Stop & Smell the Roses: Adventuring...

And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul-John Muir

Today was delicious...It was like an ice cold lemonade on a hot Summer's day, it was the cherry on the sundae, the last piece of cake, the cookie dough your mom let you lick off the beaters when you were a kid..and maybe now as an adult you indulge too...today was just one of those good days you file away as a keeper.

This Summer has been SO hot and humid and I've just been feeling so stifled...in every way. Mentally, emotionally, creatively and even physically. When I walked outside this afternoon I was met with my favorite kind of sunshine. You know, the kind that just barely kisses your shoulders. And instead of swamp like humidity there was the best kind of breeze, the kind that blows just enough to make your hairs tickle your nose or maybe your shoulders if its long enough!

I decided today was a day for seizing. Its been awhile since I intentionally created an adventure day. I don't know how I forgot about the art of adventuring...Adventuring is like my jam. I used to live for finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. I realized Landy's adventure bag was hanging sad and forgotten in his closet missing the good ol' days when mysterious rocks and interesting sticks and acorns weighed him down. I wondered if the sad little bag would still smell of damp earth and sunshine. See, I know how to adventure with Landon, he and I go way back. Logan though...he's straight up crazy and I just imagine adventuring with him will involve rolling in poison ivy and him falling (or jumping) off of a bridge into swift moving water and there are sure to be water moccasins in said water..its just so logistical now. Logan LOVES being outside BUT it has to be on his terms... I recently bought him one of those child leashes because I can't even take him for a walk in our neighborhood. I love his need for independence and wonder but it is also very dangerous!

We dubbed this tree "Sir Nasty" due to the large fungal growth

NOTE: I tried walking him with the leash but it felt SO wrong and I imagined the thoughts of every passerby and promptly did the walk of shame home... I just don't think I have it in me to leash my kid...Its just so first world it makes me want to vomit the way that selfies and hashtags do!

Anyway...I decided it isn't fair to take adventuring away from Landon. Besides, adventuring isn't going to look exactly the same as it did before and thats okay. Isn't that the point of adventuring..
So me and my boys set off and let me tell you it was an adventure! And it was new and different and better all at the same time. I carried Logan on my back for the first part and then once we got down the trail a ways I let him down....And guess what...He didn't get anywhere near poison ivy, and he didn't fall into a creek to his untimely death...we did however see a snake. But that was at the end of our adventure and it was a baby so... yeah, I'd say today was a success.

Logan watched Landon carefully choose "beautiful" and "interesting" things to put in the adventure bag so by the time we let him down he was all about adding his two cents! Basically EVERY stick he saw and he had no interest in the colorful leaves...NOPE it was dead and brown leaves he was after and if they were soggy that seemed to be an added bonus! We stopped at a park where Logan met a new canine friend named Ted; who even let us rub his belly much to Logi's delight!

The three of us walked out of the woods sweaty and hungry for more adventure. So, we just kept on adventuring and it was the best day ever and exactly what my soul needed.