Many years ago I discovered a walking trail near Grammy's house. A hidden gem just 1 block away where you could walk down into a valley and was completely surrounded by the beauty of Wyoming. A place hidden in the trees with little bridges to cross, islands to explore, and logs to cross.
Every year, I can not wait to get down to this special place. A place where the world is left behind and I just walk and explore and see God's beauty. As I think about this place I realized that each year it changes and grows with me.
The first year I came to this place Gabriel was 2. He and I would walk alone just a little way down the trail crossing the bridges every so slowly so we could throw in rocks and toss a rope into the river so he could catch crabs like in "Deadliest Catch". Bridger would run ahead of us and wonder why we were so slow. He always stayed close and loved exploring the river yet he wanted to run. Owen would stay home with Grammy as she rocked him in her rocking chair because he was to little to come with us.
As the boys grew, every time we came to Grammy and Gramps we would go on an adventure to our secret trail. We would load up on sticks and would take our time each time we went. I remember one year the boys found a sand pit along the trail. We stayed for an hour digging and digging looking for a golden nugget buried deep in the soil.
Amaya grew to love our walks also. She loved tagging along behind the boys, jumping the river and exploring the little islands we would find. She would laugh and laugh when Owen would fall in and his shoes would make a squishy sound all the way home.
Then, I remember pushing Eli's stroller up and down the hills. Over the years the wash outs would make the hills steeper and steeper and one afternoon I couldn't quite get the stroller up the steepest hill. So, Amaya had to hold Eli while I pushed the stroller first and ran back down to grab Eli. She was always my helper.
Soon it became time for Eli to run on the trail and as Eli became faster and faster, Bridger became slower. He would stay closer to us and wouldn't jump across the river as fast but he never stopped loving our special trail.
Now, Mocha and I walk the trail every morning. I get up early so I can get her out of the house before she wakes everyone up running and jumping on all the beds. Mocha runs and runs. She jumps up and over the banks and smells every part of the trail looking for birds. She catches a scent and stops....starring at it and deciding what to do before she runs head first into it as fast as she can. When we first came down to the trail she ran so far and so fast she kept crashing into the banks and misjudging the jumps over the river. I kept telling her to slow down but I don't think she could help herself.
And the boys? They still walk the trail.....without their mom. They take Mocha on their own and walk her and I wonder if the remember all the hours that we spent together in this place....growing bigger every single year.
