Hello Life

Today we had a wonderful family outing to a waterfall down the road called Hola Vida. It was so good to get out, enjoy some sunshine (at last), and play together as a family. Sean and I really love the outdoors. We'd heard about Hola Vida but hadn't had a chance to go there yet. We were not disappointed. Pictures can't really do it justice but it was just so beautiful. I kept having to remind myself that we weren't at a theme park - it was 100% real! Really, there are lots of theme parks that try to create just that spot where we were today. It was a nice hike to get to the falls and once there we sat by the edge of the pool and let Brooklyn play in the water. As I sat there on a rock looking up at the falls, I just couldn't get over God's creation. The way the sunlight played on the water as it made it's way down the 80 foot drop, the way the overgrown house plants and flowers shone in bright daylight, the blue sky above, the butterflies lazily fluttering about, the sound of rushing water and children's laughter, the cool mist on my face and the warm sun on my back - it was idyllic. What's more, both the girls were delighted and Sean and I were just...happy. It isn't that joy in our family is so rare but this was just one of those moments where I took a big, deep breath and praised God for my family and His creation. I wouldn't have changed one thing about that moment.

Well, okay, that isn't completely true. I would have changed the fact that I had a silly (and very entertaining) fall in the mud just before we reached the waterfall. It was one of those everlasting falls - the kind that feel like they go on forever. I'm not exactly sure how it happened but I do remember trying to protect the camera and being unable to figure out how to save both the camera and myself. I knew which one Sean would be most upset about being damaged...and so, I sacrificed myself, getting very muddy in the process. It was very similar to the famed fall of an unnamed lady (starts with "m", ends with "m"...with an "o" in between and preceded by "my") when she took an "extended trip" on the beach in Canada.... The only thing that was really hurt in the end was my pride. I was filthy and couldn't hide the fact that I'd had a spill. Sean said something about a steer-wrestler when referring to how I looked once I finally got back up...

Hope you enjoy the slide show. If you need to watch it again just place your mouse over the slide show, click the forward arrow which will take you to the first picture again, and click play.