Peaks and summits, vistas and views are nice (and pretty!), but my heart belongs in the forest. And in particular, the Aspen Groves. There is so much magic and mystery and wonder within and below these places... it gives me the chills. 
How little we know, yet it still inspires such awe... 🌲🌳🌴😍
"And who knows, perhaps one day the language of trees will eventually be deciphered, giving us the raw material for further amazing stories. Until then, when you take your next walk in the forest, give free rein to your imagination - in many cases, what you imagine is not so far removed from reality, after all!"
-- Peter Wohlleben (The Hidden Life of Trees)

I'd probably choose to hang with these two over most humans. Probably for sure... always.

Forcing the Doodles to pose with me... story of their lives...

As I have found with pretty much all things that matter most, you have to fight (with love) for what you care deeply about... .
Today is National Public Lands Day. And I care, very much, about the open spaces that wisely remind me I am but one piece of a beautiful, intricate, complex whole. Although it may seem like one area exempt from political squabbling, it's not. And disengaging from politics won't help, not one bit. We need more people taking action and caring about the state of our world, not less. And if you love wild spaces and open lands, I encourage you to engage and become increasingly educated on these issues. Especially those of us that feel so connected to our Utah landscapes. Pieces of them are being targeted by both our state level politicians as well as folks on the national level (i.e. Gov. Herbert and Sec. Zinke) .
Don't turn a blind eye... call, send emails, sign petitions. Be heard. .
"And remember - we call it the good fight not because it is the easy fight but because it is the RIGHT fight." -- Cleo Wade .
🌄🦌🐺🌲🌎🏔🏞 

We are crazy.
(and I quite like that about us)
— Cleo Wade

Love my boys... 

Hey Alabama, if you are per chance looking for a killer Christmas gift to give the rest of the country this year... please, PLEASE don’t vote for Roy Moore on Tuesday?!! There really is NO need for another sexual predator within our government. Think we have that pretty much fully covered with our current commander-in-chief.

Orrin Hatch (R, UT) was quoted saying the ‘President’s’ decision today to shrink Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante (by 85% and 47%, respectively), was “beneficial for everyone”. It sure is news to me that these days the make up of ‘everyone’ now consists of cattle ranchers and oil and gas companies. 
As becomes more and more evident every day, Trump’s sole mission as ‘President’ is to reverse and undo anything and everything Obama accomplished. How petty and small... and an utter waste of this country’s time. 
So, Mr. Trump and Mr. Hatch, on behalf of so very many of the real ‘everyone’s’ out there... Fuck you.

FINALLY get to wear this damn hat...

I’m sweating to death in 2 layers in Utah in December and it’s snowing in Atlanta. So we got that going for us... 

Why walk when you can ride?!

Chester wore a bandana down the aisle at the wedding that read ‘Here Comes the Bride’. But the original version was to say: I Loved Her First. 
How accurate and special that would have been... and mutual. He has been with me through thick + thin. Hard times + good times. Break ups and now a forever marriage. He has been my constant companion for so long now, I couldn’t picture my life without him. So, I loved you first too Doodle. 
Happy 7th birthday bestie! 

We’re ridin’ right on in to 2018 like...

Can’t stop won’t stop...
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Although Andrew sure wouldn’t mind if I maybe rested a hair more, took a load off now and again, tried out a nap every once in a while... .
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But, you know, in the forever defiant (and perhaps even tattoo-able) words of my sister: “you’re not the boss of me...”

He’s right behind me isn’t he...🐩😳👀

Could it be that we stop ourselves too quickly. Maybe we establish all these boundaries and build all these walls and set all these parameters on our lives when we are too young or too inexperienced to know our true selves or our true paths.
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Maybe the magic really is in letting yourself evolve and change and not hang on to what you once thought true. We are all here to learn certain things during our lifetimes... for our souls to gain specific knowledge each time we come back. But to think you know what those lessons might be at 20 or 30 or 40 years old seems a little... well, a little impossible, if you think about it.
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I never, in a million years, thought I’d be a parent to a human child. Nope. That’s not for me said my 25 year old self. Hell! Said my 30 year old self. But now with a mere 5 weeks to go until I’m a brand new mom, I’ve been thinking: perhaps this is the universe leading me down my next beautiful path, toward my next meaningful journey, unlocking an access point to one mighty lesson I am meant to learn during this lifetime...
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Do you think in saying this isn’t for me or that’s not for me we close ourselves off to all the possibilities? Why can’t infinite paths be possible for each of us if we just learn to trust?!
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Well, anyway... wish me luck. I guess I’m about to find out! 

We don’t have to fight with every feeling that comes up. Sometimes we just have to ride the wave and experience... ourselves. .
- Cleo Wade

We had a close encounter with a coyote the other night. She was just down the hill from us before the sun set. She knew we were there and paid us little mind. But for me, the moment stuck.
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Did you know the state of Utah will pay $40 for a dead coyote. The state of California, where we are now, there is no limit to the number of coyotes one can kill. In fact, it’s legal to kill ‘problem’ coyotes in all states. We have been hell bent on exterminating these creatures now for decades and decades.
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And yet, there she was...Them surviving and thriving is a testament to their true and deep resilience. A beautiful, warm-blooded, four-footed symbol of what it is to be genuinely gritty in this world.
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I’ll be honest, in those moments we shared, I felt her mere presence as a sort of ‘fuck you’ to all humans. US labeling THEM as the pests... now that’s some shit right there! We so so SO don’t even begin to get it... 🌄🏜🐺🖕🏼

Weird morning... woke up to a lot of ‘stuff’ going on. But the most surprising was reading that a good friend, and personal hero, was arrested upon his arrival at a North Carolina airport. .
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So what do I have to say...? I don’t know... I guess it just breaks my heart to see such an inspired, smart, beautiful human being arrested for exposing the truth. For sacrificing his own freedom to shine a light into our very darkest corners... for allowing his relentless empathy for animals guide his every move. Oh, to be that inspired...
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Having spent time with him, and hearing why he does what he does, it all makes perfect sense to me. I guess our ability to empathize does make us human. Uniquely human, actually. And that characteristic is what makes up the grit of all my most favorite people. Feeling deeply, not being afraid to show it, and never letting anyone (even our current law enforcement system) tell you what you know in your heart to be fair and true is wrong... Now that’s a human to be admired.
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Listen. Compassion is never a crime. Exposing the truth behind the closed doors of cruelty is never a crime. Doing the right thing for those in need is NEVER a crime.
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I hope against hope, and plan to do my part, to ensure a generation not far from mine will look back on how we treat animals today and think... How could you? Why would you? NEVER again... ✊🏼
“We cannot be free until every animal is free.”

They say it takes a village. And never before have I been more grateful to have created a tribe of amazing family and friends that are all excited to start this journey along side us. This baby is going to be surrounded by the most incredible humans who will each pass along their own unique wisdom, strength and love to this little creature. .
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Kula is a Sanskrit word which translates to ‘Tribe of the Heart’. And that is what we have created for her and what she will continue to build after she arrives. Lucky her and very very lucky us… 💫✨❤️
#tribeoftheheart #kulababe

Despite all the unknowns and uncertainty ahead, I know something profound is coming my way, and so, I’ve decided to start measuring myself in strength, not pounds. And maybe I’ll even meet myself back where I started, only stronger this time. 🦌🌿 #erinitout

I’ve heard them say the first step in conquering your fears is admitting them... right?! Well... I’m scared to death to push this baby out of my lady parts. Always have been. The thought of it has always just made me totally cringe. Even before, when I was NEVER having a kid. .
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Fear based in vain cosmetic reasons, yes. In being afraid that I won’t be able to handle that level of pain, yup. And maybe even a little bit of the fact that there will be a human being, for which I must care for completely, on the other side... you betcha.
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Currently, I am osculating between wanting the whole process to be a connection and conduit, a grounding into my inner feminine goddess, to wanting to be hit up as soon as I enter that hospital room with all them drugs, to even wanting to Handmaid’s Tale this whole thing and just be handed a baby on the other end... 😳🤷🏼‍♀️
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I mean, I best hurry and get it together as she could be joining us any day now. But, still when I think about the actual labor my mind just goes totally blank. Disconnect. .
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So I guess I just want to send a shout out to all and any of us that are working through our current fears. As I hear, things are much more meaningful on the other side...?! #erinitout

We have a family motto... A little old school, I know, but just like I think every car should have a name, I think every family should have a motto. And ours is: Ties That Bind.
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It’s sort of the from-way-back-in-the-day version of ‘ride or die’. .
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It was a saying amongst sailors, one signifying their deep camaraderie while out to sea. The fact that these souls, once they decided to head out of port, were tied together by a particular bond based on adventure, courage and a shared commitment to show up for each other each and everyday. As this act was crucial to their survival and well being.
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And although we may not be sailors, we have decided to make this journey together. And just the very act of committing to taking this voyage as a team, binds us together, as family. And to be honest, I wouldn’t want to be tied to anyone else... 

They say that anything in life worth having is hard. And I’ll be honest, I’ve become pretty damn convinced that ‘they’ were referring to raising a child. 😳😬
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There is so much attention paid to pregnancy and then the birth itself, but I feel like there is a real dearth of general support for new moms, both in the postpartum period and these first few months (ok I’m guessing the first 18+ years, but I haven’t gotten that far yet...). .
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You are quite literally discharged from the hospital with a prayer and a hope (and a lot of materials to deal with your lady parts... 🙃). But not much else in terms of guidance, assistance or training as to how the hell to do this damn thing! .
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Overall my personality trends toward doing it my way, not particularly caring what anyone else thinks, but these last three months have been huge. My life is oh so different. And I feel like I am reinventing the wheel over here! And sometimes it kinda feels like I’m doing this whole thing in a vacuum. And it can get damn lonely.
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I never thought this was going to be easy, but the hormone changes, the breastfeeding, the lack of sleep, the unpredictable mood swings of a newborn, the changes in my relationship with Andrew (all is well, just different), the total and utter lack of ‘me’ time and the constant responsibility of caring for another living, breathing human is... hard! And some days, I do in fact wonder what the hell we were thinking...
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But, really... you know what?! ‘They’ just might have been right after all. This little one is truly everything. Her own beautiful, unique soul here to teach me all the things I could never dream of learning without her. And so, I’d say, that makes it all pretty damn worth it. 

Is hiking in jeans equivalent to skiing in jeans...?! Asking for a friend... 👖🚶🏼‍♀️⛷🤷🏼‍♀️