Mother Nature's Son

We spent the weekend up in Lakeside-Pinetop, AZ or as we like to call it Lake-Top.  Hunter has had a brother living up there with his family for about five years and just this month Benson and Sarah moved up as well.  It's pretty sad.  The only ONLY good part about family moving away is getting to go visit them.  I'm especially sad because sweet baby Whit (three weeks younger than Henry) is now hours away for play dates.  But we'll still make them happen.

This was our favorite trip up to the White Mountains!  We spent Saturday at Fools Hollow Lake.  Wow.  Super gorgeous.  And perfect weather.  Sarah and I kept commenting to each other about how perfect the weather was! Right when Hunter and I got on the lake (me on the paddle board-first time ever! and Hunter on a Kayak) there was a warm overcast and tiny drops of rain were lightly falling on the water.  It was so perfect.  Nature was welcoming me to adventure.

I've been thinking with a baby now and looking forward to more children and thinking of them as older children- that nature is good for families.   Family trips should be more outdoorsy for young children- and then we'll visit all those cities again when our babies get older.  So I'm figuring out how to get my self ready for hikes, camping, road trips, national parks- all the outdoors stuff.   And it's hard because I naturally don't like this rugged stuff.

But- This day at the lake helped me get pretty excited about it all.

And Henry just fits in great.

Started the day with on a nature walk with these two:

Hunter exploring: 

My face:

The girls down the road looking at the "pink polar bear".  Abby has a fabulous imagination.  

Also Henry and Whit were napping inside with Sarah.  

The boys both woke up and took a look at each other:

Henry's not so sure who this baby is. 

Abby was so helpful helping them bond. ;-) 

Driving out to the lake:

 Please understand how proud I am that I stood on the paddle board my first time out.  I did fall twice.  But that water was so cool and worth it.  

My man:

Henry sleeps:

Heidi, Ben and Whit:

Our little Nature Boy:

The ladies:

Oh so good: