narnia

Another peaceful weekend has passed and the new year has rung more melodious songs than ever before. It was quite cold up near Tahoe, and nothing says winter like having to take snow cats to your cabins because a car can't plow through the buried streets. And despite my urge for a bountiful spring garden or a flowy summer dress, this was such a restful three days. The cabins were a dwelling place for sweet conversation and late night stories by the heater(we pretended it was fire), and the forest, a playground for sledding and snow ball fights. Even though the coughs and lack of sleep followed me back home, the crisp, rocky air will always have a special place in my heart. 

AND I have never felt more closely bonded with the Narnian lands than when we strolled through this winter forest. It was idyllic.

ode to camping

I've been thinking about a lot of little things lately. Little things, but mostly the future and what I want my life to look like...which isn't so little after all. Maybe that's what a combination of the new year and this lovely weekend weather bestowed upon the western lands will do. Either way, the medley between this Spring tease and a whole new year has brought a lot of reflecting and re-evaluating. That's why I love seasonal changes. I know it's still January and we all have a while until the genuine Spring cleaning, but maybe we all need to seize these warmer moments to polish our boots, sweep the fire pits, and amend our hearts. 

This past weekend was such things. There's nothing quite like lying and waking by a smokey fire, a full view of the bay, and sweet friends. And when you're in the midst of the Winter blues and school finals, this is nothing short of an ideal hoopla. We headed up to our bountiful peak who's flora and fauna are too generous to call home. I am too blessed. Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to live in a place where mountains and oceans are so easily accessible from my home. 

We crafted. We talked. We trailed. We frolicked. We ate. We were robbed by our friend, Mr. Raccoon. We soaked up the warmer air and breathtaking views. We stopped. We took the time to watch little things pass by. But most importantly, we exalted and we praised. All in all, I found that it never hurts to take advantage of the short and sweet, Spring cleaning moments. In those we see a joy-filled beauty far greater than our own.

Right now it's raining. It's cold and it's still January, but my heart is in the Spring of things. And although I will always be learning how to live in the moment, I look forward to Spring-forward. But now, now I will walk with the warmer joy that I know will come in the morning. Sometimes all you need to do is take a short breath to see the lasting Hope that can restore and rejuvenate. And for that, I am grateful.

Thank you Mr. Raccoon for stealing our food

"Shorter days, colder nights, an oven baking and broiling at full tile, a heavy pot of stew on the oven- it's a wonderful scene to settle into each year." - Kinfolk


(PS! If you're having a hard time finding the url to my blog, 
it's because it's been changed to  www.rootandwingblog.com. Big leaps here!)

christmas delights

Another christmas has past ya'll! This one was especially special because the whole family was under the same roof this season and because we saw les miserables christmas day. Shoot. What an emotion roller coaster that was. Did anyone feel totally drained they didn't even want to eat popcorn by the end of the movie? Well, my hand is raised! I'm so thankful to have been born into a family of faithful followers. You can always hear some posture of les miserables music in our house. (dad is currently whistling it in his room)

But on a lighter note than the finale scene of les miserables, (wait, there goes tim singing the " I dreamed a dream" upstairs) our days have been filled with laughs and joy and music and food and lots of settlers of catan and baby watching... mostly baby watching. I have loved being able to escape from the hustle and bustle of things and not have any agenda but to read and rest as much as I can. (there goes phillip singing "can you hear the people sing?")

I hope you all have gotten a chance to find rest and peace in this christmas season. Despite the presents and food and family, every year i'm humbled by the ancient tale that brings those things together in the first place. So as we rejoice in tangible gifts this season, we cannot forget to be glad in the ultimate gift of the birth of our savior. I think that's such a stinkin awesome gift if you ask me.

So once again...merry christmas! May it be very merry and bright and full of rejoicing. 

tis this season

well guys, another year, another christmas tree! two christmas' ago we were in uganda and last year was filled with the mumbo jumbo of wedding planning... so it feels that this year is the first spirited holiday season in too long! we have eaten, we have drank (hot chocolate for me, of course), and ohhh have we been merry. and let me say, the holiday treats have hit me like a ton of bricks. so.many.cookies. and so.many.cookies.to.come.

but as we get closer into the craziness of holidays, i'm constantly being reminded of God's goodness towards my family and i. it's been a whirlwind of years, and knowing us, will probably be for the years to come. i cannot say- even to the slightest- where i predict each of us will be in the future, but moments like picking out a christmas tree or making christmas cookies has been so near to my heart lately. it's been so great to love and adore moments like these, instead of stressing for the things to come. those things will come, but for now let's just all enjoy the smells and treats and fun winterish things that the celebration of Jesus' birth brings. so that being said... 

decorate your christmas tree!

blast awesome 90's christmas music (michael w. smith. steven curtis chapman. anyone? no?)

make cookies.

make anything!

eat everything that has sugar in it. no excuses.

find something really awesome to do outdoors. it's hard in this cold weather, but you can do it.

read. read. read. read. read. read!

write a letter to some one. 

delight in the little things,

remember and fall in love with the real reason for christmas.

half dome

      9/21/2012

(i know this was a while ago, but it was just such an adventurous day i couldn't pass up the opportunity to share)

4 am: the journey begins

6 am: arrive at the base of the half dome

6: 15 am-get a call from mom saying that sister is in labor in florida.

 "dad, andrew and i are about to climb half dome," I reply

" you guys are climbing half dome, i'm in san francisco, phillip's in the air, and meagan's having a baby"

"good luck," i say. "good luck," she says.

typical Gibson fashion

6:30 am- my shoes bless me with blisters the size of the Texas

11 am- dad says, " let's turn back, you're blisters are causing you too much pain."

i say heck no techno and tell him he is crazy. we proceed. 

11: 45 am- we climb the stair way of death.  take note of the second set of pictures. above our heads... those are humans beings. i think they look like ants.

12 noon- we summit. dad doesn't have signal, but persistently asks everyone else on top of half dome if he can borrow their phones to call sister because, well... at this point he's a grandpa and he can do whatever he wants.

" i'm a grandpa," he tells everyone we pass on the way up.

6 pm- we arrive at base once again.

the end.

updates for all

Why hello there every one! It's been a while since i've typed my url into the internet-type-boxy thing lately. Let me tell ya! Ch-ch-ch-changes have been taking over every corner of my life lately and again I find myself too busy to breath some times. Since i've talked last, there have been new lives(quite literally), new adventures, new houses and new friends. And of course, it's been all the rave lately, new seasons! I was going to refrain from the mention of fall on this one, but it's so garsh-darn delightful! 

And as of right nooow... i'm an aunt, a vanilla bean rather than extract kinda girl, a loud and proud babysitter(hint hint wink wink), a lover of naps, lover of coffee, and member of the granny club. 

 On the contrary, i'm an official high school teenage girl and everything that comes with it: wisdom teeth extractions, homecoming attendee, babysitter(hint hint wink wink), owner of a public school ID and all. Yikes. 

Bring back awkward memories anyone? 

It's great though. It's weird and angsty, but my school has more school spirit than Kirsten Dunst in Bring It On, so it makes for a show. 

So here's just a few bits and pieces of what's been going on in my life lately. 

Slash, cheers to thanksgiving break every one!