the walk

This song.
So good.

//

The beautiful, spring weather is officially upon us. The allergies have mostly gone (or at least that's what I'm telling myself) and despite a couple sneezes in the morning and irresistibly itchy eyes (it just feels so good to itch them) the feel-like-I've-been-run-over-by-a-truck days seem to have passed. For now.

Though today after a fun outdoor playdate Jack came home and wanted to just "lay in his bed a while" and he did. Sniffling the whole time. Poor bug.

But I haven't wanted that to stop his exploration of the outdoors. His two-year-old endless energy seems to be shifting into this late three year old/early four year old more focused activity and dramatic play. (at least for this boy.) I'm trying to continue to encourage the running and jumping and getting breathless and sweaty. I was never a huge fan of the outdoors and maybe if I had been pushed a bit more I would enjoy it a little bit? Maybe? Eh, who knows. We do have quite a bit of fun with our after-dinner-dance parties. That always gets our heart rate up.

Oh, and our walks around the neighborhood.
The real reason why we purchased this home and the recharge and refresh it brings and we often need after a long day or week.
The views are simply breathtaking and make every juniper tree in our yard (the culprit of our dreaded allergies) worth it. To inhale the mountain air and get to the top of a hill and watch Jack run down like a free bird. It recharges us all and it's out our front door.

Our home is old and needs a lot of lovin' and it's a process (like everything?) John is a planner and a saver so that results in a lot of dreams and chats and drafts and slow progress.

That's okay, he happened to marry a woman who doesn't love change.
I lived with kitchen carpet for a year and a half. I can live with a 1970's stove for four.

Our bathrooms are all-original and are in need of repair, but other than that it's okay. It fits.

Jack has recently been talking a lot about the difference between old and new and how something old can be better than something new. And even what those words mean. He wants a "new" house, like the one in California? A different house? Or a newer house? We talk lots about old classics; old cars, old music, old people, trees and how things just often get better with age. I think he's getting it. I'm not always sure, but one thing is for certain. He is getting so much, sometimes I don't know how he can keep it all in his little brain. 

John loves fueling those thoughts and often their bedtime prayers turn into thorough stories and adventures full of cause and effect and life lessons tied in with Huckle and Lowlie the worm. He has so many questions, so much wonder and is so open to mirroring whatever you do and say. It is so crazy and scary to me sometimes.

One thing is for certain. Jack loves his Zoey. He is so concerned about her and her well being. Whether or not she is choking (a-hem, I may have been the cause of that, haha) or if she does something cute he's always the first to point it out "Look, Mama! Zoey did it!" 

Anyhow, back to the walk. Sorry, I get a little side tracked sometimes.

(p.s. Jack asked to wear this on the walk. I couldn't deny Santa jammie bottoms with sandals. I mean, who could?)

This is the view on our walk. It's definitely desert beauty and doesn't have a whole lot on deep green forests full of giant, ancient trees and water falls and creeks around every corner, but its what we got and we find beauty in it because to not be would be a life less lived.

The clouds capture a feeling of the breeze that day. It was just right.

At the end of our neighborhood is a giant property with young bulls and horses on it. It turns into gravel and we drive the dusty roads to this area. Our favorite spot is about to have a house built on it and maybe one day a gate keeping it closed. Whatever comes, it's beautiful. And in the summer? Full of these beautiful purple blossoms.

Jack stopped to draw on the ground and run his cars through the rocks and dirt. He wanted to find "clues" and match the print to what animal it could be. We told him it was a hoof print and so he drew his own prints.

I love the horse in the back ground trying to get in the shot too.

That was a fun day.

And this song is a good song too.