Day 3,179

Growth:

Vacation isn’t always about the travel, enjoy the time together chilling, even if it just relaxing and watching a movie. Had a blast doing just that with Gavin tonight!

Appreciation:

Tonight I’m going to bed exhausted, vacation has taken it out of me in an awesomely rewarding way!

Presence:

The hikes today were gorgeous! So many moments of experiencing the beauty of nature, my soul is full.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,178

Growth:

After all the majesty I’ve witnessed outdoors in the past week this quote really hit the nail on the head.

“We were two tiny humans on top of the world’s most awesome mountain, and the mountain was indifferent.”

Rick Ridgeway, Life Lived Wild – upon reaching the summit of K2

Appreciation:

Walking in the woods really is medicine for the soul. My mind has been free to wander during our hikes over the past week and it has gone in so many different directions. Of course my biggest focuses have been on the beauty all around and the time with my family, but in between has been so much time for my mind to go wherever it feels like going. This has led to thoughts about work, life, vacations, writing, and so many other things. I’m so grateful for the time to set my brain free, I needed it more than I thought!

Presence:

For the first time in my life I finally saw a rattlesnake in real life in the wild! It was basking in the sunshine on the road and I swerved to avoid it. As soon as I realized what it was I put the car in reverse and got a view from a safe distance. So cool to see!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,177

Growth:

Nothing quite like the sage-like wisdom from bus drivers, cab drivers, & Uber drivers! Our bus driver today was outstanding and shared a handful of awesome nuggets of knowledge. The topics today covered looking vs observing, the relativity of time, and seeds of sequoias needing fire to grow. Gavin even jokingly gave me a hard time about taking notes on my phone 😂

Appreciation:

National Park #35 for Becky and I today – Sequoia!!!

This one is definitely one of my favorites, the trees were truly awesome!!!

Presence:

Our entire hike today was a study in presence. Spending time surrounded by behemoth trees who were alive when Jesus walked the Earth will certainly have that impact on people! 😉

Thanks!!!

Day 3,176

Growth:

Planning can be hugely beneficial, and good luck is always welcomed.

Thanks to planning this trip so far ahead we’ve been able to stay super close to the parks we’re visiting. We’ve saved well over two hours of driving each day.

Thanks to good luck on two occasions we’ve been fortunate to have the roads for specific trails open less than four days before we wanted to hike them. Not too shabby!

Plan ahead, make the most of luck, and roll with any unexpected changes.

Appreciation:

Spending time in the presence of a living being more than 1,650 years old is incredibly humbling in a beautiful way. The General Grant Tree was a sight to behold, it certainly put time into a whole new perspective for me.

Seeing “young” sequoias which were planted in the 1880’s now towering over me added to the sense of awe and tininess.

Standing on the stump of the Mark Twain tree and counting out an entire century of rings and seeing what a minuscule percentage of the total rings really added to the sense of insignificance.

Trees more than 1,600 years older than me. Rocks more than 115 million years older than me. Humbling in a beautiful way.

Presence:

National Park #34 – King’s Canyon!!!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,175

Growth:

Dam Hetch Hetchy! As well dam for water-tanks the people’s cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.

John Muir, The Yosemite

Appreciation:

Nothing quite like the quiet time on hiking in the woods and soaking up all the awesomeness around us to help clear the mind and fill the soul. 50+ miles of invigorating trails in the outdoors over the past five days, pure medicine for the soul!

Presence:

Watching the boys run and slide down the snow on the side of the mountains in Yosemite today was awesome! Their laughter was so heartwarming!!! Knowing they’re creating memories together like that fills my soul with joy.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,174

Growth:

What are the short term fixes I apply rather than long term solutions and why? So many reasons this popped into my head today from learning about the damming of the Hetch Hetchy valley to thoughts about work.

Appreciation:

Carving out time away from the rest of the world to spend time sharing experiences with my family and creating memories is something I am eternally grateful for. All this bonus time together without distractions has me smiling from ear to ear. Going to bed with another huge smile on my face!

Presence:

The moment the boys repeat history by using the “one person cuts and the other person chooses which half they want” system over dinner had me smiling and bringing back so many memories!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,173

Today was so crazily jam packed I need to finally crash so I can wake up and do it again tomorrow.

More to follow tomorrow I’d bet, but here’s a hint of how the night closed…

So many awesome memories created and experiences shared!

Thanks!!!

Day 3,172

Growth:

Take care of easy to handle things quickly rather than allowing them to weigh you down. Instead of keeping it back of mind for hours take a quick one minute action now so it’s not a big deal.

Appreciation:

We’re all in bed and it’s not even 8:30pm. Sure I’d bet we’re all reading, but the awesomeness and physicality of the past couple days are hitting all of us hard. Gotta love vacations that leave you exhausted in an awesome way!

Presence:

So many wonderful sights on our hike in Yosemite today! Some of the favs were seeing the sunrise hit the Dawn Wall, several waterfalls with rainbows, and more animal close encounters.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,171

Growth:

The sense of awe brings out the best in all of us. Awe is easy to find on vacation, especially in a place as majestic as Yosemite, but it can be found anywhere if we pause to seek it out. Once we do it expands our minds in new ways, helping to bring out the best in us.

Appreciation:

Family vacation, some of the best experiences in life!

Presence:

Seeing our first sequoias of this trip created a very emotional response deep within me. Something about their grandeur rocked me more deeply to the core than I expected.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,170

Growth & Appreciation:

Reading The Amen Effect by Sharon Brous has been an incredible gift! While I received an emphatic recommendation for it from my friend, Amanda, I was a little hesitant. Little did I know what an immediate impact it would make on my soul.

The short version of this book is that regardless of our spiritual beliefs the most important thing we can do is love others. Rather than self isolation or ignoring what others feel we are called to act with kindness, be present, and love them.

I took soooooo many notes on this, here’s an example.

My Note on the Topic of Loving Others: Denialism vs wonder – one way creates more conflict, dehumanizes, and fuels hate and separation. The other leads to understanding, compassion, and kindness. Don’t create a monster, listen to the human and love them.

The quote from the book that inspired this note:

Refuse to live in a world which judges people based on their worst behavior. Pray for the end of the sin, not for the end of the sinner. Distinguish between monsters and people who do monstrous things. Fight to awaken others’ humanity even when they do not recognize yours. Help them grow and change.

Sharon Brous, The Amen Effect

So many immediately useful and effective tools to better live into who we are called to be. I will read this book at least once per year!

Presence:

Today we entered National Park #33…. Yosemite!!! Tomorrow we start exploring it!

Thanks!!!