blueberry picking is like work!

jack and i and some friends spent the better part of the afternoon on the hillside of hatcher pass, picking blueberries until our finger tips were stained and our legs asleep from kneeling. i came home with a large basket full of plump, juicy berries and scuffed up knees from two incredible falls. don't you hate falling? i always feel so dumb and embarrassed afterward. thankfully, jack was ok too since i had him in my arms. the path walking in was like a riverbed, full of rocks. i stepped on a rock that had some dirt/sand over it and slid right off, falling forward onto my knee and scraping it up nicely. i managed a controlled fall (ha), still holding onto jack and he came away with a few scrapes on his arm. i think it scared him more than anything, but he did spill a few crocodile tears, adding to my already horrible feeling. regardless, pushing on... ahhh, we could not have picked a better day, either. the sun was so bright, and big, puffy cloud in the sky - and i have the tan lines to prove it, jack too!

yes, he sits.

taste

so now, i find myself sprawled on the sofa, the house is all quiet but a hum, and i feel so incredibly happy for today. spending time with family is so very important and special, but so is the need for friends. i don't think this is necessarily a bad thing, but i know in my past, i've always put family first and haven't really made time for friends. but as i've gotten older, said good bye to precious family that has sadly left us, i've felt that pull toward my friends who are usually the ones to get you through the times when you maybe can't share things with family or maybe they're the one's who are upset too and you can't go to them. or maybe they're experiencing something similar in their life. i don't know, none of this is how i'm feeling now or have felt for years really, but i guess today gave me time to think about those people in my life who do feel more like family than just a friend. being up on the mountains, closer to Him and alone with your thoughts (with only mild interruptions of a certain cuteness yelling in your ear) gives you time to think about this sort of thing. and apparently, being on a mountain isn't the only time is happens because i'm obviously still reeling in it...

about .02 miles after leaving the parking lot

all clean!