Were Back!

We were delighted to be ready to go when Beloved came home at 11:30 on Thursday. I had loaded all I could lift and he did the rest. I gave my sweet Little Dove some benadrill to help her motion sickness problem. She was knocked out! Poor thing fell asleep on the floor before I could get her to the truck. We pulled out at 12:45, packed and lunched. I had a shower and the dogs were secured! (Thank you J. from JUST A MOM)
We had a nice long drive up to the Rim. Beloved loves books on tape, so we heard a wonderful tale of "Who moved my cheese" on the way up. This is a MUST to read or hear. It is a wonderful life lesson story about the ability to grow with the inevitable changes of life.
We also heard "Ten Bears in a Bed" a fantastically funny children's story of a spoof on the classics.
We passed through Payson, and then headed on FR300.

"Out on the open road, elbow in the breeze he pulled his woman to him and gave her heart a squeeze." a line in an old Don Francisco song.
We pulled into camp around four. The best spot in the whole forest :)! We sat down in a dish and the five acre edge of the bowl gave us full view of the kids at all times! It was an amazing spot! The trees were friends awaiting us to come out and play.
The "Daddy Man" did the best thing! He hung a nice rope from a tree and the stump near by served as the Perfect jumping off post. The kids played "Teribithia" to their hearts content. While we set camp.

Camp set up well and this was the very first perfectly imperfectly packed, planned and established even that I can ever remember doing. I was totally un-stressed! A real change for me. No stress meant no strife! No expectations or dis-pleasures. I only forgot flip flops for the Mister and salt( We used the bacon for the salting of a bite of eggs a bite of bacon). I didn't even stress or plan either!
We set up the tent across the grounds for the kids to have to play in. It also served to keep un-wanted campers away . This was an added bonus we will have to remember.
Bedtime of the first night the kids were so happy that we forgot the story books. Mom had brought her bible! They wanted to hear about baby Moses, next night more Moses, and the third night the story of Jesus birth begining with John the Baptist. Little Dave set the scene about how Zackariah could not speak cause he laughed at God! Man the things they absorb is so heart warming! I just lay there and took in the sweetness as the "Daddy Man" read and screened question after question.
The children had so many, many wonderful adventures. Little Dove discovered the most placid non obtrusive horse fly I have ever experienced. She at one point sat on a log and watched as one sat on her finger. She observed it clean both under and over its wings. Now to some this may sound an odd joy, but to understand a child who has sensory problems and trouble with anxiety one might grow to rejoice with me. Her and Dash Hawk looked at life up close and personal. That is one of the most important ( to me ) gifts that I want to offer them.
They worked on their sketch pad and drew cool pictures with the "Daddy Man". He is a fun artist that has a humor that would just bring a smile to any soul.
Breakfast in the woods just would not be complete without BACON! And all who awaited this fine feast would ask repeatedly "Is it ready Mom?" over, and over, and over... Our camper has a stove inside and also one that is able to be attached to the outside. Great to keep the fumes out of the sleeping chambers. I love to cook out side.
Daddy man took the camera and the children on several hikes.
The first morning I made fiber crosses out of the fibers that were encased in the rope we were using for the swing. It was my hope that the kids would be more interested, but not yet. They had too big a wood for crafts. However they did like what I made for them.
We sat around and told stories of our youth and how we dealt with bullies. We told about mistakes we made when we were kids. I think that this was some of my favorite time together.
There were to many trees to climb, battles to fight within the forest citadel, The kings thrones and fair warrior maidens had to arm themselves with pine cone bombs and fight off the enemy. "ME" I was the one who was the dark character. We had dueling swords and the battle was fierce,
alas Daddy man awoke and it was he who became the entertainment.
They had hot dogs after the hike. The second hike of the afternoon. I had much time alone with the forest friends. We had a camp squirrel family that we fed and they were so cute. While I was alone in camp I had one bold little squirrel come right up an sit in front of me . I felt someone looking at me and as I looked up from my needle work the looked right at me I could have reached out and touched him with hardly a stretch. He scurried off. I was then to look up and see another cheeky little fellow come for a visit, in the interim I had placed a slice of bread on the log before me. He was so skinny the cheeky guy and he at last found the treasure and delightfully devoured it. We had a humming bird who took a favor to us. We had his company several times a day. He was our alarm clock the first morning with open windows he came back and forth accross the screen checking us out until we finely awoke and he was off.

In the afternoons (each day) we had a rain shower! I was so beautiful! The encampment was surrounded by ferns in the wooded sloping outskirts of our paradise. When the sun would come out it was a shimmering wonder of light and shadow. We had to play in the rain. This is a favorite thing for me to do. There are stories of ( the crazy woman who walked out in the rain) me taking long playful walks. Kicking up the puddles and soaking my clothing. It is so fun when you live in the desert to be playful during the monsoons.
The Mister with tears in his eyes had to capture me washing the feet of the children. He began telling them how Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. The children were so dear as to share what they understood of such things. One of those perfect teaching moments.
As the banker I had a wonderful time plying Monopoly with the family. I went out with the dignity of all property a loss without the dealing and debiting. It was another perfect life lesson. The sweet Little Dove just couldn't understand and wanted to give me her money and excuse my debt. The "Daddy Man" and I were in cahoots to help the lesson have great value and impressive sportsmanship. It matters most what they see! Little Dove won her first game of Monopoly just in time for the smores that I (because I lost) was preparing over the stove. The Mister was sad because he cant have chocolate due to migraines, but I had made several for him without it and he was so pleased and hugged his gratitude.
We had a fresh melon in the afternoon it was so nice to eat outside.
I had knee surgery last fall an am not able to use my knee so well, so I walked part way with the family, Sweet Little Dove worried over me and held my hand. I returned to camp and set the walkie talkie, Mace aside on the table. We had had a strange visit from a guy on a tote goat he just pulled up said "do ya got dogs? I like to run mine" then pulled off. WEIRD!
So I am alone at came and had just started to work on my oil painting and looked down to a "pit bull dog" right at my feet! I reached over got the talkie and mace, called hubby told him, then this guy pulls into my camp! Not 12 feet from me, right next to our trailer, stops and just lets his three dogs run the camp! Meanwhile I'm on the talky telling Hubby. I say "HELLO" to the guy and he just sits there. I tell Hubby right in front of the guy watching me on the talky. He pulled up near the swinging tree and shuts off his bike. Hubby to the defense tells kids "stay behind me" Approaches the dude to tell him he did not appreciate him coming into our camp and letting his dogs run through it an pee all over it! HUBBY WAS BOLD he had a big stick! The guy said "hay bro its cool" "NO ITS NOT" SAID HUBBY!
Later hubby admitted how good it felt to come to my aide. I felt so protected by him. The guy was just without boundaries, but still, I did not know him or his dogs. Dogs act different than you expect in the woods many a fool has learned this lesson the hard way. I HAVE KIDS! I was alone in a camp site! Although I'm not a young woman I am still a woman alone in a camp!
Dash had many battles to fight and defend his territory! His Father showed him how to stand up for His own.
I had a lot of rest and worked the stitches on the quilt blocks given to me, painted a picture and made fiber crosses. I played house in my "cabin" and all in all was delighted at how perfect the un-expected has supplied all of my hearts desires.
The quiet time was so healing.
My children are so loud! They are so happy and I am very grateful. Beloved was amazed at the volume of two kids who in their glee can reverberate the forest into a hall of sound!
He tells me " I don't know how you do it".
Beloved is in a cubical all day in the quiet! Man was he ear worn!
One of the things I have to face is caring better for this vessel called me! My body deserves some attention so Beloved and I worked out a way for me to wake early and walk. It is so hard for me to sleep if I go to bed and am awaken by him, I cant return to sleep. So this is a challenge. Perhaps late night, early rise (for a walk) and a nap in the day time?

Beloved also told me I must get out in the evening for a time in the quiet, but the kids have a panic! The are terrified of my absence. I was in a VERY bad car accident three years ago (I was hit by a guy doing 120 m.p.r.) and they all could of lost me (NOT REALLY GODS HAND WAS ON ME :) ) it was traumatic for them. With the remnant's of their attachment disorder they can be fearful to a stress on us.
We had a daring game of gold fish and had candied peanuts for bait. The thunder caused a little regression on Dash Hawk, He got to talk about his fear and the fear of the gun shots someone was triggering off in the distance.
He felt better when the play resumed in his favor.
"Daddy Man" thought to take some pictures for me not to miss out completely on the hikes. It is real hard not to be able to join them. I did however get some pain relief for my knee, after the second day, and took a solitary hike into the forest. It was really quiet and I had a lot of time for reflection and prayer of the duties to come in the following few months. I prayed for those things of concern and placed them down to be given the wisdom of being able to pick them up only in the due time.



We had the clean up to do and packing it all up. The children were happily reading in the truck ready to return home to their dogs and their T.V. They were ready, happy and satiated.
We had been so conservative with our water and fuel that I got to take a nice shower and wash may hair. It was so fun to use my "cabin on wheels" It is like a home in the forest to me.

The children had a few more good swings on the rope. We left it tied to the tree for the next camper to enjoy.


They all went on a hike while I washed the "cabin" down , swept it out and loaded the seats with the bags Beloved had rolled up. WE all had a really refreshing time.
Beloved had a lot of fear to overcome driving us home.

We gave our Sweet Little Dove her Benidril and got onto the open road. It was a very quiet ride home. Sweet Dove was asleep and Dash was very contemplative and quiet. We had to stop for gas $40. worth and we were home before 4 p.m.
Four days a tanks of gas, a few groceries from the pantry and a lot of memories for our hearts to treasure.
A great Big Thank You To All of you at "Just a Mom" , Thank you to her kids too for the help with the dogs.
The biggest Thank You to My Dear Beloved who challenged the fears and risks of taking us up in our under powered but reliable 4 Runner. Who at times just made a crawl up the hills with everything it had to offer (it would top out at 28m.p.h.). It was very humbling for the sweet "Daddy Man". He has made my heart refreshed. He is a good friend and faithful lover of my soul.