Thursday is hiking day! We load the backpacks with water bottles and snacks and head out to explore a new trail. It has been my favorite part of the summer. In a sense we are "running away" for a couple of hours. Running away from the telephone ringing, and friends knocking on the door, and even running away from our daily work for a while. It is so refreshing. Once we get to the trail head it is just me and my children. We get to talk and laugh and feel God's presence through nature. Because I have seven children ranging from 2-15 years old we have decided that the destination in the hike is not what matters. We have been enjoying the journey. Normally I will look at my watch and decide how much time we have for hiking that day. We hike for that long, and if the kids want to pick up every rock, smell every flower and sit under every shade tree, then that is what we do. When the time is up we turn around and head back home. There is no rush to reach a final destination, no urging and begging to please keep moving. Just a pleasure in enjoying the journey. I hope to always make it a priority to enjoy the journey in life.

These pictures were taken on our hike this week up "Rock Canyon" in Provo, Ut.