Ramblings

Last night, while I was blowdrying Sam's hair after her bath, she was singing away. For some reason, she doesn't wish to sing except while the blowdryer is going. After I was finished, we asked her what she was singing. She said she was singing a song called, "I am pretty and special." Ryan asked if it was a song from music, but she said she had just made it up. I gave her a hug and told her she was indeed pretty and special, and smart and funny and loving and kind. Ryan added, "and tough," to which Sam responded, "and strong!" :) Love this kid! I do so hope she can continue to believe in her abilities and her strength as she gets older. I do remember the tween and teen years being a bit tough on the self-confidence so we will do all we can to foster hers along the way!

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This time of year always makes me think of hiking. I started this blog 10 years ago (!!) as we were prepping for our AT hike. Amazing that it was so long ago. Things have changed so much since then and while life is pretty darn good right now, man, that was a pretty incredible time in our lives. Such memories, such fun, so much stinkiness, some tears, some pain, many miles and good friends. Just how an adventure should be. I think the saying Springer Fever truly sums it up. It never leaves you. There is always a longing to be back out there.

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One of the earlier posts from this blog referenced this poem:

Dream Big

If ever there were a time to dare,
to make a difference,
to embark on something worth doing,
it is now.
Not for some grand cause, necessarily,
but for something that tugs at your heart
something that is your aspiration
Something that's your dream

You owe it to yourself
to make each day here count.
Have fun.
Dig deep.
Stretch.

Dream big.

Know, though, that things worth doing
seldom come easy.
There will be good days
and there will be bad days
There will be times when
you want to turn around,
pack it up,
call it quits.
Those times tell you
that you are pushing yourself,
that you are not afraid to learn by trying.

Persist.

Because with an idea,
determination,
and the right tools,
you can do great things.
Let your instincts,
your intellect
and your heart
guide you.

Trust.

Believe in the incredible power
of all the things that will cross your path
this year.

The start of something new
brings the hope of something great.
Anything is possible.
There is only one you,
and you will only pass this way once.
Do it right.

-Anonymous

Reading back over this, it's something to hold onto, for sure. While this year's 100 mile adventure is nowhere near as big as our AT adventure, the theory, the heart of it, is in essence very similar. Have fun. Stretch. Dig deep. Dream big. These crazy things that are so worth doing aren't always easy and everyone may not understand, but they are essential to life, I know it. Do it right.

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Got out this morning for a crunchy run on the snowmobile trails. Headed out at 6:00 am, I ran into the sunrise, the deep orange glow along the horizon changing to a soft pink light that pervaded the woods. It was 10 degrees with no wind, cold but beautiful. The trails were nice and solid, making for a decent time around the dump loop. A good hour run to start the day and the running week.