“As beautiful as simplicity is, it can become a tradition that stands in the way of exploration.” ~ Laura Nyro

Sometimes the simplest things can be the most meaningful.  The last couple of days, my younger kids have been sick.  Unlike their older brother, they prefer to cuddle with me when they’re sick.  He just wanted to sleep in his own bed.  Then again, the younger two wanted to cuddle with their dad, but he was out, so I was the next best thing.

So I spent more time this weekend looking at the computer or watching TV.  I was looking at the HGTV Dream Home and started thinking about skiing and other outdoor activities.  I went to church while growing up, and our youth group used to go hiking quite often.  I would go skiing with a group from school.  Yea, I’m a computer geek, but I participated in sports and other activities.  I loved hiking.  I’ve been doing some thinking about outdoor activities lately.  I miss being able to go out and hike a nature trail.  I haven’t been able to find any closer than 45 minutes to an hour away, maybe further.

When I lived in NC, my oldest and I went hiking on a nature trail.  I think he enjoyed it.  I know I did.  With the genetics in my husband’s family, I want my younger 2 kids to stay active.  Granted, it’s harder in OK, so I need to find other activities – when it’s not 100+ degrees outside.  The park across the street is hokey, but they can do that.  I need to get them over there more often when we’re not under a heat advisory.  I know my oldest went outside a lot more than my younger 2 do.

The simplest things for us to do aren’t going to be things we pay to see.  Parks and outdoor activities instead of museums and other things inside are ideal.

My subject isn’t quite what the quote is about, but in a way it is.  The simplest thing to do would be to stay home; do the same thing all the time.  Instead, we need to explore and learn.  The exploration needs to be in more areas than simply our days off work.  I’m working toward having more energy so I can do more with the kids, and more for myself.  The simplest thing is to keep the status quo.  I’m not going to be doing that.  Though we’ve been told we’ll still have jobs, I’m exploring my options on other incomes.  I will not walk out on a job without another income, but that doesn’t mean I can’t explore other ways that we can get by.  It may be time to go back to school for real.  My goal – get my degree in web development.  That’ll include both programming and design.