The Outdoors

Cody and I play frisbee on Wednesday nights. I love it for two reasons; I get to run around and it's outside.

I love being active. I love to swim, skate and run if it is for a game or activity. I love that it works things out in my soul, and I feel better and think clearer when I am done. I caught the winning point for our team this week, and although it was a great feeling, it is was still not the highlight of the night for me.

I love being outside. I like playing on nights that it is sunny and warm, and there are few bugs. Those nights happen once or twice a summer. The rest of the time we play in mosquito infested fields, with a little bit of rain and a lot of wind.

But I still love it. I love the smell of the grass, I love the twilight time of day when the shadows are long, and everything seems slower than in the heat of the day.

The outdoors is a part of my heart, my soul. I grew up camping in Bragg Creek, just outside of Calgary in an old trailer with bunk beds and an out-house toilet. I grew up camping at Pine Lake, in the old cabins that had holes in the walls. I grew up sleeping in tents when there were trailers if we wanted. I love waking up to the crisp fresh air, and the sound of birds (not squirrels!). I love going to sleep in the pitch black, with the smell of campfire smoke clinging to me.

We leave in a week for our camping holiday. I know it will be a lot of work, but I want Ella to love the outdoors, I want her to love creation. I want her to experience the joy of life outside our home, and without the distractions of phones, TV, computer, and whatever else we may find. I hope it becomes a part of the fabric of her life that she always loves and embraces.