Walking

This last Friday Peter and Tyler went on their Father's and Son's camp-out... Well they tried to go! They followed the directions and ended up at a golf course and drove around for 45 minutes and called everyone that they could think of then finally decided to drive back home and watch Narnia 2. Tyler told Peter on the drive home, "It's alright dad! We'll still have our father's and son's even if we don't go camping!" What a sweet boy!

Well over the last few weeks I have been less than great as a mother. I've been pushed to the limit by the kids and have been impatient and pretty frustrated and frazzled at times. I think that the kids were so excited and thrown off by the changes in their schedules with finishing school and being home all day and everything else. Anyway, things have been crazy around here!
On Thursday night as I was falling asleep thinking about Peter leaving me overnight I was panicked! I didn't know if I could handle it without him! Luckily we have a babysitting co-op set up with 3 other families in our neighborhood. We each take turns watching all of the kids at each of our homes on Friday night from 6:30 to 10pm. Three and a half hours of free babysitting each week! Peter and Tyler left around 5:30 or so and I decided that I was going to drop the kids at "PJ Party" (what the kids call our co-op) at 6:30 and have some quiet time to myself until10pm when I would bring them home and put them in their beds. I figured by the next morning when they woke up, I'd be rejuvenated enough to care for them without a meltdown.

I decided that I was going to drive into the mountains and go for a walk. I always seem to be able to think more clearly in the mountains and the spirit is so strong when you are surrounded by the beautiful things that Heavenly Father has created. I took my camera and drove up towards Alpine. I stopped along the way when I found a road that led up the side of a closer mountain and drove till the road ended nearly at the peak of this mountain. I got out of the car and sat on the ground listening to the crickets and birds and feeling the breeze. I could feel the stress of the last week melting away and I took the opportunity to thank my Heavenly Father for giving me the opportunity to sit quietly and just soak up the beauty that surrounds me every day. I looked down and saw the Timpanogos Temple and felt so much peace.

I'm so grateful for my Heavenly Father being so aware of me. I'm so so so grateful that we live here in Utah surrounded by huge majestic mountains and such amazing views everywhere we turn. I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to step back and enjoy it for a moment.

I got back in the car and drove up to Alpine all the way to where the road ended in the Lone Peak Wilderness trail head. I parked the car and when I got out I heard rushing water somewhere nearby. I was so excited I LOVE rivers and streams and any water in nature. I eagerly walked along the trail until I found it. I sat and just listened to the water for awhile and felt like it was filling me up. It started getting dark and so I headed back towards the car. I passed a deer grazing in a meadow of daffodils and when I walked out of the thick trees at the head of the trail I saw the most beautiful sunset. I sat on a big rock and watched for awhile as the clouds floated across the sky and listened to the water in the distance.

Finally I decided that it was time to go home. I got back in the car and as I drove home I felt so much better. I felt a renewed sense of love for my family and a stronger testimony of my Savior and I felt very loved and I knew that He was aware of me and my needs. I felt peaceful and rested and full. All of this from taking a walk. It was so wonderful! I highly recommend it! And if you can't get away soon enough I've included some pictures of my walk for you to enjoy!