Sand Dunes, Enchantment, and a Touch of Cowboy

WAY back in May, we loaded the minivan with supplies and headed west.  

I really hoped that Sand Dunes National Park would be worth the drive.  It seemed to be one of the smaller national parks, but as we drove closer the the massive dune field, we were all in awe of how majestic and whimsical the dunes seemed.  They were out of place at the edge of a great valley and at the foot of the mountains, and we would later be amazed at we learned about the set of circumstances keeping the dunes alive, circumstances found only in this tiny corner of the earth. The park ranger who greeted us at the visitor's center seemed thrilled that we were campers and not simply there to spend an afternoon.  I'm sure the locals take advantage of Medano Creek during the spring.  It's a temporary oasis in the midst of the desert climate  We froze at night (40 degrees is COLD!), sweated in the sun, and generally loved every second of our time in the Dunes.  

On day two, we tried out hand at sand sledding.  We hiked into the dunes, sinking past our ankles as we climbed, and I wished for snow shoes to keep our feet on the surface.  After each dune was conquered, we stopped to hydrate and catch our breath in the high altitudes.  We finally made it to dunes worthy of sledding, and the kids zoomed down slopes steeper and longer than any I would attempt.  

Too soon, we turned our backs on the Dunes and our faces toward New Mexico.  New Mexico, while beautiful and unique, is truly made by its people.  Native American and Hispanic, each group proud of and eager to share their heritage, meet side by side in New Mexico, and it truly feels like a different, perhaps more genuine, world.  

We walked across the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, drove through the beautiful turquoise trimmed Taos and through the Sangre De Cristo Mountains into the adobe world of Santa Fe.  

Santa Fe is a city where all the buildings are the color of sand and mud, but it's one of the most colorful cities I've seen.  Downtown is full of life, culture, art, and history.  Our afternoon was spent wandering the streets, stepping into an occasional shop, and celebrating Mass at the St. Francis Cathedral.  

One of my favorite parts of our trips doesn't exist in photographs.  We were so blessed that Tesuque Pueblo had opened it's doors to the community while we were in Santa Fe.  We left our phones and cameras behind and reveled in their Corn Dance ritual.  The men and boys were painted in earth and trimmed in pine branches and fur.  The women wore traditional black dresses and painted headdresses finished with soft grey feathers.  One group of men dressed in more formal costume chanted the words to their prayer while the men, women, and children answered in their own chant and danced into a series of formations.  We loved the little ones in their tiny moccasins and fur tails nearly dragging the ground.  Some children, no older than two, danced beside their mother or father, and others made a group of children who followed the adults.

We enjoyed a children's festival at a historic Spanish settlement, and the kids were able to make adobe, spin wool into yarn, grind corn, and taste bread baked in adobe ovens.

Before we could leave the Land of Enchantment, Amos Lee twisted my arm, and we detoured though Roswell to see if we could spot an alien left over from the supposed UFO crash of the 1950's.  It was ridiculous and hilarious how much the kids enjoyed the town.  From the aliens painted on most of the storefronts to the UFO Museum, our 90 minute stay in Roswell was an absolute hit with the kids and my husband.  I was more entertained watching them be entertained.

After a forever drive, we visited Fort Worth, Texas.  We toured the Bureau of Engraving and watched the manufacture of millions of US dollars.  And we wandered the Ft. Worth Stockyards, soaking up a little cowboy, complete with a little rodeo fun and longhorn cattle drive.

We returned home exhausted from our busy trip, but satisfied with how we'd spent our time.  I'm so thankful that our kids were able to experience a tiny bit of the southwest's diversity.  Adventuring is a different type of travel.  It's effort more than ease, researching more than relaxing, and learning more than fantasizing.

I want my kids to be comfortable in foreign places as adults.  I want the thought of navigating the unfamiliar to be exciting rather than terrifying.  I hope that each of them continues to revel in the vastness and true beauty of God's world, seeing with the childlike excitement they did this week.

Road Trip: A Wisconsin Adventure

During my two hour drive to meet my husband and get away for the weekend, I prayed. I petitioned for our safety during our travel, offered thanks for the opportunity to retreat from the stress of child rearing and work and focus on our marriage for a while, and asked that Amos and I grow together in Christ, being open to what seeds may be planted during our trip. I just love when God answers prayer! We left the ol' mini van in St. Louis, packed the Versa, and we were headed north!

An overnight stay with a great friend and a quick stop at my favorite cupcakery later, we found ourselves across the Wisconsin border. The topography looked much like Missouri's rolling hills, lush green foliage, and rural communities. We marveled in details unique to Wisconsin. The endless water that peeked once in a while from behind the hills and midwest forests felt foreign to this Missouri gal, used to endless rolling hills. In my travels, the land has always dissolved into sand and palms or jungle-like greenery before the horizon was filled with sparkling water. As we drove along the edge of Lake Michigan, we saw quaint red barns scattered like a city's Starbucks.

Being in Wisconsin felt genuine, simple, and wholesome. More than anywhere else I've been, the farmland and rural communities were filled with a love for Christ. It is a subtle excitement, one that seemed to be a way of life here. Communities seemed to be confidently rooted in God's Word.

Door County, Wisconsin's "thumb" is sandwiched between Green Bay and Lake Michigan. Blonde haired children working the family campground greeted us with soft Wisconsin accents. Amos and I loved that we were never more than twenty minutes from a shoreline, and we loved that the sun rose and set over a water horizon in this rural community. What a blessing to have the awe of both in one place!

We sat on the dock of the bay and watched the sunset together.

Cherry season is serious business in Door County. Amos and I took our bucket to the orchard rows and filled it with dark red berries. We picked cherries as it started to sprinkle, and walked back toward the barn through a shower of heavy, cold Wisconsin raindrops. It was perfect.

We spent a day in Chicago before heading home, and while we hadn't planned on this adventure, we both enjoyed our day sightseeing together. I loved getting to show my husband a city that I love. We enjoyed the bustle of the city and the quiet of the parks with the Chicago skyline behind us.

We traveled to the 95th floor of John Hancock to enjoy the view from atop the city. We walked Navy Pier and Chicago's Riverwalk. We discovered new neighborhoods that left this girl excited to explore them on the next visit. We stopped into the world of American Girl which hit a soft spot with a certain Daddy who brought a very special doll home for his youngest daughter.

The drive home began with music and comfortable silence, and transitioned to a sharing of faith, struggles, advice, and appreciation for one another. If we had needed to be away from home for a month in order to share those last four hours, it would have been worth it.

Praise be to God who know what we need even when we are clueless!

Home Away from Home: Shutter Love Tuedsay

Since I was born, we've taken trips every other year to Garden City Beach, South Carolina. It's so difficult to express the feeling of driving down Waccamaw Drive, getting the first glimpse of the Atlantic and that first whiff of ocean air. I'm so blessed with a husband that has climbed right on board and let me continue the tradition in our life together, and I was SO excited when we were able to share the experience with Little Mister and Little Miss for the first time!

Colorado

When Big Sister was nine months old, we tagged along with my parents and sisters to visit my big brother in Colorado. We toured the US Mint, visited Boulder, and poked our way around Denver for a few days.

When Big Sister was 5 and Little Mister was just a few months old, my mother and I loaded them up and took off across the state of Kansas to visit my brother again. This time our trip was crammed to the max with a train ride on the Georgetown Loop, a stop at Red Rocks, hiking and camping in the stunning Colorado Flattops (three hours drive into the stix followed by a hike into the middle of the Rockies' wilderness... no campsite for these explorers!), a visit to Dinosaur National Monument across the border in Utah, the butterfly house and train yard. It was a busy trip, but SO much fun!

And now... we're going back! It's official. In June, Hubby and I will pack the kids into the minivan and head off for the Centennial State. It will be the first visit for Little Miss and my husband. What's more, it will be our first vacation with our family alone.

We'll spend a few days exploring Rocky Mountain National Park, stop by Boulder (which offers one of my two favorite downtown shopping areas in the country), and head to Denver for the remainder of our trip to revisit Red Rocks, The Mint, and gear ourselves up for whatever may be up my big brother's sleeve!

We're not headed to the coast, so I'm still a tiny bit jealous of all you who will be laying on a beach with a book and the scents and sounds of the ocean... makes me more relaxed just thinking about it!

But there is something indescribably majestic about the Colorado Rockies. Just being there makes me feel small, but not in a feeble sort of way. There, I am keenly aware of God's care... so very humbled to be living my life... and simply safe in His arms. I am so sincerely thankful that I get to share this glimpse at God's exquisite creation with my family.

Revitalized at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

The 19 hour drive home already fading, I'm anxious to post pictures and stories about my family's visit to Myrtle Beach.  For today, you all will have to be satisfied with a couple sneak peak shots...