Thursday, June 16, 2011

Cutesy, Comfy, Cozy Wilderness Retreat

So I imagined we were going to be roughing it a bit more than we were. It turned out to be this adorable little retreat center-park-thing. We stayed in the Windy Hill Farmhouse.
The stairs were super steep, no lie and some of the bunk beds were three high.
This was the "beach". Haha, we made it work, but we didn't swim much. Most of the time we went hiking or canoeing. And slept. We all slept a lot. Babs and Daddio most I think. Babs was knocked out for ten hours the first night we were there. The retreat's policy was to not bring electronics (I brought my phone, but no computer) and when there wasn't that to do, I think we realized how sleep-deprived we were. Personally, I loved to be able to take a nap right after breakfast and another one right before lunch. :)
Cheers for a semi-successful symmetrical family portrait! Daviey, Joseph and Jak couldn't make it because of work and they were missed.
Summer toes! I smushed on Electric Frost and then a sparkly blue-purple called Nail Junkie.
I love my siblings! Seriously! Andrew, Esther, Me, Babs and Stephen. We're pals!
Did I mention the icecream? Icecream was devoured every day we were there. Legit. Close enough for ya?
We did a lot of sitting around in the sun, reading, gathering around bonfires and generally trying to do as little as possible. It energized me to actually want to do something once I got back.

Here's my camping hair, washed under a [ice-cold] pump, all gloriously frizzy. You're welcome. =)

I feel so blessed! First to go, and then be back in my own environment. I definitely needed the break. While I was there, I took an afternoon and sat out on a picnic table and wrote out some goals for what I wanted to do in the end of July. I'll share them with you.

-sweat for an hour a day
-pray at two or four everyday, depending on work
-join CollegePlus! forums (so I can be social and meet people!)
-finish action points from Jana (my CollegePlus! coach)
-write notes to siblings, one each at least
-write picture, possibly poetic, posts every other day
-read Dug Down Deep (which I still have to buy, so I'd better get on it)

People who write down their goals and especially when they write specific attainable goals, are WAY more likely to reach them than those who don't write them down. I don't remember the statistics but it's a big difference!

R<3

Listening to Blue - All Rise

giving thanks with Ann... 435-459 of 1000


435 mummy making me coffee
436 education
437 sister giving me socks
438 the part-fear, part-faith feeling before a test
439 white peonies in a mason jar
440 meeting goals
441 witnessing to Elder Steel
442 Stephen's bike-fixing skills
443 meeting Stephen at a garage sale
444 perfect bookshelf for $3.99
445 Babs saying she loves my handwriting
446 big plush towels
447 Father-Son cooking shows on the Food Network
448 The Neeleys
449 biking with my brother as he plays the harmonica and bikes no hands
450 that God is a shield about me, my glory and lifter of my head
451 vacation packing
452 getting up from a nap to walk right out to a lovely woodsmokey campfire
453 a swallow's feathers turning all to gold as it takes off in the morning sunlight
454 taking a successful family portrait
455 sun-dappled anything
456 washing my hair under a pump
457 God as restorer
458 specialty cheeses
459 an easy-going Mum

3 comments:

  1. You are so freaking adorable with frizzy hair. ^_^

    I love your family pics. You guys are so cute.

    ICE CREAM ARE YOU KIDDING ME GIVE ME SOME. XD I really got to go to DQ or something this summer to get one of those cones... I haven't had one of those in years. (I've had the fancy ones from Izzie's or whatever, though. I'm not deprived. XD)

    Awesome post. =D I love the piiiiiiictures. <3<3<3

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  2. su-weet! love camping...the woods...ice cream...great snaps too...looks like a lot of fun to me...

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  3. you are lovely, aruthieyo! :)
    i love your posts and your goals too!!! :)

    ...we should hang out soon!!! <3 you

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