Sandy Butts

I used to think I desired to take our kids on fun outdoor adventures because I wanted them to grow up and be interested in the same things that I am. Selfish, I know. I’ve just recently realized 90% of the reason I take them on these “fun” outdoor adventures is to take ridiculous pictures of them. Like the one pictured below of Noah attempting to climb into our raft. The other 10% is giving them anchors of experience on which they can build. Cooperating with other, not always being in charge, eating what we have, wearing dirty clothes, being dirty, sleeping wherever you can. How many times have you told someone you’ve done something from your childhood but you have ZERO memory of it? Why not give our kids the opportunity to do the same? When Noah becomes a whitewater rafting guide, I’m sure he’ll say, “my parents took me on the river 2 weeks after I was born, I was made for this.” I’ve heard people say I’m not going to take me kids on vacation/camping/adventures/outdoors because they won’t remember it. But you will. The hard memories will be forgotten and the sweet ones will stay. You’ll remember the giggles in the tent in the morning. You’ll remember the look of incense on their faces when you put them in the cold water. Sure, I didn’t used to clean sand out of butt cracks on overnight rafting trips, or get yelled at for an hour in the tent before bed by my one year old daughter, and we definitely weren’t carrying a 5 gallon bucket of dirty diapers. However, watching my two young ones experience life for the first time is incredible. It’s like watching first light in the morning. The awe and wonder and endless opportunity that shows up in their faces when experiencing these things for the first time is breathtaking. If I could go back and remember having first memories… I don’t know what that would be worth.