Black Bear

I love the image of Rivers: still  trying to wake up, he rounds the corner from his room to our room, hair sticking each direction, eyes still trying to open. Most of the time this is where he announces "Ridgers, awake." Then he slowly walks around our bed to where he finds my chair and desk and uses it as a ladder onto mom and dad's bed.

In the middle of working on a project (during nap time) I look up from my lap top to see just that. My favorite little rounding the corner, clutching bear in one arm, rubbing his blue eyes with the other arm. Getting around the bed was a little difficult, since Canberra was busy celebrating and couldn't help but smother little Rivs in kisses. He finally made it past the kissing Canberra, climbed up to my bed and laid down in my arms. I closed the computer, shut my eyes and tried to soak up the small moment of cuddle time my little guy was giving to me.

After a moment of silence, Rivers begins telling me stories, in his tired scattered voice. At times it takes me a minute to grasp exactly what he was telling me. But I knew it had something to do with Red Rock. "What about Red Rock Rivs?" I ask, playing out in my mind what he might tell me. Possibly mountain biking at red rock (stories and pics still to come) or playing wolf hunt with Spencer while their parents climb at Red Rock. But not today. Today's story of Red Rock happened about one month ago.

I was doing a photo shoot of Cheyney's newest boy Luke, for his 6 month milestone. Ben had class that night, but thankfully Cheyney's brother and wife were in town so they were watching Rivers and Sam play at Red Rock while I took pictures of Luke. Right when we were done taking pictures, Rivers tells Branagen (Cheyney's brother) "Bear!" Branagen looks and explains to Rivers that it is actually a big black dog. Then he looks back up and realizes, wow, it is a bear!

No more then 50 yards from us, was a black bear strolling through Red Rock. Branagen's wife Claire, swooped up Rivs and I snatched Sam, and we went a little further away to observe. The black bear took no notice of us, strolled down to take a swim in the pond. After a few laps, he got out and shacked the water off, just like a dog, the climbed the hill, and through the field where we had just finished taking pictures. He thought of climbing a tree, but continued walking.  That was one cool night.

So anyways, now that you know the awesome story of the black bear at Red Rock, I'll give you Rivers version a month later. me: "What about Red Rock Rivs?" "Oh! Red Rock, mom! Sam. Red Rock with Sam. Bear. Ridgers found bear. Bear, swimming." I can't say how much I absolutely adore our conversations. Rivers mind fascinates me. We haven't talked about that incident in months, and here he remembers everything. Oh little Rivs is my best friend. I hope we have long conversations like this forever.