The Final Ingredient!

I'm so totally ready to be a real backpacker.

As you know, Robyn and I have been getting more into backpacking in the past year or so.  As you may not know, we have been slowly acquiring supplies to become legit.

We had already acquired things like backpacks, a tent, a sleeping pad, a backpacking stove, etc.  There was one item on the list that I had yet to acquire.  I had not yet purchased a sleeping bag.

I should be clear, I own a sleeping bag that I acquired as a teenager.  It is plenty warm, but it is large and bulky.  It would basically take up the entire space available in my backpack.  What I needed to acquire was a sleeping bag designed for backpacking.

This past weekend, my BFF Jared W let me know that Liberty Mountain was having their big sale.  This was the time to make the big purchase.

We went in and selected one that seemed like it would be warm enough and big enough.  Naturally, I had to try out how well I could sleep in it.

Good thing the store has a cot for just this purpose.

Aren't I precious?  In a real camping situation, I won't have a price tag attached to my face.

If you can't tell by how precious it made me look, I'll just let you know that that sleeping bag and I were meant for each other.  Naturally, I made the purchase.  So now I have everything I need to be a real backpacker, and I don't need to borrow anything from Jared W.  (That doesn't mean I won't need to continue to acquire cooler stuff, let's not get crazy.)

Now that I have everything I need, it's time to plan a trip!

Robyn and I are thinking about doing a 3 day backpacking trip in Oregon this summer.  I'm a little intimidated, but it's supposed to be super beautiful.  Do you think I can handle it?

Does this look like a guy who can hike 25 miles through a rainforest with a backpack on his back?

Happy Birthmother's Day

Ever since Jeff and I decided that adoption was going to be the path for us to grow our family we have celebrated Birthmother's Day.

Each year we have released balloons in our future birth mother's honor.

This year it didn't stop raining all day, but we didn't let that stop us.

The original plan was to release them together but it was so cold the balloons lost their lift.  We had to take them home and warm them up before we could release them.  We ended up doing the real release in our backyard.  It wasn't the picture perfect release I had in mind but what in life ever is as we picture.  Anyway I was just glad that it worked out and I could honor our future birthmother.  I pray for her ever day.  I pray that she will find peace, love and support in the adoption plan she creates.  I pray that I can be part of that support team.  I pray that we will learn how to communicate with each other so we can have an amazing open adoption.