Sunshine is my Love Language

There was a time when I had envisioned that Mother's Day was equivalent to a Day Off - a Free Day. I even spent a few of them steaming about how they weren't.

I can remember tearful phone calls to my own mother, crying about how Nels was sick in bed or it was cold and I still was making dinner or how I missed my Mommy. :) She gently commiserated with me, recalling many, many a Mother's Day that was uneventful or stressful when I was the one twisting around on her skirt or having a meltdown in the front pew. Then she told me that she'd long ago decided to stop imagining Mother's Day to be something it's not and to spend the day enjoying BEING a mother.

Those words have stuck with me and sunk in a little more each year.

This year I LOVED my day enjoying those people that make me a mother.

As with every year, we took a beautiful drive. "Rachel, what do you want to do on your special day?"

I want to be outside with the people I love.

I am still amazed with the breathtaking beauty of this place. We drove up through Bonner's Ferry, waved to the Canadian border, and drove into lovely western Montana to stop at Kootenai Falls. So beautiful!

We then hiked downriver to the swinging bridge.

Seriously. Yikes! and fun. and Yikes! :)

Do they look nervous? Yes.

My two older girls were a *little* scaredy. 

The younger three? Fearless, I tell you! 

Skipping and hopping . . . I think age makes you more aware of your mortality. :)

^SHE^ made me very nervous . . . 

. . . not so nervous that we actually crossed the bridge like this - she just thought it was hilarious . . . 

. . . but more like this - where I almost squeezed her independent little hand off.

SHE LOVED THE BRIDGE!

She doesn't like to hold hands --- "NO! No, no, Mommy!"

photo bomb! :)

She made up for being a stinker-pot by giving me lots of kisses and hugs from behind. :)

I love these GoPro-wide-angle shots. They make everyone look funny.
I believe Nels is jogging in this picture. Violet clearly thinks it's a blast. :)

After some fun hiking at the falls, we headed down the road a bit to Ross Creek Cedars State Park - an old-growth cedar forest with some trees that are over 500 years old. It was beautiful and magical and we can't wait to return again when we have more time for make-believe.

The perfect FORT! 

Daddy helped explore hollow trees.

strike a COOL pose! :)

As we were hiking back to the van there was some kind of lovely whistling sound all around in the trees. Some sort of evening bird, I'm guessing? The girls preferred my idea that it was tiny little fairies. :)

It was such a beautiful day! How thankful I am for all that I learn and all that I give and all that I receive. I am so blessed.

And how thankful I am for my own sweet Mother. I can never be out in the glorious world without wishing that she were with me - without wishing that I could share the beauty with her - the beauty of the earth and the beauty of my happy children. I think of her daily. How grateful I am for her goodness, her selflessness, her love, and her example. I owe all that I am to my Mama.

I am blessed to come from a long line of beautiful, generous, hard working, faithful, strong women. I can't wait to know them someday. I can't wait to know my grandmothers for the incredible women that they are. I have great confidence that they are beside me often as I struggle my way through this life. I believe with all of my heart that a mother's love does not end with this life.

How thankful I am for that.

What a magnificent thing it is to be a mother.