I go to my happy place
The ranch was truly wonderful. Leave it to Hubby and I to be happy to be cold for the first time in a long long while... and to enjoy teaching the kids how to manage being cold. It was below freezing in the mornings and evenings. It was 10 degrees our last morning. All wood-burning stoves were on, and all fireplaces ablaze. The kids discovered the agony of cold sinuses and not to sniff when fist entering the freezing air. ha ha ha
It was so beautiful up there. Happiness is closing my eyes and going to my happy place up there. About twenty minutes out of the ranch, bush wacking with the horses, out in the trees. Hearing the crunch of the needles, cones and such under hoof, the sounds of the horses, the saddle. The smell of woods, leather, horse, cold. The sun through the trees flickering that bright white late autumn light. My shoulders drop when I think of that. MY breathing gets deeper.
I got out for rides twice while up there. I got lots of PLAY time with the kids. One evening while Little Lady was napping, Big Boy, Honey Girl and I had a wonderful time with blow-darts in the saloon.
We collected boughs for making wreaths after taking the wagons up into the woods. The kids decorated, did crafts, we played games, worked on puzzles, did some fishing. I caught this massive two foot trout before Thanksgiving dinner that weighted about 5 pounds, but immediately did all I could to get it off the hook because I didn't mean to catch it! Big Boy and I were having fun "feeding" the fish cheese cubes from the buffet table and that big thing gobbled on the line. He was set free without injury. But man, that thing was massive.
Big Boy was nursed back to health. He had some good naps on the top bunk and enjoyed getting "room service". Everyone was so happy to see him once his fevers ceased. When asked his favorite thing about the day he would say "learning checkers with Dad" or "playing chess with Mom".
Honey Girl was a lot of fun and was thankfully turned loose on the world up there. She did crafts. She enjoyed her time with Crystal or Lisa and decorating the lodge. She enjoyed cocoa. She brushed the Colts brought up from the pasture. She rode a bit. When asked her favorite things they were "dancing with mommy" or "walking on the bridges". She was too cute all bundled up with the pom-pom hat, scarf, and mittens.
Hubby discovered wireless access was darned good from cabin #7. He got out for a short ride, and loved carrying around Little Lady, playing with the kids.
There is so much to be said for just being able to enjoy your own children. So often I'm tending to them. Doing the laundry. Making the meals. Doing the carpooling. Brow beating. Guiding. But when we get up there... all else falls away (much of the time) and we can just enjoy each other. I gotta say... it's priceless and my kids are so great.
So now we're back... and I wish we weren't. Three days is not enough time up there. Heck, I had just gotten really sore in time to leave. As we got back out of the mountains and my cell phone started beeping with messages from my family... I literally broke out in a rash. It passed.
December is coming. The mad rush to the slide in to home base on the year. Rush rush rush. I need to keep on breathing deep. It was great to have that amazing break with "just us".