Valentines

A Family Walk in January

Today was so gorgeous here. Bluebird skies, endless sunshine, spring temperatures. The perfect break in the middle of winter. Colorado seems particularly good at offering respite from the cold and snow and gray every few weeks. I dare say the winters here are mild. At least when compared to those bitter cold, dark winters I left behind in Wisconsin.

Today the beautiful weather was calling my name. So out we went, around 4 o'clock, to catch the last warmth of the sun before it dipped behind the mountains. The thermometer nearly hit 50 degrees during the peak of the day, but when we finally made it outside it was a bit cooler. It is still winter, after all.

It takes much longer to walk to the park with Isaac than it used to when we would carry him, even if we take the most direct route, which makes it only four blocks away. I've gotten used to treating the time as exploration, trying not to have a destination set in stone, trying not to hurry Isaac along. If we make it to the park, great. If we don't, at least we watched the neighbors dog barking at us, pointed to the plastic owl in another neighbor's tree, splashed in puddles and inspected the old, sunken fishing boat that is now corner landscape along the way. We explore. My eyes are opened by my toddler's wanderings. There is so much to discover again. And the slowed pace feels good.

We did make it to the park this time. And we were greeted by the long, slanting evening light. Isaac climbed and laughed with his daddy, balanced and walked with Mama. I am filled right up by these days. My cup runneth over.

Breakfast Date: The Huckleberry

Best buttermilk pancakes and biscuits in all of Louisville.

Marching, Marching, Hiking, Hiking

And my reward for the toddler train-viewing dash: After we waved goodbye to the choo-choo, Isaac and I took the most wonderful walk along the trail that skirts the backside of our neighborhood and borders some open space. We wandered through side trails and let the grasses brush through our fingers as we went; we dug in the dirt; we let the sun's warmth dry our hands; we splashed in muddy puddles; we broke ice under our feet; we walked and chanted together, "Marching, marching, hiking, hiking." All of this because we heard a train's whistle. Surely this day was a gift.

The Train

We may have dashed from our backyard to the train tracks the instant we heard the train approaching our neighborhood this afternoon. That is to say, this mama ran a quarter mile with her 25-pound little boy in her arms just so he could see said train. Worth it.

Christmas Trees, Snakes and Snowmen

Isaac Michael