At the Campsite

Our campsite at Mt. Rainier was a spacious home base for our camping trip and heaven for the burgeoning imagination of a little bear I know. Everything revolved around building and tending our morning and evening fires, which has no need for imaginative expansion as fire holds all the magic and wonder one could possibly desire. We ate around the fire, snuggled, read stories, danced, played music, drank tea, and toasted marshmallows. But beyond the fire, Naomi entered a world of imagination - dirt slides, rock ladders, stick scissors, log carousels, fairy berries, and numerous iterations of gnome interactions. At one point, she discovered a family of gnomes having a party in the living room of their hollow tree. She politely declined their offer of tea with a "no, thank you" and returned their kind offer by serving them lemonade in pine cone "cups." And on and on went the depths of forest play, pausing periodically for some mama snuggles or a snack or sleep.

First taste of a toasted marshmallow 

On our last night of the trip, after a long day of hiking and soothing a tired little bear, we happened upon some solitude by the river that ran through our campground. That time and place offered us the perfect balance of joy and rest that we needed - refreshing our energy and shifting our weariness from a long day into a settled, grounded place. Quiet moments in nature open, soften, and ground me like nothing else. It doesn't always look the same for Naomi and Baine, but I see a similar impact on them as well - especially Naomi. I'm grateful we are surrounded by so much preserved, natural beauty where we live. It is truly something that makes me a better person and so much better mother. That is something I need more and more each day as I approach the eve of birthing another little one and try to guide Naomi through such a big transition. Quiet moments by the river are my strength and my salvation. (More on these mothering thoughts in my next post.)