Abbey/Mountain Road

Stopping on the dirt road, taking pictures, yelling at cows, having spontaneous waterfights...we do these things because we can.

And because we're just cool like that.

At one point, one of my friends yelled, "Stop! It's serenity! We have to stop and take a picture!!"

This is serenity. You can find it on a mountain road in Cascade.

 Car shots--Jasmine did a very good job of driving us up and down mountains, across the raging waters, and so on.

Look how well we packed that car--aren't you proud of us?? We were prepared! (Speaking of prepared, every year we resolve not to bring as much food as last year, and every year we somehow end up with about twice as much food as we need... Old habits die hard, I guess. But at least our moms don't have to worry about us starving to death in the woods anytime soon.)

"It's a Party on the Mountaintop, Top of the World"

The people whose cabin we stayed in the first night told us that it was a short drive to the trailhead where we could start the one-mile hike to Blue Lake, where supposedly we would be able to swim.

So Saturday morning after cleaning up the cabin, putting on our bathing suits, and packing up our stuff, we all hopped in the car and drove. ...and drove ....and stopped to ask for directions ...and drove... all the way up to what we were pretty sure was the top of a nearby mountain.

When we got there, this is what we saw: The parking lot was buried under at least a foot of snow.

Needless to say, our dreams of swimming quickly evaporated. Or froze, rather.

"Is that snow?? It's JULY!!" (We were on the top of a mountain, but still.)

We thought we might as well see the lake at least, since we had come all that way. So we started off across the barren wasteland that was the Blue Lake parking lot.

"Um, guys, where's the trail? Do we have any idea where we're going?" 

Not really.

We started down the mountain anyway.

"What if we die in an avalanche? Who's gonna find us?"

"Don't worry--I have a video camera. That way people will know what happened to us. Does anyone have a love confession to make?"

(Our "We're gonna die" faces)

Waterfall!

"Oooh--pretty flowers! Be careful--don't step on them! Save the wildlife!"

"I bet Sasquash lives in these woods!"

"Sasquash?"

"What the heck?? It's snow! In JULY!!!"

(Have we mentioned that it's JULY?)

"Tonight! Tonight! It's a party on the mountaintop, top of the world!"

"Don't know if we'll make it, but watch how well we'll fake it!"

(We never did find the trail.)

"AAH-AAH-AAH! AAH-AAH! AAH!"

We were definitely not going to swim, but we tried sunbathing anyway. This is us sunbathing--and trying not to slide down the mountain.

After slipping, sliding, taking several pictures, singing silly songs, making dire predictions, and failing to find the trail for awhile, we decided to call it quits and hiked back up the mountain to the trailhead. 

There were some people up at the trailhead, and they teased us a little bit for not going all the way down.

"It's actually a hot springs, you know."

"Really??"

"No, it isn't."

We laughed, and had them take a picture of us before we left.

The same people also informed us that if we went back down the road a little bit and looked over, we would be able to see the lake.

Yep, that's it. The blue area underneath all the ICE and SNOW.

Swimming was NOT going to happen. Polar bear plunge in July? There's something wrong with this picture.

"Camping"

My brother insists that I've never really camped in my life.

I won't argue--he's right. And I can't say I've lost much sleep over that fact. (Which is part of my point--I'd much rather sleep in a real bed than on the cold, hard ground.) I shall elaborate.

Friday night, five of us--Janae, Sammy, Rachel, Jasmine, and I--all piled into a minivan, left Jasmine's house, and began the drive up the winding canyon that leads to Cascade and McCall.

About ten minutes after we left, we realized we'd forgotten something rather significant. Jasmine called up her mom.

"Hello? I'd like a frozen cheese pizza from the downstairs freezer to go, please."

After retrieving our dinner, we once more set out on our grand adventure. For real this time. A couple of hours (with me nursing a bottle of ginger ale to keep the carsickness at bay), a couple of CDs, and a few wrong turns later, we arrived at our destination: The cabin where we spent our first night. This is what we call camping:

Spacious rooms, and porch with a view (Sammy shows it off rather well)

A kitchen and bathrooms (we love our indoor plumbing)

We were very glad we did not leave our pizza. And Rachel made a lovely pizza cutter.

There was even a designated area for anyone who wished to smoke. Fortunately, none of us do--no ifs, ands or butts. :)

The Six of Us

6 girls + 3 days + 2 cabins = 1 ROCKIN' weekend.

I returned on Sunday from the retreat to McCall, Idaho, that my friends and I from high school have gone on every summer since we graduated. (I've decided to call it a "retreat," because the word "camping" doesn't really cut it. You'll see why.) The weekend was full of fun, laughter, a few mishaps, and the general craziness that is the six of us.

Get ready, 'cuz here it comes. :)

July 4th

For the 4th of July the past couple years my family has gotten together with our cousins and their cousins for a barbecue, and then we play and talk until it gets dark, and then we walk down the street a little ways, on the rim overlooking the valley, for a good view of the fireworks.

I was thinking about a few things as I watched the fireworks this year.

I'm grateful that the explosions I'm hearing don't mean someone is being killed right now. I'm grateful that all the people are out on the streets because they are celebrating and not because they are running for their lives. I'm grateful that I don't have to live in fear for myself and for my family.

I'm grateful for the people who have experienced all these things so I wouldn't have to--so I can live my life free to worship and speak and do as I choose. I am grateful for the sacrifice of those who have gone before me and those who fight even now for our country.

I know that America is not perfect. I know we have made mistakes in the past. But I am grateful and proud to be an American, and no one will ever be able to take my love of this country away from me.

God bless America.

Oh! thus be it ever, when free men shall stand

Between their loved home and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Photo: bayasaa on flickr

Seven-Year-Old Wisdom

When I was at my aunt's house recently my little cousin showed me her first-grade scrapbook. Included was a page of well-known sayings that the first-graders were asked to complete for an assignment. I wrote down some of my favorites.

"You can lead a horse to water, but it can not swim."

"The pen is mightier than the crayon."

And (my personal favorite):
"Don't bite the hand that has claws."

Sound advice.


Photo:  laffy4k on flickr

On Happy Endings

It is true that life is no fairy tale. No matter how hard we wish, no fairy godmother will appear and wave her magic wand to make all our troubles disappear.

This past week as I've been home I've been thinking about happy endings. This is a time of transition for our family in some ways as we have welcomed my cousin Spencer home from his two-year church mission to Brazil and as we send off my brother Nate on his mission to France. I think most would agree with me when I say that goodbyes aren't fun. It hurts when you know you won't see someone you love for a long time. Sometimes the proverbial "happy ending" seems very far away in times of change and uncertainty.

I do believe in happy endings. But I think that finding our own happy ending is a process. Even in the fairy tales the happy ending doesn't come before the hero/heroine slaves for wicked stepsisters, conquers the uncharted forest, slays the fearsome dragon, and a multitude of other tasks. Sometimes we really have to work, or fight, even, for our happy ending.

But even after the heart of the fair maiden is won, the dragon is slain, and it is time for the "happily ever after," the journey doesn't stop there. We continue on the quest for happiness. This happiness isn't a castle in the sky. It is in every day. We can choose to have our happy ending now. The story never says that they lived "perfectly ever after," but "happily ever after." There can be happiness in the midst of hardship. There can be peace in the midst of trial.

My peace is in Jesus Christ.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
--John 14:27


Photo: hyku on flickr