We wish you all a VERY Merry Christmas!
Grace & Peace,
Julie
Category Archives: Photography
I’m finally back to blogging & thought it would be fun to post some of my favorite portraits from our trip to The Wave.
And, since they can only stay “posed” or “normal” for so long, here are some for your humor:
Here is some of the landscape surrounding The Wave:
Then, the big kids had a dance off:
{the video is very funny, but we will keep that to ourselves}
I hope you win the lottery & get to experience this glory also!
Grace & Peace,
Julie
{the final destination}
The Wave is one of the most magical places to experience on this earth & only 20 people are allowed in a day. On January 4, 2018, my family had the privilege to hike this pristine beauty! Found in the Coyote Buttes, just south of the Utah border, it feels like you are on another planet! This article will give you the best guide to navigating the permit process & what to expect on your hike if you too desire to hike The Wave {which I know you will}.
{my lucky girl}
Like I said, to hike The Wave, you must first obtain a permit in Kanab, Utah at the visitor’s center for The Grand Staircase Escalante. We were 5 of about 85 people that day, trying their luck at the in-person permit lottery which would grant 10 people to hike the following day {the other 10 entries come from the online lottery}. Due to our travel itinerary, that was the ONE & ONLY day we could try to win. So, we had Sunshine Girl hand in our application, since she has had a great streak at winning contests in her lifetime. Five slots were taken & Sam & I looked at each other: if we were not called next, we would not be able to go! Low & behold, our lucky number 18 was called!!! I squealed in delight {the women next to me were on their 9th straight day of trying to win & had talked about how interesting people’s reactions were … most are dead silent & some are animated … I figured, hey! this is a HUGE deal, so why not be happy?! which deeply embarrassed my children}. Anyways, when the park ranger announced we were a party of 5, the crowd boo-ed. Fun Fact: a total of 161,467 applied for a Wave permit in 2017!
{up, up, & away!}
We started out the day just before sunrise, as we wanted to capture the best light for photography & of course, we wanted to be out there as long as possible — once in a lifetime, people! I made everyone “layer up” and, of course, the clothing was stripped down within the first half hour. Hiking & sunlight will do that to you!
{go THAT way}
This is the one & only trail marker you will see on your hike once you are out there. And, it cracks me up because DO YOU SEE A TRAIL??? NO?!!! That would be due to the fact that THERE IS NOT ONE! The hike itself is not very difficult; the danger is due to the fact that you are IN THE MIDDLE OF A DESERT where everything starts to look similar. When you win the lottery, you are given a pictorial guide from the park rangers to guide you, and thank God for Sam because, to me, all of the buttes just started looking the same. {We also took a GPS system, which did work, but they tell you not to count on it working accurately}
One of our favorite parts of being there was the stillness. After being at the Grand Canyon & Horseshoe Bend, to be away from PEOPLE was a dream!
There was a little uphill “climbing” that was involved & the tricky thing about that was the fact that everywhere there is a thin layer of sand, so it is slippery.
The joke of the day was asking what “butt” we were looking for.
There were bird tracks everywhere once we got closer to the wave {where the sand was a bit deeper than the wide rocks we walked over}. It was fun to see. Then, we had to climb up a “wall” & once you were on top, you were near The Wave, which is actually very small area.
And, here is the beginning of the wonder!
Who knew that the desert could be so beautiful?!
Ahhhh, a taste of Heaven!
I think I literally took 750 photos on this hike alone. Can you see why?! Everywhere you look, there is a new color, new texture & unique movement. I loved how the light changed throughout the day. This is in the shade & you can start to see the harsh desert light creep in.
This adventure was literally a dream come true & I am forever grateful that I got to experience this with my beloved family.
More photos soon…
Grace & Peace,
Julie
{Lower Antelope Canyon}
Antelope Canyon is one of THE MOST AMAZING places in the United States. Our family hiked there this past January, after we had hiked in the Grand Canyon the day before, & it was an amazing contrast of canyons: small narrow places vs. wide open gulfs; the sky is almost hidden vs. vast expanse of sky.
The colors, shapes & textures are an artist & photographer’s dream! It was so surreal & simply magical.
Typically people try to go there in the summer, when the sun is the highest in the sky, so that you can see shafts of light coming down into the holes of the slot canyon. But, I would highly recommend going in January so that you will not be dying of heat & there are a little less people {though on the day we went, every tour was sold out}!
When you go to Antelope Canyon, it is required that you are taken by a guide. The canyon is in the Navajo Reservation & we took the Dixie Ellis tour. It was worth every penny. Our guide was very sweet & taught us not only about the geology of the formations, but she also taught us a little bit of her Navajo history.
While we were waiting for our tour to begin, we had the joy of watching a traditional Navajo dance. He balanced these 10 hoops & it was really something! {My 10 year old daughter thought he was doing magic & that the hoops broke apart to then reconnect together! It would make a good lesson in physics & balance!}
The craziest thing to me about slot canyons is that the are completely hidden in plain site. This is the view you will see just steps from the underground magic! I would have driven right by!
This is the “path” to the entrance of the canyon. Our guide told us that years ago when the US Army was chasing the Navajos out in this desert, the Navajos would jump down into the slot canyons to hide & the army could NEVER find them.
Here is my family “on top” of the lower antelope canyon. See that crevice to their right?! THAT is the canyon.
Being in the canyon reminded me of the spiritual lesson about how God looks at the heart, not at the outer appearance. {1 Samuel 16:7 – when Samuel the prophet is sent to anoint the new king of Israel & God has chosen David, the youngest & smallest, because he had a heart after God.} We are to look underneath the surface to see the true beauty which is hidden below.
There is MUCH beauty to behold!
It was also fun to think about the power of light, illuminating the darkness.
I hope one day you are able to explore this wonder with your family also!
Grace & Peace,
Julie
{the 5 of us … see the Super Moon peeking over Sunshine Girl’s left shoulder?! I JUST noticed that now!}
This past January, we escaped the bitter cold of Chicago & started our new year by doing our favorite thing: exploring the beauty of nature! Sam found $95 round trip tickets on Frontier from Milwaukee to Las Vegas and from there, we rented a car and put over 900 miles on the rental car in one week. Oh & by the way, we each took only 1 backpack on the airplane … so no carry-on or luggage fees! {We may or may not have worn several layers & sweat on the plane ride there.}
There is NO WAY you can ever fully prepare for the breathtaking view of the canyon. We had showed the kids photos & videos, but nothing compares to being there.
So, here’s tip #1: Park at the visitor’s center & head to Mather’s Point {a very short walk just behind the visitor’s center} & take a video to capture their reaction. {I really wish I had done this, as it was absolutely priceless when Sunshine Girl literally gasped when she saw it for the first time!} You might even want to blindfold them & then do a big reveal!
After watching the sun set in the west, I turned to show the kids how the colors of the canyon had already changed so much in the short time we were there & all of the sudden we could see a flaming ball rising over the eastern side of the wall. It was the super moon!!! The photos do not do it justice at all, as it looked HUGE. Apparently, it will only happen there once this year & we were so blessed to see it! Thank you, Jesus!
The next morning, we got up early to hike The South Kaibab Trail. See those switchbacks above?! It is intense. Which leads me to tip #2: Hike the desert in THE WINTER!!!! Over & over throughout the day I repeated to myself {& honestly out loud}, “I CANNOT IMAGINE doing this in the summer heat!” There is NO shade. And, there is no “easy hike” in the Grand Canyon since you are essentially going straight down & then straight back up. The trail starts at 7, 260 feet in elevation & we hiked 3 miles to Skeleton Point which is 5,200 feet in elevation.
{photo above is her “Patagonia pose” .. omg … she kills me!}
Ooh Aah Point is just that. You will stop, feast your eyes on the beauty, and it will take your breath away. Worth every step.
More on tip #2: Another reason to hike in the winter is there are WAY LESS PEOPLE out there. We maybe saw 50 people all day which equals bliss.
The above series of photos are from our final destination, Skeleton Point. Just steps past Skeleton Point is where you will get your first good glimpse of the Colorado River. And, how did we know this? It is based on tip #3: Make friends with the National Park Rangers & ask them LOTS of questions & they will gladly share their nuggets of wisdom. The reason we chose this trail in the first place was based on their great advice: shorter that Bright Angel, but more steep … so up to you. They thought the kids would do better with this trail & I am sure they were correct! {just look at those smiles, still on their faces! … remember, we’ve only gone downhill thus far}.
One of my favorite things about being in nature is the way it grows my heart in pure awe of God, the Majestic Creator. And I also love the spiritual lessons that come with the outdoors. While sitting here, overlooking the HUGE expanse of the canyon, we read to the kids my life verse, Ephesians 3:14-21 & I told them to look out & see how deep, how high, how wide, and how long is the valley & how much bigger God’s love for them is!
One funny story: I had also tried talking to them about The Bridge Illustration {a gospel tool illustrating our need for Jesus & how our “good works” could NEVER get us across to God}, but that was a total fail. I had said, “Pretend we are here.” Kids, “We ARE HERE, MOM!” {O.K.} Me, “Well then, look way over there & pretend God is over there.” Kids, “That’s dumb. God is EVERYWHERE.” Me, “JUST PRETEND!” Kids, “But, that does not make any sense!!!!” Finished by Sunshine Girl saying, “Mom, I don’t mean to offend you, but that just is not a very good analogy.” {Umm… OK… it’s only been used for decades!}
Tip #4 for hiking the Grand Canyon with kids: take lots of breaks & bring lots of water!
It was a HARD trip back, even in the cool 55 degrees, and I offered the mule leaders $1,000 to give me a ride! {Ha! They declined … they were working mules}
Tip #5: create incentives with your kids to get them to certain rest points. This can be a number of steps you both take, a certain rock or tree, a bathroom, etc… that way, they are not overwhelmed. I think my last incentive with Pumpkins on this trail was, “You can eat WHATEVER you want for dinner!” {those little legs earned it & I was seriously impressed!}
My Favorite Little Mister, on the other hand, did not need ANY incentives to complete the hike. In fact, Sam gave him permission to go up ALONE {every mother’s nightmare} & he RAN 1 of the 3 miles up. {He had been going through cross country training withdrawal & just “needed to get a run in”} OMG! Craziness. He got “a little lost” at the top, but then did his “cool down” run back to the visitor center where we met him over an hour later. Tip #6: Fathers, please do not allow your children to “just go up ahead” & thus give your wife anxiety.
Tip #7: Soak in an amazing sunset & celebrate the adventure you had that day! This view is from Lipan Point, another park ranger tip!
Enjoy!
Grace & Peace,
Julie
Merry Christmas from our family to yours! This year was a year of change & adventure. In January we went to Taiwan for a family wedding & travelled around the entire island in a week. In July we drove from Chicago to California to visit 4 National Parks: Arches, Bryce, Zion, and Yosemite. We hiked till we dropped & saw more of God’s glory than we could have ever imagined. Then in August we skipped the second day of high school to see the solar eclipse! Magnificent! As you might be able to tell, we are trying to expose our children to the beauty of creation so that they will grasp a deeper sense of awe & wonder of God our Creator & so that they will respect the earth & take good care of it.
My Favorite Little Mister is by NO means “little”. I think he grew 6 inches in 8 months & is such a handsome young man (if I say so myself!) He started high school & has found his niche in running cross country. The dedication & discipline & teamwork those boys have is fascinating to me & it was so fun to cheer them on. He also continues to play cello at school & on the worship team, & is teaching himself guitar. He just got a drone, so a new passion has developed.
Sunshine Girl is basically all grown up also. (AHHHHH!) She started 7th grade & made the school play. It is her first time in drama & she is a natural. She’s also my rock star, playing percussion in the school band & bass guitar in the worship team at church. Her level of comic book expertise continues to grow & she is most often found reading. If I say things like, “Is Gwen Pool married to Dead Pool?!”, she will shrivel up & die (remember the drama reference? yes, she’s a NATURAL). She also loves soccer, cross country & badminton. Her heart & her beauty is pure. I tell her she is the glue of our family (ie: middle child to middle child love).
Pumpkin-Poos (aka “Little Punks”) is in 4th grade. (Yes, I have 3 kids at 3 different schools: OH JOY!) She loves soccer, dancing, and most of all, her dog. She is taking piano to prepare for percussion next year in school & also loves reading. She is full of JOY & can often be found writing encouraging notes to family & friends. She is my little artist, constantly creating. One highlight of her year was riding a horse in Yosemite. Her love for animals is strong. And, I love her heart for worship songs.
And, here is our dog. He is BY FAR the MOST BELOVED dog in the world, guaranteed! Boy, does he have the life. When the kids are not doting on him, he’s either sleeping or being king of the backyard. And, when we go on vacation, grandpa & grandma spoil him rotten.
Lest you think we are a picture-perfect family, please enjoy these out-takes.
(Why my family can be normal for only 5 minutes of a photo shoot is beyond me!)
If you are familiar with the tv show Fresh off the Boat, that is the neutral face of displeasure the kids have. And, yes, my son did wear his cross country uniform UNDER his clothes & at the end of the shoot stripped down to reveal it & started running around. OH MY GOODNESS!
I hope your Christmas is full of joy!
Grace & Peace,
Julie
Merry Christmas from our family to yours!
{the above is the front of our Christmas card}
{and, this would be our “real” selves}
We had some wonderful adventures in 2015 & are so thankful for the joy that is in our home … 
Even though Daddy Bear looks so serious,
we really are a crazy bunch … esp the girl in the fedora … 
We wish you all love, joy & peace!
And a Happy New Year!
Emmanuel! God is with us!
Grace & Peace,
Julie