Passing Time

Eight days ago, I was on a plane reading part of, A New Earth. The author talks about the illusions of the past and future, and about how happiness is always found in the moment. At one point, he used a quotation from the Bible, “This too, shall pass.” I’d always heard that scripture in reference to painful events…when people lost a loved one, or went through difficulties. He introduced it as a way of perceiving everything. When a baby is born, when you’re laughing with friends around dinner...this too shall pass. All of a sudden, that temporary space in time, takes on more importance.

Five days ago, I was on vacation looking out of the car window at these amazing views, surrounded by friends who rarely get to be together. When the anticipated days finally come, I feel like everything should be monumental. Then I get up to the actual moment and realize my expectations were my imagination (again). And that what’s real is even better (again). And even the grandest of events, are just made up of lots of Sweet Ordinary. A trip to the grocery store together, a hysterical car ride up the mountain, good conversation over morning coffee, a laugh and a story here and there. What’s grand, is what’s ordinary. And that’s why it’s easy to overlook.

Today I sit here a little melancholy for my friends. Distance between people that care about each other, always feels like a waste. But even in those feelings, I feel a certain contentment because I know I was paying attention while the time was passing. And that's all anyone can ever really do, anyway. Right?

How are you passing the time these days?

Our Trip to Colorado

Our view from about 30,000 feet

Breckenridge, CO
It's a really great little skiing town with excellent shopping. We'll definitely have to go back some time with the kids and snowboard!

Getting ready for the WVU/CO game in Boulder. Unfortunately they lost, but it was a good time anyway!

A little decompression from school overload!

This has been a tough couple of weeks on the kids. Of course, I am enjoying having some of my "own" time back-but for them, it's been an overload of new things; people, places, schedules, things to remember, homework to do, etc. Back to school all day everyday meant a roller coaster of emotions from excitement and enthusiasm to hesitation and mini melt-downs. Total brain over-load.

This weekend we just needed a little levity and what better place than outside to do just that? Here are a few snapshots of how my kids blew off a little steam from the pressure-cooker that is the first month of school.

FUMBLE!

On Wednesday, Mike and I are off to Boulder, CO for long weekend with some college friends. We're going to see WVU kick some butt, hopefully, and do some hiking/rafting/horseback riding, who knows at this point, in Breckenridge.

The boys will stay with Grammie for 2 nights and then they are headed to Lancaster, PA with my mom and Dennis to see the Renaissance festival! It should be a great time for all of us, I'll post some shots when I get back.

Summer's End

This has been a hard post to share. The end of summer is always so bittersweet for me. I love the freedom. I look forward to the ebb and flow of lazy days and exciting adventures. It’s not a huge surprise that summer is my favorite time of year. However, the end of this summer was different. As the new school year slowly crept up on us, I became slightly uneasy. I know that each September will begin a familiar routine. The slow and steady flow of school, homework and extra-circular activities that little by little as the months pass, begins to feel more like a river than a stream only to have the damn break in June to a force that can make it difficult for even the mightiest of moms to remain standing. That is how June can sometimes feel, but this year I’m feeling it in September. As summer come to an end I recognize that it’s not only these last few weeks that are a blur, it’s my son’s childhood. Both of my sons for that matter. The milestones this year feel larger than life as one has just begun Middle School and the other Second grade. Sigh. I know what this is about. It’s the familiar melancholy of motherhood, the passing of time and the growing of the little parts and pieces of my children that remind me that they are getting older. That I am getting older. That they won’t be mine forever.

So, with that introduction of where my head has been lately, I share with you a few (and it was hard to choose since I tok sooo many pictures) of our Ohio Pyle adventures. These are from the last two weekends. We had so much fun the weekend of the 23rd, we went back again for Labor day weekend. What a blast we had.

I hope you are enjoying the end of summer, as you know it!

Ohio Pyle State Park, PA.

A great little place that serves as the gateway to the Laurel Mountains. The focal point of the area is the more than 14 miles of the Youghiogheny [yaw-ki-GAY-nee] River Gorge that passes through the heart of the park. The "Yough", as we call it, provides some of the best whitewater boating in the Eastern U. S. as well as spectacular scenery. There is also a great bike path that runs along side the river!

Our first whitewater rafting experience as a family. The kids absolutely LOVED it, even though Kian fell out of the boat during one of the rapids.

This was so cool. You sit in the creek bed and ride the water through 2 natural water slides in Meadow Run. The kids must have ridden it 20 times last weekend and about 5 times this past weekend.


Morning rays
Last weekend was The Ninth Annual "American Whitewater Ohiopyle Over The Falls Festival" Once a year Ohio Pyle lifts the dam and whitewater paddlers from all over the country can run the race over this 18 foot waterfall. It was amazing to see, but not something I aspire to do, Mike on the other hand, possibly!