Summer of Spontaneity

I am a planner. I like to make lists. I like to know what I am going to do and stick to my schedule... usually. I seem to be straying off my path a bit this summer. It started with our trip to the Snake River a couple weekends ago. We got invited, packed and a little more than 12 hours later we were camping! Then last weekend Jim was going to take Kyle fishing. One of his favorite spots is on the Weber River near where his uncle has a cabin. He was talking to Uncle Rock and told him they would be up fishing. He told Jim, "The cabin will be empty. Why don't you just go for the weekend?" (We help them a lot with their computers and he lets us stay in his cabin when it's available. I feel like we get the better end of the bargain!)

So that's just what we did. We were at our friends house last Friday (which is something we do just about every Thursday or Friday night, depending on the weekend) and we talked about going. They said they could be ready in a couple hours. We could be ready in less so we ran to the grocery store while they packed up their kids. By 8pm we were all packed and headed up the canyon. We got there late and went straight to bed.

The next morning we were greeted with wonderful weather and this giant moth on the front porch. I put my fingers next to it so you could see just how big it was. It was about the size of my BlackBerry. We weren't as thrilled about the giant flying creature as we were about the weather. It was GLORIOUS! It is usually about 10°-15° cooler up at the cabin than it is down in the valley. The weather was just right for fishing and hiking.

First thing Friday morning, Jim and Kyle went right down to the river and caught a few fish.

This is the one they kept.

Then we packed up some lunch and went up to the lake for a hike.

Along the trail there is a rope hanging from a tree. Of course, the boys had to take advantage of that. This is Josh...

And this is Kyle. It was really fun to watch!

We found a little place to stop and eat our lunch.

When we got back, I had to shower. When I got out of the shower, all of the kids were playing games and coloring. This is how I found all the adults! I had to take the picture from upstairs looking down for the full affect.

I am glad I am letting myself be more spontaneous. Sometimes some of the best things happen spur of the moment. I know we had a ton of fun at the cabin. We always do. I am always very relaxed and rested when I get home from that place. And it always reminds me of Lisa when I am up there. We took her and the kids up there the summer before she passed. I usually spend some time, early in the morning, sitting on the porch swing just thinking about her and what a great sister she is. She really appreciated the beauty of that canyon and marveled over how many trees there were. I like to sit quietly and look at the trees and feel grateful that our Heavenly Father has given us such wonderful things to appreciate on this earth. I like to think about all the things I learned from my sister, one of which is living life more fully, which might mean straying from the schedule and doing something completely unplanned.