Six hour journey

I had six hours of alone time yesterday! Six whole hours: 9am-3pm. I went to the temple and then enjoyed a run at nearby Badger Mountain. When I got home, I felt like I had really journeyed, further than the 45 minute drive to Kennewick, the 2 hour session at the temple, and the 1 hour run up and down a mountain. My thoughts were free to soar and dream and refresh for six entire hours. I can hardly describe how lovely it felt. Like most mothers of small children, unless I intentionally carve out a few weekend hours for my own self, solitude only comes to me late at night when everyone's sleeping and I'm too tired to appreciate it. I have come to truly value peaceful time alone to ponder and wander. Props to my five star husband 'o gold, who understands this need and encourages me to go and recharge by myself every now and then while he holds down the fort at home.

My six hour journey reminded me of one of our favorite books: Bink and Gollie. Every now and then, Gollie has to journey:

It was nice not to have a small human knocking on the door while I journeyed yesterday. I love my little humans fiercely, but they sure know how to wiggle in to every moment! Sometimes we need to journey together, sometimes we need to journey solo.

The temple was perfectly peaceful. It's been months since I got to do a session, and it felt so good to be back. I sat in the bright, beautiful celestial room for a really really long time, absorbing as much of the peace as I possibly could. The sun streamed through the stained glass windows, lighting up the giant crystal chandelier and brightening the entire elegant, airy room. It was glorious. I had no kids waiting for me outside; not even a carpooler was waiting for me to finish. It was just me, the sunshine, and a handful of other quiet visitors, all basking in both the physical and the spiritual beauty of that holy place. I had dozens of uplifting thoughts and little bursts of inspiration while I sat there, being still. My instinct is to memorize, analyze, and hold on to any promptings and thoughts so I can write them down later, but I even let that impulse go. I simply sat and let those thoughts and feelings wash over my soul in warm soothing waves. :)

There is power in being still, especially in holy places. "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10, also D&C 101:16) I think that's the only time we CAN know that God is there, when we take the time to stop and be still. Of course the temple isn't the only place that we can be still; it's just easier to be still there, and to feel and understand truths. Laa!

 Be honest: is there anything more flattering than a selfie on a sunny, breezy day? HAH.

After I finished up at the temple, I went next door to the stake center and did a quick wardrobe change in the bathroom. Then I drove a few miles down the road to Badger Mountain for a little run. Badger Mountain is a popular hike around here--most people I know have done it at least once. Jeff has been to the top, but I never have (pretty sure various pregnancies are to blame for that). I'm doing a trail race on Badger Mountain next month and I thought it would be good to scope the place out. It was breathtaking! Literally! The trail I took was about a mile and a half UP UP UP to the top of the mountain--the ceiling of the Tri Cities area. My legs were shaking and my lungs were gasping, but the panoramic views of the sunlit valley with the blue Columbia River swirling through it were well worth the effort.

My photography was in rare form, I know--I kind of took pictures as an afterthought, on my phone. I was journeying! Not photographing! Those tiny little specks on top of the mountain are people, by the way. Badger Mountain is way more impressive in real life, especially without a finger obscuring it--trust me.

I ran up, across, down, and around Badger Mountain. The trail around the middle of the mountain was awesome--a narrow path carved along exterior with a drop off ledge plummeting down on one side and a steep sage brushy slope going up on the other. The breeze was blowing, and I felt like I was flying on top of the world up there! I spread my arms out in the wind while I ran and felt pure floating freedom, soaring along on that sky high trail! It was my slowest run in months, but I wasn't in it for speed--just hills and views. There were plenty of both to be had--just ask my hip flexors and hamstrings. Whew! Of course I wasn't about to run up a mountain lugging a camera, so you'll just have to take my word for it--the view was sweeping, clear, and far. Not Mt. Adams-far, but far enough!

Imagine this view, but 1,000 feet higher up. Blue sky: YES.

I made it back to the parking lot all wobbly-legged, fully charged with vitamin D, and drove home. Somehow all of my adventuring lasted straight through lunch--I didn't eat lunch till nearly 4pm! That's SO not me--I can't even fast anymore! I paid for that oversight with a headache and leaden-limbed low blood sugar fatigue that evening during our family movie night. But the temple! That run!

As I was taking my first bite of food in eight hours, guess how many small humans invaded and begged for bites from their starving mother?

Family time is a treasure, but personal time is too--balancing both is the secret to happiness, if you ask me. It was incredibly, restfully refreshing to...you know, commune in the temple and then again on a mountain. I love a good journey.