It's true, you know... Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.
Especially my super spunky and delightful Chlo-Chlo.
My sister (and her big ol' belly), Chloe and I met my mom halfway between Boise and Missoula at a B-and-B called White Bird Summit Lodge... which is actually more of a hunting lodge... nestled in the trees and up a road o' death.
We arrived late in the evening on Friday and stayed two restful nights all snuggled into the sports-themed "Wisconsin Room". The lodge is a show-case for what seems like a thousand taxidermied animals... (Chloe was NOT a fan at first... whispered to me, "I don't think animals should be used for that" and cowered away from some of the toothier specimens... but ultimately posed for a photo with each and every "resident").
A giant grey goose rambled around with his two adopted chicks (stay back!), roosters crowed on our private patio, Chloe got hugged by a goat (a little ouchy) and sat on a Harley. The weather was cool and breezy, the trees recharged our deprived souls (although Mom is constantly exposed to the terrain that Anne and I "pine" for).
Most importantly, we were in a never-before-experienced position where one of us wasn't hosting and keeping up with daily responsibilities while trying in vain to be "in the moment" for the entirety. I'm proud to say that I was more "in the moment" than I've ever allowed myself to be. Missing my guys, but feeling no anxiety about their well-being and at peace with the fact that stepping away would ultimately benefit Ryan (whom I have only left briefly twice-- once on Valentine's Day and for the jaunt to CA and Disneyland-- both events equal four nights, total).
We've decided that we owe it to ourselves to make this an annual event and foster growth in the web of relationships that exist among us. We are blessed to have deep desire to connect, respect and effect each other in the most positive ways possible.
As we grow as individuals we must be willing to foster evolution in our relationships... and look for moments in time that are larger than our individual lives and in which it is more important for us to operate as a part of a unit that thrives on compassion and awareness that life is fleeting than to be married to our personal agendas and itineraries.
The best gifts we can bestow are experiences and time.
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