Our Outdoor Adventure

*Note: Due to the extreme conditions that we were in, no actual pictures of the events could be taken during the actual event. Please bear with our use of google pictures*




Since living in Colorado, we have been able to witness some of the most beautiful creations of God. From Garden of the Gods, to the beautiful Pikes Peak, we are always in awe.

Yesturday was one of those awe days.

We joined Larry's Aunt Michelle, her kids and parents on their drive out to Colorado's Paint Mines. These rocks and hoodoos are beautiful!

While meandering through the scenery, we failed to take note of just how close a mass of black clouds were heading. Poor Larry, kept prompting and pointing out the obvious lighting and thunder rolling our way, but being with a group of girls, his voice was drowned out by all of our need for exploring.

We only got about a miles hike into the Paint Mines when the rain really began. We took no heed to the water and toted some happy kids laughing in the water. And then it hail.

At this point, we decided to wait out the storm under a small cove of sandstone rocks. Water mixed with sandstone = mess. The longer we waited, the larger the hail became. One thing we didn't consider when going into a small canyon-like setting while it was raining was the chance of flash floods. Granted, the flooding was nothing in comparison to this, but it came fast and fairly strong.

It was amazing how quickly the water collected and form a rushing river inside of these trails of rocks. Knowing if we didn't move quickly we'd be flooded in, we each grabbed a sobbing child, hiding as much of their little limbs as we could and ran through this new river of hail and muddy water, praying that it would get better. Looking back, it really seemed like a scene from some Brendan Fraser movie with everyone trying to escape the rushing water and firing enemies.

It's amazing at how lucky we were despite all of this.
We all came out cold, with nice sized welts from the quarter-sized hail (!), and only one of us briefly had a meeting with a small cactus on the way back to the cars.

It's amazing how heart crushing and terrifying it is to know that you are practically helpless in covering a child from the pelting pain of hail.

It was amazing to witness how quickly the large mass of clouds hurried past, despite the enormity the storm should have been.

It is amazing that despite our not heeding any still small voice, our Heavenly Father still loves and helped us.

I have definately gained a much greater respect for nature and just how quickly one's situation can change, in just a blink of an eye. I have such respect for how in control Heavenly Father is, when we all felt so incapable.

One day, I hope to go back and be able to take some Painted Mine pictures of our own, but we'll wait for a REALLY sunny day, I think.