A trip to the countryside.

With less than three weeks left in Azerbaijan, we decided we needed to take a trip out of the city.  Everyone is always talking about how beautiful the countryside is here, but I had yet to actually see much of it.  I was optimistic about the beautiful sites we'd see, but wasn't expecting the Middle Earth-ish landscape we actually encountered. 

I had no idea Azerbaijan was this beautiful!

While hiking and exploring, Josh prefers not to stay on the beaten path.  I make it a point not to tell him to 'be careful'. Though, I do throw a few, "I don't want to be a widow!"'s out there from time to time... ;) Anyway, I promised him (in our vows, of all places!) that I'd encourage his heart to be wild and free, which often means biting my tongue as he takes a few more risks than the average hiker/human.  It makes our adventures a wee bit more stressful for me, but he gets shots like this one - behind a waterfall - that very few others get!

Still, the prettiest view was inches away from my heart. 

Our dearest friends here, the Jolly family.

Seven years ago, a then-single Josh climbed a mountain that, in this picture, had just peaked out of the clouds in the distance.  Now, he was here showing his wife and daughter around. Such treasured moments! 

The next day, we drove out to the countryside.  It was a long drive but when moments like this happened...

...it was worth it.

Our destination was the ancient, remote village Xinaliq.  Xinaliq has been inhabited for over 5000 years. Not only do they speak Azeri, but they also have their own language.  (For some reason, the entire time we were walking around, the thought, "This village would totally survive a zombie apocalypse," kept popping into my mind...) 

The man in this picture, Rahim, showed us around the village and invited us to his home for tea.

Adventuring with children takes time, planning, thinking ahead, patience, teamwork, aaaand a little more patience. I'm thankful that we were able to make this trip happen with our dear friends before we left, and I'm thankful for the gift of creation, beauty, fresh air, nature, and solitude!