Black Canyon of the Gunnison Camping Trip

We spent Memorial Day weekend camping at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park with our friends Laurie and Zach. Beautiful scenery and the canyon was breathtaking. Unlike at the Grand Canyon, at the Black Canyon you can see all the way down to the river from the rim and the sides are really steep. At a half mile down, it's not as deep as the Grand Canyon, but the walls of the canyon are black in color.

The trip out there made Rob and I want to turn around and go back home several times. What should have been a 5-hour trip turned into an 8-hour trip when you counted all the stops, one for a diaper blow-out and another to clean up after a carsick toddler (not fun!). Once we were there, though, the weather was perfect, warm nights and fairly hot days with good star gazing conditions.

We did a five mile hike on Saturday morning and rested during the hot part of the afternoon. On Sunday, we hiked to several of the overlooks around the rim, had a picnic, and left Sunday night as the cold weather and rain was moving in. Ashleigh did well with two nights, but was definitely getting cranky by the third day and asking to go 'back inside,' which we interpreted as she really wanted to be home. The trip home was uneventful, thank God, and she slept almost the entire way home minus our stop for Chinese food for supper.

When she awoke the next morning, she was thrilled to be back at home. Ahhh... it's the little things when you get back from camping - running water (and warm too), flushing toilets, and most important is the soft bed. We don't rough it too bad when we're camping with our camp chairs, pillows, and Thermarest pads, but we're still sleeping on the floor in a tent and the ground is pretty hard. I love that about camping - how you appreciate the little things when you get back and see how blessed we are with all our comforts of life.

Warner Point Lookout using our new backpack

Old Juniper tree at the Canyon Rim

Rob, Janice, and Ashleigh at Sunset View Lookout

"I just love playing in the dirt and sitting in my new camping chair"

Warner Point Lookout (1.5 mile round trip hike)

Playing in the tent in a diaper

Our little blonde Eskimo

Graduations

Cousin Katie (7) and Ashleigh (19 mo)

They called his name, I snap the pict and forget to cheer...

We've had a busy few weeks! I'm enjoying my time at home and it's a lot less stress than working was. When Ashleigh used to go down for her nap, that was my focused working time. Never a break or time out for myself until after she went to sleep at the end of the day, but by then, you're so exhausted, you just want to call it a day early or veg on the couch. Now, I feel much more rested and can nap when Ashleigh naps or take time for myself during the day.

I put in some pictures from my brother-in-law's graduation from college and although I missed my sister-in-law's graduation the night before, we made it to the graduation party. Priorities, right? Her graduation started after Ashleigh's bedtime, so that would have been rough on all of us if we had gone. Instead, Ashleigh and I went to a neighbor's surprise 30th birthday party and I had her back home and in bed by 7. I'm proud of them and they both now have jobs in the real world - Tina with a preschool in Denver and Rick with the IRS in Albequerque. Congratulations Rick and Tina!

This past week, we've been spending time with friends and also going to the pool and park and getting ready for our weekend camping trip this Memorial Day with our friends Zach and Laurie (pictures to follow soon). We're looking forward to camping with Ashleigh now that she's mobile and doesn't have to be confined to the tent. She hated that and when we had her out on the blanket, she'd crawl off and eat rocks and pinecones. She is excited too and has been getting in and out of her new kids camp chair we setup in the livingroom and her new sleeping bag. No more sharing our bags, sleeping between Rob and I, as we need our space and cuddle time before bed. This is why I never let Ashleigh get used to the idea of sleeping in our bed - not the fear of suffocation during the night, but that it's important to cuddle at the end of the day and to just feel loved and it kills the intimacy real quick to have an infant in bed with you.

Happy Memorial Day and God bless our troops and their families. Thank you for our freedom and what you do for our country!

Staying Home and Having Fun!

Sometimes, I amaze myself at my photography skills!

I've officially been a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) for two weeks now. There have definitely been ups and downs, but never any regrets about leaving...yet. It helps that I met a new friend who lives a block down the street who also stays at home with an active boy a month older than Ashleigh. I met her on my first day as a SAHM at the playground and believe it's part of God's plan to put other people in my life for support during this time as I do need it. Rob has been great and very supportive of my decision. He's (and me as well) a little nervous about the family finances, but are trusting God through this change and know He's always faithful and cares for His children. I know I'll be saving money on lunches out and spur of the moment shopping trips on my lunch hour, so that'll cut some expenses too.

Today, I'm thankful for the friends and family in my life who have been there and have helped me through the good and bad times. I think one of the hardest things is that other than nap time and after bedtime, she's with me all day everyday and she has so much energy. I love her to death, but think mom will be needing some weekly alone time too. I do use her nap times as a prayer/quiet time, sometimes journaling too, but think I also need to get away for a few hours of me time on the weekends.

Speaking of weekends, have we ever been busy! Last weekend Rob and his dad put in central air in our house and his mom and I put in the new curtains that she made us. They turned out gorgeous - better than expected! We've been seeing a lot of friends lately, including two of our friends from college with a nine-month old who now live in France and were back visiting family for a while. I also took another trip to the botanic gardens with a friend and Ashleigh, Rob, and I all went over to the Museum of Nature and Science to introduce Ashleigh to the many marvels of this world. Her favorite parts were the dinosaurs and the dioramas of the bears, then of course the picnic chasing geese and playing on the playground. Here are a few picts of the last few weeks. Maybe now that I'm home, I'll publish more often than my once a month record I'm currently holding and won't have to cram all these into one posting...

Friends from France - Ashleigh, Cory, and Anthony

Ashleigh loved the bears at the museum

Cool infrared camera at the museum

Having fun on the playground with Dad

Dad and Ashleigh at the Museum

Mom and Ashleigh at the Botanic Gardens

Ashleigh and Hanna watching goldfish

Mom and Ashleigh by the Japanese Gardens

Hanging Swags and Jabots - getting them just right