I'm an aunt! I had the best weekend visiting my sister, her husband, my mom, and my beautiful new nephew, Nathan James Johnson. He is the most beautiful little boy in the whole wide world... not that I'm biased. It was so great, there really is nothing like holding an infant. He was a week old on Thursday, and just the tiniest thing.
I was reminded how being around a small, innocent child can be such a spiritual experience. As I sat there holding him, humming and rocking him to sleep, I couldn't help but feel impressed upon the great potential of Nathan. I thought about where he came from, and all that lays in store for him. Its so easy for us to forget who we really are, and I'm so grateful for that reminder.
Life has been fun for me lately. I'm single, graduated, and I have a great job. I have the freedom to do what I want, when I want. My life is simple and I can live quite selfishly. I know that will all change once I get married and children are everything that my life revolves around. I still have looked forward to that, but I won't deny that I'm relishing what I have now.
But after spending a few days with that little baby, it reminded me how I would be willing--not just willing but excited--to give it all up. I can't wait. :)
Monday, July 28, 2008
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Backpacking in the Uintahs... Definitely worth it!
This last weekend was an amazing experience. I went backpacking in the Uintahs for about 2 days. I've never been backpacking before, and I went with four guys that are outdoor experts. They could all probably be left in the forest with nothing but a knife and survive, quite comfortably. I was proud of myself for keeping up with them, although I'm sure they slowed down a bit for my benefit.
The first half of the hike was all pretty much uphill, and the muscles in my legs and back burned continuously. I'm not accustomed to the thin air, so breathing was definitely a struggle. As I put my body through this abuse, it was hard to remember the reasons I decided to come on the trip. All the guys talked about how much they loved backpacking and how great it was, and at the beginning, all I could think was how crazy these guys were. But after opening my eyes to the scenery all around me, I realized what a great experience this was. I was completely away from busyness of life and just enjoyed the beauty. I haven't seen such beautiful scenery since I went to Maccu Piccu. We spent several hours hiking, and I had a lot of time to just think. It was a great blessing.
It was definitely hard, and there were times as we were hiking where I wondered if my body could actually handle this. My legs are scraped up and bruised, I'm pretty sure almost every muscle in my body is sore, and I hardly slept at night because I was so cold and uncomfortable. But after it was over, I decided that it was all worth it. The guys I went with were so great, they were so nice and considerate. I was definitely taken well care of. Chris was so great about making sure I was warm enough at night and staying with me pretty much the whole hike. Tony carried my tent for me so I'd actually survive the hike. And Ben taught me how to fly fish! It was great.
Definitely a memorable Fourth of July!!!
The first half of the hike was all pretty much uphill, and the muscles in my legs and back burned continuously. I'm not accustomed to the thin air, so breathing was definitely a struggle. As I put my body through this abuse, it was hard to remember the reasons I decided to come on the trip. All the guys talked about how much they loved backpacking and how great it was, and at the beginning, all I could think was how crazy these guys were. But after opening my eyes to the scenery all around me, I realized what a great experience this was. I was completely away from busyness of life and just enjoyed the beauty. I haven't seen such beautiful scenery since I went to Maccu Piccu. We spent several hours hiking, and I had a lot of time to just think. It was a great blessing.
It was definitely hard, and there were times as we were hiking where I wondered if my body could actually handle this. My legs are scraped up and bruised, I'm pretty sure almost every muscle in my body is sore, and I hardly slept at night because I was so cold and uncomfortable. But after it was over, I decided that it was all worth it. The guys I went with were so great, they were so nice and considerate. I was definitely taken well care of. Chris was so great about making sure I was warm enough at night and staying with me pretty much the whole hike. Tony carried my tent for me so I'd actually survive the hike. And Ben taught me how to fly fish! It was great.
Definitely a memorable Fourth of July!!!
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