009. Nature, Connection and Creativity

Sunday was such a great day. It's been a while since James and I explored nature together. When we first started dating we frequently went on mini-adventures. Then, day to day responsibilities of life got in the way of us actually getting to enjoy life. Ironic, right?

We decided to head to the Icehouse Canyon Trail in Mt. Baldy with Henry in tow...of course! When we arrived, it seemed that we were the only ones without trekking poles (I had to Google the technical term for this post) and I was a little worried. James assured me that we could do without, and up we went.

Taking a break to drink water/play with rocks.

The hike was a pretty steep incline the entire way up complete with rocks, narrow passageways, and old stone steps. As we continued our ascent, we followed along a creek. Henry kept up with us, climbing the rocks we easily stepped over. He would occasionally stop and drink from the creek or attempt to dig rocks out of the dirt (per usual).

I enjoyed being disconnected from my cell phone, computer, and just the general noise of the world. It gave me time to truly be in the moment and feel connected to myself and James. I value the non-distracted time James and I spend together. When you live with a partner, it's easy to fall into a rut of not spending quality time together. It was wonderful being together without any interruptions.

At one point, we stopped for a moment to drink some water and have a snack. We came upon a stone fireplace. We both were fascinated by this, not sure what the story was behind the stone remains. So of course, I had to research what this fireplace used to belong to. I found some interesting information about an old wood and stone resort. The resort existed in the area from 1921 to the 1980's, before burning down in a mysterious fire. I love history.

A fireplace is all that remains of Ice House Canyon Resort.  

Trees. Glorious trees.

On our drive home we started talking about what we should do that day. It was pretty apparent that both of us were feeling like we wanted to do something creative. James said he wanted to build a workbench and I felt like painting. We looked up plans and went to the local hardware store to buy the supplies for his workbench. When we got home, James immediately started working on his project. I haven't painted in a while, but there was something about connecting to myself and connecting to my partner that really inspired me to sit down at a canvas and just start painting. I set my easel in the backyard and began painting images of trees.

Sunday was a great reminder of the similar interests that James and I share. We both enjoy nature, being active, creating and exploring. Lately with bills, chores, and other obligations, we forget to sit still, live simply and do the things that light the fire inside of us. I am grateful for the time we spend together.

005. Moving Again

Life is all about change. As soon as you feel settled into a new normal, here comes the change. Sometimes change is welcomed with open arms; other times you're running as fast as you can in the opposite direction. One lesson I learned is that the more you resist change, the more difficult the transition is.

Moving Day last year. Notice our subtle excitement.

James and I are moving into a new house in mid-March.This is one of those, "welcomed with open arms" changes. Even though it is positive, I still can feel anxiousness creeping up. I learned over the summer, that in order to embrace the new, it is important to feel the loss and sadness of the old. This will be the third move in 3 years. It feels excessive to me, but each move was necessary. Move 1: First time moving in together. Move 2: Moving next door to my sisters in a better neighborhood. Move 3: Single-family home with a backyard and our own space.

Don't get me wrong, I am really excited. Moving is fun and I do not want to live in our current home much longer. With that being said, I am going to miss certain things about our current home. For one, it is directly next door to my sister, her fiance, and their baby girl. Also, another sister lives on the opposite side of us with her partner. We joke that we have our own compound. I love being able to walk outside and see my family. We recently adopted a puppy, Henry, and both of my sisters and their partners have dogs. I love having walking partners and additional caretakers for Henry within arms reach.

Henry with his "cousins" Venice and Luna.

Fortunately, our new house is only 1 mile away from our current home. I am still able to walk to my sister's homes with an increase from 15 seconds to 15 minutes, which isn't bad at all. Also, we will have a fairly large backyard and our families and their dogs can come over and barbeque.

Writing this post helped me identify what exactly I am going to miss about our little home. It also helps me let it go.
 
All in all, I am excited for the change. Saying goodbye to the old and hello to the new. Hopefully James and I aren't moving again within a year. I need some time to settle.