An Amazing Day

What a glorious day this has been both weather wise and how I spent it. I started out spending time with Jessa for her birthday by going downtown to the Iditarod. I enjoyed myself tremendously. The crowds were unbelievable thus why very few pictures. We didn't see much of the actual dog race, but it's the whole atmosphere of it all. We went into several shops and then we had the famous M.A.s hot dogs (where we saw Lisa Murkowski, whoopee). The line was really long but it was well worth the wait. It was a great morning spent with her and being outdoors felt good.

I've said many times over that my biggest regret in coming to Alaska was that I didn't come when I was younger and could climb to the top of these mountains our young people climb. Micah Peter came to me and asked if they found a way to get me up there. Well with pulleys, a sled and Micah, Matthew and Nathan, we started out with them getting me to the top of Mount Baldy. I was praying leading up to today and today that I wasn't being foolish in trying to do this. But so like my mom, I feel young at heart, but body hasn't got the message. So bundled up, we headed up and these 3 young men gave me a most amazing afternoon. I experience God's beauty and that was the ultimate goal. I also experience exhilaration and some great fear as we climbed. As we got to the steeper part I crawled, walked, rode Matt's back (which I was really afraid doing and asked not to continue on after the first break). We didn't make it to the top but I've got further up then I've been on foot and these young men made it happen. BUT because we didn't get to the top, we couldn't slide down the other side in all the snow as had planned and had to go back the way we came up over rocks and tundra with Nate and Micah being the rear brakes and Matt being the front brakes. I was sooooo afraid of how this was going to work through the rocks, brush and deep snow. I was close to tears as my biggest fear of the day, it was getting dark. I was praying and I tell it brought back the fun of being a child as we headed down the mountain at high speeds with the guys loving every minute (minus the terrible leg cramps Matt and Micah got). These 3 were challenged mentally and physically and loved every minute of it.
Like I said a most amazing day. Here's some pictures of it. Though I didn't do much, this 51 year old is going to feel the effects of this entire day tomorrow (what do I mean tomorrow, I already do). But it was great fun. The guys asked if we could try again and they'd go a different way to get me up...my response, uh NO I don't think so. And Micah actually apologize for not getting me to the top. I don't think he or the other two have any idea of how special what they did for me means to me. I truly feel loved by these young men. Now if I would've come out of it hurt and maimed, I would have thought differently ~ not really. Thanks guys. I love you all.

Here's the pictures.