mountains

Our family got to go up in the mountains this weekend, for the first time as the four of us. There are good mountains about two hours away from us, and it's a smoggy drive, but then you break through the grit and concrete and get up where it's all rocks and trees and sky.

I rediscovered (I always forget) that I feel more myself in the mountains.

I discovered that my daughter has a sensitive, discerning heart. Out of her two-year-old mouth,
"Look at those mountains; they're AMAZING." Isn't that a good (even amazing?) word choice for a two-year-old? I love my little Bess.

I discovered that as much as my one-year-old loves the water here, he loves it better when it's under mountain sky. He spent his time bouncing up and down in the mei-tai, burbling, "bla-ba-laba-bla-ba-laba" - which is Gamgee-speak for "water-water-water."

I rediscovered how much fun kissing is in the mountains, especially under a sky where you can actually see the stars. (And I found the Big Dipper, one of the three constellations I'm pretty sure I can recognize. The other two, if you're curious, are Orion and Cassiopeia. I think I can find Cassiopeia.)

I got to watch my parents loving on their grandkids, which is just a blast.

I got to watch my husband chimney up two pine trees.

I got to have a snowball fight with my dad, with the last of some old, shade-protected snow.

And, somehow, I know better knowing that all that blue sky is just two hours away, just in case.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica