Good Views

This was a pretty momentous first day of school - Hamp's last year of high school, and Sam's first year of high school.

I have always tried to be conscientious of enjoying every moment raising my boys - as parents we hear all too often that "it goes by fast" and I don't want to miss it or wish it away. So I suppose my view is that they are ready for the next adventure - whether it be Hamp applying, preparing and deciding for his future after graduation or Sam blossoming into an academic and student leader and loving all that high school has to offer. I know they will have a great year!

Not only have I tried to keep a positive mental view on the end of summer, but I think I've done a decent job of maintaining a nice physical view. In the last two weeks I have been able to go bike riding to the wine & cheese patio, paddle around Trapper's Lake, try all the flavors at the new brewery, and watch the sunset while kayaking around the lake.

Here's to keeping up the good views...

super summer adventures

Hamp finally got to travel this summer for his Ecology Project International trip to the Galapagos Islands! We had been planning and fundraising for two years for this trip and apparently it was worth the wait. After two weeks of no communication, I was thrilled to hear Hamp talk my ear off all the way home from the airport... he told me about all the wildlife and the biology lessons and the teachers and the culture. His favorite part was snorkeling with sharks and rays and sea lions and he wished he could've stayed forever! (I am glad he didn't!!!)

a typical day in the classroom:

Meanwhile, Sam applied to be a member of the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps for two weeks where he camped overnight and worked on trails in the National Forest. He was lucky enough to be assigned the Rocky Mountain National Park and even though the work was tough, the camaraderie and the experience to camp in the National Park was amazing!

Then I was left at home to figure out my own kind of adventure: a new job! 

Not the summer I would've guessed... instead of exploring the lakes and mountains in my backyard, I am exploring my personal ability to learn and manage a whole new career path.

I believe all 3 of us have grown a lot this summer!

Beach trip - 2.0

Two years ago we all met at the beach on 30A and it was proclaimed "the best vacation ever". 

It had a lot to do with great time spent with cousins and the freedom to ride bikes to the town square for snow-cones! So we chose to do it again - a quick trip to get that same feeling of good family love, salt water air and the Seaside food trucks.

We did everything we wanted to do - and didn't let an approaching tropical storm dampen our spirits! 

(just our swimsuits... in the road!)

It only rained a little - providing much needed opportunity to apply sunscreen and visit on the porch.

So we spent most of our time on the beach, of course.

We were there in the morning to build sand castles... and there in the evening to watch the sunset and play volleyball... and there any time in between to ride the waves!

Fireworks

We got lucky this 4th of July!

We caught a Rockies game Saturday night, July 3rd and cheered the team to victory over the St. Louis Cardinals (thanks to Trevor Story's 3-run home run in the 7th inning!) I didn't think much about where our seats were... until immediately after the last strike as the ushers began marking off the field... and our section! 

So we watched one of the most epic fireworks displays I've ever seen, lying on the grass in Coors Field!

The next morning we flew out of Denver to get to the beach. We met the Hightower family on 30A - our favorite! - and our luck continued with good travel karma and more fireworks. For 2 nights we watched the sun set from the beach and the sky light up with beautiful displays. We could see fireworks all up and down the shore - I felt so grateful just to be there!

how to summer

 

You know it's a good summer so far when you open the back of the car and find the following:

* camping blankets

* stadium chair for baseball games

* golf clubs

* kayak, paddle & life preserver

saying goodbye

What an incredible experience - for everyone who got to know these two!

Lea was also an exchange student this year (from Northern Italy!) and she and John-Jefferson bonded over shared experiences. And both of them became beautifully a part of the friend group and our families.

It was several days of goodbyes... a gathering at the park with cake and a piñata, a final JV baseball game, hugs from everyone stopping by for the last time, and of course an emotional scene at the airport!

If you ever wonder how Hamp & Sam handle emotional situations, here is the the perfect example:

at the airport for John-Jefferson, Sam goes in for the big hug.... so his older brother seizes the opportunity to give him a wedgie. Sigh... if for no other reason, we will miss John-Jefferson in this house as the buffer between Hamp & Sam! But for sure, Hamp will miss having someone to match his brand of funny.

All kidding aside, John-Jefferson (and Lea!) were very much a part of our family - from holiday celebrations, family vacations, and Sunday night dinners to parental lectures, household chores and forced family fun. It was an amazing year sharing our lives with one another and I know that friendships were made for life. Love these guys!

baseball

Ahhhhh.... baseball!

The year ended strong with a great baseball season! 

Hamp played varsity in right field, 1st base and relief pitcher and proved to be a really great teammate both on the diamond and off...

John-Jefferson chose to go out for yet another new sport - America's pastime! - and his athleticism and positive attitude made him a great junior varsity teammate.

photo credit: Bobby Gutierrez

photo credit: Bobby Gutierrez

photo credit: Ben Quinn