Half Way... Better than Nothing?

Last weekend was the most fun... and the most frustrating... that I've experienced in a loooong time. Last weekend, a group and I embarked on an epic climb up the second highest mountain in Washington... Mt. Adams!

It was SOOOO fun! And SOOOO beautiful! See?

We started out with our destination calling our names.

The ladies led the way.

We messed around and had a ton of fun.

The mountain was just beautiful.

The sunset was awesome.

The mountain's shadow on our campsite was majestic.

All in all, it was spectacular.

But I couldn't make it to the top. I knew that I wouldn't before I even went on the trip... because of my frickin knee injury from February. I needed to save my knee for this upcoming weekend on St. Helens with my family. But you know, I thought that it would be worth it to go to Adams and just hang out at base camp while everyone else summitted... and yeah, it probably was (I mean, just look at those awesome pictures!!)... but it was also immeasurably frustrating and maddening. I wanted to go up all the way SO bad! I still do. So, I'm going to have to go back... probably this summer if possible. Because it just sucks that I made it over 9,100 feet and couldn't go all the way to 12,000 feet. Just 3,000 more and I'd be on the top of the world. I will be there someday.

For now, I'm preparing to take my family up Saint Helens next weekend! I WILL make that summit if its the last thing I do! And I'll probably kill my knee severely on the way down. Blah. But it'll be worth it. I've got to get my Dad to the top. Its going to an epic day for him. And that makes my heart oh so happy! I cannot WAIT to share his first alpine climb with him! Maybe I'll take him up Adams in August with me if my knee doesn't die on the mountain. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the best! So far so good.

Another Fortunate 'Accident'

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being 'in love' which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two." - St. Augustine

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Corene and Dave, so excited for both of you! What a wonderfully beautiful and joyful day this was. I'm so very thankful to have been a part of it! Love you both so much!!!