What's in a name?

A little over six years ago, we gave birth to a brave little dude that we named Bodie Isaac Bennett.

The day he was born, we posted this:

"Bodie...a small mining town in the Eastern Sierra Nevadas - shows our love for the mountains and matches his big sister's name Sierra perfectly.

Isaac - in the Bible, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only, long awaited for, son. Abraham willingly did so, and God rescued Isaac at the last minute and rewarded Abraham for his faithfulness. We chose this name as a constant reminder that our children are not ours, but a gift from God, to be consecrated to Him and to His purposes.

May Bodie Isaac glorify God through his life."

Over the years, we have been asked about Bodie's name, why it's spelled the way it is and what it means. We have always explained that he was named after Bodie, CA. But he had never been to his namesake. Bodie, California sits at 8,375 feet above sea level and comes with all sorts of travel advisories about the thin air, the elevation, etc. And those are advisories for healthy people! 

So, between his single ventricle heart and his asthma, we have never attempted it with Bodie. But, since he's now done 5 summer trips to Tahoe without many issues, and handles Reno well, we figured it was time to try. So, as part of our epic road trip the past 2 weeks, we did a day in Bodie!

As Dusk told Bodie (Bennett) while we surveyed the town of Bodie (California):
"We named you after a town we never thought you'd see."

Needless to say, there were a few tears choked back during our visit.

If you haven't ever been to Bodie, or heard its story, check it out. Very interesting. In its prime, it was a bustling mining town, supported by a really busy stamp mill. But its heyday was short lived, with residents fleeing after the boom. Remarkably, the town has been preserved as it was when its residents left, down to dishes on the tables and sheets on the beds. It's like taking a step back in time! And it is beyond beautiful.

Bodie surveying his kingdom.

Bodie needed a few lifts (we could definitely feel the altitude - the guide told us he has on average one person faint on the stamp mill tour a week!).

 

 Doing gymnastics at 8,300ft???

 So many cool sites! 

An old general store (you could see the goods on the shelves still!)

An abandoned truck

Peeking in the old hotel

 

 Getting to take this little dude to his namesake was a big deal for our family. 

 And for him.

It was really a recognition of how blessed we are, and how we take nothing for granted on this journey we've found ourselves on.