Small things bringing me joy this week:

• Making it out of the Grand Canyon. Such a simple statement I’m so grateful for. 
• Finding this blog post late one night as I was contemplating some big decisions for my business in the next year. It was terribly convicting. I love brand expert Renee’s honest words about how vain our industry can be. Still biting off and chewing some good meat from that. 
• Finding my bridesmaid’s dress during a last minute, late-night run to Last Chance. I found the perfect thing–an elegant 100% silk gown for 12.97. What??! I had to look it up on Nordstrom when I made it home to see the original price tag–$310. Yup. That, my friends, is the beauty of Last Chance! 😉

I love that image up there^^. It speaks of the many, many miles and challenges of a journey through the Grand Canyon. We had just finished a 7 hour hike into Havasupai from the rim and had just arrived at our long-awaited destination: our campground. Finally getting to remove boots from my blistered feet was one of the best feelings of the day. We had planned this trip for months–years if you count the first time Andy jotted it down on our bucket list in our first year of marriage. It seemed so glamorous on paper, and, even now, I’ll admit, sharing with others that we hiked the long 10-mile-each-way path to Havasu Falls. But, honestly, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever faced. Between falling down and getting cut up by waterfalls, carrying more weight than anyone my frame should bear for 10 miles, and running out of water on a 6-mile hike to and from the last of our site-seeing falls, the canyon broke me. Like, really kicked me around and slapped in the face a few times. There were moments I honestly thought we might not make it–like when we were in route of a long stretch before we could stop and I’d see Andy’s limping body in front of me trying to finish out the last of the race. It’s interesting the things that kind of struggle can bring out of you: anger, an extremely selfish fixation on your own comfort, and, sometimes, tears. But, somehow–and it’s really very incredible–you find the strength to just keep moving your feet and taking that next step, no matter how small it may be. It was having an idea of that end goal, that end destination, that gave me the strength to continue. Fixating on that great hope of rest, comfort, and just being there gave the strength to keep moving every sore muscle in my very tired body. And then, eventually, we got there. We made it. And the struggle of the journey faded away in comparison with the joy of having finally arrived. And we are so glad to be home.

Love this last image from our trip, seconds after we made it to the top, and seconds before we found our dead car battery. Thank goodness for friendly strangers with cables. 🙂