My sister Rachel and I. Leadville, CO. Circa 1992

I love the freedom that living in an RV brings. It has allowed us to instill in our children a love for the outdoors.

My son, who is only 16 months old is always chanting, “outsiiide, outsiiide,” any time we are indoors. He longs to roam and explore.

Our daughter is very similar; she much prefers the outdoors as well. Aside from reading books, she would rather be outdoors soaring down the trail on her balance bike.

Part of our family mission statement states our goal is to enjoy the outdoors and respect the environment. Kristy has done a fabulous job at teaching our children to be little environmentalists: they both love picking up trash they find on the playground or on the trail and putting it in it’s proper place…the trash can. Just yesterday while on a walk to a nearby park, Abby saw a yellow construction ribbon blowing in the wind attached to a tree. She immediately exclaimed, “can we pick up the trash?”

Aside from picking up trash our children love walking, hiking, climbing boulders, and just looking up into the sky. Both are already aspiring to be little rock climbers and trail runners. I look forward to the day he can share those experiences with them more deeply.

The love I have for the outdoors stems from my own upbringing. I remember spending many summers in Colorado, weekends on the lake, hunting with my dad, and just longing to drink deeply from all that the mountains provided. I worked hard as a kid to raise money to go on youth group ski trips and mission trips in the mountains… all because I loved the outdoors.

That love for the outdoors grew from all the time my parents spent with me outside. I can even remember being a well-balanced kid in elementary and junior high. I would spend part of my time indoors playing video games, but much of it I spent outside exploring the creek, climbing trees, and playing war and other creative games with the neighbors.

I can only hope that my kids grow up to have the same love and passion for the outdoors. I hope that they in turn pass that love down to their own children as well. I could care less about them becoming rock climbers or trail runners. My main hope is that they drink deeply from God’s creation and allow it to strengthen their love for the Creator and fellow man. It’s something the outdoors has always done for me.

My son Joshua, and daughter Abby. Leadville, CO. 2015. Photo taken in the same play fort at Sugar Loafn’ Campground as the one above.