home

Have I said that it's good to be back? Because it is. It really is. After (nearly) four years of marriage I would find myself referring to "home" as North Carolina-- which is totally weird when your married because 1) I haven't lived there for 10 years, 2) My husband has never lived there and 3) I have no country accent (which everyone points out when I say I'm from NC).  

But I've noticed lately that every time I reach the junction of 191 and 313 after we've been away for a while and I see the burnt red cliffs jut out from the flat desert-- my stomach starts to feel fuzzy and I turn up the radio, start singing and get really, really happy. I look ahead at the Colorado River and see the spread of green Cottonwood trees covering the little valley and I feel like I'm home. All of this melodramatic nonsense reminds me of the African American girl in Plato's Closet (NC) tellin' her friend, "gurl, you corny." I know, it's true. 

Yesterday I decided to repeat the Primitive Loop hike in Arches that I did last year 8 months pregnant. I think it was easier carrying Liesel on my back than my front albeit I was sweating like a pig and it was way hotter than I was expecting. 

And today B wanted to get out (he didn't start work till 1:30pm)-- so we went climbing at Wall Street and did the fitting Cracko-Diablo since after about 45 minutes it was as hot as Hades. 

Which meant lots of sunscreen (which Liesel graciously guarded for us). 

And then a dip in Mill Creek. Ahhh, yes. Nothing like the freezing cold mountain h2o to cool you off. 

Caveman? Scientist? Interpretive dancer? Wizard? Adorable mud-covered baby discovering sticks? Yup. 

Cheers, Moab. Let's make the next 9 months count because I'm already starting to miss you.