Not the main bridge but a small one to get a wheelbarrow over... wet clothes :(
Can you see the old car inside the garage? One day I am really going to explore by myself!
When I think back on my childhood, there are a few memories that stand out. One of those memories would be that of my own "Secret Gate". At my Grandma Sainsbury's home, there was a small forest on their property that whenever we were there we spent time at. The forest was full of poplar trees that I can still hear in my mind the way they sounded as they rustled in the wind. We had created a small fort that had different areas that represented different rooms that had tree stumps as chairs. We had even found some old carpet to lay down on the ground to lay on and look up into the sky. I was at the time reading the series "The Boxcar Children" and dreamed of living in my own boxcar and finding old treasures to turn into things that we could use. At that age you allow your mind and imagination to fabricate reality and it excites and completes your life. The forest was huge and full of possibilities and our fort was our very own that we could turn into whatever we wanted. We were safe there and anything could happen and nothing could change that.
Later in life, as a teen, after my Grandfather had passed on, I went back to that forest. It was so small and not so "wonderful" as I remembered it. Reality and maturity had tainted it and it brought on sadness. Not sadness for what it represented but for what it did not anymore allow itself to be.
One of my favorite statements came from that thought....IGNORANCE IS BLISS..... and how true that is! What we do not know can not hurt us...There are so many times in my life in which I wish I could start over, go back to the beginning, go back to where I was ignorant of the things that now that I know, hurt me. Go back to the times in which it was all simple and easy. I would love to go back to those times in my life when I could do anything that was allowed to go into my imagination. I wish I could go back to that time when my own "Secret Gate" was the gate into my ignorant reality.
I look at my own job right now as a parent and hope and wish that I can allow that bliss to stick around for as long as possible. I also try, in the ways that I can, to allow their imaginations to run wild and to keep them ignorant of and to the horrible things of this world just like my parents always had tried to do.
At the end of our street, there is a property, a homestead of an original American Fork resident who even has the street named after him. He was a famous doctor "back in the day" and his name was Doc Anderson. When I picture him the image that comes to mind is that of the doctor in the movie "Field of Dreams". The doctor who everyone knew, who everyone loved, who was on the city council, who owned half of the town, etc, etc. The grounds on this property are huge and are gorgeous and yet no one lives there. Doc Anderson and his wife have died and his daughter still lives in the neighborhood and manages and maintains the grounds. I grew up listening to stories of when my own father had been the "lawn care boy" of these grounds. He had acquired his hard work ethic because of his responsibilities that he had had at Doc Anderson's.
I respect the privacy of others and have always felt weird about just hanging out somewhere that I know I have not asked to be at. Doc Anderson's is one of those places that you just look in at as you drive by. The long driveway is engulfed by bushes, shrubs, and trees and so I never really realized what was all around the house.
I have never talked about the house with the kids because there really has been no point until last week. We went on a bike ride and rode our bikes down to a gate that I nicknamed the "Secret Gate". The kids were nervous and did not go in because it was a little eerie since it leads into nothing but forest. I explained that no one lived there but that Grandpa Terry had mowed the lawn when he had been a little boy, which Carter loved! Since then, every time they tell me they'd like to go on a bike ride, that is where they would of course like to go. They were very excited yesterday when I told them that it was finally warm enough to go down to the gate! Before confronted with the question, I had not even considered actually opening and going inside the gate.
I let them go in but told them to run to a specific tree and back and THAT WAS IT! But you know that never works! They went into the forest farther and farther and I demanded that they come back to where I could see them. They sure did come back with wet shoes and pants that threw me completely off guard! How had that happened? They wanted me to follow them because they had something that they were so excited to show me! As I followed, I realized the thoughts that were possibly going through their minds. Thoughts of complete adventures!
The forest soon opened up to a yard that is huge and one that even got me excited! Trees surrounded by benches. Walkways. Empty fountains. Huge flower pots full of dirt and weeds. We got to what they were so excited to show me...a bridge complete with a small stream that they were running in and out of. They were laughing so hard that I could not bare to bring it to an end!
As we went around to the house, I realized why they still kept it so well taken care of! Considering that it was built in the 60's, it is huge and really still is a very nice home. Patios. Outdoor fireplaces. A greenhouse. A Putting Green and a Long Yard (Golf) I even spoke to my Dad about it today and he told me that he had been required to use a special lawn mower on that part of the yard! This house is amazing and a true diamond in the rough!!
As I have been thinking about it today, the memories and the impact that adventures like this one will have on my children, will be the most important. Even though their "nature" is different then mine was as they grow, I still want their "nurture" to be the same. I still want their family act ivies to be the most memorable when they look back. I still want their family unit to be the most important people in their lives. I still want them to be each others best friends. I still want them to go to their parents for advice and direction as they grow and know that they will get it, unjudged and always.
If I could keep them from knowing the dangers of their world and keep them going with me on adventures like yesterdays for the rest of their lives, I would! I would keep them each on one side for as long as they'd let me!
IGNORANCE IS BLISS, right?!?
I know that it is hard to believe that we did this ourselves but we we did it! Carter came up with the idea to use a rake to get down the branches that were too high for us to hang the ornaments on so I can only imagine what that looked like...but it worked!
