Absent

Dearest Blog,

I realize that I've been pretty absent lately and so I thought I would explain. You see, it's finally summer here. The sun is out and the air is warm. The girls and I have very few obligations and Erik has a fat staff, which means we are pretty free to go and do as we please. And this time of year, what we please involves packing a cooler (or two), stocking up on trail mix and Larabars, (as well as some marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate), filling our camper and camelbak's with water and hightailing it out of town.

This is what we look forward to all year: camping, hiking and fishing season!

The mountains, streams, rivers and lakes are calling our name and we need to answer them. We need to drive into the woods, gather fire wood and circle our aluminum folding chairs around the campfire. We need to throw beef and veggies into aluminum foil and cook it over the coals. We need to spend three days exploring the mountains with our snacks and hiking boots. We need to don our swim suits and bathe in the creek when we get tired of our own stench. We need to sleep with the sounds of a creek or stream outside our camper. We need to get out of the hustle and bustle of regular, city life and get back to nature and enjoy the beauty that God created around us. We need to spend time playing as a family.

And so, my laptop (and you too, dear blog, by default) will remain here, gathering dust while we play. I'm sorry to leave you alone so much, but I promise I will share our stories with you when I am back. For now, however, I'm off to play.

Until later (maybe September!),