


Backpacking the tiny human into a wonderland of rocks was amazing! Sandstone, limestone, and the variations of each were breathtaking! She loved looking out at her new height of six feet tall and being able to touch plants that are usually too far out of her reach. We went back to the Red Springs Area. I love how every time I am out in the desert it feels like a new experience. I can walk the same trail for example, or even run it, and each time it feels as if I could get lost. The desert changes so magically even in the different times of day, and it moves or flows with an amazing color spectrum. I feel pure joy sharing these moments and this time with our daughter. An entirely new way to gaze upon this world.


She finds holes in the distance and we must walk to them. I set the backpack down and her smile shines so brightly as she knows walking on the ground is about to happen. Her little hands are going to get to touch the “dirt” she kept telling me about in the car ride over. She loves the sand going through her fingers as well. We find sticks to write and doodle in the sediments around our feet. We find bushes and learn which ones are safe to touch compared to ones that are protecting themselves with thorns or needles. Then, in one magnificent moment…we start to climb for the first time outside. Learning how important foot placement is and how to trust our bodies. Growing and changing how we move while our brain is evolving with new information. “Climb” is becoming our new favorite word and is used simultaneously now with “dirt.” Oh the joy and wonder of a child are endless. “Climb on” little one!
Thank you all for reading and I hope you have a Marvelous Monday!
-Karen Hilliard





