a hikers christmas

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas and were able to spend the day with family and/or friends.  I got an early start to my day.  In  fact, the girls were up just a little after six am.  They enjoyed opening gifts from me and Steve and of course Santa.  Steve and I don't always exchange gifts, but did this year. 

As I opened my gift from Steve I was a little off guard because the bag was from a sporting goods store.  This is my 35th Christmas and I have never received any sport type gift in my life.  I couldn't imagine what could be in it.  To my surprise the gift included hiking socks, hiker's back pack and special hiking sticks.  Never in a million years would I have asked for or even wanted these items for the obvious reasons.  My how things have changed.

One of the activities that Steve and I enjoy doing together is hiking.  We have hiked two of the Apostle Islands near Bayfield, Wi and the unforgettable ten mile hike of Pictured Rocks in Munising, MI. I was so proud of myself for completing these two hikes that I bought a patch from the each of these National Parks to remember these long walks by.   Being able to see beautiful scenes by foot is an amazing experience.  It is so much better than by car.  In fact, we are looking forward to many more years of exploring God's great land. 

As I looked at my Christmas gift, Steve told me that I should sew my patches onto the backpack.  I nodded in agreement and told him that can't believe that this was a gift that I would be able to use.  My whole life I struggled to walk just a few feet at a time.  Now, I'm able to walk miles at a time with Steve and our daughters.  I didn't just receive a great hiking gift today, I received another day of mobility and Independence. I love my life and can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring!

Happy Holidays!