So today's adventure involved Gavin and I lost in the woods. That's right LOST!!! With spring in the air and the foliage blooming we went for a hike in woods behind our house. The weather was perfect and everything started out on a good note. About 30 minutes into our walk we rounded a corner and stumbled upon five deer on a nearby hilltop. Further down the trial we embarked upon a handful of wild turkeys, and a couple of minutes later a good old garter snake (which I oddly left alone and didn't catch with my crocodile hunter-like reflexes). Apparently with the rapidly blooming foliage, and a bazillion fallen trees everywhere from the recent windstorm, we missed our turn and wandered way off the Agape Valley (that's where we live) property. We spent a great deal of time bushwhacking through some thick forest as well as drudging through some dense soaker-inducing marshes. What made it more difficult was the fact I had my camera hanging off one shoulder and Gavin firmly locked onto my other hand. I spent a great deal of time carrying and lifting him through some tumultuous terrain and I could see the exhaustion on his poor (and incredibly adorable) little face. It was a further challenge keeping sticks and branches from hitting him in the face or poking him in the eye. This made the ordeal a lot slower. He really never complained like one would expect...he is such a trooper! He did however about an hour in say how he was excited to get home and have some water so he'd feel better. At this point I made sure he was adequately hydrated as I used my sock to filter stream water like Bear Grillis on Man Vs Wild. Haha just kidding! I had a bottle of spring water in my pocket to quench our thirst. Finally an hour and a half into the hike we climbed a massive (well by then it was massive) hill and encountered civilization. Whew! What a relief...I was hardly worried about me but I was concerned for how much more Gavin had in the tank. As we approached the house we saw a black truck pulling in the driveway. I flagged the man down and asked him what road we were on and he was kind enough to offer us a ride back to our house. I couldn't have been more thankful for his kindness and so appreciated the ride back. It's amazing how easy it is to get lost in the woods. I always boast of my keen sense of direction in the car, however perhaps my senses aren't so sharp in the wilderness??
I have attached a few of recent photos of Gavin because the girls have been hogging the spotlight lately. A couple of him out in the woods and a couple of his first outdoor haircut.
Ok so four weeks ago our lives changed in such a miraculous way. TWINS! WOW would've ever thought?? We certainly never would've guessed this would be our lot in life but we couldn't be more thankful for the blessing that they are. They are amazingly happy and content babies and we're super grateful for this as we've had quite a bumpy road. As some of you know I threw the left side of my back out the day we brought the girls home, and that evening I threw the right side out...CRAPPY TIMING! It was a bit of a struggle to say the least as Jenny was recovering from her C-section and I felt so guilty and useless being laid up on the couch, and being unable to help as much as I would've liked. A BIG THANK YOU to those who were kind enough to come by and help us with daily tasks such as cleaning, laundry, dishes etc... Thank you Mom, Deborah, and April... :) From there Gavin became sick with a sore throat/cold and he was G-rumpy. Then the girls became congested too but thankfully it didn't change their content little demeanors much at all. Then I became sick with what Gavin had and am still currently working through it. Then the other day Jenny stepped on a stick in the yard which rolled under her foot and caused her to fall which strained her incision. So although it didn't tear or cause any real damage it has given her a lot of discomfort again and has taken her back a couple of steps in the healing process. Please pray for her. Then I went to get her a couple of Tylenol 3's from a relative and she had an allergic reaction to them and her skin broke out in a rash and itched terribly for a good 24 hours. Then alas today we end up lost in the woods lol. On top of all this I've also been struggling with what I believe is Tennis elbow and a terrible knot in my left shoulder blade. Anyone know how to fix tennis elbow? I suddenly feel so OLD...I can't be falling apart already, can I?? Hopefully this next month will run a bit smoother and we can enjoy the weather and some family time with the kids.
YES I will also add a couple of shots (two) I took of the girls at the bottom of the post...
enjoy!
Shane
Out on our hike before we got lost...
Look at that massive root system...I couldn't believe how many enormous trees were down.
Gavin wasn't really enjoying his first outside haircut because when he's outside he just wants to play not sit in a chair.
Before & After
Gracie
Emily
Shane - I'm an RMT :) I treat both muscle knots and tennis elbow all the time... visit www.RMTfind.ca to find one near you, or I can give you my business details if you wish.
ReplyDeleteYour kids are adorable btw, looking forward to our next shoot!
Kary