windblown...

I just finished watching "Extreme Makeover - Home Edition" and it caused a waterworks festival in my living room. Ryan had the unfortunate experience of calling in the middle my teary escapade, once again reinforcing his fear of all things women. I don't catch these shows very often, but they never cease to amaze me. This one, however, stood out even more than the rest. The dad was completely blind. His two daughters were blind as well (only things held very close-up could be seen). The son was born deaf. The mom learned sign language to talk with the boy, however the father and son had almost no means of communication - they couldn't see or hear each other. The fact that they all had smiles on their faces each morning more than boggled my mind. I guess it puts life into perspective. We all get feeling a little sorry for ourselves from time to time - frustrated with our life, our job, our runny nose. But if you ever take the time to think about how great you really have it, I mean how really really really lucky and blessed we are, it kind of makes getting out of bed each day a little easier, and quite a bit more encouraged. As a kid I loved the book "Could Be Worse!" by James Stevenson. It's about a grandpa who, no matter what terrible situation arises, always uses that response. And really, he has a good point. I do have it pretty darn good as it is.

On a completely different topic, a friend and I went hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park today. It was a long drive, and after last night's um... beverages and entertainment (Anna, a guy from Louisiana was kind enough to dance with me the rest of the evening - haha), mixed with high elevation, thin air and curvy roads, nausea was giving me a run for my money. But I pulled through and we had a great hike. The aspens were changing color, and believe it or not, snow was falling. It looked more like sparkling dust particles floating slowly to the ground, but nonetheless, it was snow. Once again, I apologize for the picture quality. The digital will be back next weekend (YAY!) and it will be better from there on out. So enjoy. The trails weren't very long, but we scenery gazed so often it took a good part of the day. We saw huge elk and their babies (about twelve in a big group) lounging around and eating grass, but no other wildlife. Also, to explain one of the pictures - if you look closely, the river had frozen water all around it - on logs, on the plants, up the sides of the banks, etc. It really was beautiful and breathtaking. And I don't even care if that sounds cheesy.






P.S. It was windy - really really windy - in CO the last two days. For a moment it reminded me of home. Then I just wished it would go away. Not home, just the wind. :)