Growing up, I always preferred the beach. Sandy feet, warm sunshine, and salty water combined to form the perfect getaway recipe. If you were to ask my husband, he’d tell you without skipping beat that I am a beach girl through and through. When I let my mind wander, it is always somewhere in the Caribbean, novel in one hand, fruity drink in the other, the sound of the waves crashing over the shore. But these days, another contender has snuck its way into my heart.

We got home from North Carolina a few days ago. And while it has been really nice finding our summer rhythms, our trip to the mountains continues to shape us in new ways. 

Somewhere in the recesses of our minds, the mountains are calling

For a family who loves the outdoors, Texas seasons make it challenging to live an adventurous lifestyle. If the heat doesn’t draw us back inside, the mosquitos certainly will. If we haven’t made it out by mid morning, we have likely missed our window for avoiding back sweat and heat strokes. After approximately eight minutes in the backyard yesterday morning, River accumulated 19 bug bites on his legs alone. Nevertheless, Matt has been motivated to get our vintage bicycles in working order after our bike ride through the Blue Ridge mountains last week. We are hard pressed and determined to raise our boys to be active and adventurous, despite the obstacles working against us. 

But somewhere in the recesses of our minds, the mountains are calling. And my parents’ tiny cabin tucked on a picturesque hilltop has become a new home away from home. Maybe I can’t take the boys on nature hikes and kayak rides every month of the year, but for those few weeks every summer they can spend their days skipping stones in the river, exploring every inch of my parents acreage, staying up after dark to capture fireflies in mason jars. And for us, that’s enough right now. 

So today I am thankful for a/c and cool sheets and blanket forts in the playroom. But I’ll always hold a special place in my heart for mountain memories and those special moments that build up overtime to a story our boys will retell over and over again.