Grand Canyon Adventure

Hello everyone! I'm back in the Fort all in one piece and very very sore. I don't think any amount of running could have gotten me prepared for my little jaunt to the Grand Canyon! I went with my dad and my brother and we had such a great time, even though none of us were nearly in shape enough for all the hiking we did.

As I mentioned last week, I absolutely LOVE hiking. I rarely get to do it, but these past few days all we did was hike! My dad, brother, and I were lucky enough to get a spot down in Phantom Ranch last minute (normally people have to call a year in advance to save a spot!), so our first day we headed down the canyon around 3:00 p.m. with lots of sunscreen, water and snacks to keep us going all the way down. It was a pretty steep hike down, but we never fell and the views just kept on getting better and better.

At this point I could not stop exclaiming how it looked like we were in Narnia! It was BEAUTIFUL. 

We were worried about making it to Phantom Ranch before the sun went down, so we tried to make it down the Canyon as fast as we could! Sure enough we made it in time and our meal of bread, honey and peanut butter could not have tasted any better. We were so exhausted I'm pretty sure we were all dead asleep by nine o'clock!

We got an early start the next morning and we were ready to tackle the nine mile beast all the way back up. We saw many familiar faces on the hike up because we would rest and they would pass, then they'd rest and we'd pass, etc. etc. We eventually made it to the top (huffing and puffing and sore beyond belief) and looked all the way back down to the bottom, shocked at what we had accomplished. We hurried off to replace all of the salt we had lost from sweating so much and then got to shower...showering has never felt better ohmygosh it was glorious! 

The next day was filled with a couple other hikes, nothing as beastly as the two we did before, but still challenging. My urge to go hiking has been filled (for now hehe), but this trip definitely reaffirmed how much I enjoy it!

Every corner we turned and every hill we climbed provided us with a new view to the Grand Canyon that I never grew tired of seeing. It is absolutely stunning and I don't think any picture can really capture how beautiful it truly is! 

I would definitely recommend traveling to the Grand Canyon if possible! Have you ever been before, and did you hike down into it or just look at it from the top? 

 

Snaps for Monday

Happy Memorial Day everyone! I hope y'all are enjoying this day off, spending it with loved ones and just relaxing. I know I am speaking for everyone when offering the biggest of thanks to all the men and women who have served our country. We will never be able to thank you enough!

I have decided to start a weekly post called "Snaps for Monday" that will highlight what I am excited for in the upcoming week and will help me to be thankful for the little things! Mondays are always hard; it means a new week full of five days of work, which just brings along a whole new slew of stresses. BUT Monday also brings a new beginning for the whole week! So instead of dreading Mondays like always, I have decided to change the way I view them and see them as a fresh start for a whole new week that will bring fun and new challenges.

1. FIRST AND FOREMOST. I am soooo excited to be heading to the Grand Canyon early Thursday morning with my dad and brother! I have never been before, so I am very much looking forward to this new adventure. I love hiking, but living in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX does not really provide me with an opportunity to hike as often as I would like. So hopefully this trip will satisfy all my desires to go hiking that I have been having for awhile! For anyone who has gone before, what are some of the best trails that you would recommend?

2. I have been needing to get some new books to read for awhile and was so beyond excited to have found two Barnes & Noble gift cards while cleaning out my room (isn't that the best?!)! I'm heading over there this afternoon and I'm hopeful that they have the books that have been on my list for awhile. I've read many positive reviews of the book Love Does by Bob Goff and cannot wait to get my hands on it!

3. After going to Smart Barre almost every single day in July last summer, I'm excited to be going to my first class this summer tomorrow! It has been way too long and I can't wait to feel that awful and painful (yet so good) shake of my body.

4. I have been having daily headaches for four months straight now and tomorrow I am going in to get an MRI. I am just excited to be moving in the right direction {hopefully} to solve what has been causing them!

If you stop and think about it, there is always a lot to be thankful for and always something to look forward to. It does not have to be something so grand as going to the Grand Canyon (EEEK!), but even something simple to make your week a little brighter. So lets go ahead and snap for Monday because hey, there's a lot to be grateful for this week! What all are you looking forward to or thankful for this Monday?