While writing in my journal tonight I decided to share and excerpt from my day. We are on vacation in Missouri and spent the day at a Theme park. Unfortunately it rained all morning as was a bit of a bust since almost all of the rides were closed. Here is a part of my journal entry about the day.
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Our group found one indoor ride that was still open and the line was HUGE (since it was the only thing in the park running) We figured it was as good to stand in line as to stand anywhere else. I sat down on a bench for a bit of it since my head was trying to start hurting. This cute older gentleman sat down next to me and asked where I was from. After saying I was from Utah he immediately asked if I was Mormon. I smiled and told him I was. The next question out of his mouth was “So how many kids do you have!?” It made me laugh a little. He was surprised when I said I only had two. He asked “Don’t you believe in having lots of kids?” I simply shared that we do believe part of our purpose on earth is to have children but that the Prophet has said that we should do so within our means and abilities and my husband and I felt that two is what we could handle. He seemed to think that was a good answer and then proceeded to tell me about all the nice Mormons he has know. It totally made my day. It made me a bit sad that I didn’t have the opportunity to serve a mission before meeting Scott, but I know that someday I will get to share the gospel that way. Its so different having lived my whole life in Idaho and Utah. You just can’t share the gospel there the way you can outside of the LDS influenced area. I find it interesting how much religion there is here in the south. I have heard it called the ‘bible belt’ but didn’t realize quite how much a part of the culture it really is out here. there is a different church on every corner and each one is bigger and flashier than the last. There are all sorts of shows here in Branson touting ‘Gospel music’. It really is such a different culture than in Utah. Makes me have more understanding and respect for the confusion Joseph Smith must have felt trying to decide which church was true. There are so many religious choices here it would make your head spin to try and learn them all.
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That's' it. Nothing too profound. Just a fun little experience that brightened my day and made me think a little harder about my beliefs and why I am part of the LDS church. It also made me SUPER excited for my former young women who are now out serving their missions!
I love traveling mostly because of how much I get to learn about myself and my own home. Things you never realized were even different anywhere else. At dinner my sis in law, Dawn, who is originally from the east was talking about the rice in the salt shakers. She was shocked to learn that we don't have to do that in Utah! She has lived there for several years now and has always put rice in her salt because that is what they have to do in the more humid areas. So funny to learn these little things that you never even thought of before!
A few days ago my dear Aunt Vicky told me she faithfully checks my blog everyday, hoping that maybe- just maybe- I have typed something new..... well here is your something new!!
I have basically decided I am done blogging. I'm honestly surprised I could even remember how to log in! LOL- I never seem to have the time, desire, and energy to blog all in the same interval of life. There are just to many other good things in life! I can't think of it as a journal- my journal is more personal than what I want to post on-line for the world to see. I like the blog moms who post funny things their kids say and do- but again- I never have time to do it while it's on my mind. There is just not that much room in my brain anymore.
Anywho- I guess that is all I have to say for now :) I'm still here- just not HERE :)
Yeah... I don't think I like blogging anymore. LOL- I avoid it like the plegue.... it's just not fun to me anymore. What IS fun, however, is SNOW SHOEING! *As a side note I DID enjoy writing this post.. but as usual It got a bit long... hope you enjoy it... or at least scrolling thru the pictures!!*
- This post is dedicated to my dear sweet sister Marie -
(She made me promise to blog about snow shoeing- if she hadn't this post would not exist)
So my kids are in this ROCK ON AWESOME Charter School. They get to go on TONS of fun 'expeditions', try out new 'hobbies' and learn by getting their hands off of the desk top and out into life! My FAVORITE part of their school is that I GET TO PLAY TOO! I get to volunteer and try out all the cool stuff they get to try! This last week Amalyssa's class went snow shoeing. I thought "hey, why not- could be miserable... but it could be fun too- when else am I going to get this chance!?" Turns out- Snow shoeing may be my new OBSESSION!!!! IT IS FANTASTIC!!!!!
(Insert hour long pause while I sort thru- organize- and upload photos for this post)
(ok it was only like 30 min, but still......)
*Back to the snow shoeing obsession*
It's like hiking - only mother nature is coated in a beautiful crystal cape of white un-poluted snow.
It's not as crowded as summer hiking either- There were other people up there- other's who have discovered how amazing it is to venture the mountains in the winter time- but not nearly as many people as you would see in the summer- and they seem somehow more civilized - like they are true nature lovers and not just tourists on vacation doing what tourists do on vacation- There is a quiet reverence and respect for the beauty of the land that isn't always present on a summer trail.
It wasn't at all hard either! When you think of snow shoes you probably (like me a week ago) picture the giant 'tennis rackets' of yore.
Gigantic, cumbersome, and likely miserable. Who in their right mind would do that for fun RIGHT!?? Honestly when I agreed to this journey I had NO IDEA it was something people actually still did! I figured the school was giving them some cool unheard of experience to see what it must have been like back in the day- I thought to myself "Hey- I should take this once in a life time opportunity" - Turns out IT IS TOTALLY A THING!! REI had a WHOLE WALL of snow shoes for sale! Only they no longer look like giant tennis rackets - now they look more like this!
You can easily strap your winter boot comfortably into the adjustable straps. The center area directly under your boot lifts and swings easily with your step while the main plank of the snow shoe remains level to the ground. The spikes grip the snow. There are of course HUNDREDS of similar varieties and colors sold but these are the kind we used. In the end the whole thing feels SHOCKINGLY like walking... nothing really hard about it!
We had knowledgeable guides who took the kids around in small groups and taught us all kinds of interesting things! Even some that I didn't know!
Did YOU know that Aspen trees are the largest ORGANISM on the planet!? They are all connected by ONE root system! In the fall when you look at the hills and there are large patches of yellow and red and green - that is because a 'patch' is really ONE TREE changing it's color at the same time. Another colored 'patch' in a different set of roots and is changing at a different time than the others- COOL!
My ABSOLUTE FAVORITE PART of snow shoeing was all the animal tracks!!!
You could see EVERYTHING! Like a fragile record of the forest life that many will never see! You know in the movies when someone is tracking in the woods and they are like "Look at this snapped twig- they went this way an hour ago" I have always thought it would be cool to be able to do that. Well snow shoeing gave me a glimpse into my fantasy! You could see where the little bunny had hopped under the pine tree and rooted around a bit for a cozy sleeping spot, then hopped off in a different direction a while later. You could tell what direction the animal was moving in, about how long the tracks might have been there, and even exactly what kind of animal it was in most cases. SO COMPLETELY FANTASTIC!!!!
This was a fallen log over a stream- one little animal had chosen this passage way across the freezing waters. At the end of the log it took a brief moment before heading off to it's right.
My SECOND favorite part of the trip was a little something I would like to nominate as an OLYMPIC SPORT!!! Our guide stopped at a clearing and let the kids have a race - the idea was to demonstrate to the kids how hard it is for the animals to run away from predators during the winter months - the out come was entirely entertaining - and yes... I do LOL when my daughter FALLS FLAT ON HER FACE straight out of the gate!! (For the record Amalyssa did NOT like this part of the trip!)
(Sheesh Marie.... I must really love you- I just created a YouTube account because blogger won't upload my video's either! You better enjoy this video!)
So do they really keep you on top of the snow? YES!!! We learned this THE HARD WAY!!! After our guides had finished taking us around we all pulled the snow shoes off and piled them up by the bus- (side note - It takes a while to strap snow shoes on 50 4th graders!) One of the teachers had this GREAT IDEA to eat our lunches in a pavilion that was 'just over this way'. Um..... did she forget that we had come here to SNOW SHOE!!! There was a REASON for that!!! 'Walking' over to the pavilion SANS snow shoe's was slightly MORE than DIFFICULT!!
I didn't really catch a good photo of it but most of the people in this
photo are up to their thighs in snow- the kids were waist deep. I happen
to still have my snow shoes with me at the time so I strapped those
suckers on and what do you know THEY WORKED!!! I was on top of the snow
gliding along like a gazelle! Nice call to drag all those 4th graders thru 3 feet deep unpacked snow- At least they had a good contrast!
So in the end I had an AMAZING day and found a NEW HOBBY (I am restraining myself from running out and buying myself a pair!! - NOT CHEEP!) I will definitely be going again SOON and sharing my new found passion with ANYONE who will listen!!! Now that you have suffered through more info than you EVER wanted to know about snow shoeing I will leave you with a few more of my favorite images from the day!
A fragile frozen crest on the top of the creek
Frost clinging to the top of a rock just above the creek level
A sweet baby pine poking thru the snow.
Another set of tracks by the chilly creek
A reminder of summer past and a promise of the coming spring
Last but not least
Amalyssa lounging out in the snow after a great adventure!
