A Mental Health Day=A Great Hike!

Once or twice a year, I treat myself to a Mental Health day off from work. So when my niece's volleyball team was in town for college play and my sister decided to drive across the state to gather a set of videos of her on the court, I knew exactly what to do.

Yep! The next day I took a mental health day. We loaded the pups into the car, took our "selfie"

 and headed to Boise (only a 45 minute drive away) for a day hike.

Our hike began at the Old Idaho Penitentiary....

 ...and our destination was Table Rock. A two mile upward hike.

 We loved it!

The view of Boise was breathtaking.

 Along with that of the foothills behind us:

Being four years apart, like many, our journey in life has had it's periods of closeness and distance. 

We married within a year of each other yet our oldest daughter and her youngest daughter are nine years apart...thus she is just beginning her "empty nest" chapter of life and coping with the loneliness and transition of such. We enjoyed one of those two days visits that found you staying up till 1:00am talking only to turn around and get up early for hiking and a little shopping the next day. 

 We literally laughed out-loud as we found ourselves driving along with  dogs on our laps,  reminiscent of the days our cars were then filled with car seats and children instead. We wrapped up our day with a visit to a quilt store to pick out fabrics for a quilt I'm going to make her and JoAnnes to pick out yarn for a blanket she is going to crochet me. I'm grateful for our visit and that we had this time to get reunited. I'm learning that it's not so much that we change, as much as it is that we grow. We're already discussing our next visit and things we'd like to do. I hope the next time you have the opportunity to take a Mental Health Day from work that you feel inspired to take care of yourself and do just that!