Catch Up

The Canadian boarder will be open to vaccinated travelers in July! 

I am so happy that we will be able to visit our family, but I'm not sure when it will happen. 

I have been home, taking care of the yard, going to water aerobics  and getting ready for my test. 

The flowers do not disappoint. 

Water and Miracle Grow.

My test is another story 

Rocky Mountain National Park

Number one lesson from this little trip: 

Not only do you need a reservation to get in the park, you need a separate one to get into certain parts of the park. 

The pictures here are of the part of the park that you don't need a reservation to get into.

It is a beautiful place, and the elevation is mind blowing. 

For whatever reason , I decided to climb the stairs and stood at the top of those rocks. 

We found trails to hike

Lakes and rivers

And wildlife and reminders of the past

It was hot and our muscles hurt at the end of the day, but a good adventure. 

Ready

We are off on another adventure tomorrow. We hope to have some sun and good walks. We have never been here, so it is a new adventure.

 I am anxiously awaiting my turn to go to Canada. I think about it all the time. I have not seen my son and his family for almost 2 years. Who ever would have thought that we would be separated for so long? 

 We talk talk to them and occasionally, and I mean occasionally, we might have a Zoom call. Once in a while, we see a picture of the girls on Instagram. I miss the little girls and am ready for a visit, but I miss my son.

 When I sent him on a mission, I knew it would be 2 years, but the last time I saw him, I didn't know it would be 2 years.

 At this point we are waiting for a change of rules to be able to cross the boarder without quarantining. We hope this rule will change in this months boarder update on the 20th.

 I can't help but think of my great grandmother, Maria Empey. Her oldest daughter, Alice, married a man from Canada and moved to Alberta to farm and build a new life. I have thought of her, Maria Empey, often as my son married a young woman from Canada and moved to Alberta to build a life close to her family. I have asked as many people as I could and it appears that Alice only came back to Idaho once for a visit. It also appears that my grandfather, Oren Empey and his sister, Edith Christensen visited them many years later.

 I am the lucky one, we have been able to visit in Canada several times and they have come here several times also and we will see them again soon. 

Maria with her family

Me, with my family (yes, I know Richard isn't with us)

 Fingers Crossed, we see them soon.

First Get Away

Beaches

Friends and family 

Walks and Drives

Beautiful days and Food

Things are going to get easier

There is a song that I sing to myself for my son Scott.  Oh ohh, child,  things are going to get easier.  My middle child suffers from depression and anxiety.  Sometimes I wonder if it is a life long struggle or if better days will come.

The hardest part is that I don't have the same problem. My empathy is coming from my heart not personal experience. 

I have always encouraged him to seek professional help and he does. He shamelessly writes about it. These post scare people. They ask me if he is okay and I answer that he is okay, but in reality, I have no idea. It is my belief that if he is talking about it,  he is probably not suicidal. 

He had Covid in January and has been mentally healthy ever since. In fact, he is better every week.  

He was at the house this weekend and played the guitar for us. The last song he wrote was good. He still has vivid, nightmares at night, but he is in a better spot. 

As the mother of a depressed young adult I think that I will always worry about his mental state.  I will keep holding on to the hope that better days will come and that a loving God will watch over him.