Christie Butcher lives in Lake Highlands with her husband, Matt, and their children: Gracie, 5; Grant, 3; and a rainbow baby on the way. They’re members of Watermark Community Church and avid explorers. They’ve just returned to their jobs in Dallas—Christie is a stay-on-the-go mom, and Matt is a brand strategy director at The Richards Group—after a six-month, cross-country RV trip. Read more about their adventures at sailsandtrails.us.
6:45AM Wake up to the sounds of Gracie in full crescendo from her bunk. (Life’s a musical with this one.) We have morning kids, and they open their eyes ready for breakfast.
7AM In an effort to borrow a few more moments of rest, we let the crew pile into our seemingly pint-size bed, despite it being a queen. We talk through breakfast options and the big adventure for today. But first, where are we again? It’s hard to remember when we’re moving our little roaming home every few days.
7:15AM Open the window shade to be awed by the jagged peaks of the Watchman inside Zion National Park. Wow—it’s no wonder so many people travel here from around the world.
7:33AM Breakfast is finally underway. Matt coaxes them to eat while I get ready in a bathroom the size of most people’s coat closet.
8:45AM We are all out the door and loaded into the Jeep. Water, check! Snacks, check! Backpack for carrying Grant, check! Change of clothes (who knows where this trail will lead), check! Let’s roll.
8:49AM We drive back to the RV to get Grant’s forgotten shoes.
9:10AM At the trailhead, I step out of the car, breathe in the fresh air deeply and then promptly throw up. Ugh, really? One of the downsides of being pregnant and driving twisty roads.
9:45AM We’ve made it about half a mile into our planned 3-mile loop before someone says, “I want a snack.” So we sit down and take the first of what seems to become dozens of snack and potty breaks while the kid-less hikers breeze by us. Sometimes I think it might be easier to hike with a bear—like, a real bear on a leash—than with toddlers.
10:02AM Matt spots a colorful caterpillar that we stop to examine. The looks of wonder and amazement on Gracie’s and Grant’s faces remind me that although it is hard to hike with toddlers, it’s worth it.
10:27AM The vista that pans out before us is more vivid than a Blu-ray movie, more serene than a spa day (OK, that might be a stretch) and more peaceful than the first full night’s sleep with a newborn (OK, definitely a stretch). But truly, these views we’re experiencing together have blown our minds and each one is a gift. But then Grant runs lemming-style toward the precipice. For what seems like slow-motion eternity, Grant and my husband race each other to the cliff’s edge. Nausea returns. Thankfully Matt gets there first, scoops Grant up and in one surprisingly fluid motion swings him into the backpack baby carrier and inserts a sucker into his mouth to quell the inevitable screams of protest. We march onward.
11:02AM The air suddenly cools and the rush of roaring water reaches our ears. We’re almost to our destination: a waterfall deep in the woods. We stop and let it all flood our senses. Moments later someone says, “I’m hungry.”
11:27AM Bento boxes are opened, picnic lunches are in progress and we’re enjoying the delicate mist from the falls.
11:53AM The kids throw rocks in the water, Matt tries to climb up somewhere he shouldn’t and I sit in the shade enjoying my family enjoying themselves. I think to myself, Never in a million years would I have guessed that I’d be living in an RV, hiking to natural wonders as a pregnant mother with two little ones. But I’m deeply humbled for such an opportunity.
12:37PM Even with our quick pace, we won’t make it back to the RV on time for naps. So I’ll have to keep the kids awake long enough to get them back … while fighting the nausea from this ridiculously winding road.
3:13PM I wake up in a bit of a daze and remember that being pregnant means I don’t have as much control over my own body. Tired from the long hike and growing a human, I must have conked out after getting the kids down.
3:45PM Everyone’s up, and we head down to the river to whittle away the afternoon basking in the sun and throwing rocks. (Seriously, our kids could throw rocks for days— no, weeks.)
4:02PM My husband says he loves this place and asks, “Why not stay here another day?” Part of the reason we took this trip is to slow down, step away from our schedules and intentionally enjoy time as a family together while our littles are still little. We decide to stay, because, well, I love it here too. We all do.
5PM It’s back to the RV for dinner. Despite the occasional drama (“He’s sitting in my place!” “Grant, come back to the table …”), the sun dipping below the Sawtooth Peaks and filtering through the swaying pines makes for a very peaceful meal. 6:02PM Showers, jammies on, teeth brushed and we’re ready to wind down the day.
7:37PM With Bible stories read, last kisses given, prayers said and the kids tightly tucked in bed, Matt and I sit down to admire the view out our front window—or rather, windshield. Gracie call outs, “Daddy, what are we doing tomorrow?” He responds, “I’m not sure yet, but I’m sure it will be an adventure.” I softly say, “Me too.”
Diaries are penned by moms (and dads) in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The authors volunteer to share a day of their choosing and are not paid or endorsed by DFWChild. Send your diary to editorial@dfwchild.com. All submissions are subject to editing and may be cut for space.
