Fall.... and winter!

This year's fall colors were so beautiful.... and I tried to take several opportunities to enjoy them!

My favorite hiking partners & I checked out Trappers Lake in mid-September:

Then I made the boys see Trapper's for themselves a week later... much to their chagrin. While not thoroughly interested in hiking, at least we enjoyed a great meal at the Lodge and got to see & hear a couple large herds of elk on the drive

The colors only got better as the weeks passed... so I bribed the boys again with more food to let me take their picture by the river! They're so handsome and so funny - they made a fall photo shoot a lot of fun...

But nothing lasts for long.... and yesterday we got a big snow storm that blanketed the state and left us with freezing temperatures. 

Someone sure was happy about it:

there's always a silver lining

Rifle Creek

Tiara Rado (Grand Junction)

Meeker

Vail

River Run (Carbondale)

Our fall sports schedule was rearranged this year - which was frustrating at first, but it did give Hamp the opportunity to play on the high school golf team in August & September! After spending his summer days working maintenance at the Meeker Golf Course (and spending his summer afternoons playing on the same course!) he was keen to try to play competitively. And he did just that - shooting well enough throughout the season to not only play at the Varsity level but also qualify for the regional tournament! He loved playing golf after school every day (aka “practice”!) and was able to play at some really great courses all over western Colorado - which he likely would have never gotten an opportunity to do! 

Oh yeah - and in true Hamp form he also had a great time with all his buddies on the team!

Friends

John-Jefferson celebrated his '1-month American anniversary' last week with KFC for dinner and some US History homework. As the novelty wears off and reality sets in, I realize we are all starting to grow together in our new dynamic... and expectations are falling into place. I can only speak to my own preconceived ideas of having a European in the house: I assumed we would eat wonderful, diverse meals and take great exploratory hikes every weekend all over the state, if not farther! However, while adventures of the culinary and geographic type are great... the adventures I find John-Jefferson having with Hamp & Sam are more cultural and social. And frankly, more wonderful! John-Jefferson has assimilated so easily into Hamp's friend group and I could not be more proud of Hamp and his buddies for their friendship, open minds and willingness to include John-Jefferson in all they do - whether it be camping, gaming, eating, sports or just hanging out! And believe me - they are ALWAYS doing something! I can say that there has not been a lot of time for me to arrange fun hiking trips or fancy dinners as they are usually on their own agenda... which is fine. I love that Hamp has adopted John-Jefferson like a brother who can jump in the car with him and go see a movie and try Buffalo Wild Wings for the first time... or just lay on Mojo's couch all afternoon watching football!

Weekend on the water

Between the 4 of us.... we hit every major lake in the county this weekend!

Sam went with friends for a day at Kenny Reservoir - knee boarding, tubing and generally going fast.

Hamp & John-Jefferson went with friends for a day in Steamboat Springs - they weren't on a lake, but they did hike up Fish Creek Falls and spent the afternoon in the hot springs pools!

I went by myself for a day at Trapper's Lake - a peaceful paddle around the lake and lunch at the lodge.

Then we all played together with friends at Rio Blanco Lake - knee boarding, tubing, going fast, and a paddle around!

And finally, I went with friends to Lake Avery for a day on the paddleboards - including hazy skies from the Utah wildfires, low water levels from the dry August we've had, and an excellent picnic on the shore.

First week of school!

After 5 long months it was time to get back to school!
Whether they would admit it or not, these boys were ready to get back to learning and to a routine...
and of course to seeing their friends everyday.

11th grade & 8th grade

And due to having to wait for COVID test results to come in, John-Jefferson had to wait until Wednesday to start school.
So of course, I made them take another photo!


While it was an exhausting week - Hamp had a Varsity Golf tournament on Tuesday and John-Jefferson had to beat jet lag and catch up from missing the first 2 days of school - we made it in good form and were ready for the weekend!

Not wanting to waste a beautiful weekend day sitting at home, I suggested we go explore. So we headed out of town and ended up in Aspen for the day where we had lunch at 11,000 feet and hiked in the National Forest.



The boys were happy for a change of scenery... and between welcoming John-Jefferson and playing Varsity Golf and getting back into the school groove, they always make me proud at their willingness to take the plunge into new adventures!

Part of the family...

The suggestion was made last summer, in person by my dear friend. She asked if we would host her son for an exchange year in the United States! (she is French) My gut instinct was to immediately say Yes! but I took some time to think about it and discuss it with Hamp & Sam... it would be a big commitment and a life change for all of us. We decided it would be a wonderful opportunity for us as a family to share our lives and adventures with someone who is already special to our hearts.
So Friday night, we waited for John-Jefferson to arrive at Grand Junction airport and happily welcomed him into our home!


I can not imagine how stressful and bittersweet it would be to put your 16 year-old on an international flight alone, knowing you would not see them for 10 months! But my friend, as always was gracious and thoughtful about her post upon his departure from Paris:

"We strive to share our values and give roots to our children. They grow up and you reach the day when the courage enables you to offer the greatest gift of all: Wings to fly!

Our hearts are very heavy today but we are so proud of you, John-Jefferson.

After 8 very long months, an incredible journey with amazing people is about to start for you in Colorado. You become a citizen of a world which needs more care and understanding and you will be a great one."





So to John-Jefferson's family, I would like to say:
He is in good hands! I will love him like my own son and I will guard his heart and his mind carefully while he grows into the world citizen that you envision. He will have grand adventures with us and create memories and friendships that will last his lifetime. Congratulations, you have truly given your son very special and amazing gift.

And to Hamp & Sam, I would like to say:
Enjoy this experience. It is a gift for you, too. You will learn to open your heart and your mind and you will learn to share - your space, your friends, your community, your culture and your time. This lesson will help you grow into a more compassionate and generous adult. Besides, with John-Jefferson here I will want to make better meals and take us all on fun adventures so it's really better for you, too!

Summer fun

Our school starts Monday.
Always a bittersweet transition, this year is obviously a little weirder.

We are all excited to find a new routine and get back to learning... and hoping we can stay with in-person instruction for as long as safely possible. Academically it should be a good year for both boys. And athletically, Hamp has had the opportunity to play Varsity golf this fall... and we will wait and see if any other sports happen later in the year.

The hardest part of shifting seasonal gears will be letting go of our unstructured time that we have come to appreciate these last 5 months! We certainly made the most of living in NW Colorado during quarantine...  while we didn't travel as far & wide as we would have liked, we managed to do plenty of adventuring locally!

Paddleboarding


Horseback Riding


Hiking


Camping


Kayaking

... and mostly playing with this gal right here!