Today I was reminded of this post that I wrote on my previous blog several years ago. You can check it out here:
http://nasiegirl.blogspot.com/2010/05/springtime-in-utah.html
"Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?"
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
"A Shared Burden is a Lighter Burden"
Today my heart is remembering this woman:
Briana Blackwelder
(Photo courtesy of Alisha Stamper)
Tragically, she was killed in a car accident near my home just two years ago.
She is one woman I hope to emulate someday;
one of my heroes.
From the first moment I met her I could feel her authenticity. She was a woman who lived according to truth and I couldn't help but admire her unassuming power.
She was a young midwife with an exceptional skill; caring for women.
Some of her close friends recorded this interview a short while before she passed away.
Watch it. You can't help but feel her goodness.
She can talk about anything and her vibrant spirit seeps through. Though she speaks mostly about her profession as a midwife, I love these universal words that apply to all of us:
"I think that we feel isolated in our burden,
or in our story.
Whatever we've gone through,
whatever was difficult for us,
that was just related to us.
It didn't really relate to a group of us....
But there isn't a lot of watering hole type activities
where we just come together and have conversations
about our experiences as women,
~and~
I think a shared burden is a lighter burden."
I hope to honor her in this way; at the watering hole, sharing burdens, so you can tell your story.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Easter Sunrise
This morning I woke up early and watched the sun transform the sky. Warmth crept up that simple curtain, changing stone grey into subtle pinks, a pop of orange, and pale yellow--finally to become engulfed in stunning golden light that would reveal the blueness of the sky. The morning's first secret held me in quiet wonder as the dawn revealed her colors. I couldn't help but feel reverence for God and His Son.
Here, I too, stood "all amazed at the love Jesus offers me."
When the Savior asks: "Woman, why weepest thou?" I am overcome. He didn't rush in and say: "Mary, Mary! I am here!" He gave her a chance to be understood.
Recently, in an effort to increase my faith, I have been reading about the Savior and every interaction he had with another human being while here upon the earth. In that time I have come to know him as:
A man of Mercy
Full of kindness,
Understanding,
Patience.
Forgiveness,
and love.
Full of Power
He recognized burdens that were hidden
& healed all who came to him.
Humanity
He often sought to relieve
Hunger,
Thirst,
Pain,
Sickness,
Disease,
Weakness,
& The unfairness of life.
& Peace
In the words of my five year old primary student, Adam: "Jesus is a weather changer!"
He can calm any storm and every fear.
His first response was love and his last response was forgiveness. He is
The Son of God
my Savior, Redeemer, Advocate, and Friend.
He meets people where they are and always lifts them to higher ground.
I'm so grateful for a Savior who truly sees and knows me. Because of Him I have experienced the "sun" rise over my life many times. I have felt it rise when I do the same dumb thing for the thousandth time and ask for his help to try again. I have felt it lessen the sting after the death of my loved ones. I have felt his warmth when I'm discouraged by my weaknesses. I've felt it soften my anger, and increase my compassion. Often, I have felt His mercy lighten my load .
And just like the sunrise this morning,
--no matter how many times I see it--
I still stand all amazed.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Yos.em.it.e Part 4: Take my Breath Away
Our second full day in Yosemite we were ready to hike! We talked to our camp mates, consulted my Backpacker magazine, and talked to one of the park rangers to get some good ideas on where to start. Finally we decided on a less popular trail that would take us to the rim where we could take in a panoramic view of the park. Little did I know that the views in Yosemite aren't the only things that are breathtaking, but I was about to find out!
It was a little tricky finding the trail because the first part of it was quite overgrown. You can see a little bit of the trail behind Brent here:
I'll be honest, I was a little cranky on this hike. We literally gained 3000 feet of elevation in a few short, I mean long miles. We were hiking in the heat of the day, my asthma was kicking my butt, and we did not have enough water. Because I couldn't breathe well I wasn't too keen on talking. Good thing I was hiking with my little brothers who were kind enough to keep downplaying how hard this was for me. A couple of times I really wanted to stop but they wouldn't let me chill on the side of the trail alone and I didn't want to keep them from reaching the top, so I kept plodding along.
When we were about a mile from the summit we were pleasantly surprised by a fresh mountain stream. We didn't have any filtration gear with us, so I didn't dare drink the water, but I made everyone turn around so I could take off my shirt and drench it in the stream. It felt amazing. I'm pretty sure it kept me from getting heat exhaustion. I immediately felt so much better. It was like someone poured a bucket of happy inside my cranky little head.
Funny thing is---and I totally had a feeling this was going to happen--two men came bounding down the trail within seconds of me pulling my shirt back over my head. We hadn't seen people for miles and then all of a sudden...they seemed to drop right out of the sky. Haha. I took a second long sleeved shirt (that I had brought for emergencies) and dunked it in the stream to wrap around my neck. This was the best trick I learned on the whole trip. It helps to cool down the jugular veins which lead directly to the brain. I immediately felt awesome.
We resumed hiking, but much to my chagrin the last little section of the trail rose steeply. Bryan had a keen eye for berries and kept me cheerful by handing me sweet tastes from the forest floor. I was impressed with his knowledge of edible plants and berries, and it gave me a reason to slow down my pace and check out the bushes. If I ever get lost in the woods, I hope these two boys are somewhere close by cause they are quite the survivalists. And Katie too, cause she has this ability to always look on the bright side :)
Finally, late in the afternoon we reached the canyon overlook. I was elated. I had been saving a couple of cool oranges for this very moment. Curling my parched tongue around that sweet juicy fruit segment seemed like a fine prize. We were all pretty stoked to break into the oranges. My expectations were high. I can still remember hiking to the delicate arch in the heat of the blazing sun when my mom handed me the juiciest, most delicious orange ever to grace my lips. I suppose that is what I was expecting, so when my first bite was pithy and dry I was SORELY, SORELY disappointed. We ate them anyway. I think Bryan felt a little cheated, too, based on his expression here.
To make up for it, we scampered down the mountain to cool off in our favorite little swimming hole.
It never felt so good to leave 10 miles behind me.
It was a little tricky finding the trail because the first part of it was quite overgrown. You can see a little bit of the trail behind Brent here:
Brent found a pine cone as big as his torso. I know people say everything is bigger in Texas but the trees in California's forests are pretty dang impressive!
(and so is his beard)
When we were about a mile from the summit we were pleasantly surprised by a fresh mountain stream. We didn't have any filtration gear with us, so I didn't dare drink the water, but I made everyone turn around so I could take off my shirt and drench it in the stream. It felt amazing. I'm pretty sure it kept me from getting heat exhaustion. I immediately felt so much better. It was like someone poured a bucket of happy inside my cranky little head.
Funny thing is---and I totally had a feeling this was going to happen--two men came bounding down the trail within seconds of me pulling my shirt back over my head. We hadn't seen people for miles and then all of a sudden...they seemed to drop right out of the sky. Haha. I took a second long sleeved shirt (that I had brought for emergencies) and dunked it in the stream to wrap around my neck. This was the best trick I learned on the whole trip. It helps to cool down the jugular veins which lead directly to the brain. I immediately felt awesome.
We resumed hiking, but much to my chagrin the last little section of the trail rose steeply. Bryan had a keen eye for berries and kept me cheerful by handing me sweet tastes from the forest floor. I was impressed with his knowledge of edible plants and berries, and it gave me a reason to slow down my pace and check out the bushes. If I ever get lost in the woods, I hope these two boys are somewhere close by cause they are quite the survivalists. And Katie too, cause she has this ability to always look on the bright side :)
The view from half way up.
Yellow bush near the top
Tired Faces. What a hike!
Finally, late in the afternoon we reached the canyon overlook. I was elated. I had been saving a couple of cool oranges for this very moment. Curling my parched tongue around that sweet juicy fruit segment seemed like a fine prize. We were all pretty stoked to break into the oranges. My expectations were high. I can still remember hiking to the delicate arch in the heat of the blazing sun when my mom handed me the juiciest, most delicious orange ever to grace my lips. I suppose that is what I was expecting, so when my first bite was pithy and dry I was SORELY, SORELY disappointed. We ate them anyway. I think Bryan felt a little cheated, too, based on his expression here.
To make up for it, we scampered down the mountain to cool off in our favorite little swimming hole.
It never felt so good to leave 10 miles behind me.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Yos.em.it.e Part 3: Bears, Bears, Bears
I don't like spiders.
I don't like snakes.
And I don't like the idea of being in close proximity to bears.
It's not that I have a particular hatred for these creatures. I just can't handle that element of surprise--when you're hiking up a trail and about to put a foot down when WHOA there's a rattle snake all acting cool and blending in with the scenery like it WANTS you to step on it. Or, you're minding your own business, weeding the backyard and WHOA the fattest little black widow you've ever seen starts crawling up your pant leg. I mean, why can't freaky-crawly-slithery-dangerous creatures be colored in neon lights with disco music blasting from their fingernails or something? I'd give them their space and they could give me mine. Not that I really buy into that whole "they're more afraid of you than you are of them" mumbo jumbo.
Growing up I wasn't too freaked out about bears. We went camping all the time and I never came across one. My parents never talked about them much (probably, in part, due to my overactive imagination), so I didn't really think about them either. The closest I got to studying their habits was listening to my mom read from a book that I loved:
Bears, Bears, Bears.
On the stairs.
Under chairs.
Brushing hair...
You get the idea. I was much more concerned with snakes & spiders joining me for a midnight nap than large furry bears looking for a midnight snack. Of course, we also spent a good portion of that time camping in the desert where the risk of running into a bear is pretty minimal.
That all changed when a young boy was snatched from his tent by a bear in a canyon near our home. I had camped at that very same camp ground multiple times so it all became very real to me. I've been a little nervous about bears ever since.
Our first night in Yosemite started fairly late. When we finally found a camping spot we were tired and the last thing I wanted to do was unpack the car. But, rules are that you can't keep food of any kind in your tent (obvious) or vehicle (dang). I'd never been camping in a park where the rules were so strict so of course that raised my anxiety level a little bit.
We unpacked the car and got our tents set up. I checked all my pockets for chap stick and rounded up all the sunscreen. Apparently bears have a nose for both. I was worried that we wouldn't be able to fit it all in some tiny metal box but little did I realize how massive these things were! If I wasn't a wee bit claustrophobic I would have had plenty of room for my sleeping bag in here:
Our second night in Yosemite we sat down at the table and made a proper meal. We threw the doors to our bear locker wide open while we rummaged around for potatoes, meat, vegetables and other goods. We then turned our full attention to savoring our delicious dinner. It was dark by the time we started eating. I remember laughing about something and feeling fairly relaxed when Katie paused, a timid finger poking the air as she very slowly said:
"What....what....what is that???"
Something big, and dark was rummaging around the bear locker. Brent jumped up. I jumped up. I whipped my head around and was ready to run when my siblings heard me swear for the first time in their lives.
Did I mention that curses fall from my tongue when I'm scared? Well, I was completely freaked out! I'm not sure if they were more shocked by our surprise visitor or that my last words might keep me from heaven.
That is when everyone immediately started laughing, and might I add--quoting--my words of terror. Turns out that large dogs look suspiciously like black bears in the darkness. We had left the locker open and he was making good use of our neglect. Katie started singing "I see your True Colors shining through."
I guess we all have a few of them.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Yos.em.it.e Part 2: Swimming Holes
My first morning in Yosemite was pure joy. I awoke to the sound of our camp mate's car tires rolling off to greet the day. It was barely light. In response to the cold morning air I snuggled deeper into my sleeping bag until I could no longer ignore my pleading bladder. I took a leisurely stroll around the campground while Brent got the stove going for breakfast.
A calm stream a short walk north was clear as glass. I marveled at its pristine condition for a few moments and then headed back to fill my belly. We ate a hearty breakfast in anticipation of the day's adventures, but to be honest, we weren't really sure where to begin. After packing a lunch and some swimming gear we piled back into the car and headed down the road to Yosemite Valley. The trees were quite thick as we descended down the canyon, so I wasn't at all prepared for the view that awaited us. Suddenly we came around a bend and were delighted/awestruck to see this:
Huge granite slabs towered thousands of feet in the air. I felt so small next to the expansive cliffs. It was a little overwhelming.
We were so excited we hopped out of the car to snap a few photos.
We drove the valley loop a couple of times until we decided where to begin. Brent had heard of a fun little swimming hole that can only be accessed when the water is low. Fewer crowds? Secret summer oasis? We all said "yes, please!" However, I did have second thoughts when the rubber soles of my 5.10 approach shoes refused to grip the surface of the sleek boulders we were climbing. Most of the rocks were worn smooth from the pounding waterfall that crashes down in the Spring. I had all of my camera gear, so I awkwardly made my way up from boulder to boulder until Brent made his way back down to give me a hand.
This simple view was indeed worth the climb:
The water was a pretty green color and I was terribly tempted to jump in until I realized it was FREEZING! That didn't stop Brent, & Bryan, & Katie from cliff diving though. Soon a bunch of teenagers were lined up like lemmings trailing behind them.
The spray from the waterfall above was light, but occasionally, the wind would kick up and throw the water out towards us. It was crazy! Every time I would scramble to grab a couple of shots before stuffing my camera inside my jacket to protect it from the delayed shower.
After spending a good chunk of the day vascillating between the two extremes of baking in the sun and freezing our hinies in the water, we headed back down the boulder field in search of our next adventure.
Brent wanted to find another swimming hole on the Merced River. We were still trying to wrap our minds around all there was to do, so none of us objected. Everything was awesome and everything was beautiful.
When we found this spot I felt like I had just walked directly into a Tolkien fantasy novel. The water was clear and inviting, just like before, but this time it was WARM! We spent the rest of our afternoon here as we were in total heaven!
Just before sunset I asked it we could head back to the valley to get some pictures of the meadow at the height of its golden glow. I grabbed a few head shots of us for future generations:
Bryan--Became best friends with our camp mates and scored valuable information about cool, out of the way places to explore. Spotted edible berries on all of our hikes and introduced us to their sweet flavors.
Brent--Trip planner extraordinaire. Did 90% of the driving and cooking. Never got ruffled feathers. Can sport the philosophical gaze at the drop of a hat.
Katie--The road trip champion. So, so patient. Laughs when she's scared, made me laugh when I was scared, didn't complain about a thing. Made me smile a lot.
Me--Crazy camping hair/ad for Northface. Took a million photos. Don't regret it one bit.
While grabbing a shot of this:
I walked into a herd of sleeping deer without realizing it. They were all chilling in the grass and didn't seem to be a bit afraid.
We found a boardwalk meandering through the meadow and decided to see where it would lead us. This is what we found:
A variation of trees lining a cobblestone beach
And more of that clear green water I can't get enough of!
A calm stream a short walk north was clear as glass. I marveled at its pristine condition for a few moments and then headed back to fill my belly. We ate a hearty breakfast in anticipation of the day's adventures, but to be honest, we weren't really sure where to begin. After packing a lunch and some swimming gear we piled back into the car and headed down the road to Yosemite Valley. The trees were quite thick as we descended down the canyon, so I wasn't at all prepared for the view that awaited us. Suddenly we came around a bend and were delighted/awestruck to see this:
Huge granite slabs towered thousands of feet in the air. I felt so small next to the expansive cliffs. It was a little overwhelming.
We were so excited we hopped out of the car to snap a few photos.
Brent and Katie standing in the middle of the Merced River
Look how clear the water is!
View from one of the meadows
This simple view was indeed worth the climb:
The water was a pretty green color and I was terribly tempted to jump in until I realized it was FREEZING! That didn't stop Brent, & Bryan, & Katie from cliff diving though. Soon a bunch of teenagers were lined up like lemmings trailing behind them.
Another view of the falls
The spray from the waterfall above was light, but occasionally, the wind would kick up and throw the water out towards us. It was crazy! Every time I would scramble to grab a couple of shots before stuffing my camera inside my jacket to protect it from the delayed shower.
After spending a good chunk of the day vascillating between the two extremes of baking in the sun and freezing our hinies in the water, we headed back down the boulder field in search of our next adventure.
Brent wanted to find another swimming hole on the Merced River. We were still trying to wrap our minds around all there was to do, so none of us objected. Everything was awesome and everything was beautiful.
When we found this spot I felt like I had just walked directly into a Tolkien fantasy novel. The water was clear and inviting, just like before, but this time it was WARM! We spent the rest of our afternoon here as we were in total heaven!
Just before sunset I asked it we could head back to the valley to get some pictures of the meadow at the height of its golden glow. I grabbed a few head shots of us for future generations:
While grabbing a shot of this:
I walked into a herd of sleeping deer without realizing it. They were all chilling in the grass and didn't seem to be a bit afraid.
Saying hello to Bambi
We found a boardwalk meandering through the meadow and decided to see where it would lead us. This is what we found:
Wildflowers
Curious irridescent bugs,
A "bouncy" log
And more of that clear green water I can't get enough of!
I reveled in each minute of sunshine, swimming, exploring, and mountain air.
Life doesn't get much better than this!
Stay tuned for part three: Bears, bears, bears
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Yos.em.it.e: Part 1
I am falling horribly behind in my blogging goals but most of it is my computer's fault. Every time I get on here I spend hours trying to upload pictures and unfreeze this silly machine. I am saving my pennies so I can upgrade to something that can handle the current creative endeavors of my DSLR but until then my images will be a little sparse. However, I did want to post the first part of my Yosemite adventure from all the way....uh....back in August.
Day 1:
We headed out in the morning and decided to drive down through Santaquin, over to Eureka, across miles of desert that led us through the fascinating town of Tonopah, NV. I seriously wanted to take pictures of that quaint little place all afternoon. This was my favorite sign:
I laughed for a good long time over that sign.
We continued through fields of windmills,
a crazy beautiful lightning storm (which of course did not show up on this video but at least you can see the rain),
more desert,
some hilly roads,
and finally into Yosemite.
I had no idea this route to California even existed but I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance to take the drive. I was completely intrigued by the little towns we drove through, and the long stretching roads were pleasantly uncluttered with traffic.
We arrived in Yosemite just before the sun dipped over the horizon, when the whole world is bathed in that honey colored golden light. It was magical. We stopped at a small scattering of cabins that bordered a lodge and a meadow that ran right up to the edge of a large Granite Slab. I was so happy I almost started belting out "Rocky Mountain High" right then and there (hey, it seemed fitting), although, if my memory serves me correctly I did let out a few uncontained squeals of delight. Ha.
Up above the parking lot was an amphitheater bordered by some white zig zagging Christmas lights hanging in the trees. Someone was playing the guitar and singing into a microphone. We were drawn to the sound and wandered up that way until we met a sign that stated it was the employee village. Part of me wishes we would have gone and checked out the scene anyway but we still had to find a campsite and the light was starting to fade. We turned around and headed back down the hill while I soaked in the acoustic rasp of the guitar and the pure mystery of this wild new place. A couple of flannel clad guys were hiking up the hill as we were heading down. One of them, with light brown hair and a few days of handsome scruff smiled at me as our eyes met. He looked a little something like this:
Do you know how long it has been since a handsome boy smiled at me just so? It was kind of fun. And it made me think I should go on road trips to cool places a little more often.
We folded ourselves back into our over packed car and headed down the road. I was overcome with excitement at all of the rising granite domes (which happen to be my favorite rock surface to climb on) and was wishing my trad climbing friends could have joined us for a little climbing.
When the last rays of sunshine were hitting the mountaintops we got our first glimpse of Half Dome:
It is teeny tiny from this overlook but I was still completely thrilled by the sight.
Day 1:
We headed out in the morning and decided to drive down through Santaquin, over to Eureka, across miles of desert that led us through the fascinating town of Tonopah, NV. I seriously wanted to take pictures of that quaint little place all afternoon. This was my favorite sign:
I laughed for a good long time over that sign.
We continued through fields of windmills,
a crazy beautiful lightning storm (which of course did not show up on this video but at least you can see the rain),
more desert,
some hilly roads,
and finally into Yosemite.
I had no idea this route to California even existed but I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance to take the drive. I was completely intrigued by the little towns we drove through, and the long stretching roads were pleasantly uncluttered with traffic.
We arrived in Yosemite just before the sun dipped over the horizon, when the whole world is bathed in that honey colored golden light. It was magical. We stopped at a small scattering of cabins that bordered a lodge and a meadow that ran right up to the edge of a large Granite Slab. I was so happy I almost started belting out "Rocky Mountain High" right then and there (hey, it seemed fitting), although, if my memory serves me correctly I did let out a few uncontained squeals of delight. Ha.
Up above the parking lot was an amphitheater bordered by some white zig zagging Christmas lights hanging in the trees. Someone was playing the guitar and singing into a microphone. We were drawn to the sound and wandered up that way until we met a sign that stated it was the employee village. Part of me wishes we would have gone and checked out the scene anyway but we still had to find a campsite and the light was starting to fade. We turned around and headed back down the hill while I soaked in the acoustic rasp of the guitar and the pure mystery of this wild new place. A couple of flannel clad guys were hiking up the hill as we were heading down. One of them, with light brown hair and a few days of handsome scruff smiled at me as our eyes met. He looked a little something like this:
(See: Flannel Shirt + Light Brown Hair + Handsome Scruff = Good Combination)
Do you know how long it has been since a handsome boy smiled at me just so? It was kind of fun. And it made me think I should go on road trips to cool places a little more often.
When the last rays of sunshine were hitting the mountaintops we got our first glimpse of Half Dome:
It is teeny tiny from this overlook but I was still completely thrilled by the sight.
This is a slightly closer view with Brent & Katie hamming it up.
After we stopped for a few pictures we sped on out of there in search of a campsite. Let me just say that looking for a spot to lay our heads, after 10:00 p.m,. in one of the most popular National Parks in America, was no easy task. Even though we arrived on a Tuesday night all the campgrounds were full. After driving around the desired loop several times a kind hearted man (who happens to own an REI Store in Virginia) and his wife let us share a site with them. We were sooo grateful. I was so tired/hungry that I was starting to go into crazy, laughy, weird mode. I think Katie was a little surprised to see that side of me. At that point we almost skipped dinner in favor of our sleeping bags but we had to unload all of our food from the car anyway and put it in a bear locker (funny story about this coming up in part 2), so we boiled some water and cooked up a few mountain house meals before turning in for the night. I snuggled down into my bed and thought about bears before drifting off to sleep; their shaggy coats weaving their way around my dreams.
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