Andrews Bald and Clingmans Dome: day 26

Today was a day we were utterly saturated with natural beauty.  Driving down narrow, winding roads canopied by trees in colors of the rainbow, leaves cascading down in front and all around us, it felt like we were in a postcard.  Perhaps the autumn version of a snowglobe would be a more accurate description, if there was such a thing.  We'll call it a leafglobe.

The color was astounding. 

 

 

Rivers ran cool and crystal clear as we drove through the wonderland that is The Great Smoky Mountain National Park up to Clingmans Dome.  As we gained elevation, the trees became leafless.  They had already had their turn to shine, and their garments had become a forest floor carpeting.  More Firs appeared, the temperature dropped, and we suddenly felt a whole lot more at home.

 

The plan was to hike Andrews Bald.  We became parents of a 12-year-old again today, and this young man usually requests some sort of adventure for his celebration.  He aches for our beloved mountain hiking, as we all do, so we thought this may be a bit of a cure.  I must say, it delivered.

We walked through rocky, wooded terrain for 1.7 miles,

 when suddenly,

we stepped out into grandeur, the wide-open space that we know and love so well.  Sure it wasn't exactly the same.  But there was a certain familiarity in the quality and temperature of air at 5900 ft. which felt like home to us.  Breezes wafted and blew.  The sun warmed the soft grasses where we reclined for our afternoon meal.

We ate and relaxed, and told fun stories.

My how I love these people I'm so blessed to call my family.  There was just nowhere I would rather have been than right there, right then, with those people.  The Creator gifted us with Andrews Bald today.

After a long and leisurely while, we packed it up to head the 1.7 miles back.

There was one more hike we wanted to get in today, before they close Clingmans Road for the winter, and that was its namesake, Clingmans Dome.

This one, being paved and all, seemed quite a bit more tame than what we're used to.  However, after nearly four miles already under our belts, the steep incline of this one had us worn out.  Admittedly, I didn't really know what we were getting ourselves into once we got up there.  When I realized we were going to go up a concrete fibonacci spiral,

Clingmans sort of freaked me out. 

 

But I tell you, the spectacular, 360-degree view of the Smokies and beyond was totally worth it.  I have only one, very non-impressive picture of part of the southern view.  I took it because we could see Andrews Bald in between the Firs.

It's always frustrating to experience something and then not be able to explain it properly.  Sometimes the awe is in the span and the depth and the scale of things.

In any case, it was an amazing day to be thankful for, as we celebrated 12 years of an amazing boy.  What a gift all around.

I'm counting other things to be thankful for in the South here.

Life After Fireflies: day 13

Now that I know what life is like with fireflies, I will never be able to forget.  No matter where I find myself,

for the remainder of my life,
if those dainty beauties are missing,
I will know it,
and miss them.

We noticed our first fireflies in Effingham, Illinois, as we traveled this past summer all the way from the wilds of our beloved Alaska.  It's difficult leaving behind that rugged grandeur, and moving into tame and civilized society, if you will.  Everyone has their art, and words are mine, but I am at a complete loss to express the emotional impact which has resulted from this transition.  Never would I have guessed that something so tiny, an insect nonetheless, would be such a balm to my soul. 

Our family's first encounter with fireflies was fun and exciting.  That's it, just fun.  And exciting.  We caught them, and made a lantern-of-sorts as a centerpiece for our picnic table supper.  And I say "our family's first encounter", because having been born and grown in the Midwest, I've seen them before.  But I have never seen them as I see them now.

As we continued south, their numbers increased, and the regularity at which we'd see them.  Arriving at our first temporary home in Tennessee, a country campground near a misty river, we began to notice that the fireflies would begin to light at dusk, every evening.  Upon camping beside a meadow which separated us from the river, the effect was nothing short of magical.

 

Indeed I felt as though we'd stepped into the scene of a fantastic fairytale, as the entire meadow filled with fireflies, the darkness grew, and the moon rose.  Tiny, tantalizing, fantastical lights blinked all along the ground and high up in the towering tree tops, above the river, near, and far.  Everywhere.  Our eyes gazed and soaked them in.  Each little glow, a continuous show.

We moved into our rental home on the eve of August.  There are yards and a large, grassy field surrounding our home, along with towering, mature trees of various types.  It's a spectacular backdrop for the evening light show.  We strain to see each one, to truly see it, but they light and extinguish, so very quickly.  I want to catch the next one, to be looking right where it begins because the ending will be so instantaneous.  The beauty is too much.  I just cannot soak it in enough.

Through the remainder of summer, I looked forward to dusk every day.
Every
day,
no matter what that day held, the amount of work, the stresses of logistics and the emotional aspects of such a major transition, I looked forward to the upcoming magic of dusk, when  I could step out into the backyard and soak in the wonderland.  The fireflies became to me in Tennessee, what the mountains are and will forever be to me in Alaska.  The beauty of creation of a Loving Father, who cares to delight us with such magnificent details.  

More posts in this series are available here.

Peace For the Moment

A stray sunbeam glinted off his little blonde moppet this morning, his eyes squinting and facing the heavens, as gold whirled all around him.  There was pure wonder and admiration in his face--soaking it all in--this miracle of the seasons changing was not lost to him.  I looked at him through the upper-story window, fuller-than-full with the beauty of it all.  I wanted to capture it on film, but to try would mean to miss the moment entirely.  So I just stood and soaked it in.  Sometimes, we just need to be still.

We need to seize moments like these.  Amidst the whirling and twirling and never-ceasing of life demands, these times can easily go unnoticed.  How many moments do I miss?  While I'm staring down at the vacuum I'm running, or on my knees scrubbing misses around the toilet?  When my eyes are pasted to a page or a computer screen, and a little voice (or 3 or 5) beckons, will I look up?  If the house becomes quiet because the smallest occupants seized the moment and ran out into the rain, will I run out and join them?  Will I choose to do this, or will I just be held captive by the noise and worry in my own mind, missing moments all the while?

I never knew life would be like this.  I never knew it would be so beautiful and yet so messy and so, so unrelenting.  There are so many people and things to love and yet life is also full of constant demands, full of noise.  I never knew the noise would surround me but also clamor in my own mind, from the moment I wake until the moment my eyelids close again at day's end.  I never knew I would need to be intentional about finding moments of solace--to breathe, to pray, to think straight.   Furthermore, I never knew that "solace" would come to mean something so different as I went through various stages in life.  What once required a solo trek to a mountain top, now must be accomplished surrounded by a din that threatens to level the place.  I do not wish for things to be different.  I do long for me to be different.  I long to be molded and changed so that peace will come easily no matter my surroundings. 

Thoughts tumble around in my mind like those whirling, golden leaves.  Not all the thoughts are quite so beautiful.  Some need be snatched up, like my sons jumping and reaching up to catch the leaves before they hit the ground.  They need to be snatched up and held captive and made obedient to the One who stands like a solid, immoveable rock at the center of my whirling, chaotic life.  Sometimes there's so much floating around that I can barely see Him, but He never moves, and He never changes.

Everything else changes.  There's a change in the air in my life, in my family.  I feel it stirring, though I don't understand what it will look like, where it will lead.

"From where I'm standing
Lord it's so hard for me to see
Where this is going
And where You're leading me
I wish I knew how
All my fears and all my questions
Are gonna play out"

-Casting Crowns

When the leaves cascade all around and down, they seem to just land wherever.  I don't just want to land wherever.  Just as I need to be intentional about seizing moments or taking thoughts captive, I want to be intentional about where I'm going.  As I wait for the winds of change to happen, I also need to be intentional about living fully here now.

I need to trust that what ought to be, will be.  I need to trust that what's supposed to be now, is.  I need to soak it all in, be still, and yet be ready to move when He says, "Go."

"If there's a road I should walk
Help me find it
If I need to be still
Give me peace for the moment
Whatever Your will
Whatever Your will
Can You help me find it"

-Sidewalk Prophets

 

This Time of Year

I'm so thankful God made seasons--times and seasons of the year and times and seasons of life.  This time leading into Thanksgiving is one of the best times of the year for me.  I love the crisp, fragrant, blustery (or even tempestuous, as it is at the moment!) days and how cozy it feels to be inside.  I can't help but smile as I see the all the lovely shades of brown in the form of mature, "pregnant" grasses dancing roadside and across fields.  I love the awe-inspiring sunsets and flickering candlelight.  And you know...just being honest....I really, really love the food!

Apples & Cider

Caramel

Pumpkins

Nuts & Seeds

and finally....POMEGRANATES!

What beautiful food!  I never tried a pomegranate until last year.  These fruits are surely a little taste of Heaven.  Perhaps I just don't get out much, but pomegranates cure a bit of the wanderlust I tend to experience this time of year.  There's something about them that seems so ancient, so exotic.  

I did a little research, and apparently there's a reason they seem that way.  Pomegranates were one of the first cultivated fruits, and have greatly impacted many civilizations for thousands of years.  Historically, they've been extremely symbolic in Middle and Near East, the Mediterranean, Asia, Europe, and North America.  Ancient Egypt revered pomegranates as symbols of afterlife, and there are numerous depictions of them on tomb walls.  They were required food in the pharaohs' residence, and had many other purposes as well.  Ancient Greece included pomegranates quite prominently in their myths.  The fruit came to signify a change of seasons.  

My favorite history of the pomegranate is the Biblical significance and Jewish tradition.  They are referenced in Exodus 28, Song of Solomon 7, and 1 Kings 7, among other places.  Tradition teaches that they symbolize righteousness, as they are said to contain 613 seeds, corresponding to 613 mitzvot (commandments) of the Torah.  It is said that pomegranates symbolize fruitfulness, knowledge, learning, and wisdom, and they are often enjoyed in celebrating Rosh Hashanah. 

In addition to being exotic, lovely and delicious, they're very healthful.  They're jam-packed with antioxidants, giving all those free-radicals a run for their money.  But the question remains, how do you eat them, and how do you do it without squirting yourself, your cat, your children, and your entire kitchen?

Let me share this wonderful trick with you (that was my original purpose of this post anyway, before I digressed...)  

• Wash the pomegranate and chop off the end, enough that you see the outer seeds inside.
• Cut through the outer peel only, beginning at the chopped end, all the way down the the other end.  I do this four times, quartering the fruit as I would do to peel an orange.  
• Place the pomegranate cut-end down in a bowl of very cold water for ten minutes or so.  
• Keeping the fruit submerged, break the fruit apart into quarters.  The seeds, called arils, will break easily out with your fingers under water and sink to the bottom of the bowl.  The white stuff will float to the top, and you can skim it off.  
• When you've loosened all the arils out of the peel, dump out the water and you've got yourself a lovely bowl full of pomegranate!  You can give them a final rinse in a colander, if you want, but I find that's not really necessary.  

Eat them plain, add them to salads, swirl a few into water or other drinks for flavor and color.  Enjoy, and give thanks to God for the creativity He used in designing our food!

A Decade of Our Eaglet

Ten.  10.  T-E-N.  1-0.  

It's been one decade since Eaglet and I made that laborious birth journey together. 

 

He came in with adventure, and he still seeks it.  This guy is full of dreams and ideas.  This year, he planned to hike Gold Cord Lake Trail on his birthday, with lunch at the lake, "no matter how much snow there is!"  

 

So, on that 20-degree, sunshine-filled day, that's what we did.

The lake was frozen, of course.  Wish we'd have had skates along!

 What an amazing day!  In the mountains, I always find myself overwhelmed with the magnificence, and yet the simplicity.  Somehow priorities seem so much clearer when you are held in the very cavern of creation.

 Things I will remember about ten-year-old Eaglet:

• his energy--up at the break of dawn and ready to tackle anything
• love of outdoors--he needs fresh air and wide-open spaces
• flannel shirts and camo
• one-of-a-kind tree forts
• his heart for others--especially those younger and weaker 
• dreams of becoming a farmer
• truck artist
• lists for everything with creative spelling
• a giver--we routinely find artwork under our pillows as love offerings

 We topped off the day with gift-opening, moose burgers, and apple-raspberry pie. 

Before he was born, God gave me these words for our Eaglet: 

" I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?  My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you-- the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.  The LORD will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."  Psalm 121: 1-8

 

May he always know Who his help comes from.

Beautiful Little Things...

I took Baby out for the day for some massive shopping--groceries, Christmas, etc. Despite the busy agenda and the over-the-top busyness of town today, several times I was taken into the moment and overcome with thankfulness by "little beautiful things". Just a few:

Zachy's soft, chubby cheeks all bunched up on his chest as he slept soundly in his car seat

tall, ice-covered grasses waving in the breeze as the sun shone on them

a father holding his young daughter's hand, and then being the gentleman to open the door for his little lady

an elderly man stopping to talk baby talk to my little son

the beautiful, mature couple from our church who "happened" to be behind me in line with my ginormous load at check out...and how they showed God's love to me with hugs, smiles, encouraging words, and helping hands

There is beauty all around us....ours to take in...if we just look for it.

Random Monday

It's been an absolutely gorgeous, sunny, crisp day today! As much of a summer-and-sunshine girl that I am, I still really enjoy fall. Probably, September is my favorite month, which is why Tony and I married in September. We recently celebrated 17 years, which quite frankly, blows my mind. Time is flying....

Life is beautiful....

and I scarcely feel there's time to catch a breath.

This is something that's been on my mind--a lot--especially since Zachy was born. I keep thinking about the passage of time...different times and seasons...including the times and seasons of a human life. We hang onto this life...cling to it with all we've got. Yet, this is just a blink of an eye compared to what lies ahead. Most of the time, things like new wrinkles and gray hair don't bother me. I must admit, however, that I've caught a glimpse of myself occasionally (like in the mirror in the stairwell) and actually caught myself thinking, "WHO is THAT?!" I felt a tinge of glum, and then remembered with a smile that the wrinkles and gray hair are TEMPORARY!! My body is going to continue to show signs of age, faster and faster all the time. I will develop more aches and pains. This too is all temporary, for there is a place being made for me by my Savior who knows me and loves me so well.

Do you, my dear reader, know this Savior? Do you know this One who ensures our futures if we just ask him to? Do you know the One who ensures that our gray hairs, wrinkles, and ailments are temporary? He is the One who knew you before He created the Earth...who made plans--good plans for your life, to prosper you and not to harm you? If you don't yet know this Jesus, I pray you will come to know Him soon; He's been waiting for a relationship with you!

Furthermore, not only does He ensure the prosperity of our futures when we choose to follow and serve Him, but He also sees every secret sacrifice we make. He sees all those little and not-so-little things you do that make you wonder, "Does it even really matter at all?" All those things DO matter if we are doing them to His glory.

The boys and I were talking about this recently. I asked them, "How do we praise God?" They had several wonderful answers, such as, "singing His praise", "reading our Bibles", "memorizing scripture", "helping Mommy and Daddy", and "being kind to others". They were surprised when I also added to their list, "running fast", "riding your bikes", "playing Playmobil together", and "working in your gardens". Whatever we do, if we do it with thanksgiving to the One who works in and through us, we praise God in so doing! He is the one who gave us the blessings we enjoy in nature, our physical bodies, and relationships. He is the one who made us to be able to run, to taste good food, appreciate an amazing sunset, and experience the invigorating fall breezes. Everything good is from Him. It all is to His glory.

"Random Monday" is the title to this post, and wow is it random! Seeing as I began writing this with the main intent of encouraging you all to teach your children how to do household chores, I see it REALLY IS aptly named.

SO...moving right along... Today I experienced a real blessing, a reward, a fruit of labor if you will. So much mothering advice I've received has been about letting your children help you, even when it would be easier to do a task yourself. I've taken this to heart. When little ones clumsily scoot the chair over to the already-crowded kitchen counter while screeching, "Can I be your kitchen helper??!!" I find something for them to do to help, or should I say, to "help". You moms all know why I put quotations around that word! When a little one excitedly asks to scrub the toilet, and I'm thinking, "GROSS! This is going to be a MESS!" I do my best to smile, hand them the brush, and say, "Sure Honey, let me give you a few pointers." (Incidentally, I stand very near the scene to be sure they wash their little paws thoroughly afterward!)

Well, this past year, I've stepped it up in chore training. We've taken time to work with boys step-by-step to accomplish different household tasks the correct way. This fall, we implemented an official "chore time", right after breakfast. This is in addition to their expected tasks like making their beds, etc. I'm talking real housework--the stuff that in the past, Tony or I do or it doesn't get done-stuff. The boys LOVE this time and race to the chore chart to see what they get to do that particular day.

My heart swelled with gratitude last Friday night, when 6-year-old Spunky Cub exclaimed with exceeding joy, "Monday is MY day to clean the upstairs bathroom...and that means I get to use the new bottle of toilet cleaner!!!!!" Tony glanced my way and said, "It really is the little things, isn't it?!" The little boy is looking 3 days in advance to his chance to use the newest bottle of toilet cleaner. Wow.

This morning during daily chore time, I was working in the laundry room (my big focus chore for Mondays.) I went to use the bathroom afterward, and it was sparkling clean (and I didn't clean it!) It's an amazing joy to use a sparkling bathroom that I didn't sparkle! I then walked up the stairs, noticing that they were fluffy and dirt-free (and I didn't vacuum!) I then went into the kitchen, and the floor was swept, the table was scrubbed, the counters were clear and clean, and the dishes were washing (and I did none of the above.)

I feel as though I've arrived, Ladies and Gentlemen!

So, Mamas...get busy! Teach those chillins to pitch in, and in a big way. They will love contributing to the family in this way, you will love how helpful they are, and their future spouses will thank you. It takes work and patience to train those kiddos well, but it is well-worth the effort to help them find enjoyment and fulfillment in the household tasks they'll be doing their whole lives. In my book, it's as important (actually probably more important) than teaching them math, spelling, science, or a multitude of other skills and subjects. Really, only learning to read and study Scripture trumps the chore training.

Let's see...what other randomness do I have going on today? Well we've had the garden harvested for awhile now, except for the carrots. We pulled up about 1/2 of what was left of them today. When we have those eaten, we'll get the rest. I've been learning so much about gardening. The most important of which, is one must have healthy soil. Most of you are shaking your heads and saying, "Well of course...". It's taken me awhile to learn this, however. We'll be doing a big amending this fall, in hopes of a greater harvest next year. We still did ok this year, poor soil and all, but I'm excited of the prospect of rich, fertile soil for next summer.

This year yielded lots of carrots, quite a few (small) potatoes, TOMATOES (thanks to my Aunt Debbie who mailed us some water walls from Kentucky,) lots of Romaine, sugar snap peas, radishes, green onions, yellow zuchinis, and a wee, pathetic, li'l pumpkin. Eaglet and I try every year to grow a nice pumpkin. Every year is pretty much a flop, BUT, we have big plans to try again next spring!

Other randomness for this crazy-long post: We've been having a fun time learning lately. Just studied the Great Fire of London. The boys created the city of London:

And then to really re-enforce learning:

..they set the thing on fire. I LOVE homeschooling!

We've spent a fair amount of time around the fire pit lately:


We had a great little bonfire supper last Friday night, which included dessert:

No shame. They're licking the left-over caramel from the caramel apples, in case you're wondering.

...and to conclude this very looooong, rambling, stream of consciousness post:

Here's a couple cute baby photos as a reward for sticking with me! Check this one out--he's been falling asleep sucking two fingers lately:

Time a-flying or not, life is pretty sweet.

Official "Sourdough"

My deck thermometer reads 46 degrees on April 25. The sky is the usual and customary shade of gray and gloom. It's official--my love affair with Alaska is finished. Rather than whine, here's a stream of consciousness list of
Some of My Favorite Things
sleepy newborn babies, cuddled in softer-than-soft blankies
brand-spankin'-new, striped, SmartWool socks
hot sand beneath my bare feet
fields of tall grass and wild flowers, and the sound of the breeze blowing through them
coconut body butter
the smell of wool yarn
alpacas
old red barns
white Lilies
white roses
purple roses
beach combing
long walks in the country with no destination
sipping iced tea on a front porch
chubby, bare baby feet and their pitter-patter
the smell of a new book
old, heavy, hard-cover Classics
dormer windows
sea glass
walking through a greenhouse at the very beginning of spring
chocolate haupia cream pie
the smell of fresh-cut grass
stories that "old people" tell
my Bible--it's been with me for 23 years and becomes more alive every year
Mozart
fresh, just-opened Birch leaves (have you ever FELT them??!)
Siberian Husky fur, warmed by the sun
hugs and kisses from my sweet Kaleb
spiritual conversations with my sweet Nicholas
the rare times when my sweet Noah will cuddle in my lap
alpaca fiber
playing my violin
seeing the baby lambs frolicking up Twin Peaks in the spring
blueberry picking in Hatcher Pass
canoeing on a clear lake in the heat of summer
tea in "real" tea cups
Jane Austin stories
dreaming of exotic travels
the crunch and swish of fallen Maple and Oak leaves beneath my feet in fall
reading with a cat on my lap
Alba products
Glad Heart Acres soaps
clean flannel sheets on the bed
lighthouses
fresh organic strawberries
star-gazing on a warm, summer night
the sound of ocean waves rolling in
fresh pineapple
watermelon
Scrabble
Anne of Green Gables series
the sight, sound, and smell of canning jam
outdoor swimming pools
garlic cheese bread from Evangelos
candlelight
neatly filling out forms with a perfect ink pen (weird, huh.)
silhouettes of trees
giant, old Cottonwood trees; they look like gnarled old men, don't they?
dragonflies
the clicking sound I make walking down a long corridor
Dutch Blitz


These are obviously in no order whatsoever, and I know there are many, many more things to add to this list. What are your "Top 5 Favorite Things"? Now we all want world peace and we love our families...I'm talking the simple or not-so-simple details...the stuff of life..."raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens" stuff!

Hawaii Take 2!

It happened. We took the 2nd trip in our "2-for-1". On our way to Hawaii, Mom and I were bumped off a flight last year (by choice) and received voucher tickets to fly free to anywhere Alaska Airlines flies. So....back to Hawaii we went...and this time, with Little Mister in tow! It was beautiful and green. Good times. Good friends. Good food. Good memories. My little Keiki Honu was a trooper! He didn't cry on either flight, and made great friends with the flight attendants and pilots. He even got to go in the cockpit! He spent a good part of the trip sleeping...there aren't many pictures of him with his eyes open. I sure loved having that special time to bond more with him and get to know him better. And of course, I also loved having special time with my mom. She is one special and fun lady. Together, we can laugh at everything or nothing at all. Once again, we were blessed to stay with our friends Walt and Betty up on the North Shore. They are the sweetest couple and totally took us in as family. My favorite memories of this trip are simple things, like dinners by tiki torch on the patio nearly every night, pineapple ice tea at an outdoor bar, shave ice, shave ice, shave ice, brunch on my birthday in Haleiewa, and of course taking in the sight and sound of the waves. This trip was a lot more laid-back than last year. It was really fun to have already seen most of the island and done most of the things we'd wanted to do there. We were free to just relax and do "whatever" (like eat lots of shave ice.) Now all I have to do is figure out how to make it back next year...