I can breathe

We were given the opportunity to spend the next two weeks in Pennsylvania in order to clear our heads, ensure there were no run ins with the troll and just generally get a chance to enjoy life and everything it has to offer. We have been in such a fog...... such a state of constant adrenaline that we haven't been able to stop & breathe. I feel like we've been pulled in a thousand different directions and felt every emotion all at once. I am exhausted. I am mentally drained. But we're here and we're happier. For that we are eternally grateful.

We were supposed to come up tomorrow, but we were able to get most of the house packed up for the move last night and decided why put off until tomorrow what we can do today? So we went for it. Impulsive people that we are. And we couldn't be happier that we did.

We stopped for lunch and had mint chocolate chip milk shakes. I highly recommend these if you've never had one. Meredith again stole my shake and monitored every "sip" I took with such precision. If I took to long drinking, she was prompt with a look, poke of my cheek or whine. And then we continued on our journey here. When we got here, Rob helped his dad in the house and Meredith & I enjoyed nature.

We picked wild flowers, saw the many different leaves that had fallen, played with the puppies, went for a walk (always doing the silly walk) and saw the stream.



Meredith loved reaching for the trees & playing in the grass with the flowers. I think maybe she thought if she could just stretch herself enough..... just maybe.... she could reach the pretty red leaves on the japanese maple tree.












Meredith has a fascination with running water. I always wonder what she thinks about when she sees the running water. I know what I think about. I always imagine how free the water is. It's constantly moving & changes everything it touches. It waits for no one & also cannot be tamed. One way or another it gets its way. It truly is a wonder. She just kind of watched it. Almost entranced by it.






She even tried to climb a tree. I watched her as she put one foot in between the branches. Unfortunately she couldn't get the right foot out to climb to the next spot. Maybe she'll figure it out tomorrow. It doesn't matter because she was proud of herself anyway. And I was proud of her too.






I watched my child explore her world in a new way. I didn't worry about her getting dirty. I didn't worry about her falling. I didn't worry about ticks (even though I did check her thoroughly after). I just let her be. I let her show me her world. And her world is amazing!!!!!















Of course we shared a hug when we were done. She gives the best hugs.