Yosemite - Ostrander Lake

A few weeks ago, some friends and I got together for a backpacking trip to Ostrander Lake in Yosemite.  Such good times!!! My family and I have backpacked in Yosemite for many years, and this is one of our favorite places to go when we just want to relax and have fun.  So I figured it would be the perfect place to take friends!  I know there are way too many photos here, but hey, I got tired of trying to decide...  :)

 

Rachel stalking a chipmunk

 

Chris brought TWO boxes of mangos!! And pineapples!

 

We ate well.  Really well.  Really, really well!  This is Jay's amazing mango salsa...it went on some fabulous fish tacos.

 

Of course.  ;)

 

This trip was heavy on photographers...hehe... ;)

 

Our amazing camp chef!

 

Rob's "Steri-Pen" -- which I may be investing in soon -- way faster than iodine.

I love seeing the Milky Way up here.

 

 

 

Sunrise

 

Chris says "every rock has a center".  He found the center of quite a few of them. ;)

 

Some very happy feet by the lake...but you can see the storm clouds rolling in...

 

...and yes, it rained, and I dug a whole lot of little trenches around the girls' tent.  It worked.

 

Drying out by a massive campfire the guys built.

 

God is so good...the rain cleared up and we had a beautiful sunset!

 

And the good food continues...we had caramelized apples on oatmeal the next morning.

 

And the rain came back.  This is our "pathetic" face.  (We weren't really all that wet.)

 

But then it cleared up for the hike back out...

...and we found a field of beautiful wildflowers...

 

 

 

Took a visit to Washburn Point.  I never get tired of this view!  Here are Vernal and Nevada Falls in all their late-afternoon glory.

 

Chris, being Chris...

 

Last light on Clouds Rest (beyond Half Dome)

God's beautiful creation always leaves me awed, with a renewed sense of my own smallness.  And grateful that the one who made all this -- just by saying "Let there be..." -- wants to be with me and have adventures together every day.  Simply mind-blowing!

If you want to see more photos, you can check Facebook...I have more to post there.  :)

- Kelsey

Discovering beauty... 

Kelsey Schweickert  |  San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer

Visit my website  |  Email me  |  Follow me on Twitter  |  Like my photography on Facebook

"Jesus has a body"

I just got back from a short backpacking trip to Ostrander Lake in Yosemite, and I'll post photos from that soon...but meanwhile I wanted to share something else with you all.

If you've followed my blog for a while you probably know how I enjoy the books and CDs by John Eldredge and his team at Ransomed Heart.  You can subscribe to a daily email that contains an excerpt from one of their books, and I've often been struck how an email fits perfectly with the questions and ponderings on my heart that day.  Today's email was both uplifting and thought-provoking...so I thought I'd share!  :)

Jesus Has a Body

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered. He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" . . . When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread . . . Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." (John 21:4-12)

Now think about this for a minute. You're the Son of God. You've just accomplished the greatest work of your life, the stunning rescue of mankind. You rose from the dead. What would you do next? Have a cookout with a few friends? It seems so unspiritual, so ordinary. Do you see that eternal life does not become something totally "other," but rather that life goes on- only as it should be?

Jesus did not vanish into a mystical spirituality, becoming one with the cosmic vibration. Jesus has a body, and it's his body. His wounds have been healed, but the scars remain—not gruesome, but lovely, a remembrance of all he did for us. His friends recognize him. They share a bite to eat. This is our future as well—our lives will be healed and we shall go on, never to taste death again. 

===========================

What can I say?  I'm excited!!

BTW, that excerpt was from the book "Desire" (check it out here—great book!).

Till next time, friends...God bless!

- Kelsey


Kelsey Schweickert  |  San Francisco Bay Area wedding photographer
Visit my website  |  Email me  |  Follow me on Twitter  |  Like my photography on Facebook