So hey everyone- we’re on vacation. My folks flew the kids and I down for a little family time, and we spent this last weekend in Yosemite. I am reminded of what John Muir said about Yosemite:

One may as well dam for water tanks the people’s cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.

I can not now, nor have I ever been able to find fault with his reasoning. I have also never, ever seen a photograph or painting that adequately captures the breathtaking majesty and incomparable beauty of the Yosemite Valley. Not even Ansel Adams’ finest photograph captures adequately  the beauty. When you first round the bend from the western granite tunnels and see the vista, see El Capitan and Halfdome, your breath catches in your chest and you can’t breathe for a minute because its so unimaginably beautiful…

We all made it to the bridge on the Vernal Falls trail. It’s only about a mile, but it’s almost straight up. Bean pretty much ran the whole way, Jeffrey moaned and groaned, but he did it, and Abby required much coaxing and cheering, but only cried once. On the way down, she slipped and skinned her knee, and that finished her. She was done with hiking, forever, and made it very clear. Poor sweetie. I was kneeling beside the trail with her while she cried, and the boys had gone ahead with my family. A very nice stranger stopped and offered to help my very tired, very sad girl, and he popped her on his shoulders and carried her down the rest of the (very very steep) trail. I almost cried with gratitude. Tender mercies, folks.