Shut it down!

Any New Girl fans out there?

This weekend, Hubs and I decided to 

SHUT.

IT.

DOWN. 

(and add in a little Vitamin N to our life...
Nature Deficiency is a real thing, people.)

We "shut down" the devices,
the thoughts about what's next,
the to-do list.
We just "Shut it down."

We let the Subaru do what Subarus do best:

Good friends, Smore Smores

Here's my artistic shot of the moon, the stars, and the ash from the fire:

Morning view from the campsite:

Off-shore winds, overhead sets...we got quite a show!

How very symmetrical of you, Mother Nature! I see you!

We did take a short camping break to visit our favorite coffee shop and watch part of a football game.
We powered it up...and then we
Shut.It.Down. 

“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, 'This is what it is to be happy.'”
― Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar 

Is there any better way to cook dinner?
I'm talkin' potatoes, green beans, and onions over the fire. 

More of this, please!

aloha.

You-tah

October for teachers is a gauntlet.

The reality of a month with no given break 

(other than the weekends)

is exhausting.

Kids are tired 

(and starting to get sick), and

teachers are feeling the slump of the school year 

(how do we save the world, anyway?)

Knowing this,

hubs and I decided to plan a short weekend getaway.

We joined our Chicago-based family 

for a weekend away in 

YOU-TAH!

This was our first time in the beehive state,

but most certainly not our last.

We simply had no idea of the scope of the natural beauty we'd experience...

...and the state parks we want to go back to visit.

 Kids in nature...

the joy, the simplicity.

 “A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full or wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood." - Rachel Carson 

 "Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts."- Rachel Carson

Our family at Swaner Nature Preserve

Halloween!

 You-tah,

we will return

(hopefully soon!)

aloha.