weekends are for dreaming...

i'm cool with being in the moment, living a simple life in the city, biking to work, nice friends, small pleasures, small apartment, lots of work on the weekdays, but when Friday evening comes my head starts unwinding, my heart starts spinning and I'm ready to be free and to dream. I'm ready to hear from God, to romp in his meadows, to meet with him in the woods, to reflect with my journal in hand, my husband at my side, I'm ready to dance to some Bluegrass tunes and drink a fancy beer.

We had an amazing mini-vacation in Estes Park and Grand Lake this past weekend. It was just a normal weekend but it felt extraordinary. We got to visit our dear friend, Jessa, at the last minute and celebrate a birthday with a guy we know only from our visits to our favorite Bluegrass Bar, the Rock Inn an hour and a half from our home. I guess because I've been living "in the city" for a while I'm incredibly enthusiastic about small towns these days. We woke up slowly on Saturday morning to crisp mountain air and beautiful, dancing sunlight peaking through the evergreens. (photos to come)

Highlights of the weekend that followed:

- sipping Guatemalan coffee on the deck and reading/journaling

- admiring the golden leaves of the Aspen trees

- chocolate granola and yogurt

- getting to drive the entirety of Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mtn. Nat'l Park

- running to get vistas in the rain/sleet at the top of the pass

- sharing a cup of steamy hot chocolate at the cafe overlooking the valley

- watching the wilderness transform into a winter wonderland after we decided not to go backpacking

- the quaint pizzeria where we warmed our bones

- the Grand Lake Fall Festival Music Show in the town square

- trying to blend in at the local cowboy/biker bar

- sleeping in the back of the Subaru in the middle of the town

- eating breakfast by the lake front

- eating a second breakfast at a local coffee shop

- talking about our dreams of life after this year and what it means to follow your calling while also learning to be content with a simple life

- walking along the boardwalk downtown

- sitting on the dock of the lake watching the fog lift

wow - wow - wow - i'm thankful for: adventure, surprises, prayer, weekends, my husband and dreaming

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Silence Retreat

my house church ( www.denverhousechurch.blogspot.com ) went on a retreat last weekend.

it was a monastic retreat of sorts: we were silent all day Saturday.

not gonna lie - it was excruciatingly difficult for me to abstain from speaking for an entire day while intermingling with others in the community. (no one else seemed to have had that hard of a time but whatever). it was a great exercise in discipline and the experience has made me think more about using my words wisely and just guarding my tongue in general. We started off the day watching the documentary, Into Great Silence, about life at the Grand Chartreuse Monastery (considered the most ascetic in the world) nestled in the French-Alps - very long and fascinating.

here is a poem i wrote at some point during the day:

Butterscotch Shade

sunshine swing-set in the
butterscotch shade
i lean my head back on your windy lap
rope fraying from the weather tight between my fingers
sunlight in my squinty eyes
i think of my blind friend from the movie
- his thankfulness, his white robe and bald head
his smile.
I'd rather be blind in your presence
and holding your hand...
your sweet butterscotch kisses and your breezes
on my toes - intimacy i can touch and feel
as i lean back my shoulders and unwind at your side

oh yeah, can anyone name the type of tree whose bark smells of butterscotch??

Blessed are the pure in heart...

...for they shall see God!

(from the Bible, Matthew 5)

One of the girls in my program, I'll call her little Jam Jam,

sees God in everything.

She is the most authentically grateful and joyful little girl I know.

She is always finding beauty in the world around her.

she often starts her day with the phrase, "I'm so lucky"

and then she goes on to explain why she's so lucky.

It's usually because her mom or her sister loves her

or someone gave her a hug

or maybe someone gave her a "special gift"

or she got to have a 7-11 muffin for breakfast...

I want to be more like little Jam Jam.

I want to see God's goodness in the world around me.

I want to start my days with the phrase, "I'm so lucky."

I want to see God.

self timers and intimacy

don't judge our love by the amount of pictures we have of us together.

don't judge our closeness by how well our self timer works.

Matt and I just spent the last 17 days completely together.

no work, no outside commitments. just hanging out together.

it was incredible and hard to transition out of.

We backpacked 40+ miles in the Wimenuche Wilderness together.

We road tripped for about 24 hours together around South Western Colorado, Northeast Texas and along the North East Coast from Maryland to Connecticut.

We spent about 14 hours in airports and on planes together.

and of course all the hours inbetween.

i love you, Matty, and here are the only photos i have to show of our time together:

here we are chilling at the Springs Resort in Pagosa Springs

it was a bit of a funny experience

being some of the only people under 50, but very relaxing

thanks for the recommendation BJ and Christi

here we are in the middle of our last day of hiking about 12 miles,

at this point we had just ascended over the highest

point of the hike, about 12,000 ft, without a well-marked trail

it was quite the exhilarating moment

and here we are enjoying the gourmet breakfast

my delicious husband prepared for me on my 27th birthday