Time to reflect, relax and swat…

Our family just got back from a fantastic good ol camping trip in the beautiful mountains of Montana, where we call home. The place  is a picture out of a post card, well see for yourself… stunning?!!!

For those of you that do some camping yourself, know that while out and about in the wild wild woods you are going to encounter pesky flies, skeeter, bugs and other little creatures.

Of course this is for those of us that still do the old fashion camping….sleeping in a tent, using an outdoor stove or using the camp fire. This does not include those of you lucky enough to have a camper this size of a small loft which includes refrigerator, oven, microwave and God forbid tv and internet connections.

For those of you with  such amenities have the ability to escape from those pesky critters… We did not! ha ha

Now don’t burn me at the stakes…one of these days sooner or  later, we too will be enjoying a camper with all the bells and whistles and will have a chance to escape.

We enjoyed an amazing time but the swatting of the flies and the smacking of those skeeters where getting to the best of all of us. Especially during dinner time where it gave us quit an arm workout trying to eat at the same time flapping our arms back and forth just so one would not land on the food. Makes me giggle just thinking about it….

There was relief once the sun began to set as these critters would go to sleep in their own little tents up in the trees…at least that is what our 6 and 3 year old came up with while enjoying the camp fire one night.  This gave us the much needed arm rest as well as time to enjoy the best treat…SMORES!!!

As you can see mine got a little toasty but heck I didn’t mind.

During those days it gave me plenty of time to reflect, relax and of course swat those pesky critters.  We took hikes into the mountains, picked wild flowers, found old homesteads, listened to the elk and fell asleep to the “crick” (yes I did not say creek) that ran next to our camp site.

I pondered how life tends to pass us by so quickly and before we know it our children are gone, we are not sure where the past several month went, let alone what we did.

I want to encourage you to take time to  enjoy time with those that you love. Don’t get to a point where you have to say ” Wow I wish I would have…”. If you are saying that now, then for crying out loud start today by making memories and spending the time with those that you love!

I also had the chance to read a fantastic book for the 2nd time...“The Shack” by Paul Young.  It is one of my favorite books – it show God’s unconditional love for us and just how He works things out even in the midst of a tragedy, but we have to be willing to see life in a way that is not always comfortable .

Reading this story made me realize just how precious life, my family and friends are!…I have a wonderful husband, two beautiful and healthy girls, friends in my life that I love and couldn’t live without, family that is close, a business that gives me passion – Life is outstanding!!!

I didn’t always see my life as a blessing and fell into the trap that so many do these day…seeing life through a dirty window (negativity). Every time life threw me a curve ball I use to think the worst and wondered why I was always being dealt a bad hand. I couldn’t and was unwilling to see the blessings that were right in front of me because of the negative side… (my next post will dive more into this story and concept)

You may not see the blesses that are right in front of you but when you get away from the distractions that life tends to hand out…you begin to see the positive side!

So in this ah-ha moment I encourage you to find time to just BE with those  you love - I don’t mean sitting on the couch watching a movie, yes that is great time together… but get away from it all – the cell phone, the computer, facebook, even the housework and take the time to reflect, relax and enjoy who you have in your life.

This doesn’t have to be a trip to the mountains..it can be walks in the evenings, going to the park or anything that gets you away from everyday clutter. It might just be the medicine you have been looking for!

Register for the Newsletter and get great recipes made just for camping, hear what others are doing to fight off the ITCH those skeeters leave behind and much much more from the book “The Shack”.

Leave a comment and tell me how you enjoy spending time with your family?

- Cheryl Hill “Chill”

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