Mother's Day at the Mountain...

At Gayle's request, we all got up early and trekked up to Mt. St. Helens to do the tourist thing and get in some short hikes. It was a glorious day in the Northwest. With lots of snacks, water, juice, and sunscreen, Brenna held up great. Even with all the crowds, the Mt. St. Helens viewpoints are still a place of quiet contemplation for me. It is difficult to wrap my brain around the vast evidence of destruction and attempt to comprehend the power of nature and the awesome forces that were unleashed on that morning of May 18th, 1980. But seeing my two loves against that incredible background gave me a sense of hope, that I am seeing some remarkable forces of nature right there in front of me, like the mountain, continuing to evolve, change and grow.