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Julie & Tom ♥

@morethanthemountain

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🥾 𝙃𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨 ↟ 𝘽𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨
🎒If it doesn’t fit in a backpack, do we really need it?
✝️ Faith • Family • Forest
✌️💚⛰️ NE67• NH48 Winter• NH52WAV

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𝟭𝟰 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, we promised to love, honor, and cherish each other. Clearly, our vows didn’t include anything about agreeing which mountain to climb! 😁

After thousands of miles on trail, hundreds of mountains climbed, some unexpected detours, and seasons when the ‘mountains’ have felt more challenging than we ever imagined, we still believe that hiking and backpacking together is FAR cheaper than couples therapy.

In spite of the OCCASIONAL disagreement, I love our shared passion for exploring the world on foot, finding beauty in unexpected places, and discovering that some of life’s greatest rewards come after the hardest climbs.

And I love that, at 69 and 61, we are still dreaming about the trails we haven’t yet explored, the mountains waiting for our footsteps, and the adventures still ahead of us.

So on our fourteenth anniversary, I hope we continue to be each other’s steady footing when the ground gets rocky, and each other’s encouragement when the summit seems impossibly far away. I hope we keep challenging ourselves, chasing views, getting lost on trails— occasionally on purpose—and finding reasons to laugh along the way.

And most of all, I hope that many years from now, we’re still chasing peaks, still holding silly signs, still kissing and dancing on summits, still fighting over floor space in our tiny tent, and still choosing each other as our favorite trail partner!

I choose you as my partner for every climb, every detour and every mile still ahead of us!

Happy 14th anniversary, my love! ♥️ taken in White Mountain National Forest by @morethanthemountain

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4 days ago

A. MUCH. NEEDED. ESCAPE.

These past few months have felt like a whirlwind. So much of our time recently has been spent caring for our grandchildren. Worrying over one, tending to another, and being there for the rest whenever we’ve been needed. Our days have been filled with emergencies, casts, fevers, babysitting, and the concerns that come with loving your family so deeply.

I’ve taken a partial leave of absence from work for 3 months to help care for our 1-year-old grandson while he is in his full body cast. We awaken at 4:30am every Thursday morning, throw our overnight bags in the car and hop on the highway for the 1 hour and 45 minute drive battling Boston traffic to spend Thursdays and Fridays watching Dustin. It’s been exhausting and rewarding at the same time.

It’s been a season of ups and downs. Highs and lows.
A season that has stretched our hearts, tested our strength, and reminded us not to take the quiet, ordinary moments for granted.

But somewhere in the middle of all of it, Tom and I have had very little time to simply be ‘us.’

So when our good friends invited us to spend a weekend of rest and relaxation at their 280 acre farm in Vermont this past weekend, we couldn’t pack our bags fast enough.

Our time in Vermont with our friends felt like exhaling a breath we had been holding for weeks.

Time finally slowed long enough for us to catch up with it.

There was no rushing from one activity to the next. No worry. No responsibility. There was just… time. Time to sit together. To share a meal. To walk through the woods and the meadows. To watch the sunrise over the White Mountains of New Hampshire from a hilltop in Vermont as the world slowly came alive around us.

The quiet beauty of those 280 acres seemed to settle something inside of us that had been moving far too swiftly of late.

After months of pouring ourselves into the people we love, this weekend gave us a chance to refill our own cups. It was more than a getaway; it was a reminder that even in the middle of difficult seasons, there can still be moments of incredible peace, astounding beauty, and immense gratitude. 💛 taken in Vermont by @morethanthemountain

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9 days ago

WELCOME to our little corner of the internet!
If you’re new(er) here, thanks for coming along for the ride! We appreciate you!! 🫶 taken in Everywhere by @morethanthemountain

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13 days ago

Joy, I’ve learned, doesn’t always arrive on beams of sunshine

Many times, it’s wrapped in gray,
and carried in on the gentle murmur of falling rain.

It can be cloaked in mystery
swallowed by mist
hidden by fog

But rain doesn’t erase beauty. We are simple unable to see it when we are searching so hard for the sun.

After all, have you ever noticed how rocks gleam in silent splendor under the touch of the raindrops?

Maybe hardship is like that, too.

Just as the world awakens under the shimmer of raindrops, so too, can hardship reveal what is sometimes hidden during the storms.

Maybe joy doesn’t arrive in the ABSENCE of the storms, rather, it reveals itself BECAUSE of them

I’m learning that it’s possible to find joy on the hard days.
That beauty exists even in moments we never would have chosen.

That there can be gratitude alongside heartache,
hope alongside uncertainty,
and little pockets of happiness that somehow bring light even when the world around us seems dark.

If we stop focusing on the storm and fix our eyes on the heavens, we may actually discover that joy was there all along.
Not blazing like sunshine…
but flickering quietly on droplets of rain.
↟
“Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass,
It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”
— Vivian Greene taken in Everywhere by @morethanthemountain

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a month ago

Because L I F E isn’t already complicated enough…

For the past six weeks, a medical issue has been keeping Tom off the trails. It’s the reason why I went on a solo backpacking trip three weeks ago. Now, we’re finally ready to share what’s been going on.

Tom tore his rotator cuff while we were—of all things—attempting to start a campfire with a ferro rod in June.🤦‍♀️

In true Tom fashion, instead of making an appointment with a surgeon, he took the “let’s wait-and-see approach.”

Between icing, heating, and ibuprofen, his shoulder seemed to be improving. Until, that is, he slipped—NOT on a hiking trail—but while coming into the house carrying several bags of groceries. After that misfortunate event, the pain has not abated.

So we finally met with a surgeon, hoping there might be a way to simply repair the tear and get him back to doing the things he loves. Instead, the surgeon gave us news that was much harder to hear. Because of the combination of the torn rotator cuff and arthritis, a reverse shoulder replacement is the recommended path forward.

With all that has been going on recently, this has been an unexpected and difficult detour. (Tom had an MRI on Friday, and we are hopeful that there will be another option presented when we meet with the surgeon again.)

In the meantime, after 6 weeks of Tom not hiking—and in desperate need of some mountain therapy—we V E R Y C A R E F U L L Y went on a 7-mile hike at Mt. Tom yesterday. Rest assured, we were exceptionally cautious to insure that Tom doesn’t make matters worse with a slip and fall.

I must say, after feeling as though we’ve been holding our breath for weeks, being back on trail has allowed us to finally exhale! taken in Mt Tom by @morethanthemountain

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a month ago

S U R G E R Y… take 2.

This morning, our precious little grandson will be heading into surgery for the second time to repair his hip dysplasia. Since the closed reduction failed, he will be having a 4 to 6 hour open reduction surgery today.

As he faces another surgery, we could easily feel discouraged or hopeless, but instead, we are choosing to feel hopeful. We know this is another difficult day for Dustin and for our daughter and son-in-law, but we also believe that the first surgery was not a failure—it was a practice run that brought his doctors valuable information about what his hip needs and how best to repair it this time.

We are incredibly grateful for these past couple of precious weeks between surgeries when Dustin was free from the restrictions of the full body cast, and was able to enjoy the final weeks of summer—laughing, playing and simply being a little boy. Those weeks were a beautiful reminder that even in the middle of something difficult, God gives us moments of grace and joy. God gave him a little break before asking his tiny body to go through this again.

We will carry those happy memories with us today as we ask God to once again surround our little boy with His protection and peace. Today, we are choosing faith over fear and hope over hopelessness. We are praying for God’s presence to fill the operating room.

And we are asking YOU… our family and friends… to surround our little boy with your thoughts, prayers, and love today. We are holding tightly to hope and believing that this is the surgery that will finally heal Dustin so that he can grow, run, play, and live the happy, active life he deserves.

Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you. 🫶 by @morethanthemountain

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a month ago

I’ve had a REVELATION!

With so much going on in my personal life, it’s been hard to walk into work every morning carrying a heart that is already heavy, only to be met by problems that seem so small compared with what truly matters. For a long time, I have been dreading the day before it even began…. wondering what new conflict, frustration, or drama would be waiting for me.

Hiking allows me to keep my body occupied while my mind works to untangle the worries my heart has been carrying. It gives me time to think about the things that hurt, and to let myself feel ALL of the emotions. And it’s a time where the thoughts that have been circling endlessly in my head begin to settle into something I can understand.

Having a 3-year-old granddaughter with incurable brain cancer, a 1-year-old grandson about to undergo a 4-6 hour surgery for Developmental Hip Dysplasia, and 1-year-old twin grandsons with heart issues are things I have no control over.

On my recent backpacking trip, I realized that while I cannot control the storms that come into the lives of the people I love, I do have control over how I approach my workday.

I can CHOOSE positivity.
I can CHOOSE peace.
I can CHOOSE happiness.
In SPITE of what is happening around me.

I. HAVE. CONTROL.

And that realization has been enough to help me walk through those doors with a lot less dread, a lot more positivity, and a much clearer understanding of what truly matters.
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📸 Last weekend’s trip to NH with our adult ‘kids’ and our 8 precious grandchildren. The greatest joys of our lives! taken in New Hampshire by @morethanthemountain

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2 months ago

𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐨 backpacking trip…
Life has felt unbearably heavy lately. Between Charlotte’s incurable brain cancer, Miles and Theo’s heart condition, and Dustin’s hip surgery, there are days when the worry and helplessness feel like more than my heart knows how to carry.

I found myself needing time away from everything that keeps me awake at night.

I needed the quiet. The fresh air. The company of trees. I needed the steady rhythm of my feet hitting dirt. And the simplicity of moving my body.

This solo backpacking trip is not about proving that I’m fearless or capable. Rather, it’s about giving myself space to breathe… and maybe even to heal some of the parts of me that feel broken

Yesterday, I walked with purpose. For 12 miles, I moved quickly, with the urgency of someone trying to outrun something.

At 5:30pm, I pitched my tent. Filtered water. Sat beneath the trees with my feet immersed in a cold stream and watched the water curl around my toes.

I ducked into my tent just as the skies opened up in a deluge. I read a book while droplets of water exploded on the rain fly. When darkness settled in, I prayed for my family. I cried. Then I fell asleep from exhaustion.

It’s now 6:30am. A crow is screeching overhead. My tent is wet and muddy, but the sun is shining, casting leaf shadows on the rain fly.

My pack will be heavier on the hike out. But my heart already feels lighter.

Sometimes being strong for everyone else means recognizing when you need to step away for a little while and take care of your own heart, too. Because you can’t pour from an empty cup.

I’m taking these days for myself not because I don’t care, but because I care so deeply that I need somewhere to put all of these emotions for a little while.

At the very least, maybe I will return home with a little more peace, a little more strength, and a heart that feels just a bit more prepared to face whatever comes next.
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UPDATE on Dustin: A follow up x-ray this week showed that the closed reduction surgery failed. Dustin’s hip is dislocated from the socket again. He will be having an open reduction surgery in early September.

Cont’d in COMMENTS… by @morethanthemountain

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2 months ago

🏕️ Oh the things we wish we knew BEFORE we started backpacking! Which one(s) can YOU relate to? 😂 by @morethanthemountain

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2 months ago

SURGERY UPDATE❗️

Dustin’s Hip Dysplasia surgery went well and he is now home recovering. Our prayers were answered with a closed reduction rather than an open one, and only a small incision was made to release a tendon that was too tight.

On the downside, the cast is more restrictive than we expected it would be—starting at his armpits and extending down both legs all the way to his toes.

Our active little 1-year-old grandson, who was once free to crawl, explore, and cruise at warp speed, is suddenly limited by something he cannot understand. Just one week ago, he took his first unassisted steps, and today, he is unable move to his body from the chest down.

In spite of his significant limitations, Dustin‘s courage, resilience, and his ability to smile through it all is reminding us how strong the smallest among us can be.

This will be a long road to healing, and as much as we long to lift this burden from his tiny shoulders, and to see him exploring the world again, we know that this is but a small chapter in Dustin’s story. This surgery brought Dustin one step closer to a future where he can run, play, and explore the world with confidence.

One day, we will look back on this time and be forever grateful for what it taught us.

Dustin is not out of the woods yet. Every month, the cast will be cut off and replaced with a new one, and an MRI will be taken to determine if the ball of the hip is adapting properly to its new position in the hip socket. But through every difficult day ahead, we will continue to pray, trust, and hold onto the faith that God is walking beside us, and is holding our grandson safely in the palm of his hands.

Our family has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support, prayers, and messages of hope and healing. 💝 We have read every comment and are enormously grateful for every single one of you for your kindness! Thank you for being in our corner! We humbly ask you to please keep the prayers coming. 💙🩵💙🩵💙
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The last image shows the Spica seat/table that my amazing husband has been working on for the last two weeks. This seat is designed to allow Dustin some independent playtime. Thank you @thomasfmidura! 🫶 by @morethanthemountain

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2 months ago

𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗬 this morning… URGENT prayer request!

Two weeks ago, our 1-year-old grandson, Dustin, was seen by an orthopedic surgeon to rule out any underlying issues due to his right foot turning outward. What was discovered in the hip x-ray left us reeling.

Dustin has Developmental Hip Dysplasia. The top of the his thigh bone is completely dislocated from his hip socket.

Dustin’s hip will be repositioned under general anesthesia in Boston this morning. The surgery will take between 2-5 hours depending on the complexity of the dysplasia. Following surgery, this active little boy will be placed in a full-body cast for 3 MONTHS.

He will be unable to stand. Unable to walk. Unable to crawl or even sit independently. He will need specialized equipment for every aspect of his care.

Our daughter and son-in-law are carrying the weight of worry and uncertainty during what should be a time of celebration while awaiting the arrival of their second child. Instead of dreaming only about the joy of growing their family, they are facing the heartache of watching their one-year-old son endure a serious medical crisis.

I am asking all of our prayer warriors to pray for a successful outcome and complete recovery for Dustin. As well as prayers for Emelie and Andrew—that they remain strong for their little boy and for the baby they are expecting as they navigate through this unexpected and challenging turn of events. This couple who pour their hearts into caring for others deserve to know they are not walking this difficult road alone.

Our family appreciates every prayer, word of encouragement, and positive thought that you can send our way!
From the depths of our hearts…
thank you. 🫶 by @morethanthemountain

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3 months ago

↟ The things you learn from a 1-year old when you take him into the woods!

Dustin’s tiny fingers fell upon a loose piece of bark on a birch tree. His eyes widened and a look of surprise came upon his face when the bark slipped from the tree into his hands

He looked at it for a moment, turning it. Examining it.

Then, with all the seriousness a one-year-old can muster, he reached up and pressed the fragment back against the tree. He patted it carefully, certain he had mended it. But as soon as he pulled his hand away, it fluttered to the ground.

He bent down, picked up the wayward piece of tree, and once again pressed it back against the trunk. He pulled his hand away… and down it fell once again.

Undeterred, he repeated the process over and over and over again, certain that if he just kept trying, he could reattach the broken piece of tree. But in spite of his tenderness and quiet determination, gravity won out every time.

I stood beside him and watched. Half amused and half contemplative.

There was a lesson here, I was certain.
Not for Dustin, but for me.

Dustin displayed no frustration. He was not aggravated or impatient. He just kept trying.
With an open heart and a beautiful spirit.
And a determination that somehow, he could fix the world.

I don’t know how long Dustin would have spent trying to reattach the bark to that birch tree. I finally scooped him up and settled him in front of a patch of yellow flowers.

The bark remained on the forest floor, where it would eventually return to the earth. But long after the bark has dried, the unspoken lesson will remain.

Onward ✌️💚⛰️ by @morethanthemountain

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3 months ago