Calling all Adventurers

Bozeman, Montana! We’re here. And we might never leave. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the air is fresh with wildflowers and mountain breezes. And, of course, there’s that wild Montana sky John Denver told me about before I had ever set foot outside the state of Texas. It really is a big, Big Sky. Liza Cate seems equally as happy with our vacation plans as John & me, if not more. She is constantly pointing and gasping and reaching, like she just wants to drink it all up. 

Yesterday, we went on a hike together, the three of us. It was our second official family hike - the first being a hike in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area last summer. There’s something about family adventures...they make John & me so proud. We just look at each other and smile half the time - so happy to be out exploring the world with our baby girl. Or as John says, “We’re doin it, honey!”.  

So, our family hike was a big success. And by success, I mean we all made it up the trail and back to the car in one piece and we still love each other. Truth be told, it was not without some impatience on Liza Cate’s part. We learned an important lesson in managing expectations (i.e. John’s itinerary of hikes for the remainder of the week has probably been paired down a bit), and I’m quite sure that’s the last time we will ever forget to bring an extra diaper and wipes on a multi-hour family excursion. But most importantly, we all enjoyed the view. Including Liza Cate, who was enamored with river rocks, waterfalls, and especially friendly dogs we saw along the way. Mission accomplished. 

My favorite treasure on the hike was this carving on a tree trunk beside the waterfall. It was such a sweet surprise to see our initials inside the heart...it felt like someone was sending us a little message that we’re right where we’re supposed to be. As if to say, “Life is as it should be. Carry on, adventurers.” 

We need to keep getting out and making adventures happen together as a family, no matter how busy life gets. And to that end, I feel grateful to have a husband who just gets up, decides what he’s going to do, and does it. I need that kind of inspiration in life. More and more, the things I 'should do' threaten to get in the way of my free and open spirit of exploration. Washing bottles, picking up crumbs beneath Liza Cate’s high chair before the ants find them, doing laundry, scheduling, preparing food...not to mention, no one warned me that ‘to-do’ lists in general would grow exponentially in parenthood. On that note, I’m preparing myself for a lifelong battle: I hereby declare that I will not let to-do lists defeat adventurism. I’ll need a strong army to help carry out this mission...who’s with me!?