Mothers and Daughters

Yesterday I spent the day with Jackie and Eryn, Beth and Savanna, Robin and Katie and my Mary Kate. Our plan was to go to Abilene State Park and hike in the morning and picnic lunch and swim in the afternoon. Jackie wanted to go check out the Rector's new retreat center to see if she could use for her department. Tony said that we could hang out there if we wanted but we really didn't know what to expect and so thought that we would check it out and then head over to the State Park. Well, The Amazing Grace Ranch was beautiful and isolated and we just stayed there all morning. We took lots of pictures of the girls together and of the moms and moms and daughters...fun. We hiked around the property...all the time reminding each other that there could be rattlesnakes and wildcats. We ate lunch on the amazingly cool porch and just truly took in each other's presence. We then thought we would head on over to the State Park and swim. We drove up all dressed to swim and the park ranger told us that the pool is only open on Wednesday through Saturday. Crazy. So we drove to the Abilene Swim Club to swim. We had so much fun all day....laughter (lots of it), talking, wrestling, hiking, swimming (and dunking), eating (and Beth, it is okay that you ate a donut), watching bugs and buzzards. I am so glad that we took the day to be together. Wish we had done this many times over the last year. Mary Kate, Savanna, Katie, and Eryn...you are thoughtful, fun, smart, beautiful, silly, hopeful, full of life and full of the Spirit. I love you girls so immensely and know that the world is not prepared for what you have to offer. You have grown up not feeling limited because you were girls but empowered because you were girls...use that empowerment to make a difference...feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give encouragement to the downtrodden, take your amazing gifts and use them to their fullest potential. My heart overflows with pride when I watch you and how you treat each other and all those around you. I am sad to let you go but also so excited to see the rest of your lives.

And remember:

"Well-behaved women rarely make history." Laurel Thatcher Ulrich