Q - week 1

So..... we are being responsible citizens and trying to keep ourselves either at home, or at least away from lots of people.
Thought I would document what a week at home
(with no sports or work or vacations or travel or movies or gyms or restaurants or skiing)
looks like for us!

First thing is first.
If we are going to stay home all week then I at least have to get a good, long hike in.
Sometimes it's a little muddy and snowy... but that doesn't stop me!



The boys are less interested in hiking...

... but Hamp did manage to get out one night to camp with just a few friends:



Otherwise we have been almost exclusively indoors,
save an hour here or there to shoot hoops with a buddy when the weather cooperates!

Sam has enjoyed some time to be creative...
including a very excellent marble run and even some baking (like bread, when we couldn't find any in the store!)



And I have enjoyed some dedicated jigsaw puzzle time!
Once any overdue house cleaning and laundry were done and the hike was in, it was hard to say no to a puzzle on the table... sometimes the best way to pass an afternoon.



Anxious to see how another week at home, with little entertainment or socialization has us all feeling.
I dare say any of us pick up a book? (boys might cry mutiny!)
Or maybe turn off the screens and enjoy a board game? (excessive eye rolling!)

All I know is if the weather keeps looking like this, it's going to be a loooooooong Q-week 2.

A prince, a talking fish, and god

Before everything got cancelled - there were 2 nights of entertainment from a great group of high school kids willing to be silly and ham it up for everyone's enjoyment!

I am so proud of Hamp for being a part of something fun and different - and even more proud of his performance.

He did a great job in all his roles - the handsome prince who falls in love (sort of) with Rapunzel; the talking frog that grants a wish; and the (off-stage) voice of God who admonishes the Devil...




I'm relatively sure he joined the cast for the same reasons he does just about anything - friends.
Being motivated by peers for the better isn't too bad at all... I just hope he finds a little personal fulfillment along the way! Given his big smiles throughout the show - I believe he does.

Sunny is my fave

Though the season got cut short by coronavirus, we managed several days at our favorite ski hill this winter.
The best part wasn't even the bloody mary's or powder days... it was friends to ski with!

Friday ski day

We took advantage of the stars aligning for us to have the perfect big mountain ski day:
we are in between HS sports - so no meets, games, practices or events committed,  and a predicted perfect weather day. 

So Friday we bypassed our usual ‘local’ ski hill and went all the way to Vail for some pretty amazing skiing. It truly was an epic day of back bowls and blue skies. The skiing was great, but for me the best part was spending the day just the 3 of us and watching the boys ooh and ahh over Vail's vast terrain and gorgeous views.
Pictures don’t do it justice.... and we didn’t take very many as we were too busy skiing! 

We may hit up Sunlight for another fun ski day with friends, but yesterday definitely goes in the record books!

JV Basketball

It was a good winter season of time in the gym.... and Hamp played some really great basektball!
He had a winning season with the JV team and most of all, loved playing with these guys.

If I knew more about the game I would report on some of Hamp's stats, what position he usually played, or maybe anything interesting about how this team played.
But all I can say (as his biggest fan!) is that I LOVE watching him play and I LOVE how much he enjoys being a part of the team. 

So while the Varsity team is still practicing for post-season tournament play, Hamp is enjoying his week off with some High School play rehearsal, some open gym for baseball, and a Friday ski day!

Fundraising

15 years ago, one dedicated Meeker High School science teacher and conservation enthusiast starting taking students on summer trips through a program called Ecology Project International. Trips have involved studying wildlife in Costa Rica, Belize, and the Sea of Cortez.

This summer, Hamp will get to be one of those students with a new leader who is equally as enthusiastic and happens to be a great friend, too! A small group of 8 MHS students have signed up to go to the Galapagos National Park for 2 weeks to study the island and marine wildlife.

In order to help pay for the trip, the group of parents and students involved hosted a fundraiser dinner in Meeker - including a silent auction and fun entertainment. The event was a huge success, in most part due to the generosity of our community and so many people who participated and donated. It was great to see the kids all help prepare, serve and clean up from the dinner and I think they all got a sense of just how lucky they are to be a part of something so exciting.

Hamp will be headed out on June 8th and I could not be more excited for him...

The Galapagos crew in front of one of the silent auction items - a helicopter flight!

Birthday week

This was Sam's idea/creation for a birthday cake...
so fitting for my yin & yang boys!

This year, Hamp spent his birthday on the basketball court helping his JV team to win in Vail. He was happy to be with his friends and playing ball and not at all impressed with my efforts to call attention to him with a birthday balloon! Later in the week he passed his driver's test with flying colors...

Sam's enthusiasm for baking didn't end with the cake - he also made dozens of cupcakes for the middle school dance. Between gymnastics, math club, weight lifting, pep band and the dance - Sam had plenty of after school fun this week!

I swear he only ever makes that face when I ask him to smile for a picture....
despite appearances he was pretty happy to get his "official" birthday gift - registration & insurance for his car!

Our dear friends were kind enough to hand down a car for Hamp - a '97 Nissan that has seen some road wear but also has great tires and is perfect for a town car! He's pretty excited to not bum rides off friends anymore...

But Hamp wasn't the only one cruisin' around for his birthday...
The week culminated with a snowmobile trail ride at Sunlight Mountain for all three of us!
It was a perfect day of sunshine and speed and snow.


On top of everything, we quietly noticed the 5-year anniversary of losing Jason.
While Hamp was playing basketball (again!) and Sam was playing in the pep-band I was thinking about how much Jason has missed these last 5 years.... and how happy and proud he would be with how his boys are growing up. He would have loved the snowmobile ride and the birthday cake and would have beamed with pride as Hamp drained a 3-point shot and Sam played his trombone.
Most of all, he would have been so proud of his boys driving off together in that little car...