFFkjzC_Akf0EQJyEdx8BymFZZkwsbf89o-7bbZCzuO0824znTsyhSTylIzqGYoOHKDg1fpyorZzXyUgsInYyhPrhZj6ocJwIvBg_oZ0u148G6cvULSxS_0J9SitOfq1D74/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Sunday.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Last week we rafted the Yampa River. The Yampa is the last free-flowing (undammed) tributary of the Colorado River, which is kind of mind-blowing. Every other tributary that is big enough to raft has a dam regulating its flow. Let that sink in. Boy oh boy do we humans love to control our "natural resources."</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5dxkQPipdijkGLRddEczVeDyOvnjBK7fZuR76vfnObEz2DDXJucy2A_iUU3nvhSBDC7r4J6REga9p2W6GP10riGxjVX2zD77qqQ4uY0xE7dGbaWuLD7h4CsQIqakE9gVA8NWiZX4hd5fnNBUBtiWqDPjeA67o0NZSUmz0WdkvxwjcXq3bNyXq9-0/s4032/Yampa%20rafting%20Friday%20Tiger%20overhang.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5dxkQPipdijkGLRddEczVeDyOvnjBK7fZuR76vfnObEz2DDXJucy2A_iUU3nvhSBDC7r4J6REga9p2W6GP10riGxjVX2zD77qqQ4uY0xE7dGbaWuLD7h4CsQIqakE9gVA8NWiZX4hd5fnNBUBtiWqDPjeA67o0NZSUmz0WdkvxwjcXq3bNyXq9-0/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Friday%20Tiger%20overhang.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Being a wild river, the flow is just the natural flow, and one can only run the Yampa in the early summer as the Colorado snows melt and fill the river. It also means that the water level fluctuates dramatically day-by-day with weather and temperature many miles away. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-q4u2lfE3UsTI4VKtEuLHSVBk8VR8UMRdYfQFSC7YYc0S69B_FYi9MRERz0XIJOtyg6mkeIllokP4boLMUcLXVCZH_drVG0ypjLbVjh4oZLdKuR9wdY4RgCSgGJ2On8lWKJM0YOC1AuRXO0mm0BT6zM3YBQRZm0Cao09i2P9d4d3CRuSIuGhzCKXp/s3870/Yampa%20rafting%20Friday%20Sam%20paddleboard%20(2).jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2579" data-original-width="3870" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-q4u2lfE3UsTI4VKtEuLHSVBk8VR8UMRdYfQFSC7YYc0S69B_FYi9MRERz0XIJOtyg6mkeIllokP4boLMUcLXVCZH_drVG0ypjLbVjh4oZLdKuR9wdY4RgCSgGJ2On8lWKJM0YOC1AuRXO0mm0BT6zM3YBQRZm0Cao09i2P9d4d3CRuSIuGhzCKXp/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Friday%20Sam%20paddleboard%20(2).jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>The Yampa flows into the Green in Dinosaur National Monument. We rafted 72 miles over 5 days through everything from slack water to Class IV rapids. Being people who enjoy letting someone else do the cooking and all of the both hard and skilled work, we booked through <a href="https://adrift.com/trip-item/yampa-river-rafting/" target="_blank">Adrift Dinosaur</a>, a great group of folks we've rafted with before. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZBxEqKVM21e6v-SIZx0N6NHNacxSn5zY8HBH4sFKrch1yVrLQxOfhs8CxCBzwEzJ75j1jFO6QJT2hw7Q2tdECcOuuFDviSqbyaFkkl_PbnuPVpfWbDHPfkpFZygikCbFmNLymE_dmfVUWCNwLqWu7ePg4kiL1S4yKPalRb0yEAJvQ0TT9JH6UAij/s4032/Yampa%20rafting%20Saturday%20(3).jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZBxEqKVM21e6v-SIZx0N6NHNacxSn5zY8HBH4sFKrch1yVrLQxOfhs8CxCBzwEzJ75j1jFO6QJT2hw7Q2tdECcOuuFDviSqbyaFkkl_PbnuPVpfWbDHPfkpFZygikCbFmNLymE_dmfVUWCNwLqWu7ePg4kiL1S4yKPalRb0yEAJvQ0TT9JH6UAij/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Saturday%20(3).jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>One of the coolest things about this trip is that in addition to the oar boats, we also got to bring some small craft: inflatable kayaks and a paddleboard. These were a true highlight of the trip, especially for the teens (and Steve) who loved mastering the rapids under their own power. And, yes, we did have one very scary moment when our stand-up paddleboarder got dunked in a big rapid and pinned for a moment against a mean ol' rock. But we had good fortune, good helmets, and good PFDs and he emerged shaken and cold and tired from the ordeal but a-ok. So, maybe the hard Class IIIs are a little much for this group on stand-up paddleboards... lesson learned. I guess we'll just need more practice.</div><div><br /></div><div>The trip just felt like magical moment after magical moment, so it feels impossible to call out the highlights, but here's an attempt:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzsMEptqxO_QldRx2ZZLmU63k_6GMne8ySPCSSYbPrhpGxX7PplJ2Lp_IxhQ3DB_5Fs0MKaopLqX__1DrKsO_wPH3Y_Hu0D2MJkN4E194sGWV_21MAp1Z07U7zM12X-r5H2ENuNxe3lejFqYMUKScEb0BxmmD2_N5xmCUC0HevySu5qtbVNeFxwpN/s3340/Yampa%20rafting%20Sunday%20Ben%20Annie%20Steve%20Sam.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2505" data-original-width="3340" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzsMEptqxO_QldRx2ZZLmU63k_6GMne8ySPCSSYbPrhpGxX7PplJ2Lp_IxhQ3DB_5Fs0MKaopLqX__1DrKsO_wPH3Y_Hu0D2MJkN4E194sGWV_21MAp1Z07U7zM12X-r5H2ENuNxe3lejFqYMUKScEb0BxmmD2_N5xmCUC0HevySu5qtbVNeFxwpN/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Sunday%20Ben%20Annie%20Steve%20Sam.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Annie! This is now the third trip where we've had the pleasure of paddling with Annie, our very favorite guide. The first time was luck, the second was serendipity, and the third is request :) Wilderness friends are the very best kinds of friends.<br /></li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzAtkCnTfDDMfMg-yvWqQXRMfc1wf7CqhycaKaG6riEkAc_NBhYXefGk7i1DA4VI3WXskofMNujj_pD8gkwYNfNitD3BI6xyvuJ72ntnvj3lYc3P7x0hszg6JoMkRkBvQn60QXXNJb2i3PHAjCox9DLig7w6dn4YIhQllXBNIyjefvoWU2f93LWZe/s4032/Yampa%20rafting%20Saturday%20hike%20butt%20dam%20falls%20(1).jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzAtkCnTfDDMfMg-yvWqQXRMfc1wf7CqhycaKaG6riEkAc_NBhYXefGk7i1DA4VI3WXskofMNujj_pD8gkwYNfNitD3BI6xyvuJ72ntnvj3lYc3P7x0hszg6JoMkRkBvQn60QXXNJb2i3PHAjCox9DLig7w6dn4YIhQllXBNIyjefvoWU2f93LWZe/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Saturday%20hike%20butt%20dam%20falls%20(1).jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>Butt Dam Falls. Aptly named and well worth the 5 mile hike. A few of you sit in the falls' channel while another reclines beneath. The three lift up their butts. The fourth is doused. Repeat.<br /></li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSmQxWOcEo7Q3vYSsw1mLSjdMH0uJIpoN2W5tRDemiHd6BmPYmyJSdkJtosijB3CSZrH3s0lCpQsIKDOYRRDfx5Dt-wWGIMQcpYgVgfdvNhiancRjXsLVBI_eU8ygw51syYjpS81zP-GmgY37UHFJ6S-n5R_k74lJJw5r4Gpy7sDIQ3wjPADNfc1J/s4032/Yampa%20rafting%20Wednesday%20camp%20Steve%20Ben.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnSmQxWOcEo7Q3vYSsw1mLSjdMH0uJIpoN2W5tRDemiHd6BmPYmyJSdkJtosijB3CSZrH3s0lCpQsIKDOYRRDfx5Dt-wWGIMQcpYgVgfdvNhiancRjXsLVBI_eU8ygw51syYjpS81zP-GmgY37UHFJ6S-n5R_k74lJJw5r4Gpy7sDIQ3wjPADNfc1J/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Wednesday%20camp%20Steve%20Ben.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Cowboy Camping. The weather was amazing for our trip, the bugs were (mostly) managable, and we were able to "cowboy camp" out under the stars almost every night. Perfect.<br /></li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tylergrant.com/"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqK8D5v1wgT3FjUl0aVEuKEK8j6UhLTybX4472VtUA2zl8aDEmbEpfD70RgpSBU-XrNjukAxYeHZ5JKi4QmlVu_fXrzhgMV39q3Zrl74jxmzRQoNOdscQCU9FCTkqwwbwS85d_9GqS9DPFmS4Zl-sFe2Atv3fYnrrfWTuG3Es5nIXWWpjzSgTAUYI/s4032/Yampa%20rafting%20Saturday%20camp%20costume%20night.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqK8D5v1wgT3FjUl0aVEuKEK8j6UhLTybX4472VtUA2zl8aDEmbEpfD70RgpSBU-XrNjukAxYeHZ5JKi4QmlVu_fXrzhgMV39q3Zrl74jxmzRQoNOdscQCU9FCTkqwwbwS85d_9GqS9DPFmS4Zl-sFe2Atv3fYnrrfWTuG3Es5nIXWWpjzSgTAUYI/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Saturday%20camp%20costume%20night.jpeg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://www.tylergrant.com/"></a></div>Tyler Grant. An unexpected delight was having an amazing musician, Tyler Grant, on the trip as a guide. By day, he rows and leads hikes, and by night he transforms into the most delightful fireside dance and singalong leader and solo musician. It makes me tempted to sign up for one of Adrift's <a href="https://adrift.com/riverwondergrass/" target="_blank">RiverWonderGrass rafting outings</a>... so tempting... Go follow that guy on Spotify, he's great.<br /></li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib77OHYV11NBpGLG3CoyitoasPzfZQh_orgkYiT36PZpJCknu-1nuUzMfc-5PusQWmBcem5YeznYbAJW-knPulUND79ZyNdmkrvTNUnPHYeALpDBLVIDQp1KW4DssbZBqd0_LoC28w4xW22ml8Skp2bcWrRY7gNSEb6FgQsQMzQmyrPcyXLdtyhBa8/s4032/IMG_8808.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib77OHYV11NBpGLG3CoyitoasPzfZQh_orgkYiT36PZpJCknu-1nuUzMfc-5PusQWmBcem5YeznYbAJW-knPulUND79ZyNdmkrvTNUnPHYeALpDBLVIDQp1KW4DssbZBqd0_LoC28w4xW22ml8Skp2bcWrRY7gNSEb6FgQsQMzQmyrPcyXLdtyhBa8/s320/IMG_8808.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>All the Other Guides. And, let's face it, the other three guides, Will, Pepper Jack, and Buckley were each such fun, entertaining, generous, skilled, hardworking, kind folks. Seriously, the Adrift staff are amazing.<br /></li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlGqzVbeLOm2-ySrukz54qfhxLE5vxU9J3B1cWuBw41XPaZmZI3kDIbVyZIf0UgXTbBSU-pJ5b01NmPg9rRXcpsPq9zjWdBUxzPh5zvbFuiL3s5TvaHBhVEwi3Kwuvonx0sEw67rVMZ3jDV89lVm-OqnZB_HvbsSjxn1lezbLgwL9DL85yCi7BCTh/s3701/Yampa%20rafting%20Thursday%20big%20horned%20sheep%20(1).jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="3701" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlGqzVbeLOm2-ySrukz54qfhxLE5vxU9J3B1cWuBw41XPaZmZI3kDIbVyZIf0UgXTbBSU-pJ5b01NmPg9rRXcpsPq9zjWdBUxzPh5zvbFuiL3s5TvaHBhVEwi3Kwuvonx0sEw67rVMZ3jDV89lVm-OqnZB_HvbsSjxn1lezbLgwL9DL85yCi7BCTh/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Thursday%20big%20horned%20sheep%20(1).jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Bighorn Sheep. Every day we got to share the river with a flock or two of bighorn sheep! It never got old.<br /></li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GphH0nb-XrFJCb68grWMCBCWDojSJWLgkuKlz7ADb0QctH5JBtbR7IaUpgvq-MBzibVjlDbNlKyR8f-3irME6WPItdzuZNCH5teZ91EkGyyuh_8t4yvZBrqOuLnADQDOW2ynVwd3m4kcUrLOPH8x1jzmi7DOor7s_Vk6n4FkmZTUh6N0zdLcvObm/s2966/Yampa%20rafting%20Sunday%20pelicans.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1977" data-original-width="2966" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GphH0nb-XrFJCb68grWMCBCWDojSJWLgkuKlz7ADb0QctH5JBtbR7IaUpgvq-MBzibVjlDbNlKyR8f-3irME6WPItdzuZNCH5teZ91EkGyyuh_8t4yvZBrqOuLnADQDOW2ynVwd3m4kcUrLOPH8x1jzmi7DOor7s_Vk6n4FkmZTUh6N0zdLcvObm/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Sunday%20pelicans.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Pelicans and Bald Eagles. We also saw at least one bald eagle every day and a whole flock of pelicans!<br /></li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLpdD2zQ3HHtmWQS1KTBiG-M07BCVO9PAdOwt96GBKFv9F4fdnbR_nrOJ9Gjc0hCVUVM6awprTPR5qlHNSH2FJDCVSiu8u2n60scPGmw5SH3-HhYfBE-gJpKnO1ACVKIijXtudfbczsmzaKlyW2GkIArtWqTLvUDeYddx8rinDwDlXu1Co1hHAuKj/s4032/Yampa%20rafting%20Thursday%20camp%20moon%20and%20tent.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLpdD2zQ3HHtmWQS1KTBiG-M07BCVO9PAdOwt96GBKFv9F4fdnbR_nrOJ9Gjc0hCVUVM6awprTPR5qlHNSH2FJDCVSiu8u2n60scPGmw5SH3-HhYfBE-gJpKnO1ACVKIijXtudfbczsmzaKlyW2GkIArtWqTLvUDeYddx8rinDwDlXu1Co1hHAuKj/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Thursday%20camp%20moon%20and%20tent.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>Stars. Good Lord, the stars at night. It was just amazing. <br /></li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLL-ZETnYBjWLMu1qSmbKujusn5vlTc8hPMUBOg51Xzopu4gmz47FW3SyhBp4cTID6auGllPepNi3N3ocX7MqgFCUvuwIN9Lite6TwIR4BG-zOCrXKSGZ-fLz1nAmcwKABErk8cKM4yFTi41qzcsrMPf6K5UzgHrJ0qDCDGYYFoipxCArrhbwZlD-/s4032/Yampa%20rafting%20Saturday%20camp%20costume%20night%20Sasha%20Ben%20Ethan.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLL-ZETnYBjWLMu1qSmbKujusn5vlTc8hPMUBOg51Xzopu4gmz47FW3SyhBp4cTID6auGllPepNi3N3ocX7MqgFCUvuwIN9Lite6TwIR4BG-zOCrXKSGZ-fLz1nAmcwKABErk8cKM4yFTi41qzcsrMPf6K5UzgHrJ0qDCDGYYFoipxCArrhbwZlD-/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Saturday%20camp%20costume%20night%20Sasha%20Ben%20Ethan.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Costume (and Steak) Night. Our final night's meal attire and shenanigans were eclipsed only by its deliciousness. I promise they were having fun in this photo, they just didn't want to admit it. That or they were impatient waiting for the steak.<br /></li></ul></div><div> </div><div>I don't really know how to describe the magic of River Time. It's slow and delightful and beautiful. It's connected and disconnected all at once. And I just can't get enough of it. Now that I've come home and gotten my shower and washed some laundry, I'm pretty sure it's time to go back out on the river...<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQsAi6hjQabxeu63qhGKxdPBJXVMoHT4FzfhLOX4Nkx4tLyApaYyPzhKhO17612oLhoT9MJFQ-_90YdgrZlqAfzvsvLWmtIDsIvpIRJsW0O5BEMtXjsQ7hq5cGPuLxI1d_Vqfkaj0-sdUqy7r5jbFLSYbNqbkSoLAlMydog3ZSpbceKAlsYdRmvnf/s4032/Yampa%20rafting%20Friday%20camp%20dancing.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQsAi6hjQabxeu63qhGKxdPBJXVMoHT4FzfhLOX4Nkx4tLyApaYyPzhKhO17612oLhoT9MJFQ-_90YdgrZlqAfzvsvLWmtIDsIvpIRJsW0O5BEMtXjsQ7hq5cGPuLxI1d_Vqfkaj0-sdUqy7r5jbFLSYbNqbkSoLAlMydog3ZSpbceKAlsYdRmvnf/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Friday%20camp%20dancing.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsEocS5pq6UneakstNjj9_oE0uZ3oDnDYzz5C-rWXmBd_puMoLwZF20VD1Jd2IG9p26k4mz-eoZ-5KEYuD80_LD-8MIK0ZgCPZaw6sgF_DPWvbJAQyB8ub6_tgopzxADzAZp7oIyNnNdujRmg1RfZnsR5vttAWTzR2ckQtQycv1NqwB7Fm8u8-1cJ/s4032/Yampa%20rafting%20Sunday%20whole%20group%20crazy%20(1).jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsEocS5pq6UneakstNjj9_oE0uZ3oDnDYzz5C-rWXmBd_puMoLwZF20VD1Jd2IG9p26k4mz-eoZ-5KEYuD80_LD-8MIK0ZgCPZaw6sgF_DPWvbJAQyB8ub6_tgopzxADzAZp7oIyNnNdujRmg1RfZnsR5vttAWTzR2ckQtQycv1NqwB7Fm8u8-1cJ/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Sunday%20whole%20group%20crazy%20(1).jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlr1oo575Ilnaekcrd2JbzhoPQsECiiLSzhi5aBDBnkVcf3b0bzMryaMW88Lx-_VfLP0lLsTYW9CTLseZRZ_voU0MLV4uRsIN7JuV-2Jh6V_y7ic02d8ey6HlS_dv3xzRt9jdtiPB-B74aWJj7fGBWNXPULmGjVm5nbpBWnTv1pEr8t-kJsXVhCu_X/s4032/Yampa%20rafting%20Thursday%20wagon%20wheel%20hike%20Steve%20Jamie.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlr1oo575Ilnaekcrd2JbzhoPQsECiiLSzhi5aBDBnkVcf3b0bzMryaMW88Lx-_VfLP0lLsTYW9CTLseZRZ_voU0MLV4uRsIN7JuV-2Jh6V_y7ic02d8ey6HlS_dv3xzRt9jdtiPB-B74aWJj7fGBWNXPULmGjVm5nbpBWnTv1pEr8t-kJsXVhCu_X/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Thursday%20wagon%20wheel%20hike%20Steve%20Jamie.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswGOKUnMFOCc91OoMAZPNkvHVUMeHKd5b0VRMul6_Ow2wDbAUjUDN45JDsoCB-LavtzgtGQXQzT6V_tt3d4b6CWJeRMSrR5hf9zlpqV60LJT6gGGVkUB6E-Aj-vvlhbk5VvLGFJrF7wqJWM6-uhmqln4KeSsLQa4UHn8xde-Dnd80rBx5gcKnOaB4/s4032/Yampa%20rafting%20Thursday%20wagon%20wheel%20hike%20view.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswGOKUnMFOCc91OoMAZPNkvHVUMeHKd5b0VRMul6_Ow2wDbAUjUDN45JDsoCB-LavtzgtGQXQzT6V_tt3d4b6CWJeRMSrR5hf9zlpqV60LJT6gGGVkUB6E-Aj-vvlhbk5VvLGFJrF7wqJWM6-uhmqln4KeSsLQa4UHn8xde-Dnd80rBx5gcKnOaB4/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Thursday%20wagon%20wheel%20hike%20view.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jI9d-xGGz-IezAZNg5Y1SchPE8ZDngzfdZnr-qDcKzfSdTrJ20iS6emsSo8r7Uh9xXNSmRcAo6KVvsOg17Xquh92irisrJXg25fUbrOo1Uq9uDxe1RfHw1Hx5Gwdm1MjUi48SBOkEfE-t7SY8vcNv7MH-HBdc_HtYNkxhihBNzyrl_ptFbDNudb4/s3909/Yampa%20rafting%20Thursday%20Steve%20Ben%20small%20craft.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2605" data-original-width="3909" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jI9d-xGGz-IezAZNg5Y1SchPE8ZDngzfdZnr-qDcKzfSdTrJ20iS6emsSo8r7Uh9xXNSmRcAo6KVvsOg17Xquh92irisrJXg25fUbrOo1Uq9uDxe1RfHw1Hx5Gwdm1MjUi48SBOkEfE-t7SY8vcNv7MH-HBdc_HtYNkxhihBNzyrl_ptFbDNudb4/s320/Yampa%20rafting%20Thursday%20Steve%20Ben%20small%20craft.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-12212561743600597472022-05-23T17:32:00.002-06:002022-05-23T17:32:41.958-06:00Never Stop Learning<p>I was dramatically influenced by the hundreds (thousands?) of hours I spent glued to the TV watching Saturday morning cartoons. Let's be real, Gummy Bears, Snorks, and Fraggle Rock taught me absolutely nothing (although I can still sing the entire Gummy Bears theme song), but apparently those "Never Stop Learning - The More You Know" ads sunk in, because boy do I love school. There are plenty of good and not-so-good reasons for my love of structured education (perhaps we'll get into all of that in a future post) but since graduating 15 years ago with my MBA I always figured I'd go back... I just never quite knew when or what to pursue. </p><p>And, now, the time has arrived! In August I start a M.A. in Counseling: Clinical Mental Health from the Townsend Institute at Concordia University Irvine! </p><p>Reading this, you probably fall into one of two camps (or, perhaps, three camps if we count the, "I don't really care this much about your life, Jamie" camp. Legit. Save yourself 5 minutes and stop reading now, Camp 3ers):</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Oh, wow, cool</li><li>Why on earth would you do that?</li></ol><div>Fair questions, Camp 2 friends. I mean, I already have an established and successful career. I'm not exactly wallowing in free time. I get to help tons of people in my job today as a manager. Why sign up for more?</div><div><br /></div><div>The career I've built is amazing - I feel like I've been able to do so much good for so many people and have learned and grown so very much in the 20 years since graduating with my BA. A few months ago I did the math and realized that at the time when I finish this program and graduate, I'll have as much time left between graduation and 65 (if we treat 65 as an arbitrary retirement age) as I've spent building this career. I have so much time left to do and build and learn and grow amazing things! And that got me really excited that it was <b>totally</b> the time to pursue something new.</div><div><br /></div><div>What's the end game? Honestly, I don't know. That's part of why I love this path so much. I could finish this degree, decide not to license, and keep on doing what I'm doing right now, only better equipped to understand and help others and myself. I could do 2 classes, decide this was not a great idea, and leave grateful for what I've learned. I could finish the program, license, and pursue a whole new career in counseling. I could create a new position in this industry and company I love so much that blends my experience in software and my newfound counseling skills and understanding. The options are endless!</div><div><br /></div><div>And why Counseling? At the end of the day, I do believe that people are the only thing that counts and the only thing that lasts. And I see this program as an opportunity to learn more about people, what makes us tick, and how to create spaces to help folks live better. I've also been helped so much by my experiences working with a wise and wonderful counselor over the past few years, and I get excited about the chance to make a similar difference in others' lives, especially in the lives of professional women in Utah Valley. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, off we go on a brave new journey. Classes start in August and it will take me about 3 years to finish working full time and going to school part time. Adventure awaits!</div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-52459935742547144272022-05-23T16:59:00.002-06:002022-05-23T16:59:50.932-06:00Reflections on Serving: Sasha<p><span style="border: none; clear: left; display: inline-block; float: left; height: 233px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 350px;"><img height="233" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/juzTyGF3TP6YY2pMBhvDiOBasq8Trc7jlrEOMg0aMmNF-6UzIZa6AE0M1EScTwFTBbpjqoU12Sb-RUZe6rvr0xxNSE3LoWgdUX6L8EtvGC3a5EMMZ4WhXeymBcDDzk6p6KneHzeE6KIWuC7INQ" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="350" /></span> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">This was my fifth year down to Mexico, and it was another amazing trip. Went down with a big and wonderful group this year. It was the first year that we brought down a small group from our highschool youth group, and that was a truly amazing experience to spend time with the people I love and care for from my youth group. It was amazing to show them the place that I love, and to show them it and enjoy a week with them in one of my homes away from home. Not only was our small youth group amazing to hang out with, but everyone on this trip was amazing. We had such a big range of ages, and personalities, and for me that made the trip so much fun. Because we got to experience so many different things, just being around a crew for a week almost 24/7 really impacts you. </span></p><p><span style="border: none; clear: right; display: inline-block; float: right; height: 320px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 240px;"><img height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Db4ZIVrqwzM4lKceFK6I9-oqxQLZC6C63qW-mIpJjz1kFGVUiYO9SrRyH3sEiucow5iEYVenb-LJgijFdQVHbS9wGKaXkJz6GbUZw6wkTHHKXhvvZCp7PQ9ku2NIBo2qbMhCkLmMnYhbS03neA" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="240" /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The biggest thing I took back from the trip this year that really struck me hard this year is: Be grateful for what you have. As a teenager there are so many things that I want that I don’t have. But there’s also stuff that I do have, and I’m very ungrateful that I have it. When I’m down in Mexico, I see the kids who either don’t have new clothes or don’t have toys or they don’t have shoes. I always feel really sad and I want to immediately give them a new toy or go take them out shopping or try and give them something I have that I don’t need. At that moment, I always have to take a step back and just watch. I realize that they're ok with the things they have. They make it work. When we're down there I always see the kids happy, and it’s always before we give out the donations. It’s when we were first there and they first met us. They don’t care about getting new clothes or toys, or anything. All they want at that moment is someone to hang out with and play, someone to talk to about things they like, and someone to love them. I realize I have so much of that love to share, and at no cost. And in the long run. That is going to be so much more helpful than a pair of shoes that are going to wear out in a week. </span></p><p><span style="border: none; clear: left; display: inline-block; float: left; height: 301px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 226px;"><img height="301" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/y22oBDsRJRuCXPN4IRKMwOPqoNVnQQ3Q9Y_uAaWfzbbv-zuIbeeerT4Wa0DzCG6G_q7efqGHs-UbU83C66EXkJAdukbPKbWNA_kISoGoMsbYQrXHeGefdoWDTmA_nWuf_ezNapf6Qra04sn7Gg" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="226" /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For me Mexico, it’s not only a place to get away, but it’s also a place to learn and take back to America to apply to my life. This year, coming down as a highschool with three others from my youth group, really pushed me to learn and listen, and take back good and hard things from the trip, and to talk about it with people around me and to apply some of those new hard things I learned to help me become a better person in my home community. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-0d30f89b-7fff-6dea-2bf6-d9fc94afa915"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I can’t wait to go again next year with another amazing crew and another lesson and story to bring back.</span></p><br /></span>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-33177358209710366482022-01-01T21:26:00.000-07:002022-01-01T21:26:21.432-07:00New Year, Same Intention<p>Last year, <a href="http://morningstarhappenings.blogspot.com/2021/01/intention-in-three-bracelets.html">my new year’s intention</a> was “gentle” and as I thought through 2021, reflected on all I’ve learned, and thought about the year to come, I feel like an emphasis on gentleness in 2022 is a good focus.</p><p>I know that many people really struggled in 2021, but it’s been ok for me. Maybe I’ve just been beaten into submission. I mean, there has been a lot of hardship - my dad’s been ill, our dog died, work had its natural ups and downs, Steve’s been working like mad with all of the changes at Sundance. And those struggles have brought some beautiful growth - Steve and I have been working hard on our marriage, Ben has been transitioning into adulthood, Sam has been finding his way. I’m healing and growing and learning to be gentle with myself and others.</p><p> Here’s the Bible verse I’m focusing on in this new year: </p><blockquote><center>Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.</center><div style="text-align: right;">Philippians 4:4-5</div></blockquote><p>To me, this verse has it all: joy, gentleness, presence. Everything I pray that 2022 brings. For me, for you, for all of us. </p><p><br /></p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-20759249027795588662021-12-31T18:01:00.001-07:002021-12-31T18:01:35.256-07:00Goodbyes<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBclQeN82nJTsZ6Ps3NlqCXl79WpP6Q4IGTEdMrvPDDOg_tTw8xwI12h9G-9uFE0GhYk0gQcwDJVB3rpwrO1sQs2CvV-pTpMHgpOBfn6WNHL85M6vDZQKxUuxHnLz6CMFpV7VIAud-CEDpkvVsiSOJt080LDseYX2A1KYqbGTaFTwXva1WNLVTol7O=s864" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="864" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBclQeN82nJTsZ6Ps3NlqCXl79WpP6Q4IGTEdMrvPDDOg_tTw8xwI12h9G-9uFE0GhYk0gQcwDJVB3rpwrO1sQs2CvV-pTpMHgpOBfn6WNHL85M6vDZQKxUuxHnLz6CMFpV7VIAud-CEDpkvVsiSOJt080LDseYX2A1KYqbGTaFTwXva1WNLVTol7O=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br />Two weeks ago we lost a good friend and great dog - ChenXing Morningstar. It's hard to say goodbye. We still really miss her. But it's good to remember and reflect on the time we had together. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1fAOAXKnhkO9eryVbyGKAdeAxcHpl6-wsfq6qud5O0xRx1UCMKFVHhFkoYnXxCL-RrQQu2gCtx3PXKyXzD_xy_r6J6KUjeU6g5NewcSaYPXrIDEaRTWrKa6eKk4Ok28HuHidOpY_VZs-1qST58d3C0NNIzwVTBV637ANPW1Kmg0-oZk-xnoDi4xLh=s2985" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2985" data-original-width="2239" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1fAOAXKnhkO9eryVbyGKAdeAxcHpl6-wsfq6qud5O0xRx1UCMKFVHhFkoYnXxCL-RrQQu2gCtx3PXKyXzD_xy_r6J6KUjeU6g5NewcSaYPXrIDEaRTWrKa6eKk4Ok28HuHidOpY_VZs-1qST58d3C0NNIzwVTBV637ANPW1Kmg0-oZk-xnoDi4xLh=s320" width="240" /></a>Chen was the most unlikely looking boxer-golden retriever mix you could ask for. Although her mom was a classic golden retriever, Chen's coat was super dark and everybody always assumed she was a black lab. In the sunlight, though, you could see her beautiful golden undercoat. </div><p>ChenXing's best feature by far were her ears. She kept her super soft puppy ears even as she grew into adulthood. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0xi6nCV_0iVVQWmIXFIhUN6lbnVd1Z0m4hDaxxAhuEWnaOlQVTgHS7nQdgAVr98Vy4sXq2Cu1bK35F35lDxZZsaEpMNGcLH_BkAhEqrnAiXPX_OStzlmbuNXlKPWbygXy6zFmEODRZTPVSXPnfnAjIDPB4qo79tODXA1FN7KNcvkyQVeqrBZN60-a=s4272" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="4272" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0xi6nCV_0iVVQWmIXFIhUN6lbnVd1Z0m4hDaxxAhuEWnaOlQVTgHS7nQdgAVr98Vy4sXq2Cu1bK35F35lDxZZsaEpMNGcLH_BkAhEqrnAiXPX_OStzlmbuNXlKPWbygXy6zFmEODRZTPVSXPnfnAjIDPB4qo79tODXA1FN7KNcvkyQVeqrBZN60-a=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZsuk2Jey0_3k5KJaevlJ-RHYjisJqgNC6agl2YTqMNqkCHCcx0BIAmhYouYwA_1wBP0wG9FiK7t6tQS8BHKAo9c2OIxQ3LzZsbCNFjRky2cZFMTlEFFyJEiIBQ0Z9EK_QOb8FtYQi2hOzfnt3dP6f-mBhWmgJiia3FibiBFVxjQlVdaubkauIMEb_=s3264" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZsuk2Jey0_3k5KJaevlJ-RHYjisJqgNC6agl2YTqMNqkCHCcx0BIAmhYouYwA_1wBP0wG9FiK7t6tQS8BHKAo9c2OIxQ3LzZsbCNFjRky2cZFMTlEFFyJEiIBQ0Z9EK_QOb8FtYQi2hOzfnt3dP6f-mBhWmgJiia3FibiBFVxjQlVdaubkauIMEb_=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhElR3mSy2WuOZ4VLtGqkYpzKltmaFeljZsKgg8eLNAtZtgHeiy4-D3cOI5qRqRHSCHOw0l80zrffJOAnzN2ZGwKhR73S789wxKSyGiiLfgvseBvHrMP4b2_oI_w3QPrYSyXaB-nHBnDITOcj3rhWIyntzGWwsBbjlsc20cYU8ZkaKMMWkKB1Fr4lqW=s4032" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhElR3mSy2WuOZ4VLtGqkYpzKltmaFeljZsKgg8eLNAtZtgHeiy4-D3cOI5qRqRHSCHOw0l80zrffJOAnzN2ZGwKhR73S789wxKSyGiiLfgvseBvHrMP4b2_oI_w3QPrYSyXaB-nHBnDITOcj3rhWIyntzGWwsBbjlsc20cYU8ZkaKMMWkKB1Fr4lqW=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Chen's needs were simple and few - as much food as possible, as much swimming as possible, as little exercise as possible, as much cuddling as possible. She was Ben's very best bud and a good friend to us all. She wasn't a particularly bright girl, and she got nervous around strangers, but once she knew you she'd be your friend forever. She loved the water, she put up with Ben constantly wrestling with and lounging on her, she had the biggest paws, and did we mention those soft, soft ears?<p></p><p>Two weeks ago she was feeling lethargic during the day and then at around 8 pm started being having obvious troubles. Ben and I threw on shoes, Ben picked her up (no small feat - she was a big girl!) and we rushed to the animal hospital. She died in his arms just as we arrived. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOUaznNl4iXKghlsHGetg45R9bDoXhzrKMLjDjb_ZIDgSKASz76lVnQaHfmtEfCtNsgSbbM6uVfwyIw3845vk8KId-sUf3t_8Q9sj2hRHqLyP99G8to3n8kD9LHtKaiyOGtzClfx7hDnnfqP0WLQYW4NGVvGq2hM2LpE5pHMP5CgVxCBkjn93HhMoq=s4032" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOUaznNl4iXKghlsHGetg45R9bDoXhzrKMLjDjb_ZIDgSKASz76lVnQaHfmtEfCtNsgSbbM6uVfwyIw3845vk8KId-sUf3t_8Q9sj2hRHqLyP99G8to3n8kD9LHtKaiyOGtzClfx7hDnnfqP0WLQYW4NGVvGq2hM2LpE5pHMP5CgVxCBkjn93HhMoq=s320" width="320" /></a></div>We'll never know exactly what happened to her - it may have been a tumor that burst or that was pushing on her heart, maybe an intestinal blockage, maybe just a heart attack. We are grateful that she wasn't in pain when she died and that she spent her last moments in the arms of the person she loved best. She was only five years old. We lost her far too early. <br /><p></p><p>ChenXing means Morningstar in Chinese. She wore it well.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9cxJO2FmmN15_tbeFNeFF5k87NeM6WY_3CPxaOLts940mdd0HMhlS1D9t5flzdCkAXdGcP6wuOrZDyJsXYZvdCKKv8HcOLHrVw9sckocherdSkAG57QtvJknw1Ss3hRNrN1GCH_38WFZn5Bg3oJWGFxEmY6G-DoyMssM71chwiiZWqcbgOLHPzP3X=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9cxJO2FmmN15_tbeFNeFF5k87NeM6WY_3CPxaOLts940mdd0HMhlS1D9t5flzdCkAXdGcP6wuOrZDyJsXYZvdCKKv8HcOLHrVw9sckocherdSkAG57QtvJknw1Ss3hRNrN1GCH_38WFZn5Bg3oJWGFxEmY6G-DoyMssM71chwiiZWqcbgOLHPzP3X=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2nL0w1mQyKrrT515gg5a8ZM-cmc8EzWIawA4ZQo3XMs5ehRzeLsvdikRhUKlcqeuAoG0s_7jd6GYRglENh-LwaccXyJcfKUMTbe9vW6KCxrM6P1oCwi0J2eFdeOHDFEpdYd5msiWdjiQW1bAwIiprIKp9mpnWSF6Yb5UgsGyTp0AR79aZ1FBbm0C4=s3207" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="3207" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2nL0w1mQyKrrT515gg5a8ZM-cmc8EzWIawA4ZQo3XMs5ehRzeLsvdikRhUKlcqeuAoG0s_7jd6GYRglENh-LwaccXyJcfKUMTbe9vW6KCxrM6P1oCwi0J2eFdeOHDFEpdYd5msiWdjiQW1bAwIiprIKp9mpnWSF6Yb5UgsGyTp0AR79aZ1FBbm0C4=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMx0Hec59m6mW9uuUgMVyXX9R56f_TZ5lJzM328RvJYzrAQKhkZXve-cwcHJfcXYKrwmGGG5N3ZLFubG7j9OjnmhW2krMaqAjZlWksqdaOfeyefWyj1yDDcwiTk_QZbU1SI3qXL7r_ngMp_8vBVuSMRdVkRJuRs8yoD3HogIKFIIyMRVVDUDw3HwMv=s3607" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="3607" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMx0Hec59m6mW9uuUgMVyXX9R56f_TZ5lJzM328RvJYzrAQKhkZXve-cwcHJfcXYKrwmGGG5N3ZLFubG7j9OjnmhW2krMaqAjZlWksqdaOfeyefWyj1yDDcwiTk_QZbU1SI3qXL7r_ngMp_8vBVuSMRdVkRJuRs8yoD3HogIKFIIyMRVVDUDw3HwMv=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-24827391750996075562021-10-17T22:42:00.002-06:002021-10-17T22:42:36.688-06:00Learnings from Hogar de Amor<p>We had a truly blessed week in Colima, and I'm filled with gratitude for our jam-packed and all-too-short time at Hogar de Amor. If you missed the blog posts on our team blog, check out https://centerpointmexico.blogspot.com and read Sasha's wonderful day-by-day summary of our trip!</p><p>There's so much to celebrate about our week in Colima. I am grateful for the time we got to spend with the kids playing games and doing crafts and eating so much great food. I am grateful for the time we got to spend with the caregivers sharing stories and hugs and laughing together and, yes, also eating (we do a lot of eating). I am grateful for the tasks we were able to complete to make the houses more comfortable and more beautiful. I am grateful for our time as a team, caring for each other, getting to know each other, and serving each other. I am grateful for the time we got to spend together as a family, especially reunited with Ben after his months away volunteering at Hogar de Amor!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2Qq7U2HAKJnZ2vKYhQejjQld4d1RNcP_s1A3Jkmzc0H1aRQF0lHbLwg0yTgyIg3fH4YbnHiVu8PHYUJPRz19r0VcuEWjzsnJ8EjFmB8Ta0G0FcVH4Pcvp7OUGQFsKoSsQW78T83Y6K4/s4032/IMG_5664.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2Qq7U2HAKJnZ2vKYhQejjQld4d1RNcP_s1A3Jkmzc0H1aRQF0lHbLwg0yTgyIg3fH4YbnHiVu8PHYUJPRz19r0VcuEWjzsnJ8EjFmB8Ta0G0FcVH4Pcvp7OUGQFsKoSsQW78T83Y6K4/s320/IMG_5664.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>Every time we come to Coima, God does something different in each of us. This trip, as we were hiking down the canyon river on Thursday enjoying time in the jungle and in God's beauty and with people we love, I was struck with a beautiful lesson. <p></p><p>I was thinking about the word "to wait" in Spanish, <i>esperar</i>. I was thinking about how this trip was categorized by waiting. The team waited 18 months to be able to take this trip. The caregivers waited and waited for the pandemic restrictions to lift - for the kids to be able to be back in school, for the homes to be out of lockdown, for other volunteers to be able to come and relieve these caregivers who work so hard. The kids have waited for their families to get healthy, waited for the next chapter in their stories. The staff has waited on donations to come, hoping that they would be able to pay the bills as the pandemic affected every aspect of their community. </p><p>So much waiting. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXxEhAuceAeN8dPB8xavgpG0f1QlRvBfQPi73CEK1eQy8WN-8WQgXZ3jEg-tVO9Lsn7Y1Vs4dodxAG5rCYMtjovafZmPu-dSqmHKrjcQOa5ADdnw-TGdF9grPudGM9rI9RyvN8ICPJow/s1280/IMG_5692.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXxEhAuceAeN8dPB8xavgpG0f1QlRvBfQPi73CEK1eQy8WN-8WQgXZ3jEg-tVO9Lsn7Y1Vs4dodxAG5rCYMtjovafZmPu-dSqmHKrjcQOa5ADdnw-TGdF9grPudGM9rI9RyvN8ICPJow/s320/IMG_5692.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>And yet there's something very cool about the word <i>esperar</i>. Not only does it mean "to wait," but it also means "to hope." The same word that you'd use to say "<i>wait</i> over here" you'd also use to say, "I <i>hope</i> we have a white Christmas." Waiting and hoping. Waiting in hope. How cool is it that the words are one and the same in Spanish?<p></p><p>It made me think of one of my favorite verses:</p><blockquote><p>We wait in hope for the Lord;<br /> he is our help and our shield.<br />In him our hearts rejoice,<br /> for we trust in his holy name.</p><p style="text-align: right;">Psalm 33:20-21<br /></p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcOYm0g42zufVQXLHfxQLEgYVYgU_H7oYXLlY9Zl1Paly0-Adm93rm_b7YmSYYsHfiqRGWI9qYoqz3a1J8VVM75OBi1wvS-1I5FUURRqU6J2VTlqx2xoGHm8g7lgnai7e32n0c8DliF8/s4032/IMG_5666.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcOYm0g42zufVQXLHfxQLEgYVYgU_H7oYXLlY9Zl1Paly0-Adm93rm_b7YmSYYsHfiqRGWI9qYoqz3a1J8VVM75OBi1wvS-1I5FUURRqU6J2VTlqx2xoGHm8g7lgnai7e32n0c8DliF8/s320/IMG_5666.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>God does beautiful things in us through our active, hopeful waiting. I think part of the reason that this trip was so special was that we waited so long for this reunion with our Hogar de Amor family.<p></p><p>And now the cycle of hopeful waiting begins anew as we plan and anticipate our spring trip. Waiting, hoping, <i>esperando</i>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aTBr7uqJtlH6H7QZf91cqEi06HBze8pWYMCGpActSY_x9K51gyy0dXqeFmhOM3OHJbcc-G1352t5vsyn9x6YpigQ7Uiw1G6tEwsZeTjjtkWoo4bUJnQpLAXsLiBGJYnHlMd8eEbhEsA/s4032/IMG_5227.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aTBr7uqJtlH6H7QZf91cqEi06HBze8pWYMCGpActSY_x9K51gyy0dXqeFmhOM3OHJbcc-G1352t5vsyn9x6YpigQ7Uiw1G6tEwsZeTjjtkWoo4bUJnQpLAXsLiBGJYnHlMd8eEbhEsA/s320/IMG_5227.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-49585406367504840132021-06-14T21:39:00.002-06:002021-06-14T21:39:38.156-06:00Our Grand Canyon Adventure<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJMG7Zw5DZCjFN1p9XQBPVC6ML2Tsz8vLay0gskEGsxc_YodGLN9xCOnO3FEufR72l1zJllgKOX-NlZLPZ-sU4GQ8-ysM9dlBHtSOWpyYGYhGXGPMmpEonqD-HjEfclDtox0iHdsB-qM/s2048/IMG_2805.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJMG7Zw5DZCjFN1p9XQBPVC6ML2Tsz8vLay0gskEGsxc_YodGLN9xCOnO3FEufR72l1zJllgKOX-NlZLPZ-sU4GQ8-ysM9dlBHtSOWpyYGYhGXGPMmpEonqD-HjEfclDtox0iHdsB-qM/s320/IMG_2805.jpeg" width="320" /></a>It was the adventure two years in the planning - 2021 was the year we were going to raft Grand Canyon! Steve has wanted to go down the Grand for basically forever, and the minimum age requirement was 12. So two years ago we plunked down our deposit for 6 days on the Colorado River and waited patiently for WanYing's 12th birthday and the passing of Covid. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDikXvfPphvq4_CIKKzBfhjALTuTdmtiPi3ObKT31KMDysBVglLavx8imnLwRHTF2SdZ_WPhPMYqCvnIkyYpCXcRzIKo_sE9CQX48aj9_JvQ76zQ7QmvCZxhPHzXATac1qESIZplC9bfU/s2048/IMG_2649.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDikXvfPphvq4_CIKKzBfhjALTuTdmtiPi3ObKT31KMDysBVglLavx8imnLwRHTF2SdZ_WPhPMYqCvnIkyYpCXcRzIKo_sE9CQX48aj9_JvQ76zQ7QmvCZxhPHzXATac1qESIZplC9bfU/s320/IMG_2649.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>And, finally, it was May 5th and time to suit up and head down the Colorado! The drysuits were purchased, the neoprene booties and gloves were packed, the eco shampoo was in our bags, and it was go-time!<p></p><p>We had an astounding trip and I would recommend it to anybody looking for an exceptional adventure. It wasn't for the faint of heart - the rapids were big and the potties were outdoors - and man oh man did we have a good time.</p><p>Here's my highlight and lowlight reel:</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Highlight: Outings</h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckXo-GPibDWHfVkBYeSItsDjEZXGWSwwOZIgyz7T0GOUKdqDAVQKqZdrPc036_4J4qk78VY6ZrBEKcLFEEETJAO6Cfrjq6ktMnRn1eTxRmg8iEHElx_7UaPvTO5z2oeFGUOhyphenhyphen92NlCHU/s2048/IMG_2671.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckXo-GPibDWHfVkBYeSItsDjEZXGWSwwOZIgyz7T0GOUKdqDAVQKqZdrPc036_4J4qk78VY6ZrBEKcLFEEETJAO6Cfrjq6ktMnRn1eTxRmg8iEHElx_7UaPvTO5z2oeFGUOhyphenhyphen92NlCHU/s320/IMG_2671.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>The coolest thing about spending multiple days down in Grand Canyon is that you get to stop and explore slot canyons, side rivers, and all sorts of little nooks and crannies that you can't get to any other way than being one of the few hundred people on the river. It's hard to pick out a favorite hike/excursion, since they were all so cool, but the Little Colorado River was definitely one of the best. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Little Colorado is mineral-rich, which gives it such a distinctive color. It's beautiful, and also a darn lot of fun to float down.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here are some favorite excursion photos:</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYWfbiRk_ylqoTmmutxtcPK_a_UQYF2E5clZt4slgOfE0be8SRpb7MT8htjasG9_YHe9dN09Kj63ic9W0xl3jej1t82ZxdaaKUo759kw-cFExxmD0YSMzs0DanxYlohUAfL60FYkf-xA/s2048/IMG_2707.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdYWfbiRk_ylqoTmmutxtcPK_a_UQYF2E5clZt4slgOfE0be8SRpb7MT8htjasG9_YHe9dN09Kj63ic9W0xl3jej1t82ZxdaaKUo759kw-cFExxmD0YSMzs0DanxYlohUAfL60FYkf-xA/s320/IMG_2707.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1Odf1chaLCe8Ccvpc0rleWOFp5P55zDhl3NKnJ2BpqUlj_jed95IH4qDZY0Hwg6Vcgh0K45LSuzn1pdeBJhZenhAFjiAxeS-p3cUC-mx8ph2_UnxkRpmGOwqgCLJnQdAGSV555plx50/s2048/IMG_2810.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1Odf1chaLCe8Ccvpc0rleWOFp5P55zDhl3NKnJ2BpqUlj_jed95IH4qDZY0Hwg6Vcgh0K45LSuzn1pdeBJhZenhAFjiAxeS-p3cUC-mx8ph2_UnxkRpmGOwqgCLJnQdAGSV555plx50/s320/IMG_2810.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3N_Z7-W7WTwTr71EJuov_QQ7inKNbG918lmG9utVz3RIrf4umbr6ocaHV7KIwISRP8aZ4OHmwoKAZXbamjeCV6-pPVJE2GXOBpsn8p72Uthh6ykzq-Jcv1Ps3kXfPodwPdXirSbgCC_4/s2048/IMG_2820.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3N_Z7-W7WTwTr71EJuov_QQ7inKNbG918lmG9utVz3RIrf4umbr6ocaHV7KIwISRP8aZ4OHmwoKAZXbamjeCV6-pPVJE2GXOBpsn8p72Uthh6ykzq-Jcv1Ps3kXfPodwPdXirSbgCC_4/s320/IMG_2820.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uwSlLZ550J91oDjoCQumWJQ2GMQEwSjr5S-mNwgOKAz4eDI5o6UZvyGeoEuBCg7_jYbm5rU9VSFz0o7DoG6TtEbNB7gra8gQH1zbWnR_RldlYHWwQArr99PAtHrb7D0Su2Z1IFISD5g/s2048/IMG_2836.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0uwSlLZ550J91oDjoCQumWJQ2GMQEwSjr5S-mNwgOKAz4eDI5o6UZvyGeoEuBCg7_jYbm5rU9VSFz0o7DoG6TtEbNB7gra8gQH1zbWnR_RldlYHWwQArr99PAtHrb7D0Su2Z1IFISD5g/s320/IMG_2836.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirENeGOjn9Epbne5nx5atTVxKsgcTeV5vHcPVS6Q-f1PMaezY51evVxMZhMWQb_mdCKQNhuuIR6sbnJoOfzgCq6_x3V3It_MWhRdc_Fkq4hbm7FIeOBf2bvdO97hridcqONork8sWBpFo/s2048/IMG_2868.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirENeGOjn9Epbne5nx5atTVxKsgcTeV5vHcPVS6Q-f1PMaezY51evVxMZhMWQb_mdCKQNhuuIR6sbnJoOfzgCq6_x3V3It_MWhRdc_Fkq4hbm7FIeOBf2bvdO97hridcqONork8sWBpFo/s320/IMG_2868.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RsA7oebrNn1AyIQFEhJ67FAdeXerNIFOBC74U4_9NQrdef_dzQ5oIdqI8y0GyeiyGGQ7LqfCQB_n_R0poliKDu5Y0k60ZnNnFndMUIzgT4MMMQoPXFw0f_kwR2rzMXU3m6QCD34wgFY/s2048/IMG_2931.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RsA7oebrNn1AyIQFEhJ67FAdeXerNIFOBC74U4_9NQrdef_dzQ5oIdqI8y0GyeiyGGQ7LqfCQB_n_R0poliKDu5Y0k60ZnNnFndMUIzgT4MMMQoPXFw0f_kwR2rzMXU3m6QCD34wgFY/s320/IMG_2931.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxNO3oiH-A6e00LlDti2qHKNMK7KPuHenRJiTWlAySqZGJdNE4sPewCUs6-BnEzdx4gq_0scLl7bUrtKv17Sw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div><h3> </h3><h3>Highlight: Camping under the stars<br /></h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjspPe_5Jy0l15J1_kFwImbxzIBmRubJktcClMz7F21LDwVYnEp21hTXaeREyd9ZTuFo6aANkeKxeq-JQWEooWEIIanBbVpBg8ZKweMviVrEAXFGBga5X4mvUXLJOv-NZO-WUKO072wo/s2048/IMG_2942.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjspPe_5Jy0l15J1_kFwImbxzIBmRubJktcClMz7F21LDwVYnEp21hTXaeREyd9ZTuFo6aANkeKxeq-JQWEooWEIIanBbVpBg8ZKweMviVrEAXFGBga5X4mvUXLJOv-NZO-WUKO072wo/s320/IMG_2942.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>We were blessed with incredible weather during our Grand Canyon adventure. Evening temperatures in the 60s, daytime temperatures in the mid-to-high 90s (this is downright balmy, the floor of Grand Canyon easily gets to 115 in the summer), and no rain at all! It was the perfect weather for sleeping out under the stars - we never even considered setting up a tent! Going to sleep under the stars, waking up to the Milky Way in full glory, it was amazing.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZXhxCK9VzShx7K4-CPaUCv3RgV0s8vSRdIaM20JFPDQPSPp-FpiY6rf3gSCj_6gt4CrYKKV3lbEOD3F0_SuqyFGzKa641hXpDwSMvaWYikR6RfFzraWNsSVKskftASL4Zl-pmcxicsI/s2048/IMG_2785.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZXhxCK9VzShx7K4-CPaUCv3RgV0s8vSRdIaM20JFPDQPSPp-FpiY6rf3gSCj_6gt4CrYKKV3lbEOD3F0_SuqyFGzKa641hXpDwSMvaWYikR6RfFzraWNsSVKskftASL4Zl-pmcxicsI/s320/IMG_2785.jpeg" /></a></div>My favorite night was when Sam and WanYing decided that they wanted to sleep out on a rock shelf. So they toted their cots and clothes up on the rocks and had arguably the greatest bedroom view of all time!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdczEbNKCu74Fhg6oz_eikFmDwUSxUOIkx0AmHANWkF51xdsoKatTE59xhzmeEI6ZhcLTY8CjmhaJ-2rmb1IluvtBo9NweXGH8BN9TQUQGNmTjhCcFG8U_SJj19_ocDu4ckjiLthOjvYg/s2048/IMG_2659.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdczEbNKCu74Fhg6oz_eikFmDwUSxUOIkx0AmHANWkF51xdsoKatTE59xhzmeEI6ZhcLTY8CjmhaJ-2rmb1IluvtBo9NweXGH8BN9TQUQGNmTjhCcFG8U_SJj19_ocDu4ckjiLthOjvYg/s320/IMG_2659.jpeg" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Lowlight: Waking up at 4:45</h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFCMHXB0g9AVMC43-rEEYbTjGbj4c18l4HvTH9NcR8F2PaDMz239AhqJdPNgkj4gAnGai_KVUC1a4aD1tSPJ0GkGSR5-X9x9bTgRP94ROADF6361EH6JbNxwqImzEpy6tXrm_i2NqrKM/s2048/IMG_2942.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFCMHXB0g9AVMC43-rEEYbTjGbj4c18l4HvTH9NcR8F2PaDMz239AhqJdPNgkj4gAnGai_KVUC1a4aD1tSPJ0GkGSR5-X9x9bTgRP94ROADF6361EH6JbNxwqImzEpy6tXrm_i2NqrKM/s320/IMG_2942.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Of course, the downside of sleeping out under the stars was that we were also up as soon as dawn's light broke. While waking up at or before 5 am will always rank as a lowlight for me under any circumstance, there was an ease that came with aligning to the sun's rhythms. We were in bed by nightfall and up at dawn and it was actually a-ok. Well, I think it was a-ok, the teenagers thought otherwise.</div><div> </div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Highlight: Rapids! </h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4KksYjn1Q1cAn2GRksnTnoavx2SzIXtWxg79EarVYTmVDJdc8cGl8_94eGLhdMXsmeWfaJc8UKHMYINWAwSfiZJv4o_2thwV3bKsL59HsfMOzw6cvNaDc9mDbkiRmJ74fJp302Ccw2w/s2048/22D80A73-DD4B-4C26-B4DD-E928A8AB592C-882-0000001DE5ADF889.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4KksYjn1Q1cAn2GRksnTnoavx2SzIXtWxg79EarVYTmVDJdc8cGl8_94eGLhdMXsmeWfaJc8UKHMYINWAwSfiZJv4o_2thwV3bKsL59HsfMOzw6cvNaDc9mDbkiRmJ74fJp302Ccw2w/s320/22D80A73-DD4B-4C26-B4DD-E928A8AB592C-882-0000001DE5ADF889.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>The big draw for rafting the Colorado (well, beyond getting to unplug and get away from it all and hang out with your very favorite people and having the staff feed you) is the rapids! A big canyon means big whitewater - Grand Canyon even has its own rapids rating system!<p></p><p>The hits were big and fun and we all went home having consumed no small quantity of the Colorado River as we laughed and shrieked down the rapids.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzuUMf_ESifgjAtRGLnuF94yLzf7OWXxFLRgrmLxvbsDXG2TbYFPq9Y6bqTJigT5rFQcQQxND7wQ1Ie0LRy1g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Highlight: A space for every style</h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAAiwujF2knXi8NCXKhprytH-SW2-m8aWKaZTz-xWlrOffH8nU0RfhFUIypa7LSvFlONrVtEsBA5ACsjT9TfhFJbApSMId2LqsPDsOmjTwxPdTs7HMtisK3vjt7lZJD8MYaorlRYkVR4/s2048/IMG_2898.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAAiwujF2knXi8NCXKhprytH-SW2-m8aWKaZTz-xWlrOffH8nU0RfhFUIypa7LSvFlONrVtEsBA5ACsjT9TfhFJbApSMId2LqsPDsOmjTwxPdTs7HMtisK3vjt7lZJD8MYaorlRYkVR4/s320/IMG_2898.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>The best thing about going with Western River Expeditions is that you get to go on a rig called a "<a href="https://www.westernriver.com/grand-canyon-vacation/raft">J Rig</a>."<p></p><p> J Rigs are giant pontoons lashed together front to back, which means that if you want to sit in the front you get a full rapids experience, but the farther back you sit the more sedate the trip becomes. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXb5ObS-LAm04-BVfJ2sDI_4FSxWYBlJ_-P9Az9uyVzPd85s6ikCEd8vvaPIGDsqxqF01mai0w0JSVw8j2BXOX_wqQS2IGEsJ93L6Rua2nd515oMalN_YQWtkqXMwnraoKZUNIwgdF0QY/s2048/IMG_2744.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXb5ObS-LAm04-BVfJ2sDI_4FSxWYBlJ_-P9Az9uyVzPd85s6ikCEd8vvaPIGDsqxqF01mai0w0JSVw8j2BXOX_wqQS2IGEsJ93L6Rua2nd515oMalN_YQWtkqXMwnraoKZUNIwgdF0QY/s320/IMG_2744.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>We all migrated from the front to the back to the front again, and we really appreciated having the choice of how extreme we wanted each rapid to be, including solid napping options.<br /><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogFXWGZWtwf3DnnEu8kLwA-laP3yE8Ly-W6Gli34SC799lIpFZLMD6b83QLoZd08BuuPaPANsyGw5yduS7SoCWwmKdCBuj2eZ7ad0GZZArfy2d0RJDexwQAhDw5NIOpK5o7p_lKez94Y/s2048/IMG_2641.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogFXWGZWtwf3DnnEu8kLwA-laP3yE8Ly-W6Gli34SC799lIpFZLMD6b83QLoZd08BuuPaPANsyGw5yduS7SoCWwmKdCBuj2eZ7ad0GZZArfy2d0RJDexwQAhDw5NIOpK5o7p_lKez94Y/s320/IMG_2641.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div> </h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">Lowlight: Dry skin</h3><div>I live in Utah, the land of incredibly dry skin. Our average humidity level, according to some random website I just Googled, is 0%, peaking to an average of about 10% in the summer months. Compare this to an average year-round humidity level of 67% in Westminster, Maryland (where we grew up), and that gives you a picture of how dry is the air that we're used to. </div><div><br /></div><div>However, we were not prepared for what Grand Canyon would do to our skin. </div><div><br /></div><div>Between the constant wet-dry cycles, the dry air, the sun, and the high salinity of the Colorado River after Lake Powell's evaporation, man did Grand Canyon do a number on our skin! Our knuckles were cracked, the corners of our eyes never stopped stinging, and we gratefully used up every drop of the 4 types of lotion I brought. Lip balm was more precious than gold. Our skin was seriously dry!</div><div><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Highlight: Everything about the staff</h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8D8CkQ2hfrBMAd39ZoMRpD1LP0un085lmqLaok1I_OcGeO-ZT3HmgawhmQOaD9xQlLCtbunu0vHyUbweA70gR2m0fPlMoVlniu9EDUTfnDgt0u6XU6KXd3xSPjouKb3A4KR2Y4WLxiHk/s2048/FpY7%2525ip0SH6%252BHpbaIRPLdw.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8D8CkQ2hfrBMAd39ZoMRpD1LP0un085lmqLaok1I_OcGeO-ZT3HmgawhmQOaD9xQlLCtbunu0vHyUbweA70gR2m0fPlMoVlniu9EDUTfnDgt0u6XU6KXd3xSPjouKb3A4KR2Y4WLxiHk/s320/FpY7%2525ip0SH6%252BHpbaIRPLdw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Our trip staff was simply amazing. They really loved what they did, they took amazing care of us, they fed us, they set up our potties, they took us on hikes, and every morning they were ready to do it all again. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzBZNr-fI0TZVfeqoXP9UUQKCEMpBMI8eKLoFdFVWH1JV4O3KXzE_wTB-BK0noKRX06Nnw7zxVa5CfdytRB0GpFUNDnhJgUTCqXRbHO0htP3WAFzdeUNQtIGqxy9O-ouEtEn3ecA1_M8/s2048/E54CD7CD-F096-48E0-980F-6A017D413A08-882-0000001D477CE7DD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzBZNr-fI0TZVfeqoXP9UUQKCEMpBMI8eKLoFdFVWH1JV4O3KXzE_wTB-BK0noKRX06Nnw7zxVa5CfdytRB0GpFUNDnhJgUTCqXRbHO0htP3WAFzdeUNQtIGqxy9O-ouEtEn3ecA1_M8/s320/E54CD7CD-F096-48E0-980F-6A017D413A08-882-0000001D477CE7DD.jpeg" /></a></div><br /></div></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Highlight: The helicopter ride</h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hwS1a1nkxkYrCepueyZJMqAMizVI6NEl9h3yezcYrzr58TcXfQNwYpfB0wHCsZK2wC-YP7t_dnlwHM56cwM32V3Iw-6f-Ygilw51dwOvUUEZoX8GUm_bhHkuNpeRb2WsFGUdf1YyVy8/s2048/IMG_2950.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5hwS1a1nkxkYrCepueyZJMqAMizVI6NEl9h3yezcYrzr58TcXfQNwYpfB0wHCsZK2wC-YP7t_dnlwHM56cwM32V3Iw-6f-Ygilw51dwOvUUEZoX8GUm_bhHkuNpeRb2WsFGUdf1YyVy8/s320/IMG_2950.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Because we "only" signed up for a 183-mile, 6 day trip, we got flown out of the canyon by helicopter! This was a first for our family and we loved it!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSjTGgrOXE-G7TrvpYW_EAsKoH7sylj7zPP0Pe7UZKiUJO-LoOFlm6pZIJBoNdO6_SKaFRTJRn6FWvM2mqPuhyphenhyphenBk_ad85BlY_uvRvGNNb9WDvqa7x9dIAJIjU5hbhibiERHAtuGDxGhc/s2048/IMG_2960.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzSjTGgrOXE-G7TrvpYW_EAsKoH7sylj7zPP0Pe7UZKiUJO-LoOFlm6pZIJBoNdO6_SKaFRTJRn6FWvM2mqPuhyphenhyphenBk_ad85BlY_uvRvGNNb9WDvqa7x9dIAJIjU5hbhibiERHAtuGDxGhc/s320/IMG_2960.jpeg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw0kU7Sj4HEDPplUii4sD9ZauxPGa6mNStwZy5RgVkkDpdEn7pQoTx1r8jq93KhT_E6OqnbiUFFUuesYKTJcw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Lowlight: The plane ride</h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8bCPtHuZm44maiWyRY7LexSfTX7KR4aw07gW1xeNjxuAHbpiQjU43X7vXnMXww45bm4KcFPWrsyszcv2-oGLJV4Fjrca3RiMAY2gDFB91WCGfkTRRRCTmzwAnJ7TQDLuTxEw34eYzY4/s2048/IMG_2970.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8bCPtHuZm44maiWyRY7LexSfTX7KR4aw07gW1xeNjxuAHbpiQjU43X7vXnMXww45bm4KcFPWrsyszcv2-oGLJV4Fjrca3RiMAY2gDFB91WCGfkTRRRCTmzwAnJ7TQDLuTxEw34eYzY4/s320/IMG_2970.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>After the helicopter ride and a shower (AMAZING!), we boarded a ~15 seat sightseeing plane for a 45-minute ride back to Lee's Ferry, where we put into the river and where our car was parked. It was, bar none, the most nauseating flight of my life. This was in no way the fault of the pilot or plane, they were both fine, it apparently is just how little flights go around Grand Canyon area. It was a beautiful, unspeakably awful flight.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvoAQTyfFvvXgBY6JWdUAZ7Mbtudn2EvpLMvo7mTFqedSSHnJj-GArfNdFXA_rreQ-ikdGl3y8vDOjitF8QTTkAd4R05c3NV_V_Tjh-9evkHhSG0qeu7EIr2ijXI1QEJBA0t8OAeT6S_s/s2048/IMG_2971.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvoAQTyfFvvXgBY6JWdUAZ7Mbtudn2EvpLMvo7mTFqedSSHnJj-GArfNdFXA_rreQ-ikdGl3y8vDOjitF8QTTkAd4R05c3NV_V_Tjh-9evkHhSG0qeu7EIr2ijXI1QEJBA0t8OAeT6S_s/s320/IMG_2971.jpeg" /></a></div></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"> </h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Best Highlight: Being together :)</h3><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_mlE-ykPqzPal-SuYqUqxrtxvlIIADHkZSuL4LFOiIa0WyxJCLBMWkQVQO5hBXBCFdbuKb8qbrq9I5vQiSS988NDBQBoUfRm5zWqGlhXGiwj0-Y0wHOQtzJqjUrCIhshwCVtyx0dFgVw/s2048/IMG_2765.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_mlE-ykPqzPal-SuYqUqxrtxvlIIADHkZSuL4LFOiIa0WyxJCLBMWkQVQO5hBXBCFdbuKb8qbrq9I5vQiSS988NDBQBoUfRm5zWqGlhXGiwj0-Y0wHOQtzJqjUrCIhshwCVtyx0dFgVw/s320/IMG_2765.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>The very best part of our Grand Canyon Adventure was just being together. No distractions, no to do lists, just us and the river and being fed food we didn't have to cook for ourselves and enjoying the simplicity of nature and the joy of being together. I really like these people.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>So, add a Grand Canyon rafting trip to your list of must-do adventures, and invite us when you go, we'd love to do it again!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-39865593826974087392021-01-18T16:37:00.000-07:002021-01-18T16:37:26.234-07:00Vacation Training<p>Since the dawn of time(ish) Steve has wanted to partake of the iconic American adventure of rafting through the Grand Canyon. We signed up 2 years ago to take a 7-day trip in May 2021, since it's the first year that WanYing will be old enough. There is also a helicopter involved. We are all very excited. </p><p>Like everybody else, all of our vacation plans last summer got
scrambled. We did a lot of local camping around the great state of Utah, which was great. And we started started thinking, "what could we do that keeps us out in the outdoors, socially distanced, and is still having a good time all together?" And, thus, our ramp-up plan for Grand Canyon rafting was born.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprueVZba-iA0tPYtS3UKUFjhatXicbHWT-ZmHSbOdMLv_ZaSHjzx4OQ6ksrpF75PU7pNifRjyVgHpMCTE6QJSLCow80ldeKtqS3xZhbE_NsAttU9h4FKt32fowfaWeodbbhblAfHidHY/s2048/DD0B48B2-2A03-4FD7-A398-D34D95579245-14503-0000102476950457.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprueVZba-iA0tPYtS3UKUFjhatXicbHWT-ZmHSbOdMLv_ZaSHjzx4OQ6ksrpF75PU7pNifRjyVgHpMCTE6QJSLCow80ldeKtqS3xZhbE_NsAttU9h4FKt32fowfaWeodbbhblAfHidHY/s320/DD0B48B2-2A03-4FD7-A398-D34D95579245-14503-0000102476950457.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>The training regimen started with tubing the Provo River. Admittedly, that was really just for fun and had no actual "white water rafting skills" element <p></p><p>Next, we did a one-day rafting Green River expedition in Dinosaur National Park, as described in <a href="http://morningstarhappenings.blogspot.com/2020/08/i-get-by-with-little-help-from-my.html">this post</a>.</p><p>Our 2020 rafting training culminated in a two-day trip through Westwater in Southern Utah. We had so much fun! I thought a one-day expedition was a blast, but the fun of two days in a raft, camping out in the wilds, and having the staff cart our stuff around and cook for us was SO GREAT.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQmuoo9VYb1fpmL_CymiDg-fFL4Niv67O5SNsiNTR5dO-1HqgNzNw5oc_yaZLzUiRux23N2AUAtoxq_zilzczwsL5AMARmC3GYne_symySRgo1SlDjIoNCGi2jcZ1CfmdWn7jm8h9lpU/s2048/IMG_4932.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQmuoo9VYb1fpmL_CymiDg-fFL4Niv67O5SNsiNTR5dO-1HqgNzNw5oc_yaZLzUiRux23N2AUAtoxq_zilzczwsL5AMARmC3GYne_symySRgo1SlDjIoNCGi2jcZ1CfmdWn7jm8h9lpU/s320/IMG_4932.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>We spent a couple of days tooling around Moab first, which was fun because we hadn't been to Arches for a few years. It's such a great park. <p></p><p>Also, the campground we stayed at was super posh and had a pool, so we also spent considerable time there.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMFf17hB_-DApxmSEDKZGJnF6vzJkRX2UROHEuKh2aQe_z4w2trzTHDVt5Z-m1Uz4OCDclfxnDCSEVn57vbrRUMcB51oQAu8BB7S28ojDxDP1109O_0uZOu2ISvqfDmGwEb30d8b-npQ/s2048/IMG_4943.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFMFf17hB_-DApxmSEDKZGJnF6vzJkRX2UROHEuKh2aQe_z4w2trzTHDVt5Z-m1Uz4OCDclfxnDCSEVn57vbrRUMcB51oQAu8BB7S28ojDxDP1109O_0uZOu2ISvqfDmGwEb30d8b-npQ/s320/IMG_4943.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>And then it was time to start rafting! Westwater is a series of class III and IV rapids on the Colorado River in southeastern Utah. There are some pretty intense sections, as well as a lot of flatwater (true in any river expedition). <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjIuIP4H4kyLDYZzBxPxu_jGLPQWiIeTbP7Xjyp5VQzf1VcyjMUBkDCSQi5I2OLMtB36GCgJjVpm_U5EbcAbmqfHHBL2TO8IHHfHOz0UtziVhT9VbsgqSahIy8n9Vr-b_UEkWxmpeiIyg/s2048/C17B5192-7335-43DB-96A6-BB30E92C4C26-3683-0000020719B63BC1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjIuIP4H4kyLDYZzBxPxu_jGLPQWiIeTbP7Xjyp5VQzf1VcyjMUBkDCSQi5I2OLMtB36GCgJjVpm_U5EbcAbmqfHHBL2TO8IHHfHOz0UtziVhT9VbsgqSahIy8n9Vr-b_UEkWxmpeiIyg/s320/C17B5192-7335-43DB-96A6-BB30E92C4C26-3683-0000020719B63BC1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Of course, we love the rapids. <p></p><p>But, while we don't love rowing particularly much, we love playing around on the flatwater and end up spending the majority of our time very wet and very happy. </p><p>One favorite game is a trust fall circle thing (I guess I should work harder to come up with a name for this game). Basically everybody stands up on the gunwales and holds hands and then we lean back until somewhere between one and 6 people end up falling into the water. </p><p>Maybe I'm not selling it very well, but it really is a ton of fun. Our guide even insisted on playing with us (he was probably tired of rowing while we all goofed around). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDvPUwWwboOnQAHS59fOY1-_UTyYc62e42hSjiocMy3G04HEUbnUEd6qIPf-4sLInWm1lGW8hTnUv7r9EUP7D1R6bAesGFssbMffgT24mSA6MuuR0ZtqyEyk6xMv3fbhRPFcOUPSlIkE/s2048/73416F3D-A146-49AB-B953-F2EC7D94D300-3683-000002072B649D07.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDvPUwWwboOnQAHS59fOY1-_UTyYc62e42hSjiocMy3G04HEUbnUEd6qIPf-4sLInWm1lGW8hTnUv7r9EUP7D1R6bAesGFssbMffgT24mSA6MuuR0ZtqyEyk6xMv3fbhRPFcOUPSlIkE/s320/73416F3D-A146-49AB-B953-F2EC7D94D300-3683-000002072B649D07.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>We also love the t-grip trust lean game (still working on names). In this one, two people lock oar t-grips and lean back until one or both of them fall into the water. Our games aren't sophisticated, but they sure are a lot of fun.</p><p>Other fun games include the perennial fun of pushing people out of the boat when they least suspect it (the trick is to try and grab your attacker's PFD so you can pull them in with you) and otter floating (less of a game then just floating down the river to avoid rowing). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzL74jbpVVjyvgn11usgP-GY5hfoeEi1vLzw8S-D-KGehqF5_ZzAhV8qJ4D_zimz9oPwdPUZ_qLMYnEJtR3ggwGixB85ywn1Uri6hVjRwKvUis7CeE2YqZDI6gwlfjA0QRU43fdnZwvY/s2048/IMG_9103.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzL74jbpVVjyvgn11usgP-GY5hfoeEi1vLzw8S-D-KGehqF5_ZzAhV8qJ4D_zimz9oPwdPUZ_qLMYnEJtR3ggwGixB85ywn1Uri6hVjRwKvUis7CeE2YqZDI6gwlfjA0QRU43fdnZwvY/s320/IMG_9103.jpeg" /></a></div><p>We also enjoy jumping off of big rocks and forcibly boarding the gear rafts because we know they have the snacks. </p><p>WanYing's specialty is "riding the bull" (that one has a name!) in the medium-sized rapids. This is where she sits on the nose of the raft, one hand in the air and one holding on.</p><p>But our very favorite game is Last Man Standing. The goal being, of course, to throw/yank/push/kick everybody else out of the raft. This one gets vicious and, also, exhausting. We finally figured out that we need to set rules requiring people to stay on the gunwales because the little ones will just burrow in under the seats and good luck prying them free.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMkMKhhhyM5VDvsXrVr_5KD_DgBwXLQIWHtnBq6FN7WPcIBUm5XvD74BeJJorVU7djnVQzmDXi-Q1mK58I6cnFUq9nftjbmPcDVbVGtYmeHYM1vmh9nSLJEyep7oAcIUsWM44uYYT9HSI/s2048/IMG_9089.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMkMKhhhyM5VDvsXrVr_5KD_DgBwXLQIWHtnBq6FN7WPcIBUm5XvD74BeJJorVU7djnVQzmDXi-Q1mK58I6cnFUq9nftjbmPcDVbVGtYmeHYM1vmh9nSLJEyep7oAcIUsWM44uYYT9HSI/s320/IMG_9089.jpeg" /></a></div>I hear rumors that some people just paddle and float placidly down the
slackwater. Admittedly, that does sound more restful than the constant
motion of my family, but where's the fun of the float if you don't worry
that at any moment you may be shoved off into freezing water?<p>Fortunately, the camping <b>was</b> placid and lovely. I love primitive camping, especially when somebody else does the cooking, cleaning, and all of the actual work.</p><p>Our Grand Canyon Rampup was a wonderful and unexpected way to enjoy 2020. Bring it on, Colorado River!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Xa3OCnOYh30MlNdC3tYPP404bR6yvvf0sNWCyWyT1OQ_il0pw9HI9mtDhUztDf-ZzsWjGgqwNteXCwd5JVC4BY-DGNJ9eXJ_7VwtlkO47IVRNcJkcS0NgZiE_BhOJVXRrQTCK1RfUlI/s2048/IMG_9096.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Xa3OCnOYh30MlNdC3tYPP404bR6yvvf0sNWCyWyT1OQ_il0pw9HI9mtDhUztDf-ZzsWjGgqwNteXCwd5JVC4BY-DGNJ9eXJ_7VwtlkO47IVRNcJkcS0NgZiE_BhOJVXRrQTCK1RfUlI/s320/IMG_9096.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-13252507636005281002021-01-14T20:37:00.005-07:002021-01-14T20:37:50.691-07:00Intention in Three Bracelets<p>Like so many people, the events of the past week have torn me apart. Violence. Hatred. The incredible abandonment of any true definition of leadership by the highest post in the land - worse than that, encouragement of distrust and destruction by an elected official. </p><p>I've been reading <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Be-Bridge-Pursuing-Racial-Reconciliation-ebook/dp/B07PKL69F8/"><i>Be the Bridge</i> by Latisha Morrison</a> and am grateful for her voice and hope for reconciliation. She lays out a framework for racial reconciliation (or, let's be honest, reconciliation of any kind) of lamentation to confession and forgiveness to restorative reconciliation. But right now, I'm just stuck in lamentation and confession for the brokenness of our nation and our collective responsibility and guilt. I think it's ok to hang out here in lamentation - it's an appropriate response.</p><p>I'm not one for New Year's resolutions - the stats on how quickly the average resolution is broken (80% are broken by February) tell me that resolutions are not a great formula for change. </p><p>But I do like the emerging trend of a word or intention for the new year<span>. My friend Sarah and I always compare notes on our new year's intentions, and this year we both chose the same word: Gentle. </span></p><p><span>I struggle with the concept of self-care... I can never quite decide if something good for me "counts" as self-care or not, even if it doesn't make me feel good in the moment. I find the notion stressful (the opposite of the purpose of the concept of "self-care"). But in the last few months, I've come to embrace the concept of being gentle with myself. It may be hard for me to decide if a given choice is "self-care," but it's easy for me to identify whether or not a choice is gentle.</span></p><p><span>And I have emphatically determined that I need more gentleness in my life. </span></p><p><span>This month, my heart and my intentions are well-summarized by three bracelets I've been wearing regularly to celebrate and remember my intention:</span></p><p><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinf2KWRq8E3dynwqTMmwnhk81PWgP7ftEZ219F8SYNJTMCZOwdvO8Jz-LNDjQ9XHWdwcHzfgV9xUHCW84DSJnSuY8MuUwYeiVHjvNg0m5sTqs4ARIlCSi3BrSD9hJbw_px41yE7-81Jwc/s2048/IMG_0653.heic" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1639" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinf2KWRq8E3dynwqTMmwnhk81PWgP7ftEZ219F8SYNJTMCZOwdvO8Jz-LNDjQ9XHWdwcHzfgV9xUHCW84DSJnSuY8MuUwYeiVHjvNg0m5sTqs4ARIlCSi3BrSD9hJbw_px41yE7-81Jwc/s320/IMG_0653.heic" width="320" /></a></div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>A cross. For faith. For redemption. For new life. For hope.</li><li><a href="https://www.noondaycollection.com/shop/we-see-color-bracelet/">Noonday's We See Color bracelet</a>. More redemption - it provides a living wage to artisans in Uganda and is a visible celebration of all the colors of us. It reminds me to continue my inner and outer work of racial education and reconciliation.</li><li><a href="https://www.noondaycollection.com/shop/morse-code-bracelet-kit/">Noonday's Morse Code Bracelet Kit</a>. Redemption part three - the beads are made from artillery shells that artists in Ethiopia melt down. It's violence and conflict transformed into hope, dignity, and beauty. And I used the beads to spell this year's intention, "gentle." <br /></li></ol> I know none of this is going to heal the world. But these symbols of hope and redemption around my wrist are meaningful reminders for me of the work God's doing in me and through me. And I love that.<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-29144942947441683552021-01-12T19:20:00.000-07:002021-01-12T20:36:06.591-07:00Running Away to Paradise<p>Sasha has been working on our scrapbooks lately, and sorting photos and ticket stubs with her reminds me of how much I love these blog posts and being able to look back at the stories of our lives. With the convenience of posting to social media, I don't come back and write blog posts about our big trips and adventures as much as I once did (admittedly, there are fewer trips and adventures than there were!), and I miss having the recaps and retellings. </p><p>I won't commit to our tens of readers to start blogging regularly again, I know myself too well to promise such a thing. But I do like writing and I want to continue to practice to write well, so we shall see.</p><p>Like everybody else, our summer and fall plans got completely scrambled by COVID-19. In the fall, I started getting advertisements for all-inclusive places and it got me thinking - maybe that could work as a style of travel in the age of coronavirus? Usually when we travel we go to a new place and plant and explore. We love to get to know the texture of a new place, and as we acquired more kids it became increasingly important to travel with a less packed itinerary. It turns out that my husband also prefers to explore rather than plan too much ahead of time. So, apparently, I'm the only person who eagerly anticipates a pre-planed agenda. Who knew? (answer: everybody). </p><p>To be clear, I still think it's important to schedule a <b>few</b> key activities. They'll never break me of that. But I also have learned to appreciate the fun of meandering.</p><p>Anyway, an "explore the local texture" vacation clearly doesn't work right now. But, I thought, maybe the all-inclusive thing could actually work. We'd be able to get to know the environment, and if we went somewhere warm we could be outside the majority of the time. Plus, rates were killer. </p><p>So, after lots of thinking and planning we decided to go for 10 days in the Dominican Republic. In full disclosure, I tested positive for COVID-19 2 weeks after we returned, so the evidence shows that the wisdom of this whole plan is clearly suspect. Judge if you must.<br /></p><p>I'll also say that while planes themselves and the resort felt very coronavirus-aware with lots of precautions taken, the airports and immigration lines were another thing altogether with lots of partially-masked people in tight spaces. So, the experiment of traveling in a global pandemic was of mixed results.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOTQaustkKSjeRIOQVQ7yS5JhDJiZD4qdnbHC2mQw_d8_NVnWiteFCAyV7yLbC-lmhW_c6vuprl-tpKcjhqWHeuX488XQuIF8_gzcZePnQ6Jd5Y-p9Zab-M6ObedKEKk4GOCD7Xj6hic/s2048/IMG_0170.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOTQaustkKSjeRIOQVQ7yS5JhDJiZD4qdnbHC2mQw_d8_NVnWiteFCAyV7yLbC-lmhW_c6vuprl-tpKcjhqWHeuX488XQuIF8_gzcZePnQ6Jd5Y-p9Zab-M6ObedKEKk4GOCD7Xj6hic/s320/IMG_0170.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>All of the above notwithstanding, the trip was such a blessing. 10 days in the sun, perfect weather, getting to practice my Spanish, being together as a family. Also, after the stressful 9 months that we and all the world have persevered through, a decision-free vacation was particularly sweet. We've never done the all-inclusive thing before and after experiencing it, I will definitely agree that the no-stress, no-planning vacation has its place.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjkeuUyT5BD-E_QNWdtFjVcUkrwqvx3kRt7d2LTJxOh9lC3K0LJstbfy8Z9ULLDLMwvtklX4cxiEi1h5mMY4BJHwwGReOzOzxwh15TWOT3qgcjwsL-39uUYSxinL4xBNfF1Y2mEzXrtE/s2048/IMG_0136.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjkeuUyT5BD-E_QNWdtFjVcUkrwqvx3kRt7d2LTJxOh9lC3K0LJstbfy8Z9ULLDLMwvtklX4cxiEi1h5mMY4BJHwwGReOzOzxwh15TWOT3qgcjwsL-39uUYSxinL4xBNfF1Y2mEzXrtE/s320/IMG_0136.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Most of our days were pretty darn boring (read: exactly what we were looking for). Lots of time at the beach and at the pool reading and taking naps. Lots of piña coladas. The hotel was only about 20% occupied, so we never had to compete for space in a lounge chair or at a restaurant, which was super sweet.<p></p><p>Here are the memories that stick out with extra fondness for me:<br /></p><p>1. Sailing! </p><p>The resort had paddleboards and kayaks that you could sign out, and they also had a little Hobie Cat! Steve and I sailed in college a lot, but after college and moving to a landlocked state, we've only been out a few times. Boy did we make up for lost time over Thanksgiving!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4RPM1yIWSt8py5yLyhcku38tmzJHx1xMlvEXtSmNLvxvIm_OwD3HM8_blUFObZR6vCMYeW6aZ8eT9ipqKwS7p5NhF7ZJaDqZThwN2wpgA0CUzqkxh8H_Cwy4ljCnZ8_kr5_1xPy69D90/s2048/04E1E301-90EB-46A6-80A0-6A3BF7711547-4254-000000D239396CB8.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4RPM1yIWSt8py5yLyhcku38tmzJHx1xMlvEXtSmNLvxvIm_OwD3HM8_blUFObZR6vCMYeW6aZ8eT9ipqKwS7p5NhF7ZJaDqZThwN2wpgA0CUzqkxh8H_Cwy4ljCnZ8_kr5_1xPy69D90/s320/04E1E301-90EB-46A6-80A0-6A3BF7711547-4254-000000D239396CB8.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>We took the boat out just about every day - sometimes just one or two of us, sometimes a boatload (4 - it was a small boat). We had so much fun! It took Steve and me a few tries to remember how the heck to sail, but it really did come back quickly and we had so much fun zipping around the little bay in front of the hotel.<br /></p><p>2. Chartering a boat! <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhqY31Qb4zcQbqbu5sHYA-dwrhcr9dUu2UvTmrHnijH3Je6IrWLIB1A4BM7G2Gh0SiYb5ja41X7yICi2meu8Ep0ES7m2lMd5Ax-RTC86XQW0ASkQ0YcyukTvq4IpDK8hfr9rrpDH8pk0/s2048/96493BD7-B008-421F-AE42-5D3DD2EBD89C-12835-000002F4C3EB00BB.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhqY31Qb4zcQbqbu5sHYA-dwrhcr9dUu2UvTmrHnijH3Je6IrWLIB1A4BM7G2Gh0SiYb5ja41X7yICi2meu8Ep0ES7m2lMd5Ax-RTC86XQW0ASkQ0YcyukTvq4IpDK8hfr9rrpDH8pk0/s320/96493BD7-B008-421F-AE42-5D3DD2EBD89C-12835-000002F4C3EB00BB.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Tours and activities were limited on our trip, for obvious reasons, but there were still some activities available that seemed like a good idea. One was a boat trip. And it was only a little more to charter the boat privately, so we figured, why not?</p><p>Well, we definitely didn't realize what we were signing up for - this boat was HUGE! This photo, for example, was taken from the upper deck of the boat rented for the 7 of us plus 2 crew. It was decadent and fabulous.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHA_INqDX2Na1cFYpXaGLX9OJHigfxmCwQY5xE1HyivSAe6iVMoxCEsn2m92Yv6qgUueWnKQWoeeWxUrvxdERcKKeKANpDDKiL_Ox1VPRg560ihuqtlZiOjTsazhFslXHJwZiWY_D7m0/s2048/C2A34C06-EE24-416B-AE3B-3A8E4F25C58D-12835-000002F4CF7F917A.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHA_INqDX2Na1cFYpXaGLX9OJHigfxmCwQY5xE1HyivSAe6iVMoxCEsn2m92Yv6qgUueWnKQWoeeWxUrvxdERcKKeKANpDDKiL_Ox1VPRg560ihuqtlZiOjTsazhFslXHJwZiWY_D7m0/s320/C2A34C06-EE24-416B-AE3B-3A8E4F25C58D-12835-000002F4CF7F917A.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Everything about the boat trip was great, but the best part was stopping at a sand bar. We spent roughly two hours at this sand bar throwing sand balls at each other. The sand was just so fluffy and that you could pack it down like moonsand and toss it back and forth. It's definitely the most fun we've ever had playing catch. The open bar on the boat probably didn't hurt.</p><p>3. Ben Unicycling at circus night</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6suGeH0QqmrXAEpd1VZhiq0yM2MBx5F1tkZJ8G2Z49CemygVcwDL4VvRDr-GiISILMtANo_M2iFJm2vPG8fj31tfxeNGREMH0guM1KXtBXzBSbU_6nuNCiH3xafN583NCU3JW7uSWILQ/s2048/IMG_0155.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6suGeH0QqmrXAEpd1VZhiq0yM2MBx5F1tkZJ8G2Z49CemygVcwDL4VvRDr-GiISILMtANo_M2iFJm2vPG8fj31tfxeNGREMH0guM1KXtBXzBSbU_6nuNCiH3xafN583NCU3JW7uSWILQ/s320/IMG_0155.jpeg" /></a></div>As you can imagine, one of the great trials of this trip was Ben surviving for 10 days without a unicycle. I think the unlimited room service <i>almost</i> made up for it, but it was still a long time to go without a unicycle. <p></p><p>On Thanksgiving, the resort had a circus night festival and one of the clowns had a unicycle that he kindly let Ben borrow. It was so fun to see Ben in his element in a foreign country just enjoying being on one wheel. And the clown was duly impressed by Ben's unicycle skills.</p><p>Here's a bonus picture from that night, because nothing says Thanksgiving like a pirate and a bunny on stilts:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5kGsboYRh8tvIkegMjTK502V1drNfcNYkRefJ7TapDpC8rRN1LaCWHhbH-PHxMTdsda03vCdS_JhjA4lTpf5SNtHWFDbg5a00B4rgWsoINB8oHdddWuoWnm4O8P4JO-YxPtm9KDxaQ0/s2048/IMG_0151.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5kGsboYRh8tvIkegMjTK502V1drNfcNYkRefJ7TapDpC8rRN1LaCWHhbH-PHxMTdsda03vCdS_JhjA4lTpf5SNtHWFDbg5a00B4rgWsoINB8oHdddWuoWnm4O8P4JO-YxPtm9KDxaQ0/s320/IMG_0151.jpeg" /></a></div><p></p><p>4. Nightly cribbage games with Ben</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO4NniLbQla4vWs5F7eqOPpY3jhd6WtTH7AUFdalGo1baew7buP4xk1rmAJdvr6tJvtd1o_f3U2AZCSWbozpu8RdTmy-2dADGRsceoAEUxFCA8wERzrASL3_2PMTG0Bd_VVoRadu9yItg/s2048/IMG_0259.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO4NniLbQla4vWs5F7eqOPpY3jhd6WtTH7AUFdalGo1baew7buP4xk1rmAJdvr6tJvtd1o_f3U2AZCSWbozpu8RdTmy-2dADGRsceoAEUxFCA8wERzrASL3_2PMTG0Bd_VVoRadu9yItg/s320/IMG_0259.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>I don't have any pics of this one, so instead I will substitute a photo of us playing Uno with plastic cards in the pool (also a darn fine memory). <p></p><p>Pretty much every night after the girls hit the hay, Ben, Steve, and I would sit out on our ridiculously beautiful patio and play a game or two of three-handed cribbage. It was sweet and fun and Ben is unacceptably good at the game.</p><p>5. The countryside tour</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iWUUYzn3X9TFzO_9i2ngz3lkMXtUOgdsW0Z5FrnOntPR1l0TKhZEhDu5ThyphenhyphenN80DcwLKrLvSy0hh0coT7bX6DAi3qFCeGvLkdOoRhF_e0c3gR7er0oR-8SRNl-OJF3GqVEGPMX9iMsvM/s2048/IMG_0270.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iWUUYzn3X9TFzO_9i2ngz3lkMXtUOgdsW0Z5FrnOntPR1l0TKhZEhDu5ThyphenhyphenN80DcwLKrLvSy0hh0coT7bX6DAi3qFCeGvLkdOoRhF_e0c3gR7er0oR-8SRNl-OJF3GqVEGPMX9iMsvM/s320/IMG_0270.jpeg" /></a></div>The other "excursion" we opted for was a countryside tour. We got to go see a local neighborhood and school and then visit a community farm where they grow and process coffee and cocoa (the photo is of WanYing with cocoa beans growing on the tree). It was so fun to see more of the beautiful island, learn about the DR's history and culture, and enjoy some darn delicious samples of cocoa, coffee, and mama juana (a spiced rum typical to the Dominican Republic).<p></p><p>6. Chilaxing together</p><p>No explanation needed.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FWlioMx0O9Ptl1NHcSE2afsr_Dq29lFGHZSbcCNqLjJPxJFDqK3nYCwIWSMkp2Wb0OxGoJyuKiATVZiIE3LobN02GUW-sJIQ5P7StmUB5HqJKpXhqloFz9I1-RYRHKf1o02Yu5znrNY/s2048/IMG_0137.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FWlioMx0O9Ptl1NHcSE2afsr_Dq29lFGHZSbcCNqLjJPxJFDqK3nYCwIWSMkp2Wb0OxGoJyuKiATVZiIE3LobN02GUW-sJIQ5P7StmUB5HqJKpXhqloFz9I1-RYRHKf1o02Yu5znrNY/s320/IMG_0137.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>We had a phenomenal Thanksgiving in the Dominican Republic. In fact... it just might be time to go back ;)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4c1gGNOVUDOotBj5MT65GPIEm8mKT_SN2oOXPAsruG_QOGQUZAT7DRod8-NgvhHwpQv_DPKspi6f0wNZROvkh-jroyUEuHYJ0Ihc2_rRMrgJpGbe6zWs-Mk2Y5WpJgl9L061DseMNfnw/s2048/IMG_0105.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4c1gGNOVUDOotBj5MT65GPIEm8mKT_SN2oOXPAsruG_QOGQUZAT7DRod8-NgvhHwpQv_DPKspi6f0wNZROvkh-jroyUEuHYJ0Ihc2_rRMrgJpGbe6zWs-Mk2Y5WpJgl9L061DseMNfnw/s320/IMG_0105.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7Xr9St3SnaGhXzy2fDHI9CO53Potz_2d8e55iLcOAvURZVw2uoNPS29-jwHiI36bX3UTX7SSoRVyKtZsSGiFiW88oJ3uhcLWqwdvJ3pbcFwItepLgfAY1fS9re51KELtwL6wnd7M3eg/s2048/IMG_0322.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7Xr9St3SnaGhXzy2fDHI9CO53Potz_2d8e55iLcOAvURZVw2uoNPS29-jwHiI36bX3UTX7SSoRVyKtZsSGiFiW88oJ3uhcLWqwdvJ3pbcFwItepLgfAY1fS9re51KELtwL6wnd7M3eg/s320/IMG_0322.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-56226867789054989302020-10-19T21:46:00.004-06:002020-10-19T21:46:23.260-06:00Clothes Masquerading as What They Are NotI have a list of things to blog aobut that actually matter. I want to write more about my thoughts and learnings about racism. I want to tell you about our family travels. I want to plumb truths about self-care.
<div><br /></div><div>But tonight I find myself at home and alone (note: not actually home alone, that never happens, but the others who are home are doing other things) and sitting by a backbard patio fire in the chill autumn air and I want to rant about a pet peeve of zero consequence (as they all are) that I simply cannot let go of. </div><div><br /></div><div>I like to think of myself as an easygoing person. Certainly choosing the husband I have (a very easygoing guy) and surviving a household of children has taught me some excellent lessons in flexibility. My years and the lessons they have contained have loosened my own moral rigidity in some very healthy, Godly ways.
But I can't stoop so far as to allow clothing into my life that is pretending to be a thing it is not. </div><div><br /></div><div>We can start this diatribe with pants with faux pockets. No, let's not even admit that these atrocities could be something worthy of french - they are <b>fake</b> pockets. These are the dumbest things on earth, I think we can all agree to that. I occasionally get Stitch Fix shipments (God bless you, Stitch Fix) that contain pants with fake pockets and I immediately send them back. There's no point in even trying them on. Fake pockets are evil. Sure, the front of the pants are rendered smooth, but my own front is lumpy enough to counteract any benefit provided by the pants. No fake pockets. Not ever. I know my phone will only fit into the pockets of 10% of the pants I own because their pockets are still ridiculously small, but at least they are pockets. </div><div><br /></div><div>But my rules about clothing go far, far deeper than this. I also can't handle prints of patterns that are meant to be woven in. Perhaps this is a thing you've never thought about, and that is good for you because it means your psyche is healthier than my own, but I can't handle things like: </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Printed stripes. This is wrong; stripes are supposed to be woven into the fabric</li><li>Printed plaid patterns (plaids, ginghams, checks, houndstooth, all of them). For all the same reasons as the above only double because the stripes go both ways.</li><li>Prints on sweaters. I once got a lovely sweater with flowers printed on it, but I returned it even though I thought it was really pretty because I knew I would never wear it. Sweaters are supposed to have the patterns knitted in, not printed on. </li></ul><div>Now, I’m sure we could come up with many exceptions to my rules above that I gladly admit into my closet. For example, I am OK with printed t-shirts, which are basically just sweaters with tiny knits, right? But now you’re just getting pedantic (ha ha, yes, I get the irony since this is possibly the most pedantic diatribe ever written).</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutCvbK-AunUWHIhrfNOEvfmLcLjrMWZWsD3NA6ZsLLjdACfisBCmIZcsf8P_hOuOFCS-1_Kp6-Tz1D2-1XWx1FV73U-kKQ1SiXH1mmAz72n880zuOg8pv-Lby55zVNE0hmuImkJrMtxU/s2048/IMG_9724.heic" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutCvbK-AunUWHIhrfNOEvfmLcLjrMWZWsD3NA6ZsLLjdACfisBCmIZcsf8P_hOuOFCS-1_Kp6-Tz1D2-1XWx1FV73U-kKQ1SiXH1mmAz72n880zuOg8pv-Lby55zVNE0hmuImkJrMtxU/s320/IMG_9724.heic" width="320" /></a></div>I have one exception to this rule: novelty printed bike jerseys. Because, come on, these things are just so gosh darn cool.</div><div><br /></div><div>The other thing I just can’t handle in my wardrobe are animal prints. I know the popularity of these prints comes and goes and that’s fine, it’s just not a trend I ever participate in. I don’t think it’s because I’m particularly against wearing animal skins or a depiction of animal skins... I think it goes back to my dislike for clothing masquerading as what it is not. I guess that deep down I just think that if you’re going to wear a tiger-print top, you should just wear a pelt. I don’t know... I’m not trying to justify my aversion... I just know that I can’t own animal prints. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisw7Ea4OKigRPKprwzp2Ypnm7HVsDz-BPDk0-gVq5lFbjMgqltoKyMBQy5YRy2O3Irzc51yTMG1G4VR42z9965EkzsfmhWmDNGH515vXP4uxN3DItFFszMBH1dtdj7WudPg1yL5LkhzzI/s2048/IMG_9722.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisw7Ea4OKigRPKprwzp2Ypnm7HVsDz-BPDk0-gVq5lFbjMgqltoKyMBQy5YRy2O3Irzc51yTMG1G4VR42z9965EkzsfmhWmDNGH515vXP4uxN3DItFFszMBH1dtdj7WudPg1yL5LkhzzI/s320/IMG_9722.HEIC" /></a></div>There is also one exception in my wardrobe to this rule: the RBG leopard print shirt that my husband purchased for me a few years ago. I don’t even have to justify this, it’s obvious that this should be in every woman’s closet regardless of her internal rules on animal prints.</div><div><br /></div><div>I’ve experienced these aversions to clothes masquerading as what they are not for a long time and I’ve reflected a bit on what it means about my own character and personality. I do think that to some extent this is all a reflection of some of my own black-and-white thinking that I just can’t let go of. I do think it’s a (misguided) reflection of my deep passion for integrity and being wholly who one is. </div><div><br /></div><div>I don’t think these rules need to or should apply to anybody else, much like most of the other norms that rule my daily patterns (I am such a creature of habit). That is, don’t feel weird wearing printed stripes around me. </div><div><br /></div><div>Strange as they are, I stand by my rules. At least I know what I like and what I don’t. And if you ever see me wearing a printed sweater and pants with faux pockets, congratulate me for finally transcending my own rigidity.</div><div><br /></div><div>But, let’s be real, it’s never going to happen. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-44327873086692689092020-10-11T14:49:00.000-06:002020-10-11T14:49:51.005-06:00On Bike Rides and Ineffecient Time Investment<p>For a few weeks, I've desperately been wanting to ride Goshen Canyon. There's no logical explanation for my devotion to this canyon - it's certainly not anywhere near the most spectacular in Utah, it's a short 10 mile ride so it's barely enough to get your pulse moving, it's 45 minutes away. But I think it's awfully pretty and the canyon holds a bunch of happy memories for me, including being on the route of the very first century ride I completed.</p><p>Anyway, with all of the organized rides cancelled this year, I've had "Ride Goshen Canyon" on my family activity wishlist all summer. </p><p>Last Sunday we had the perfect weather, Ben had a unicycling friend over who wanted to take a ride, and we decided to (i.e. I talked my family into) take a ride in Goshen Canyon. </p><p>And then reality sunk in. Steve needed to change his bike tube. I needed to get the tandem bike shipshape. We needed to figure out how to get 6 people, an ebike, a tandem, a youth road bike, and two 36-inch unicycles into vehicles. The best vehicle to take would be Rainy, but she was rather stubbornly refusing to start. We had to figure out our one-way route plan (who was dropping off a vehicle? How would they return to the rest of us? A fox, a chicken, and a bag of corn want to cross a river...). It was now closing in on 4 pm and we still had a 45-mintue drive ahead of us. All for a 10-mile bike ride. Really?</p><p>I was ready to throw in the towel. The effort just didn't seem worth it. Hours of prep for maybe 50 minutes of riding? The return on investment just wasn't there.</p><p>I've definitely been experiencing a scarcity mindset when it comes to time. There are so many reasons - my Western, perfectionist culture, a season of life when time comes at a premium (4 kids, working full-time, finishing a big construction project this summer), and my own "take every moment captive" mentality... it's particularly easy for me to prioritize activities that provide obvious output or are the fastest way to tick an item off my list.=</p><p>It's not all bad, this prizing of effeciency. But it's not all good, either. It's easy for me to miss out on the joy of creating and the sheer pleasure of doing something for the doing's sake rather than primarily for the fulfillment of its output. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTGNHRPyxP0mA_VrV6Ml_rRShUKfVNTr0UwlIQ7_rLOOTPuHJL5N5g9rgng6FtmpK5kjmLC6PalogbHlMxLuZskqW36ORIiCXvismPOZpCrs6IbYob-d5zGYbdo9IXqVtLj4aNYvA5Vs/s2048/fullsizeoutput_11b5d.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTGNHRPyxP0mA_VrV6Ml_rRShUKfVNTr0UwlIQ7_rLOOTPuHJL5N5g9rgng6FtmpK5kjmLC6PalogbHlMxLuZskqW36ORIiCXvismPOZpCrs6IbYob-d5zGYbdo9IXqVtLj4aNYvA5Vs/s320/fullsizeoutput_11b5d.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>And so I especially treasured the feeling of the setting autumn sun on my face, the happy chatting with my girls as we coasted downhill, the fun of my husband buzzing ahead on his ebike to snag photos of us (and, also, to show off how fast he could go), the ravenous consumption of a 7:30 pm dinner at Wendy's. I appreciated the reminder that sometimes the ratio of enjoyment-to-preparation isn't linear. It was an awfully good time, inefficient time investment and all.
<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbANZoyx7mHfO-p0FATWX9rcia7nkDFG9ol_UlzYqBFxTqV_VfT5ivqAlIkDYJpDP083UJqY_vG9paI8LS07SxfnYNYid8R0joQU6uNe_x_np12iEjyICEUY-FZHkqM3b7LB8QZ4kZlGE/s2048/fullsizeoutput_11b51.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbANZoyx7mHfO-p0FATWX9rcia7nkDFG9ol_UlzYqBFxTqV_VfT5ivqAlIkDYJpDP083UJqY_vG9paI8LS07SxfnYNYid8R0joQU6uNe_x_np12iEjyICEUY-FZHkqM3b7LB8QZ4kZlGE/s320/fullsizeoutput_11b51.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It can be awfully challenging to get a selfie of 3 gals while riding, especially when 2 are on a tandem!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAUNIzBM-9vU-Ejp1oWBBPaTKz3vyD_V7uWt2C1-rgsyEYJuQFAMAJP_FlaJvK2mNxMx6JmzBNNrI21cWBJwlGoe_4ueAyoSWj5cuEIDESYujqBRAby9_Cn51kGWvJAADjk_R6kq3l1Q/s2048/fullsizeoutput_11b55.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAUNIzBM-9vU-Ejp1oWBBPaTKz3vyD_V7uWt2C1-rgsyEYJuQFAMAJP_FlaJvK2mNxMx6JmzBNNrI21cWBJwlGoe_4ueAyoSWj5cuEIDESYujqBRAby9_Cn51kGWvJAADjk_R6kq3l1Q/s320/fullsizeoutput_11b55.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love that you can see the tandem's shadow in this pic<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOO3v3VUVqa1KlWkdqxzT6w3W6Y-Zr13zellO2kVOqSPI5a1JowEck6BZ_ZE5BQzS1G8AgLTMNqjJ3EWPIT1TalK8EVWssQXOFSJpzBKwNcXOuO5GUJ_Wgc_YRUpQuC9xEEyhcHHXPQE/s2048/fullsizeoutput_11b57.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOO3v3VUVqa1KlWkdqxzT6w3W6Y-Zr13zellO2kVOqSPI5a1JowEck6BZ_ZE5BQzS1G8AgLTMNqjJ3EWPIT1TalK8EVWssQXOFSJpzBKwNcXOuO5GUJ_Wgc_YRUpQuC9xEEyhcHHXPQE/s320/fullsizeoutput_11b57.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hearty unicycle riders took the canyon both ways to add some extra miles to the outing!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVn2DL7wH80doaxWaDqCaaLZ39MYObT3k2tf75xK5nHNvCnATfCBmdJuIWDxzEbQvnnhxFbuHZhvL4bDAs3ubSJcAxl1aDFOaEhQ7QMMYA3tMnfCFOAgx5fMaYz5g9ZKh0aFx_-_yFyXk/s2048/d4cmfz5xQDmtrzTptL241g.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVn2DL7wH80doaxWaDqCaaLZ39MYObT3k2tf75xK5nHNvCnATfCBmdJuIWDxzEbQvnnhxFbuHZhvL4bDAs3ubSJcAxl1aDFOaEhQ7QMMYA3tMnfCFOAgx5fMaYz5g9ZKh0aFx_-_yFyXk/s320/d4cmfz5xQDmtrzTptL241g.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goshen Canyon may not be the most spectacular in Utah, but it's still pretty great</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZaZbsrs2XbC5xU5CO4s0SYVbJNDMBH5OjRnJAIDXyk_l-uE-YGeZJDyH79NqTQg7_hUuKUxZPAGlyaqffWqCfcRnhYhXLChqQsBAABUkDosHt3Cb8tB2qdGP8v9nbOeqJBCVWB8UkKKQ/s2048/fullsizeoutput_11b5e.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZaZbsrs2XbC5xU5CO4s0SYVbJNDMBH5OjRnJAIDXyk_l-uE-YGeZJDyH79NqTQg7_hUuKUxZPAGlyaqffWqCfcRnhYhXLChqQsBAABUkDosHt3Cb8tB2qdGP8v9nbOeqJBCVWB8UkKKQ/s320/fullsizeoutput_11b5e.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The home stretch! Our unicyclers definitely earned their Frostys.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-39693199086059788092020-08-30T17:14:00.004-06:002020-08-30T17:14:26.350-06:00Construction Complete... except for the ten million things left to do<p>19 weeks ago, we embarked upon an epic quest to transform our home. It's been a summer of dirt and dust and noise and giant trucks and scads of strangers traipsing around and through our home. It's been a <span>TON of work (even though we paid people to do the real work). And it's been a joy to invest in this home we love so much and to add space and functionality and a look that we will enjoy for decades. Because after this, Lord knows I'm not moving again!</span></p><p><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZAh9TWmKod8DIZnVDTs06o1U2TBAQ3bV0yGhhyMu-q7ud7na8gXsznzol8jkHHapTB69dhzLHfp4mz5EftWosz4e5E0yPSKgJEcMhugawhURdfft3c3saUwLNY5rV1Z2ifstlRL96Ds/s2048/17.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZAh9TWmKod8DIZnVDTs06o1U2TBAQ3bV0yGhhyMu-q7ud7na8gXsznzol8jkHHapTB69dhzLHfp4mz5EftWosz4e5E0yPSKgJEcMhugawhURdfft3c3saUwLNY5rV1Z2ifstlRL96Ds/w410-h307/17.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div>Here's the "before" photo - your multipurpose 1960s split-level. For many years, we've praised the functionality of our home - there aren't many floorplans that would allow 6 people to live in (comparative) harmony for almost 20 years. It's so dang functional. <p></p><p><span></span></p><p><span>But it lacked a few things we really wanted: </span></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Curb Appeal (let's face it, it's your multipurpose 1960s split level)</li><li>Gear Storage (we have so. much. gear.)</li><li>Office Space (we decided a while ago that we didn't need more bedroom space. After all, our children may eventually vacated their bedrooms. But we did want more multipurpose/family space. This need has been dramatically underscored by our COVID-19 experience with all of us at home for work, school, and EVERYTHING ELSE)</li></ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0GQcLEFaR_MbN5namCcIddOJNdlLSJ91mUz75t2DELtMMo-vSY_WG1quT5SCHeL8F33cY7gvNyG8agh0_z7Bq07FY_4LdxIK0jQ3zvBh1Tt8RjXY9uY87E-ZyE6qWyMxnM6zX77FK4U/s1527/IMG_7396.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1527" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0GQcLEFaR_MbN5namCcIddOJNdlLSJ91mUz75t2DELtMMo-vSY_WG1quT5SCHeL8F33cY7gvNyG8agh0_z7Bq07FY_4LdxIK0jQ3zvBh1Tt8RjXY9uY87E-ZyE6qWyMxnM6zX77FK4U/w410-h216/IMG_7396.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><p><br />We knew what we wanted (sort of) thanks to the list above and the Pinterest skills of several friends. About a year ago, we started shopping for architects and builders who we could partner with to bring our concepts to life. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy70Jk1JqvX80HsiB1agxiIBhGZKjTV-x8TV9mNXm8F7WYovU0FFuUKZF0VqxPkb8jd_1f8kdWTw8UPvkrmRQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p></p><p>We were especially blessed to sign with a builder who was meticulous, funny, and has become a dear friend to us. In this season of social isolation, it's been so fun to have somebody at our house every day who is making our home a better place and will enthusiastically consume anything we put in front of him. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WRQEFDwivxALzKnlOgvDdXxJdG-H2IQXwe_5pYWjFdadaoHy4HkiFX5NRGp1FcnpntPp86ZULCfLt8jPj2941wPkB9CF7HjsUKYDqt_i97S_ts-OOZHZ6rxiPTvRGIird1bh2XXLAwU/s2048/16.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WRQEFDwivxALzKnlOgvDdXxJdG-H2IQXwe_5pYWjFdadaoHy4HkiFX5NRGp1FcnpntPp86ZULCfLt8jPj2941wPkB9CF7HjsUKYDqt_i97S_ts-OOZHZ6rxiPTvRGIird1bh2XXLAwU/w410-h307/16.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><p>By late January we had all of the permits necessary to realize our plans, and in early April, demolition began! Our removal and construction plans didn't enter the footprint of our home, which was a blessing because it meant that we could still live in our house while all of this was going on. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCx2Or4zPmDThXGAzqkYZA3Gt2xGI9QI9ODqUOWGqtA9hJ4ixEulaul9xxIREuso-a6Sgfa9nYRsjUUyXGlln8qOlVgaNT98pZCVMWdImIlDYOlyegONiqeldfgQlQ4GtsGkyAAXUBSY/s2048/a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCx2Or4zPmDThXGAzqkYZA3Gt2xGI9QI9ODqUOWGqtA9hJ4ixEulaul9xxIREuso-a6Sgfa9nYRsjUUyXGlln8qOlVgaNT98pZCVMWdImIlDYOlyegONiqeldfgQlQ4GtsGkyAAXUBSY/w410-h307/a.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAsievn0m_uUxL1Mu8RKDLxGRN7mvJhKmr7ghGSEgF8Kx6oF6JiSusVZL5xAaNKHvCdAwFECWKxpqPZzYLmu7A7nlFKU-fjTrNH6kvl7sYW2k9ml31HV7nLhu8G2eTE3hl_3G7r98jrrw/s2048/b.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAsievn0m_uUxL1Mu8RKDLxGRN7mvJhKmr7ghGSEgF8Kx6oF6JiSusVZL5xAaNKHvCdAwFECWKxpqPZzYLmu7A7nlFKU-fjTrNH6kvl7sYW2k9ml31HV7nLhu8G2eTE3hl_3G7r98jrrw/w410-h307/b.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Pisv4iBzW1HAdvF4a1dhnsuOxaVIyVfBa-eP3jozKMztJjiM9U862yTS8VpcKMimgE5MjjjfgXOvDAgHEVsaZ2QO1v_zz4fMgiRrELQ0fQInPvlydOWXefQQZfoaaNR97xaI26ELN1g/s2048/c.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Pisv4iBzW1HAdvF4a1dhnsuOxaVIyVfBa-eP3jozKMztJjiM9U862yTS8VpcKMimgE5MjjjfgXOvDAgHEVsaZ2QO1v_zz4fMgiRrELQ0fQInPvlydOWXefQQZfoaaNR97xaI26ELN1g/w410-h307/c.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBbYFqojPIY4C77Xmki1UjQHUvJmL-5loUE2K5Yi3MNIVdGRPsw-WxuP3WWyBJ9RMIKWMkUYAbjxYTkS1KDt6I1rdsymw1M9uGv9LaN4-4plSHHZrqybz2iueC92s3770qXbKW3HD_JXA/s2048/d.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBbYFqojPIY4C77Xmki1UjQHUvJmL-5loUE2K5Yi3MNIVdGRPsw-WxuP3WWyBJ9RMIKWMkUYAbjxYTkS1KDt6I1rdsymw1M9uGv9LaN4-4plSHHZrqybz2iueC92s3770qXbKW3HD_JXA/w410-h307/d.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8m8FFRpd2Vt-29LN1xaX9Q3PRs8GnsYesT0VaCjJruP_xKqqpCczTFnh3HS4GxTg0VsDGM8p819Iq_OuC72oJfI_1pQGnXsoD3LdzFsgvPfHQEZsf8htaJ9BUu8bzS8uC01S8zOHSOw/s2048/e.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8m8FFRpd2Vt-29LN1xaX9Q3PRs8GnsYesT0VaCjJruP_xKqqpCczTFnh3HS4GxTg0VsDGM8p819Iq_OuC72oJfI_1pQGnXsoD3LdzFsgvPfHQEZsf8htaJ9BUu8bzS8uC01S8zOHSOw/w410-h307/e.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kGs-CeRo3ts2gvLF2unYsastg2BYAs9oLpb0hE4MC3tznyFFewFc6tN3ssodlYhY7n700RgXGJU8hIOtuGXVJuFtqDt_8ASgLxB9REp6WSq-DjFX3gThlqW4mi-VlTP_yj9Ds1O9gH8/s2048/f.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kGs-CeRo3ts2gvLF2unYsastg2BYAs9oLpb0hE4MC3tznyFFewFc6tN3ssodlYhY7n700RgXGJU8hIOtuGXVJuFtqDt_8ASgLxB9REp6WSq-DjFX3gThlqW4mi-VlTP_yj9Ds1O9gH8/w307-h410/f.jpeg" width="307" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF-cvTImw2VRUsxsPM0qR_uF5Bd6fajzH1S48dkbSmYD16wuJ2NBDOuNQHOZBYrKvT1cJPGbo63w4NxnvfmJTIhyphenhyphenCmLFzZRgPsamlLuo_vAyL4H4f3FZ7OjN5ds1W_j0XWyMZ7plmF-A/s2048/IMG_4869.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF-cvTImw2VRUsxsPM0qR_uF5Bd6fajzH1S48dkbSmYD16wuJ2NBDOuNQHOZBYrKvT1cJPGbo63w4NxnvfmJTIhyphenhyphenCmLFzZRgPsamlLuo_vAyL4H4f3FZ7OjN5ds1W_j0XWyMZ7plmF-A/w410-h307/IMG_4869.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><p>We still haven't snapped our "official after" photos. We really want to get the ski lift chair into place in the front yard. And the sheds aren't in yet, so there's still "shed stuff" all over our back yard. And the front gardens aren't planted yet. And the sod is still rooting. And our skis and gear are still in storage. And the new chair hasn't come for the sunroom. </p><p>There's no such thing as done! </p><p>But not-done as it all still feels, we did get our final inspection complete last week, so it seems like a good time to celebrate all that's been done!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2GuElSu3gLgJdGK2IcGzoRQFvOAdY1Z9i-3ec3FRiwXbwjZGl-YREt_6HzPIlqcK43t4iVgj3LZXh7246rITF8FEQUJg6wTEQLUQAishogX3t7KNKvwoybwIeMXzKjpxhlr18HMofqc/s2048/3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX2GuElSu3gLgJdGK2IcGzoRQFvOAdY1Z9i-3ec3FRiwXbwjZGl-YREt_6HzPIlqcK43t4iVgj3LZXh7246rITF8FEQUJg6wTEQLUQAishogX3t7KNKvwoybwIeMXzKjpxhlr18HMofqc/w410-h307/3.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz1K2Leyf-Mmf4cNGa9Cs6jRm_IsSyv4USYq0zjSnQ6gKJKWU45w_mnO5KJZdQYx-3cZDcb5uPFndfC-3ngpnswlJFh_BleFT4sY_HiWvUuULvxHPrm1LajhPMAMcaR206jaZbB9e1pJI/s2048/2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz1K2Leyf-Mmf4cNGa9Cs6jRm_IsSyv4USYq0zjSnQ6gKJKWU45w_mnO5KJZdQYx-3cZDcb5uPFndfC-3ngpnswlJFh_BleFT4sY_HiWvUuULvxHPrm1LajhPMAMcaR206jaZbB9e1pJI/w410-h307/2.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkilH57TkSuOq-qlIjZsfBWIzHMaAqwaTHNDSairXqurnuUF8u8HJWSgyMF1JPW9JgHxcMwvE8ZoXN_AMgCzmIZ3DxuJqt4jl2zOjYHTUV6GqU4sLWaUUBm_c1VU0na-jJwPrzxmYe14/s2048/1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnkilH57TkSuOq-qlIjZsfBWIzHMaAqwaTHNDSairXqurnuUF8u8HJWSgyMF1JPW9JgHxcMwvE8ZoXN_AMgCzmIZ3DxuJqt4jl2zOjYHTUV6GqU4sLWaUUBm_c1VU0na-jJwPrzxmYe14/w410-h307/1.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEM7rHn02-FzJysjcF7AtWSyiHnAddpevPCeCvWkkxTRwL_-C94We_VsFNf8SS0rpV-BOCWzsPDG57oYYMmYAIET0gCCGlVXv9qubdumsPQJqVstImetTlGI4Koub9sDQParQ8jeS-OE/s2048/6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEM7rHn02-FzJysjcF7AtWSyiHnAddpevPCeCvWkkxTRwL_-C94We_VsFNf8SS0rpV-BOCWzsPDG57oYYMmYAIET0gCCGlVXv9qubdumsPQJqVstImetTlGI4Koub9sDQParQ8jeS-OE/w410-h307/6.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMoaBuXP56fwS_uf4VhJ0ONoJ8UqOgnhDoe1ACTGvTDk1OrW-uAg67Y1zwWl_7z8quY2PebeDcWrA8EaFySHCqn1k-i8Ml5f4WXt4cYjQrKx64eP71nAdv4cR8AFPX1MLry2rXZD1Goo/s2048/4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMoaBuXP56fwS_uf4VhJ0ONoJ8UqOgnhDoe1ACTGvTDk1OrW-uAg67Y1zwWl_7z8quY2PebeDcWrA8EaFySHCqn1k-i8Ml5f4WXt4cYjQrKx64eP71nAdv4cR8AFPX1MLry2rXZD1Goo/w410-h307/4.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaAqMuU9711i5TGD1YzyMCgoOGxuXs1MNWoW3dNy-Vs7aMzbyDDQAttGCxdEChtDczHk9pHvlmwDsj10roO6etO8o3CqQqxIrkE93l2BLlkmiwlNzBBQ4i4Ejy7tgGyBdFLSqy3Z4kY2M/s2048/IMG_9004.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaAqMuU9711i5TGD1YzyMCgoOGxuXs1MNWoW3dNy-Vs7aMzbyDDQAttGCxdEChtDczHk9pHvlmwDsj10roO6etO8o3CqQqxIrkE93l2BLlkmiwlNzBBQ4i4Ejy7tgGyBdFLSqy3Z4kY2M/w410-h307/IMG_9004.HEIC" width="410" /></a></div><p></p><p>Thanks to everybody who has been watching our Insta posts and dropping by the house to say hi and cheering along this project. It feels great to be this far and to have this much done. We love the space we've created and the updated look of our home.</p><p>Now... to work on the ten million things left to do!<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-83304856119772138172020-08-25T20:59:00.003-06:002020-08-25T20:59:43.302-06:00I Get By with a Little Help from My Friends<p>We love ourselves a good vacation, and we try to camp as much as we reasonably can (no small feat given our summer of construction plus, of course Coronavirus!). </p><p>A few weeks ago we headed out to Dinosaur National Monument for a camping + rafting adventure and learned some good lessons about community and interdependence. </p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBherT0PmCDIz1NoK8nH-LTfNaGuPTeb4tugr9rxdUezrb4Iuq7q-79jH-599-S2bg2SHCT-Gk20c1-zHQBkYOYU9iKS1ojeFBo_4NLyyGsMKqfElcIy9CKd3taUvWofMzT7FpnbgfDlQ/s2048/IMG_8771.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBherT0PmCDIz1NoK8nH-LTfNaGuPTeb4tugr9rxdUezrb4Iuq7q-79jH-599-S2bg2SHCT-Gk20c1-zHQBkYOYU9iKS1ojeFBo_4NLyyGsMKqfElcIy9CKd3taUvWofMzT7FpnbgfDlQ/w410-h307/IMG_8771.jpeg" width="410" /></a>As you know, we faithfully camp in our 1987 Volkswagen Vanagon, Rainy. This is equal parts deeply cool and notoriously unreliable. We always say that we feel bad for folks who load up into a car just assuming they’ll end up where they intended to go when they intended to get there. The Morningstars live under no such delusions, and we’ve both enjoyed and endured many unexpected adventures as a result. <p></p><p></p><p>Our first two days at Dinosaur were hot and uneventful (as camping trips should be!). We drove the back roads, we waded in the Green River, we took some short hikes and checked out the petroglyphs and, of course, the fossils for which the park is well-named. <br /></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0YYZNV_yAydGtK8BkEGxSLczM0K3L5L9G6EO6GowOaS9SzS1Bv5xNSvxby2IyN3YxtNFoMNdB_psmasrPdek7QD6UM7lnwoLX0PoooOPV1Rcjbpso3wl-GqInIDDyanaghCgncYUZUk/s2048/IMG_8820.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0YYZNV_yAydGtK8BkEGxSLczM0K3L5L9G6EO6GowOaS9SzS1Bv5xNSvxby2IyN3YxtNFoMNdB_psmasrPdek7QD6UM7lnwoLX0PoooOPV1Rcjbpso3wl-GqInIDDyanaghCgncYUZUk/w410-h307/IMG_8820.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuyceZb6kcCKmd2VNfmpxTsGhalPAUy1FfATcASd5L_QvBrLqs5Of5AnD5XkprEK3zI9EgBBPOZJzYq1nWsvOc4LaGSvE5moXLLXHVk18ap9jSOXPWxanh6U-2DWOp0L0gYKqMuJqORQs/s2048/IMG_8780.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuyceZb6kcCKmd2VNfmpxTsGhalPAUy1FfATcASd5L_QvBrLqs5Of5AnD5XkprEK3zI9EgBBPOZJzYq1nWsvOc4LaGSvE5moXLLXHVk18ap9jSOXPWxanh6U-2DWOp0L0gYKqMuJqORQs/w410-h307/IMG_8780.jpeg" width="410" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTi8W5IrGB_kaBNceGOUbNSDi-GbZTO9FReyLsvH4Xm4PUJCAbGD_SSHUE2oztKOzL_AEUPPSjlcELdiISY15-JsRoHLf2Gi_pOCW6Ty2RqmFFiLFyuz5lQuTd-4RWiMTtlyLI7rxtkQ/s2048/IMG_8769.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTi8W5IrGB_kaBNceGOUbNSDi-GbZTO9FReyLsvH4Xm4PUJCAbGD_SSHUE2oztKOzL_AEUPPSjlcELdiISY15-JsRoHLf2Gi_pOCW6Ty2RqmFFiLFyuz5lQuTd-4RWiMTtlyLI7rxtkQ/w410-h307/IMG_8769.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiY7G4vIAd7I7iDPJuTIsBVLJuqoyxFyy5ynZnvyXqAiyLaWpZjCV-ZhBuG6cXYCmXeK0gdwPxgl0X4pipvUdEB0Hg8ZaCBNLP-G-vbdyRnwhrIbllk_T9MHKM7_h4Y8z7NFwDay2Z9lI/s2048/IMG_8790.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiY7G4vIAd7I7iDPJuTIsBVLJuqoyxFyy5ynZnvyXqAiyLaWpZjCV-ZhBuG6cXYCmXeK0gdwPxgl0X4pipvUdEB0Hg8ZaCBNLP-G-vbdyRnwhrIbllk_T9MHKM7_h4Y8z7NFwDay2Z9lI/w410-h307/IMG_8790.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><p>Day three was our rafting day, and we had a <b>blast </b>on the Green River. It was one of our best family memories in a long time - light and fun and out in nature and adventurous and just perfect.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YlVCRNYcjmbYdvjtTWnwQ6wGwTdK1r5OhWB0OWvReB5D5aRjfZWcNbWK3Uc7cAK4lr9_zGzHNWFthcrkfBu3Zj3_1SeLH4PwMgwfCeawmzoov2HPw44CyYQ88cfEsuG78tfL9EhpcPE/s2048/IMG_8803.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YlVCRNYcjmbYdvjtTWnwQ6wGwTdK1r5OhWB0OWvReB5D5aRjfZWcNbWK3Uc7cAK4lr9_zGzHNWFthcrkfBu3Zj3_1SeLH4PwMgwfCeawmzoov2HPw44CyYQ88cfEsuG78tfL9EhpcPE/w410-h307/IMG_8803.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWP0MCY_D43tPetfl6NlcjOP8yLwTdq2wn3F15FvBt5amfMBnlw43Lr_NfQEdYjK-fmTDm7qPyy01GnhUUkqwvi6sLr6YzYWG6FqSJAQ-hdTr4mYv9rEqHF2lPCEYwnwuMfmvYZ-1nzAA/s2048/E1C83D7B-F71E-4FC5-BFF7-54ECD267CE7E-1808-0000007E324BC5FE.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWP0MCY_D43tPetfl6NlcjOP8yLwTdq2wn3F15FvBt5amfMBnlw43Lr_NfQEdYjK-fmTDm7qPyy01GnhUUkqwvi6sLr6YzYWG6FqSJAQ-hdTr4mYv9rEqHF2lPCEYwnwuMfmvYZ-1nzAA/w410-h307/E1C83D7B-F71E-4FC5-BFF7-54ECD267CE7E-1808-0000007E324BC5FE.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3lksPxNcFrY89RLlJmDmzeqhvMCYa_bNQgzOHHEuYAav3DbDedRRgxIzN9g6QmTJyWUxyy6X0zWrHRG89QTqm_cDm8SqzSfGTy8dc30KCq1AZGpbHhW_qHfJ3GbazhO6kuy8jT1Hrv8/s2048/IMG_8817.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3lksPxNcFrY89RLlJmDmzeqhvMCYa_bNQgzOHHEuYAav3DbDedRRgxIzN9g6QmTJyWUxyy6X0zWrHRG89QTqm_cDm8SqzSfGTy8dc30KCq1AZGpbHhW_qHfJ3GbazhO6kuy8jT1Hrv8/w410-h307/IMG_8817.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbLs6mn0aJuuSpOdgGNWfK6IGL04ZmFcreEPeiZHVoIJGpM-sK0Q5PveQnIDy3jLlA5-wlSTRkLXpyH3KCX5sl4pxPJoV9maE3h4cB6kxsNbXXdb6nzs6q2D4dOwyXpZ-4UvJp-XkGks/s2048/BFB1C2E6-7416-4670-AC76-0E1BD885951C-1808-0000007E744B06DF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbLs6mn0aJuuSpOdgGNWfK6IGL04ZmFcreEPeiZHVoIJGpM-sK0Q5PveQnIDy3jLlA5-wlSTRkLXpyH3KCX5sl4pxPJoV9maE3h4cB6kxsNbXXdb6nzs6q2D4dOwyXpZ-4UvJp-XkGks/w410-h307/BFB1C2E6-7416-4670-AC76-0E1BD885951C-1808-0000007E744B06DF.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div><p>And then we got back to the rafting company's parking lot, and Steve started Rainy and then Rainy stopped. We were about 10 miles from the campground, and while Steve spent hours working on the van before ultimately surrendering to the help of a tow truck and 3-hour tow truck ride, the kids and I hitched a ride back to the campground with new friends (that is, strangers who were also headed to the campground and had spare seats in their vehicle). The lovely rafting folks gave him a ride into town for some auto supplies. My parents offered to drive out to help us out. Our camping neighbors loaned us a broom so we could sweep up before packing up. We were surrounded by the help of those around us. <br /></p><p>And the next morning, Steve drove a different car the three hours back to pick us up and we headed home. And you know what? Our auto insurance even picked up the $800 tow truck bill!</p><p>Without a community of people around us willing to help, our camping
trip would have ended with us being stuck and hot and hungry and
unhappy. But because of the kindness of both strangers and family, what
could have been a disaster ended up being a family adventure and a fun
night of junk food and sleeping out under the stars. And I am simply grateful.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9LRY28WasLuVyrihK7RfFrTmc2TVWsVsKIfprpG-GOh0Op-VP4w_l3p5oVA0iDeG7aXjvrxUFQHMZI6srmXjmZxfNMsbDc7Tfh47fr9N47On3ydK5FKjcrXAa1NTSkPIHYMY-uhqfPyw/s2048/IMG_8822.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9LRY28WasLuVyrihK7RfFrTmc2TVWsVsKIfprpG-GOh0Op-VP4w_l3p5oVA0iDeG7aXjvrxUFQHMZI6srmXjmZxfNMsbDc7Tfh47fr9N47On3ydK5FKjcrXAa1NTSkPIHYMY-uhqfPyw/w410-h307/IMG_8822.jpeg" width="410" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-77153836987527400202020-08-20T10:31:00.002-06:002020-08-20T10:31:37.274-06:00So, What's a Person to Do?<p><i>This blog post contains personal musings on race, racism, equity, and inclusion prompted by my own thinking and continual education and especially <a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Antiracist-Ibram-Kendi/dp/0525509283">How to Be an Antiracist</a> by Ibram X Kendi. This is written with the primary purpose of working through my own thoughts and learnings, but if it's helpful to you in some way, all the better!</i></p><br />These past few months have brought recognition of my own privilege, bias, and racism in new and dramatic ways (for examples see these posts: <a href="http://morningstarhappenings.blogspot.com/2020/07/what-im-learning-from-black-lives-matter.html">How I'm Learning from Black Lives Matter</a>, <a href="http://morningstarhappenings.blogspot.com/2020/08/on-representativeness.html">On Representativeness</a>). I've been reading both fiction and non-fiction about the Black experience (lots of great resources in <a href="https://www.qualtrics.com/qualtrics-life/how-to-be-an-ally-to-the-black-community/">this Qualtrics blog</a>) and I find myself returning back to where I started, with questions of what to do and how to help.<div><br /></div><div>I do believe the change has to start with me. Thoughtfully choosing new voices to hear, voices that come from experiences well outside of my own, and voices that are often suppressed or dismissed continues to be illuminating and challenges my assumptions. Learning about definitions of racism and finding vocabulary and voice to some of the swirling questions within me matures my own thinking.</div><div><br /></div><div>But I also believe that suasion (my own or even that of large portions of society) is insufficient to create lasting change. I have become newly committed to choosing a side in the battle of racism, and I'm firmly on the anti-racist side. There's no neutral in this battle - we are each either creating or dismantling racism.</div><div><br /></div><div>In <a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Antiracist-Ibram-Kendi/dp/0525509283">How to Be an Antiracist</a>, Ibram X Kendi says that, "Changing minds is not activism" - instead, activism is power and policy change. It also means that the most lasting investment we can make in this very moment is in funding and advocating for policy and power change instead of programs that touch and enrich the individual lives of oppressed or suppressed people. True, this isn't an either-or scenario - we can invest in enriching individual lives, changing individual minds, and changing power and policy. But think that when investing with limited resources, this is the time to create policies that actively create equity.</div><div><br /></div><div>And (stepping in a minefield here, but it's worth it because important to work these things through), to me that's the difference between something like Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter. Do police lives matter? Yes! Police do a hard and dangerous job with lots of baggage and little recognition. The difference is that, in general, the safety and security of individual officers is not suppressed by power and policies. Police safety is endangered by the actions of individuals, not government-created and funded laws and systems. Black lives are endangered, shortened, violated and suppressed by government-created and funded laws and systems.</div><div><br /></div><div>There's so much I'm still working through on this - for example, how do economic systems and capitalism fit into this mesh of racism? I don't have answers there. </div><div><br /></div><div>But I do know the system is rigged and it's predominantly rigged in my favor. And I get to be a part of changing those power structures and policies that created and perpetuate a racist America. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-19699724181079768162020-08-19T18:22:00.000-06:002020-08-19T18:22:04.104-06:00On Representativeness<p><i>This blog post contains personal musings on race, racism, equity, and inclusion prompted by my own thinking and continual education and especially <a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Antiracist-Ibram-Kendi/dp/0525509283">How to Be an Antiracist</a> by Ibram X Kendi. This is written with the primary purpose of working through my own thoughts and learnings, but if it's helpful to you in some way, all the better!</i></p><p>I was riding on a local bike path the other day, listening to <i>How to Be an Antiracist</i> and suddenly the concept of representativeness was illuminated in sharp relief. </p><p>I'm a big fan of "friendly trails" and as I ride my bike on our local paths, I try to say hi or wave to everybody I pass. Of course, there are times I'm distracted or feeling a little fussy or concentrating on something else, and I miss returning a wave or smiling at a fellow trail user. Now, of course, I know this is not indicative of my overall friendliness as a person - I'm a good person who just happened to miss that wave. But other people? Heavens, if they don't smile back or wish me a "good morning" I quickly assume that they are unfriendly trail users and probably should be banned from all multi-use paths ;)</p><p>And this got me thinking hard about race and representativeness. And I came to the following conclusions (all obvious and also based in known psychological theories, but they hit me on a personal level in a new way):</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>I am predisposed to assume the best about my own intentions or people with which I have an affinity. For example, as a skier I may assume that line-cutting by a fellow skier was an accident or oversight, while line-cutting by a snowboarder is clearly the action of a thoughtless punk.</li><li>The more unfamiliar I feel with a group, the more likely I am to view their individual behaviors as representative of that group. For example, if I don't know many Indians, I'm more likely to assume that the choices of the first few Indians I meet are representative of all people from India.</li><li>But this is dumb. The actions of an individual do not represent the behaviors of a group. They represent the behaviors of that individual at that moment.</li></ol><div>These are useful insights on their own, but this chain of "logic" becomes more difficult and potentially when applied to race. The concept of "representing" one's race (or any group) is crazy-pants, yet it's one we use and hear commonly. </div><div><br /></div><div>There simply is no such thing as racial behavior. There's no such thing as "black behavior." There are personal behaviors. And there can be shared culture within races (and plenty of shared culture that has nothing to do with racial constructs) and some in a shared culture can share behaviors, but that is many steps away from a racial behavior. Behavior simply cannot and should not be representative of race. Assuming otherwise is just as silly (and far more potentially dangerous) as me assuming that the person who didn't wave to me on the bike path is unfriendly because they're wearing the same color helmet as the last person who didn't wave to me on the bike path.</div><div><br /></div><div>Individual behavior does not represent race. Individual behavior represents individuals. </div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-4126934981401748142020-07-22T16:25:00.000-06:002020-07-22T16:25:21.470-06:00Today was 2020 in MiniatureOh, 2020, you are quite the adventure, you rascal.<div><br /></div><div>I’ve been really (really, really) needing to create things to look forward to. The last few months have been tough (duh) and the monotony of these Groundhog Day weeks can easily get me down. It helps a lot if I have things to look forward to - a camping weekend, an evening plan, anything.</div><div><br /></div><div>But, it’s also been really (really, really) hard to muster the hope and energy to schedule and plan for these things to look forward to.</div><div><br /></div><div>Last week, Steve and I summoned up our planning skill and made plans and reservations for a few fun things over the next few weeks, which feels great. One of these things today’s float down the Provo River. Usually we float the Provo as a Qualtrics Engineering summer fun activity, but since that isn’t happening (sigh), I figured we could break up the week with a Wednesday float. I arranged to take the afternoon off, the boys had off work as well, we made our reservations, we were ready to go. </div><div><br /></div><div>And then last night I looked at the weather forecast. For 4-6 weeks, our highs have been in the 90s every day. Hot, sunny, dry. It’s summer in the desert; we’re used to it. But what was today’s weather? The one day we had planned to enjoy the heat? High 70s and rainy. </div><div><br /></div><div>I experienced a mix of emotions at seeing the forecast. From, “meh, it will probably be warmer than that, we’ll still go and it will be fine” to “seriously!?! WTF?” And then I felt the commingled frustration at my foiled plans and guilty shame because other people are dealing with way worse circumstances than this and what right do I have to feel angry about this small thing. I am such a mess.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UjRAfgPhqGeV76x992y-00IGVqjVkhhSUtvJiLnrPLkWoQ6p9NsmCJJkJcHCkc8qDJ1-8ZhMvcReiUANCo_thOqX6vJnlXXOkXnLu7DBP3NQbTsWaZAjSc_hyphenhyphenHYsYW5-E8WSpihYRfA/s2048/16E5D20E-BC22-4247-AA95-6DD76C040E98.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UjRAfgPhqGeV76x992y-00IGVqjVkhhSUtvJiLnrPLkWoQ6p9NsmCJJkJcHCkc8qDJ1-8ZhMvcReiUANCo_thOqX6vJnlXXOkXnLu7DBP3NQbTsWaZAjSc_hyphenhyphenHYsYW5-E8WSpihYRfA/s320/16E5D20E-BC22-4247-AA95-6DD76C040E98.jpeg" /></a></div>But the weather wasn’t too bad at noon, so Ben and I decided to ride our respective unicycle and bike up to the starting point while the others met us there. And as we rode, the rain started, the wind whipped, and the temperatures dropped. </div><div><br /></div><div>By the time we arrived, Steve had texted to tell us that he and the other kids were having grave doubts about the wisdom of this plan and could I see if we could move the reservation?</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KHuhM_SuCkII-x9EeXXVb8j0GODJS6OUMUsPjc1WsM66EU8HeLy33aJhzZOmew_v7xFcw65k9IbXnpj_ZDUSwqXWMCLYEa9QkAz-gsMMTrMeCa4L0Mb-VolEkj4oFJSVl8ZX1XgLubk/s2048/4E74081C-E71A-4B09-A5C6-78F952AFEF76.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KHuhM_SuCkII-x9EeXXVb8j0GODJS6OUMUsPjc1WsM66EU8HeLy33aJhzZOmew_v7xFcw65k9IbXnpj_ZDUSwqXWMCLYEa9QkAz-gsMMTrMeCa4L0Mb-VolEkj4oFJSVl8ZX1XgLubk/s320/4E74081C-E71A-4B09-A5C6-78F952AFEF76.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Disappointed by my family wussing out (but also now reaching the conclusion that they were clearly right), I checked in and successfully moved our reservations to a (hopefully) warmer day. And Ben and I sat under a pavilion and watched the rain and ate our apples. And then Ben had the brilliant idea that we should grab lunch, so we rode down the canyon soaking wet and had a really fun lunch together (because lunches with a 17-year-old are few and far between!) and rode home in the still-increasing wetness. And I took a hot shower and enjoyed a little nap and it turns out that those are also pretty great activities to enjoy on an afternoon off. </div><div><br /></div><div>I feel like today has been exactly like 2020 in miniature:</div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Feel crappy</li><li>Summon your energy and make some plans that will feel good</li><li>Plans are foiled</li><li>Feel a bizarre and caustic mix of anger and disappointment and frustration and hopelessness</li><li>Feel guilty that you feel this way just because your little plans were ruined, when other people have it so much worse</li><li>Do an alternate thing</li><li>Find out that the alternate thing has its own sweetness. It wasn’t what you were looking for, wasn’t what you planned, but still provided its own redemption</li><li>Repeat</li></ol><div>2020, I don’t love the lessons you’re teaching me. They are hard. Punishing. Exhausting. But I do love the sweet results of some of these lessons and the ways they’re shaping me. So, I’ll take that victory... because I really don’t have much of a choice anyway!</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-69878686187945384032020-07-19T16:11:00.000-06:002020-07-19T16:11:02.631-06:00Optimism and Permission to FeelI’m an optimist.<br />
<br />
I naturally see the bright side of most situations. I always think things will be faster and easier than they are. I expect the best.<br />
<br />
And there’s so much good stuff about this part of my personality - I’m super grateful to be an optimist.<br />
<br />
Note that the previous sentence was the most meta-optimistic sentence you’re ever likely to read.<br />
<br />
But.<br />
<br />
Over the past few months I have also experienced som e marked downsides to my natural optimism and the resultant behaviors I’ve perfected over the years. As an optimist and a control-freak, I’ve taken the concept of “<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%2010%3A5&version=NIV">take captive every thought</a>” to a new level, sometimes at the expense of allowing myself to experience the natural negative emotions that accompany a circumstance, decision, or season.<br />
<br />
The logic goes like this:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>A person experiencing this thing I’m experiencing could feel some negative emotions. In fact, perhaps I’m experiencing some twinge or shadow of those emotions.</li>
<li>But, I don’t see how those emotions are going to help me lead a more fulfilled, productive or happy life.</li>
<li>Plus, through the power of logic and intellect, I can talk myself into other emotions that would also be valid for a person experiencing this thing I’m experiencing and that seem more useful, positive, or at least less icky.</li>
<li>Therefore, I will choose this second set of more useful emotions rather than that first icky set.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Basically, I just say, “Hmm... this emotion seems to lead to a yucky place, so I’ll just replace it with a more positive or productive emotion.” Or I implicitly tell myself, “What’s the use in feeling this way? Nothing? Well, then, feel this other way instead.”</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now, perhaps this chain of logic makes no sense to you and you are now thinking I am a deeply bizarre and unwell person. I can live with that; I’m just being real here.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And I do believe there’s some utility in this line of reasoning. Over-indulging in negative emotions has some really negative and gross side-effects that I want nothing to do with. I don’t want to ruminate on my hurt or pain or doubt. I don’t want my negative emotions or experiences to monopolize my life. I don’t want to get stuck in the hurt. Choosing to replace something negative with something positive has its time and place (and, Lord knows, I have perfected that process). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But I’ve also started to learn that honoring and allowing myself to feel what I actually feel, rather than what I think would be more useful or positive to feel, is pretty important. As self-helpy as it sounds, I have learned that there’s some good stuff to honoring what I’m feeling and giving it the space to just be, rather than immediately talking myself out of the efficacy of that emotion.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For example, my long-standing habit in, say, prayer or journaling times has been to talk about something hard or something I feel negative emotions about, and then in the next sentence explain why it’s not really “that bad,”or the other side of the story, or the good that could come of it or how I really ought to feel about it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What I’m learning is to give space for the icky feelings, the bad experiences, and just to let them feel bad. I don’t always have to talk myself into making them feel ok or immediately seeing the inherent value or lesson in a tough time. It’s ok for me to admit to myself that some things are just hard. They will, eventually, become easier. They will bring their own lessons. But in the middle of it all, it’s ok if it just feels hard.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What does this look like, practically? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Well, one new practice for me is that every morning in my journal I list out the Sweet and Tough things from the previous day. And now I don’t excuse or justify or un-justify or explain the tough things. I just let them sit in the “tough” column. I don’t try to explain the validity or invalidity of their presence in the column. I just let them be. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Because it’s ok for something to feel hard or hurtful or icky for its season.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
At least, that’s what I’m trying to tell myself.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-42553825721390782462020-07-06T21:48:00.004-06:002020-07-07T12:14:12.154-06:00How I'm Learning from Black Lives MatterLike so many other Whites in the U.S., these past few weeks have been wildly disruptive for me. I've been confronted in uncomfortable ways with my prejudice, assumptions, laziness, and responsibility when it comes to race and racism. I thought I got it before... and I was wrong. I still don't get it - but I'm getting iteratively closer to understanding, listening better, and becoming an active part of the solution.<br />
<br />
This post is a line in the sand for me, briefly documenting what I am coming to understand.<br />
<br />
If you're a Black reader, don't waste any more time on this post - you know all this and are shaking your head at my sad ignorance.<br />
<br />
For all other readers, this isn't intended to be a sermon, and it isn't written to convince or chastise you. It's not written for you at all, it's written for me to work through what I'm learning and to record it, however immaturely and clumsily. If any of this causes you discomfort, start to sit with that discomfort and ask why you feel that way. If you want to learn more, you don't even need to ask for resources - there are a billion lists out there of wonderful podcasts, movies, scholarly research, and novels to help you dig into equality and anti-racism more deeply. Here's a great place to start: <a href="https://www.qualtrics.com/qualtrics-life/how-to-be-an-ally-to-the-black-community">https://www.qualtrics.com/qualtrics-life/how-to-be-an-ally-to-the-black-community</a><br />
<br />
Many of these thoughts were catalyzed by <i>White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism</i>. It's deeply challenging. If you want to start with a summary, here's a good one: <a href="https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/white-fragility-why-its-so-hard-to-talk-to-white-people-about-racism-twlm">https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/white-fragility-why-its-so-hard-to-talk-to-white-people-about-racism-twlm</a>. You'll probably agree with some of it, be challenged by some of it, disagree with some of it - that's cool. That's what learning should look like.<br />
<br />
In no particular order, here are some of the things I've been wrestling with and learning from:<br />
<br />
<b>1. I kind of have a problem with Jesus and his love for the lost and oppressed</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULgzPU5gxpaMth8iEtA5_4N50I-BIS1OGX4sChs-sqk4fZ4SGSR1JEO4iqc96qz-RkbPI9KC5065SF1iAXgesHikd4H00EQ6WDpYVCVuR4AdsPMhL4K9gqajcEo5R5KWsuynPaX9rxHM/s1600/99.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="946" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULgzPU5gxpaMth8iEtA5_4N50I-BIS1OGX4sChs-sqk4fZ4SGSR1JEO4iqc96qz-RkbPI9KC5065SF1iAXgesHikd4H00EQ6WDpYVCVuR4AdsPMhL4K9gqajcEo5R5KWsuynPaX9rxHM/s320/99.JPG" width="315" /></a></div>
This comic hit way, way too close to home.<br />
<br />
In <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke+15%3A3-9&version=NIV">Luke 15:3-9</a>, Jesus tells two parables that are essentially about how he will leave the masses of safe folks behind to risk life and limb to help the hurting and lost.<br />
<br />
In my more honest moments (e.g. these ones), I'll admit that I don't really like this Jesus. I want him to chase after <b>me</b>. All the time. I know everybody else matters... but in reality I want to be the one who really matters the mostest. And although on one level we are all the lost sheep and lost coin of the parables and Jesus seeks to save each of us, it's also super clear in the Bible, and especially the New Testament, that Jesus chases super duper hard after the oppressed.<br />
<br />
It's easy to spout off Christian-sounding niceties that Jesus came for all and died for all (a short semantic hop to "all lives matter"). And, yes, yes he did. But he also spent a whole lot of time working on behalf of the downtrodden of his day - the Samaritans, the widows, the prostitutes, the sick, the poor, the powerless - those whose rights were systematically denied by the Jewish law and economy and government. Jesus chases after the ones in danger. And boy does he have some harsh words for insiders (the ones who benefit from, perpetuate, and don't actively dismantle the bigoted attitudes and policies)<br />
<br />
And he calls us to do the same.<br />
<br />
<b>2. I don't naturally self-identify as White</b><br />
I don't think of myself as White. I don't think of my family as (mostly) White. My subconscious position is that race is something for other people groups - you know, the "racial" ones. And White just means that I'm not Black or Indigenous or Asian or Latinx or Middle Eastern or...<br />
<br />
I simply don't see race as an essential part of my experience. Because I am the defacto one. And the other races are, just that, "other".<br />
<br />
Now, it drives me crazy that I needed to hit my 41st year to recognize how insane this is. For many years, I have experienced the segregation and bias of being "other" - by being a woman. My gender is does not represent the defacto experience. My environment is predominantly defined and controlled by and for men, and I am out side of that. Even the name of my gender remind me of that - the origin of "<i>wo</i>man" is "wife-man" - my gender's very word is a description of our relationship to the group in power.<br />
<br />
I know how hard it hurts to be so far outside.<br />
<br />
Yet I never really internalized (or, at least, started to internalize) that this is just a small shade of how hard it hurts to be even farther outside of the defacto, assumptive normal experience as a Black person.<br />
<br />
It is super uncomfortable to talk about myself as White, and I think that's at least partially because of the clear privilege encapsulated in the term. Thinking of myself in racial terms has been a healthy struggle.<br />
<br />
<b>3. The most useful definitions of racism are not about individual moral choices</b><br />
If you asked me to define racism a few weeks ago, I would have described racism as something like, "decisions bad people make to discriminate against people of another race."<br />
<br />
I now understand that this definition of racism isn't super useful. This definition is mostly a shortcut tool that we use to prove that we can't be racist and don't need to enter into the conversation about racism. The logic goes something like this: "I am a good person. I don't make individual choices to discriminate against people of another race. Therefore, there's really no need for me to educate myself about racism or to enter the conversation except perhaps to point out how morally inferior racists are."<br />
<br />
It's tidy logic that exempts me conveniently from discomfort or responsibility in regards to racism.<br />
<br />
But.<br />
<br />
Then there's the undeniable evidence that Blacks are incredibly oppressed in our nation by every measure I can think of - from political power to economic power to incarceration numbers to educational achievement to social mobility to corporate power. The "better" you get along any of these scales, the whiter (and more male) your surroundings and the people around you.<br />
<br />
The system is rigged. And the use of power and policy to perpetuate the elevation of one group at the expense of others is a pretty decent working definition of racism. <br />
<br />
<b>4. And, so, I have a responsibility</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpVwFpcZdWyEbDA3HJJTRGi9KqF9DN_1jLjqPgZvaRq6Ska8P1I9V-YiRaWJS6SgemLWdizyPu_F6k990m2Q4C5AgOucI7urQ5AhZd4f-ijAEPyTXU0JjDw3wEiMPwEPE-3UfMc2a1e4/s1600/dismantle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="952" data-original-width="960" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpVwFpcZdWyEbDA3HJJTRGi9KqF9DN_1jLjqPgZvaRq6Ska8P1I9V-YiRaWJS6SgemLWdizyPu_F6k990m2Q4C5AgOucI7urQ5AhZd4f-ijAEPyTXU0JjDw3wEiMPwEPE-3UfMc2a1e4/s320/dismantle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>White Fragility</i> says it well, "I don't feel guilty about racism. I didn't choose this socialization, and it could not be avoided. But I am responsible for my role in it. To the degree that I have done my best in each moment to interrupt my participation, I can rest with a clearer conscience. But that clear conscience is not achieved by complacency or a sense that I have arrived."<br />
<br />
For years I have been trying to help my coworkers and employers understand that gender disparity isn't a women's problem - it's a human problem and that it cannot be solved without the support of those in power. Yet, somehow, I hadn't made the emotional and intellectual leap to think the same about racism.<br />
<br />
This is an imperfect analogy, but it's one that helped me:<br />
Women gained suffrage in 1920 (remember these were mostly White, middle class women who gained suffrage, but the analogy still stands). It was <i>impossible </i>for women to earn or gain themselves suffrage. Because women were unequal in the eyes of the law, they could not get their own suffrage no matter how hard they tried.<br />
<br />
The only way women could gain suffrage is for the people with the power (in this case, White men) to grant it, to extend it, to change their policies and attitudes.<br />
<br />
The group in power had to care and get involved enough to dismantle bigoted policies and extend that power to another group.<br />
<br />
My right and responsibility as part of the group in power is to stand with and for Blacks. To listen, to educate myself about the Black experience, to dismantle systems of privilege, to gain sensitivity to my own prejudice and dismantle it, to enter uncomfortable conversations, to engage in uncomfortable learning (all learning is uncomfortable!), to put my energy and money where my mouth is and invest in equality, to replace racist systems with anti-racist ones.<br />
<br />
This is rough learning. And I am deeply grateful to be on this uncomfortable journey.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-76097138559375242492020-06-25T20:53:00.000-06:002020-06-26T10:26:41.926-06:00Losing my Zombie Eyes. Or, Getting Work Done.<div>
I'm not a deeply vain person.<br />
<br />
You know this is going to be a good post with a solid self-justifying start like that!<br />
<br />
I’m not a deeply vain person. I don't blow dry my hair or wear makeup. I've never dyed my hair. I mostly accept my crows-feet and gray hairs as hard-earned through a pretty well-lived first half of my life. I like nice clothes, but I'm not obsessed about what's in style. I subscribe to zero beauty or lifestyle magazines. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
None of these things are inherently wrong, and Lord knows I have plenty of pride issues. But, I just don't tend to fall into the beauty trap too hard. I think of myself as pretty well-balanced in that department. I definitely never saw myself as a “cosmetic surgery” kind of person (whatever that implied in my imagination). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWn0YNKTr6S-Ms4xJNkqOULcqE4_U9swNye1U77dN5PdwDcwV4C3jEQDNRrgrIIXpL84sPExJfVaqqVl49DqYgxZmxrAOEWe2xDB8VL010yXuUvTlgV1wHIzOSY6jvtAOg2dmbt8T1hx4/s3000/IMG_6424.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWn0YNKTr6S-Ms4xJNkqOULcqE4_U9swNye1U77dN5PdwDcwV4C3jEQDNRrgrIIXpL84sPExJfVaqqVl49DqYgxZmxrAOEWe2xDB8VL010yXuUvTlgV1wHIzOSY6jvtAOg2dmbt8T1hx4/s320/IMG_6424.jpeg" /></a></div>
But, like most people (most women?) I have that "just one thing" that drives me batty - the bags under my eyes. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I know, you're saying, "Jamie, I have literally never noticed this thing about you ever." </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I get it. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This really wasn't about you or anybody else - it was about me. I felt like, no matter what I did, I always looked tired. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, I started investigating what was going on and found out that the poochy bags under one's eyes are actually fat deposits, and there's really nothing one can do about them - this isn't about creams or diet or exercise because it's all under the skin. It's mostly genetic, and some people just have more generous fat deposits under their eyes than others. I just happen to have prodigious under-eye fat. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
About a year ago I started to investigate what could be done about this. I had several requirements (not saying these are everybody's requirements, but they're mine):</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>No fillers or weird injections</li>
<li>It had to be something I couldn't correct with diet, exercise, or a healthier lifestyle</li>
<li>It had to look natural</li>
<li> Whatever I did, it had to age gracefully and require no upkeep/maintenance/touchups. I was not about to sign up for a lifetime of regular surgeries or injections or whatever to keep things looking right</li>
</ul>
<div>
And after a ton of thought and many discussions, I decided to go for it! And because I know you're wondering, Steve was against the whole thing (mildly, not passionately opposed) and willing to support whatever decision I made. He's a good man.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My surgery was originally scheduled for Thanksgiving and then that didn't work out for our family's schedule so it got pushed to April which, of course, didn't happen for many weeks because of Coronavirus. But, eventually, schedules aligned and surgery centers opened and it was time! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The surgery itself was pretty fast and for sure the worst part of those first day was recovering from anesthesia. Steve lovingly prepared many icepacks for my swollen face. I went back to work (from home, of course) after 5 days. Most of the swelling was gone after a few weeks, and the bruises are still there (faintly) 7 weeks post-surgery. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here are a few choice shots:</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHOwz84T0271gWpkByfb2RjbJY5JZvIqPVbJUEk4AkSLOHeTAe0ANpQZB3dxHeIEldQzRMSbfX6NOBSFChmhCTAjxn3uW9Cc1XgUOnG99d8gFK551rrobon0tvXn0WUzFheFwfsfP4gsg/s3088/Eye+bruises+day+2+front.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHOwz84T0271gWpkByfb2RjbJY5JZvIqPVbJUEk4AkSLOHeTAe0ANpQZB3dxHeIEldQzRMSbfX6NOBSFChmhCTAjxn3uW9Cc1XgUOnG99d8gFK551rrobon0tvXn0WUzFheFwfsfP4gsg/s320/Eye+bruises+day+2+front.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzEOQTvYQXKtuhBmLp1SMrIkgbeeDEAWYeDI5Jm0zzR4XKw9j_uXBaZ9Z6yynZb4y8bsj2dRF2cLd3pKBzGk5wmQHMGzh-PRGoHxfcdPTy-uCKwc58Q0UBKe0yyVckteb7Y5z4dBajTA/s3088/Eye+bruises+day+11+front.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzEOQTvYQXKtuhBmLp1SMrIkgbeeDEAWYeDI5Jm0zzR4XKw9j_uXBaZ9Z6yynZb4y8bsj2dRF2cLd3pKBzGk5wmQHMGzh-PRGoHxfcdPTy-uCKwc58Q0UBKe0yyVckteb7Y5z4dBajTA/s320/Eye+bruises+day+11+front.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 11</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vuJGNn1sCxzJhFXxJnKc6SP4u74gg-_iHv3JnSAoznrhkwsocFm8znqapZ0lWGDiDSj0x97GF4jK9AdhYXirJ3isptydnQXump-guOkiyf9YU8E8Bzu4DM3CkVfctAn4htIOFz2r7BM/s3088/Eye+bruises+day+25+front.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vuJGNn1sCxzJhFXxJnKc6SP4u74gg-_iHv3JnSAoznrhkwsocFm8znqapZ0lWGDiDSj0x97GF4jK9AdhYXirJ3isptydnQXump-guOkiyf9YU8E8Bzu4DM3CkVfctAn4htIOFz2r7BM/s320/Eye+bruises+day+25+front.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 25</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjerEX0NKhSYmofUqqsw3YXthYuVx8dg9PdSjUJfKyBs5m-D2RB8WY5m7q2qY5nMzi9uCz-kw53W_58NaGLWETlp8UztbvmocxN1Tb9N8cTUnhvb4umUXAYO96-ULfhhYNcEaCY2NrM8/s3088/Eye+bruises+day+37+front.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjerEX0NKhSYmofUqqsw3YXthYuVx8dg9PdSjUJfKyBs5m-D2RB8WY5m7q2qY5nMzi9uCz-kw53W_58NaGLWETlp8UztbvmocxN1Tb9N8cTUnhvb4umUXAYO96-ULfhhYNcEaCY2NrM8/s320/Eye+bruises+day+37+front.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 37</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And here's a pic from today:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0vdyDaYQuY_J0PSlcMV0nHTp2zApcbcyYyCY1_puNgvCaidvq3aiFAxSuT-0ufi3ER9ZyPLq-DUd3g8WZkFrOJyYb0ObsnQ5rNnfJDwMzwABUyzGQ0Fc8-qZ3-yRiu-CfhKnotSIbPc/s2286/IMG_8265.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2286" data-original-width="2286" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0vdyDaYQuY_J0PSlcMV0nHTp2zApcbcyYyCY1_puNgvCaidvq3aiFAxSuT-0ufi3ER9ZyPLq-DUd3g8WZkFrOJyYb0ObsnQ5rNnfJDwMzwABUyzGQ0Fc8-qZ3-yRiu-CfhKnotSIbPc/s320/IMG_8265.jpeg" /></a></div>
<div>
I'm super happy with the results - the bruises are almost gone and I think the overall effect is my normal face, just without the big bags under my eyes (which is what I was hoping for). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I think that getting cosmetic surgery or any permanent/long-term cosmetic intervention is an intensely personal decision with lots of pros and cons. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Am I glad I did it? Yes. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Would I do it again? Yes, having been through it, I would go back and do the same thing agin. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Would I do other surgeries? I don't think so - I stand by my original rationale for which surgeries were ok for me to consider and there aren't many that fall into that same category. Plus, there are risks with any surgery and the recovery, as easy as it was, was still no joke.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, there you go - the story of my first surgery (unless you count getting my wisdom teeth out)! One surgery every 40 years seems like a decent pattern to perpetuate. </div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2036931067766110415.post-56547947141569784062020-06-08T21:43:00.001-06:002020-06-08T21:43:23.809-06:00What I'm Learning from CoronavirusOh, 2020. I know everybody is saying this, but I just have to throw in my opinion that you are one crazy-ass year. I'm learning a lot, but, boy oh boy, it is not cheap or easy learning.<br />
<br />
To be sure, nothing worth learning comes cheap or easy. I know this... I just don't like it.<br />
<br />
Also, I'm learning a toooooooon right now about being an ally to African Americans and fighting for justice, but those learnings are all super raw and need a little more time to settle before I write about them. More hard, expensive learning. More essential learning.<br />
<br />
So, with that meandering preamble, here's what I'm learning through the dismantling of normalcy through coronavirus disruptions, in no particular order.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Lesson A: There's simultaneous freedom and claustrophobia about the shrinking of my world</h3>
It's a very curious sensation having my practical, everyday world shrink down to the footprint of my house. I used to travel across the country every other week and internationally every 2-3 months. It's been a part of my normal schedule for years. And now, although I may be on Zoom calls with Seattle and Krakow regularly, it's also just two people talking from their home offices - we could be down the street from each other.<br />
<br />
Overall, I'm surprised how much I like it. I like not being jetlagged. I don't mind not flying (although I miss the snobbery of my business travel). I like knowing I'll be home every day and not having to remember which time zone I'll be in on a given day. There's a simple contentedness in this constriction of my practical world.<br />
<br />
I also miss feeling like a global citizen. I worry a little that in not being in the various corners of the world, my heart for the whole world will likewise constrict. I worry that somehow I'll start to only care for the people within the footprint of my home.<br />
<br />
I am glad that this is only a season. I can't wait to get out into the big, wide world again. But for now, I'm also glad to be content in this small corner of it.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Lesson 1: I've found (some) peace in not excelling right now</h3>
From a professional perspective, I don't feel like I'm doing the best work of my life. I'm doing good work. In some ways, I love it, because I'm doing different work and that feels good. But I don't feel like I'm doing brilliant work right now.<br />
<br />
And I'm mostly ok with it.<br />
<br />
I'm pretty sure you didn't know this, but I kind of embrace "high achiever" as an essential defining characteristic. There's some good stuff about this, and there's some gross accomplishment-based striving that comes with it as well.<br />
<br />
Thanks to the bizarrity of coronavirus reality, I've reached a new level of okayness with not excelling. There are so many contributing factors to this - the weight and distraction of national and international news, the extra burden of keeping 4 kids reasonably busy and productive and happy and harmonious and learning and not exclusively subsisting on Cheetos and Animal Crossing, the heavy weight of feeding myself (boy oh boy I can't wait to go back to the office and eat from a buffet line daily again. I really miss corporate lunches). It's a hard time, and I've found a new level of acceptance of not being ok. I've cultivated a new level of self-compassion for my own needs and wants and hurts. These are good lessons.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Lesson I: There's contentment in being a bigger part of our home rhythms</h3>
I do love being more involved in the goings on of our home. To be clear, I also miss the peace of compartmentalization that comes with being able to leave the largest part of my home worries at home when I go to work - and I really, really look forward to getting that healthy compartmentalization back. But until then, I do like being a bigger part of my kids during-the-day lives. I like us all being home more together and playing games and working our way through Clone Wars. I like cooking together. I like being on-hand to help my girls bake.<br />
<br />
There are some really hard parts about us all being home together all. the. time. But there is also real sweetness in doing life intertwined in a way we haven't experienced since the kids were itty bitties. I don't want to lose this deeper connection with my family that we've developed over the past few months.<br />
<br />
<hr />
Overall, I am really, really looking forward to going back to the office, having the kids go to school and youth group, and returning to lives that include a little more independent time.<br />
<br />
But that time isn't now. It isn't safe or possible for us to go back to schools, offices, travel. So for now I'm doing my best to embrace the unique blessings and lessons of this time. They are good and sweet and hard and life-altering lessons. And I am grateful for them.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0