Over the last few years I've changed.... quite a bit.

I think I've always enjoyed the outside, we spent a lot of years camping and hiking when I was growing up. Both of my parents enjoyed the outdoors and Kaninaskas Country felt like home. I grew up thinking that camping sites were tiny clearings buried deep in sky-high trees where you couldn't see or hear any other campers around you. I did not experience the parking lot style sites until my teens and was quite disgusted that people called that "camping".
In my early teenage years, I went through a period of laziness! I would rather hang out in the motor home or tent than go exploring. I remember whining to my mom that one waterfall looked like all the rest (?). Gladly, all that has changed. I now marvel at the world around me and love to see and explore different types of landscapes and environments. I'd rather walk than drive, I'd rather picnic than dine-in....and I want to share it all with my family and friends.
My parents recently bought a cabin and we were lucky enough to go stay there last weekend. It is hidden away in some of the most beautiful land I have ever experienced. Every time we stepped outside you could hear the whoosh of our breath as we all sucked in the pure air. The smell was honestly breathtaking.... like I couldn't take a big enough breath, couldn't pull the sweetness deep enough into my body, afraid that I wouldn't smell it the next time.... but I did. And I loved it. Loved every minute of being there. Oh, and mom, just for the record, I think you should forget about window-coverings. Lying in "bed" and watching the sun peek through the trees in the morning was unforgettable... and we might have missed something. The deer, or the birds, or those crazy chipmunks.
I often find this simple Primary tune breezing through my thoughts when I am outdoors...

Whenever I hear the song of a bird

Or look at the blue, blue sky

Whenever I feel the rain on my face

Or the wind as it rushes by

Whenever I touch a velvet rose

Or walk by a lilac tree

I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world

Heavenly Father created for me.

You know, life isn't easy. There are trials, and sickness, and sadness. But I think that being able to prove ourselves worthy on a planet as beautiful as this one is a true blessing.