Muir Woods

Dh loves to hike. I find it a really good way to explore wherever we are... and we happened to be in Muir Woods! We went with M. M is A's wife, and A happens to be one of dh's best friends.

(Funny story, after graduating from The Academy, A and DH got to write "dream sheets" of the top 5-10 where they would like to be stationed, and then the bottom two places - where they would NOT like to be stationed. DH and A both put "Alaska" and "Michigan" as their bottom two. And just as it worked out, DH and A are both now happily married to girls from where else? Western Michigan!)

Anyway, M & A live out in California and played our tour guides - for the week that I was there, and the 5 weeks dh was there without me. Thanks a ton, guys!

Some of the trees were 6 feet in diameter!

Tall redwoods!

Dh and I (He was being a gentleman and letting me borrow his sweater)

Our fabulous tour guide, M
with one of the cutest babies ever :)

Dh and I inside a tree trunk!

Realizations of the day...

There is a whole stinking lot of lava on this island. As much as I would like to think that I've seen a lot of it, I keep finding unexplored lava fields. What's really astounding to me is that few lava fields are without some form of growth - whether it be ferns, ohia trees, or whatever, growth isn't too long in coming. It's so cool how vibrant green ferns or strikingly red lehua blossoms can contrast so distinctly against the black lava. I'm truly amazed at how God set the whole lava/growth thing in motion!


I was walking through Volcanoes National Park today - it was a great time! On several trails, I was by myself. Or so I thought. Apparently there were tons of birds there, and they were amazing. All of their different calls and songs were beautiful. Almost immediately the song from preschool Sunday School popped into my head

The Birdies in the Tree Tops:

The birdies in the Treetops sing their song.

The angels chant the chorus all day long,

The flowers in the garden blend their hue.

So why shouldn't I, why shouldn't you, praise Him too?

It was a great reminder to thank God for all that he's done and for all of the generosity he has shown toward me in letting me see these beautiful things he's created.