O Christmas Tree

Once again, we found ourselves wandering up Miller Creek in the National Forest in search of this year's honored Christmas Tree!!!
Every year is an adventure of some kind... to the point that the tree hunt is one of my most anticipated traditions. This year did not disappoint - I convinced Mojo & Dado to bundle up and accompany us into the newly fallen snow and the boys convinced Dado to pull them on sleds behind the truck. It was honestly the most fun they've had in a long time - they laughed and played and rode for miles until their faces were red and their hands were frozen!

This year's tree is particularly special to me because it was truly a labor of love for Hamp & Sam:

Sam spotted it way up the side of a mountain and proceeded to scamper up to check it out.

Then Hamp took charge and followed up with the saw.

They cut it down together... then Hamp drug it carefully down the mountain and to the road where he loaded it in the truck all by himself.

I simply sat back and enjoyed watching them manage the whole event! It was awesome.

We'll wrap up this last week of school and head to Mississippi for a Hightower Christmas!
Happy Holidays to all...

Thankful for something different

This Thanksgiving Mojo & Dado rented a house just outside of Zion National Park in Southern Utah - the boys & I drove down as soon as school got out and Alec & his family drove up and met us there.
It was 4 days of fun family time either hiking in the park or playing at the house. The park was absolutely beautiful - shocking canyon walls and beautiful colors and views as we strolled along the Virgin River. The kids loved being outside, and hiking through the park made us all feel a little less guilty about indulging in all the traditional holiday fare!

The very best part of the trip was watching the cousins spend time together...






Well.... maybe the other very best part of the trip was ALL of us spending time together!


While there are more trails and sights in the park than 3-4 days could cover, I do have to point out one particular trail that some of us managed to take!
Angel's Landing is a heck of a hike - 5.4 miles round trip and severely vertical.
And though the first 2 miles up the trail were rigorous to say the least - it was the last little bit that shocked me to the core!

So here is the trailhead: (note extraordinary sunrise views!)


Dado & Alec & I were so excited about working our way up the side of the cliff:


We even made it to the top of "Walter's Wiggles" - the infamous switchbacks up the canyon cliff...


... only to be met with this view - of the rest of the trail:

I mean, the trail literally went up the very narrow, steep edge of this cliff face.
As thrilling as the whole hike was - I must admit the narrowness finally got to me.... as you can see from this picture, I tried to make it a little ways but my expression says 'I don't think so!'


The boys, on the other hand were totally unfazed!



So Alec proudly escorted the boys to the peak of Angel's Landing, rewarded with views all up and down the canyon! They were quite thrilled with the experience and proud that they made the whole climb....


... I was, alternately just thankful that they didn't fall off the edge of a cliff while taking a selfie!

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Sam just wrapped an incredible 3-show run of Mary Poppins Jr. where he played the role of Roberson, the Banks' goofy house servant. While he was delightful to watch with his antics and and fun character, the whole show was simply fantastic! The kids (3rd - 8th grade) were amazing - from great singing and dancing to just fun characters on stage! I am always so impressed with how these productions come together with such creativity and talent.

As much as I love Mary Poppins and her story, perhaps my favorite part of the show is the Chimney Sweeps and their Step In Time number! Sam was also part of this group of boys who tap danced and jumped (and flipped!) their way into one of the best numbers of the show!

Halloween

What a fun holiday we had!
Sam dressed as a zookeeper so he could trail all his stuffed animals along in a wagon!
Hamp finished football practice just in time to help hand out candy to all the fun trick-or-treaters. (and even took the opportunity to dress up a little himself, just for fun!)

Homecoming week

Homecoming in a small town is always pretty exciting.

And when you work at the high school and know all the kids personally, it's even sweeter!

But when your son is a freshman and participates in ALL the homecoming week festivities... it is downright wonderful!

This year, Hamp loved being a part of all the HoCo hoopla as much as I enjoyed watching him be a part of it... 

well, except maybe seeing all the boys dressed up for Peach Fuzz volleyball.

My eyes still burn a little:

The week was full of fun - Peach Fuzz volleyball, Powder Puff football, a pep rally, a parade, dress-up days, decorations all over the school, the dance, and of course Homecoming King & Queen!

these two weren't even in the running.... but they sure make a cute couple!!!

Hamp got to bring up the rear of the parade this year on the fire truck full of Varsity football players!

It was great that the middle school participated in all the fun, too... of course Sam's favorite dress-up day this year: tie-dye!
He also helped make a really cool float for the parade and loved being a part of the whole celebration.

It all culminated with the dance on Saturday night.... and despite Hamp's protests about getting dressed up and making group plans, he sure looked great and enjoyed being with all his friends! It made my heart burst to see them all dressed up - the first of many formal high school events I am sure. So proud of Hamp and what a fine young man he is becoming...

Weekend get-a-ways

When the fall weather is so amazing, it's hard to stay inside:
clear blue skies, perfect temps, gorgeous views and best of all - great people!
So while our weekdays are full of sports, our weekends are full of fun adventures outside.

Fall in Meeker always kicks off with the Meeker Classic Sheepdog Trials.
We go every year - it's not only one of our favorite events but a fascinating spectacle. It's as fun to support the dogs as it is to see the artwork, eat the food, and hang with friends!


Then one Sunday, Hamp and I took a day trip to Steamboat to connect with dear friends. We had lunch by the river, and the boys hung out at the hot springs while the moms enjoyed a great hike and visit!



The next weekend, Sam and I spent a morning in Glenwood for Rally the Valley, the hospital cancer center fundraiser! I appreciated not only the uplifting, festival atmosphere but also the opportunity to be with my Meeker family and support Kris and the whole cancer support community!



Most recently, we created our own adventure with a spontaneous hike up river with friends!
Turns out, when you grab a bunch of your favorite people + their kids + their dogs and head for the hills.... it makes for the perfect Sunday get-a-way!




Happy trails!!!