HAPPY NEW 2016!

wow. it's been another year. where has time gone? i can't believe it. one sec it was summer, then suddenly there was snow on everything! this past year has been amazing, a real roller coaster - with big ups & downs. highs & lows. some hard & crazy & wonderful-good stuff has happened. God is good, so so good. my family is a huge blessing to me. i love them. in this past year i've explored, done lots of fun stuff & gone on some grand adventures in the mountains. i've grown, learned much & continued to matured. (still have lots to learn!) i'm one blessed girl. this year, my only resolution is: to simply seek Jesus more then ever. i need Him so much. so so so much. 

i need to trust in Him. 

i need to listen, love, & obey Him. 

i need His grace & peace. 

also! peace is not the absence of trouble, its the presence of Christ in your life in the midst of whatever is happening. think about that! life can be hard, crazy, exciting, turbulent - but with Jesus, by Jesus, because of Jesus, i'll get through it… you'll get through it too, if you submit your life & plans into His hands. He sees the depths of my heart, your heart, & He loves me the same. He's called me to be His child. i'm exactly where & who He wants me to be. i'm just gonna keep plugging along, slowly, surly, as i can. trusting in Him. 

looking back to this time last year - & who i was - i feel like a totally different person. God's been busy working in my life; i'm excited to see what this new year holds!

here's to forever seeking His face, His word, His light - & pressing onwards up the winding road, keeping my heart & mind open to seeing His beauty, wherever it might be found. 

hope you have a truly incredible 2016 - 

~GB 

Hiking in September -

Mystic Lake, Montana. 435 acres, 205+ ft deep, elevation 7,683 ft. 

I grew up in the Appalachian Mountains, & now live by the Rocky Mountains. Mountains have a very special place in my heart. As a child, I spent every moment of free time playing & exploring in the mts & foothills. Now, as an adult, the mountains are still my "playground" year-round. I always feel like a little child when I look at the mountains. I also feel very privileged & blessed to be able to live & walk among them. The sheer size of mountains, always strikes me with awe. Makes me realize how small & helpless I am. I hike as much as I can during the summer, & ski during the winter. It soothes the mind to be in the mountains - getting away from the hustle, noise, & businesses of life is refreshing; it puts things into perspective, lets ya see the big picture. The beauty & complexity of God's creation is amazing. There's no time to be bored in a world as beautiful as this! Move your body, still your mind. Hike while you can. Go outside & do something you will remember. Do not view mountains from the scale of human thought, explore His earth & keep the wonder!

"Slow down & enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss when going by too fast — you also miss the sense of where you are going & why." - Eddie Cantor 

down to earth….

-GB

{ photos of autumn }

I love taking pictures… Now,  I'm totally not a "photographer" its just one of my hobbies…. I think photography is so much more then just 'taking pictures' - it's a way to preserve, remember, & capture tiny moments that can never be recreated. ever. What you capture on camera is captured forever.  Photos help us remember little things, long after we have forgotten the details. They are memory keepers. Photography is a way of seeing & discovering… It's a way of exploring the details in the world around you. Its perspective, its creative, & sometimes its hard work. I think that's why I like it so much…  Here's some favorite pics from this fall…

Pumpkin vine. 

Profile & flower. 

The water sings. 

The leaves fall.

Tender hands.

Catching the days last light; the warm smile of the sun slipping below the horizon.

Under the water — 

Our black lab, leaping into the cold river to fetch a decoy. 

An Eastern Racer snake. 

   I love the abstract shapes the water creates.

My little brother rescued a caterpillar from a would-be watery demise. 

Toads in a jar

Two of many, many toads caught during the summer by my little brother.
Did you know that a group of toads is called a "knot" and a group of frogs is called an "army"? 

F L O W E R S

Isn't it funny how day by day 

nothing changes, but when you look back 

everything is different? 

~C.S.Lewis 

Life Under the Beautiful Big Sky

Highlanders and their big shaggy heads. 

Misquotes literally ate me alive while I took this pic. 

The Beartooth Rocky Mountains, snowcapped during the summer. Lush foothills will turn brown soon. 

As the golden sun meets the horizon, rain falls from the sky. 

My good'ole dog of 14 years. 

    

A grand masterpiece painted across the heavens by the Creator. Words cannot express just beautiful this was. 

 

Busy bee in the garden. Macro lens. 

   

The Prickly Pear & my feet. Oh, happy, happy hot summer day!

Black & White Horse

     

B L U E     E Y E D

SKIING PICTURES 2013

A Mountain Chickadee. I love birds!  :) 

Black & white! Cole Creek Quad lift. My favorite! 

My good friend Audrey took this pic for me. :) This jump was huge. Did a 360.  Way fun. 

Had to hike off trail for this one. The snow was 3-4 feet deep! 

Soft morning light, looking up the run. 

The snow came late this season. Early on, lots of trails were closed.

This un's crazy steep. Cold shadows.  

Old wood, new growth. I love the gnarly trees up on the mountain… 

Breathtaking views, from atop Drifter Run. 

Sluice Box. Double Black Diamond.  - my favorite run! :D

This little guy found a seed or something. 

Looking over to the next ridge above the tree line.  Grizzly country. 

On top of Grizzly Peak; a skier's horizon.  Elevation 9,416 feet.

Not all days are bight & clear. Some days are dark & cold… oh so cold.

The Palisades.

The Beartooth Wilderness. 

I love the mountains & snow. I love the challenge of skiing. Doing moguls, jumps, speeding skiing, making trails winding through the trees... The sent of pine, the cold air blowing on my face, it's so peaceful, quite & inspiring up there. 

I've gone a total of skiing like 18 times so far this season. I know I already posted a bunch of ski pictures, but those were taken with my little ipod. These pictures were taken with my nicer camera, the rebel T1i. I'm really not much of a photographer at all, I mainly just love getting out there & taking them. Here are some of my favorite shots from this season…. Still got a couple more weeks of skiing left before it's too warm & the snow starts to soften. Gonna make the most out of it! Skiing is the best! 

Check out www.redlodgemountain.com - It's a wonderful ski resort that has a verity of terrain for all types of skiers - learning or advanced - there's a run for you here! From the magic carpet to the double-black diamond runs - to breathtaking views - to a toasty fire or a glass of Montana-made beer - you'll love it here. Skiing season starts late November and last through early April. Average snowfall is 250". 

Montana Skiing, Pure & Simple

 All photos taken on my 5th gen ipod. Instagram edited. :) 

www.redlodgemountain.com