Get Outside

The Bris babies and I have spent a lot of time visiting Mumsie this summer in Northeastern PA where I grew up.  It has been a fun summer filled with adventure!  I have enjoyed rediscovering the area with a different set of eyes than I had as a bored teen living here with "nothing to do."  There is so much beautiful land here with gorgeous farms, woods filled with greenery,  sprawling lakes, and endless acres of fields where you can see the sun rise in the morning and set at night.

On Tuesday, after a tired morning, where we had little working in our favor, Mumsie and I decided that we needed to get out of the house.  We wanted the kids to be able to run around and we wanted to get some exercise to enjoy the cooler 70 degree weather.  We packed a picnic and ventured out to Ricketts Glen State Park for a hike.  When we got there we decided on a buddy system to remind the kids to stick together.  Of course, Mason made us decide on a team name for each group.  Mason and Ellie were Team Dragon, Addison and Mumsie were Team Waterfall, Oliver and I were Team Baby Bris, and Lilly took turns being on everyone's team.  We picked a path and set out on our way.  The kids skipped over the big stone rocks, ran across the bridges, drank water from the streams, navigated across logs, and overall just enjoyed nature.

It turned into quite the hike!  The scenery was so beautiful with all of the green trees and the stream running through.  We made it to see the waterfall, and even though I was a nervous wreck having the kids up there, it was very peaceful to hear the water running down.  Addie and Oliver were such troopers.  I had Oliver in the Ergo carrier for the most part, and Addison alternated between walking and being held.  She even took a ride in the Ergo at the end when she couldn't go on any longer. When we finished up we were starving so we made our way to the picnic tables which were right by where we parked.  We had our little picnic and relaxed a bit before heading home.

I am so happy that we didn't let our morning get us down and that we took the opportunity to get outside.  "And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul." -John Muir

Enjoy your weekend!

xo,

K