mountains are calling

"the mountains are calling and i must go."
-john muir

over the holidays, my family headed up to the mountains
for some skiing and early christmas celebrations.
the only problem...there was no snow!

so one day, we spent some quality time with nature
hiking the cross-country trails around a nearby lake.

frosty grass crunching under our feet.
bare branches swaying in the brisk winter wind.
soft ripples on a lake named 'hope'.
...and the mysterious 'stump jump' [which we could not find.
so we just jumped off some nearby tree stumps and called it a day ;)]

some time with nature always makes my heart happy :)

sweet, simple things

"i am beginning to learn
that it is the sweet, simple things of life
which are the real ones after all"

-laura ingalls wilder

over thanksgiving my mom, brother, and i visited the apple farm from our childhood.
we picked apples, browsed the country store, & treated ourselves to delicious cider donuts.

then we went for a long fall drive by our old high school
and through the back roads where our friends used to live.
we shared stories as different landmarks sparked memories from years ago.
as the scenery flew by, it made me realize how fast time had flown by.

it was a sweet, simple thing - those few hours we spent together.
remembering the past...and enjoying the present with each other.

i'm a few months behind on processing my photos,
but i'm working on getting them posted on here in the next few weeks :)

hope your 2013 is off to a great start!

happy new year

"how does it happen that birds sing, that snow melts, that the rose unfolds,

and that every morning the dawn brightens behind the stark shapes of trees?

it is a joyous miracle that they happen.

it is a joyous miracle that we are able to witness them happening."

-victor hugo

happy 2013 friends!

here's to new beginnings & new adventures :)