Yep, We sure did!

(Tex & Julia)
Today was an eventful day, I guess.
We started out at horsecamp, day 3 of 4. Had a good morning with my little Jules. Today she got to experience guiding the horse with no help from mom or her teacher. We were in a small arena, and we took off their lead ropes. Then we played sort of a hide & seek. I went somewhere in the arena a ways away ~ and it was her job to her her horsey over to me. It was quite fun & I was profoundly surprised that she was able to do it. We she also went on a long trail ride in the "jungle" (where I led Tex.)

Then I got Jaden from Mom & Dad's. Mom had Jos & Jed out at the gleaners with Shirley. When I came home, she showed up with the boys shortly after. Jed asked if he could go to Grandmas for the day. I said okay. It's summer afterall.

Julia & I had a nap on the couch while Jaden & Josiah played. That was good. Then Mom came to take Josiah to baseball practice. (Garrett has been helping out at practice, so she's going over to the park anyway.... I'm getting to the point where I'm park-ed out!)

I showed up before practice was over so that we could all go to the Matt's practice. We all headed over to one of the players homes. Mon & Wed, Josiah & Jed have been going to practices of sorts with their coach from this season. This last Mon they went on a hike of Little Mountain. The boys had a GRAND time & so they all agreed that for practice Wed (today) that they would go up the other side.

I didn't have anything better to do & wanted to take the opportunity to participate in what the boys were doing ~ so I went to. I should have known better. It was much harder than I had anticipated. Julia was with me & my little doll was such a trooper. She did better at it than I did. (I "heard" that Jaden had no problem on the hike at all!!)

I should have known that there was NO way that I, a relatively seditary housewife, could keep up with "the boys" on a three mile hike. 1.5 each way. We let the boys go on ahead. Julia & I got about 3/4 of the way up & the trail split. Didn't know which way to go. Julia thought we were lost. I got out my cell to see if I could get ahold of Garrett or one of the other dads that were hiking... when a lady & her dog showed up & told us the way to go. Not much later I ran into Matt & David. Matt went on ahead with the boys & David stayed with Julia & I.

I seriously thought about heading back. But, I wasn't sure of the exact way. I asked about the way back down the trail & then I thought, I'm not feeling well enough to make sure I go the right way ~ and I didn't want to take the chance of getting lost with Julia in tow.

I thought about the boys, Garrett, Josiah, Jedediah and Jaden who all brave-heartedly went ahead of me & expected me to show up at the end. That spurred me forward. Literally. Then I thought of my Youth Dynamics days, where, we rockclimbed, river rafted, repelled and hiked. We went on a week hiking trip in the North Cascades ~ I have pictures to prove it :D

I thought about how I have not done one thing as hard as what I was doing right at that moment since I had gone on that North Cascades hiking trip with YD. I thought about how difficult some of the hiking had been and yet I kept going and pulled through. It wasn't pretty, but I had done it. Which of course, means, that I can do it again. Day to day, now as I raise my kids, I still see the effects of the time that I spent as a Youth Leader with YD. The investment my leaders made in me, and I am so thankful.

There were times today, that I literally couldn't make the next step. David held out his hand and pulled me up. Talk about "seeing" what the Lord can do. Isn't that what He does for us when it's tough enough we cannot do it on our own?

Honestly, I would not have gone today if I would have known how hard it would have been. I certainly would have left my precious little three year old daughter down at the bottom, safe and sound with her Grandma. She & I went on an adventure & boy, that's what we got!

There were a few times, where I had to tell her to stop talking and just keep walking. She just kept saying that she needed to go to the bathroom, that her legs were tired or "Where are my boys?" she would say. Each time she said one of those things, which in those moments, were complaints or downward thoughts, I had to ask her to not to talk. Sometimes, it's just better to not say anything at all ~ than to discourage those around you, as well as yourself. That may not have been a lesson for her, but it was for me.

Made it to the top. Had hoped to get a group picture of the team & the other kids from their families that had come. No chance. We were too late. Oh, well, got a picture of Julia & I. That'll just have to be good enough.

The way down was so much easier. We talked much of the way. There we were, almost back. I get a call from Garrett on my cell. Where are we? On our way down! Did we make it to the top? Yep, we sure did!

Nope, didn't do it pretty, but we got 'er done! And I got to tell my boys that, although we finished a good 1/2 hour after them (probably more honestly) and that even though it was tough, that I wanted to quit, that I weighed my options ~ finishing something that was very hard, was the better way to go.