Friday, September 15, 2017

bearwallow mountain | hike it baby.

As of today, we are halfway through our September 2017 Hike It Baby 30 Challenge! Last September, Braxton was just starting to hike on his own two feet for longer distances, and now he's practically a hiking professional. I carried him up the mountain on this adventure because it's a steep mile, and he was pumped to be able to run through open fields at the top. We saw cows, played with our friends (mamas included), reminisced about how big our babies have gotten since we trekked up to this gorgeous place together last year, and took pictures like it was our job.

This is one of my most favorite places, and I always turn into a giddy schoolgirl as we pass through the final brush before emerging out onto the mountaintop. This time, our third, was no different. Braxton even said multiple times, "Mommy, you think this is pretty?" because I kept saying it over and over. The way the sky meets the land makes my heart beat fast and leaves me breathless, and I am confident that it always will. When I hike, I'm reminded of the creative, mighty God I serve, and that's why I love it so much. Being surrounded by beauty upon beauty is hard to let go of once you've experienced it, and that's where I found myself all those years ago when I bought my first pair of Chacos and started climbing mountains for fun.

I hope that Braxton looks back in ten, twenty, thirty years and remembers how his love of nature and the great unknown began. I hope he remembers all the friends he made, all the leaves he picked up, all the trees he shook, all the things he saw and miles he beasted as just a wee little one.
*last photo was taken by my precious friend, Hilary!

Only fifteen days left to meet our goal of hiking/walking thirty miles in thirty days! The next time we participate in a challenge, Lord willing, another little one will be in tow. I have a feeling that Braxton will be doing a lot more hiking/walking on his own two feet when baby girl arrives...unless I learn to tandem wear, that is. Oh, the excitement for such a wonderful change!

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