Soccer

We had a fantastic (albeit short - 4 weeks!) soccer season this September.

I found myself saying several times, "I love to watch them play!"

I also came to a deeper understanding of a wise phrase that I have engraved and displayed in my living room:

Do not prepare the path for the child. Rather, prepare the child for the path.

Let me just say, if could prepare the path for my children - it would be laden with soccer balls, shin guards and some great passing followed by a stellar goal! ☺

The 4th - 6th grade league was fast, exciting and fun to watch!

Hamp played great... scoring a couple of goals throughout the games, making some really great passing plays and even making some pretty sweet saves when playing goalie.

The 1st - 3rd graders where still working on several key skills in the game, but that didn't suppress their enthusiasm! As assistant coach, I got a first hand look at how excited Sam was to get in the game, move the ball down the field and once even - score a goal!

So while I can't tell them what sport to love, you better believe I did my best to tell these boys how much I loved watching them play! And I think they enjoyed it almost as much as I did...

Summer fun

In May, as school was coming to a close, people would ask me "what are you going to do this summer?" and I had already decided that my response was, "nothing. get bored."

Well to clarify, what I really meant was: "We have very few specific plans. We didn't sign up for a bunch of programming. Other than a single, big trip to see family, I hope to live day by day and see what adventure the boys come up with on their own."

And by 'bored' I really meant: "I hope to keep my children free from tv, video games and computers long enough to hear them say 'I'm bored' and then discover 5 minutes later that they created their own game in the backyard involving a couple of trucks, some army guys, a minor construction project, and the water hose!"

To help things along, we made a list at the beginning of the summer - not to try to structure our adventure, but just as a guideline of things we might like to do! - and when I looked at it the other day, I realized that we did a pretty darn good job of doing fun things and filling our lazy summer days with plenty of activity!

an outdoor movie at the park

evidence of floating the river

the Buford Fish Fry & camping - Father's Day weekend at South Fork campground

Rockies game - we didn't make it to Denver, but Grand Junction has a minor league team now and it's just as fun!

mini- golf wasn't on the list... but it was a bonus activity!

bowling!

a day at the wave pool with friends!

complete the triathalon - Hamp didn't make it to his... but I did! ☺

hiking to the top of China Wall - the boys and I made it (almost) to the very top...
it was hot, they were tired but we were pretty proud and the view was awesome!

concert on the lawn - another of my favorite summer activities!
Hamp got out front & center to dance with his buddies...

another adventure not on the list: playing at the lake!

Then of course, there was the Warrior Dash in August and our backpack trip, too.

And even though we never set up our lemonade stand or went biking through the Glenwood Canyon - it's safe to say that we never went for lack of something else fun to do!

We even decided to spend the night out on the tramp one hot night right before school started! Just the boys and me, 3 sleeping bags and all the stars...

So anyway... all that being said, it worked.

We did nothing, and therefore we did everything!

And we were 'bored' - which allowed us find so much adventure right here in our backyard.

It was an awesome summer - and we've already talked about next year's list!

First week!

We made it through the first week of school... and subsequent weekend!

It was a shocking adjustment for us all, for many reasons:

• Sam is now going to school ALL DAY! ☺
• Hamp went to school, then to soccer practice, then to auditions for the school play! busy bee...
• And while Jason hasn't really had much of a vacation this summer from work, he does have several new staff members in his building that he is excited about - and nervous for!
• Finally, I am adjusting to a full day of domesticity! Don't worry, it's not too bad. ☺

In fact, I spent the majority of my first week of kids in school volunteering at the Meeker Classic! I wouldn't have wanted to spend it any other way... it is one of my favorite events all year long. And of course there is still plenty to do at home (including update the blog!!!) and I have some prospects on the horizon for gainful semi-employment. But in the meantime I plan to post more pictures, hike with the dog, bake yummy snacks for the kids after school, and generally be a Donna Reed ~ Betty Crocker ~ Michelle Obama hybrid!

captured a great moment at Hamp's first soccer game last week!

the Meeker Classic!

Go Cowboys!
Nothing better than Friday night lights...

quick trip

I was really craving some beach time... sand in my toes, ocean breeze, salty taste of the waves... all of it!

As luck would have it, on an impulsive check for airfare to Florida I found just what I needed!

And we ended up with four perfect days with Mojo & Dado - and the perfect "last hoorah" trip to wrap up the summer!

Our day and a half at the beach was restorative for my soul for certain - but more importantly it was awesome watching Hamp & Sam become ever more comfortable in the ocean! They spent most of the time with boogie boards riding the waves and were so fun to play with...

Some folks are skeptical when I tell them we don't go to Disney World every time we travel to Orlando. The truth is, all we ever really want to do is hang out at Mojo & Dado's house, swim in the pool and take at least one trip to the beach!

But Mojo & Dado like to keep us entertained... So they got tickets to dinner and a show for us at Medieval Times! 

I was so happy to see one of my longest, bestest friends there with her family...

... and Hamp was happy to have friends there to play with, too!

So to demonstrate the divergent personalities of Hamp and Sam, I have to describe how they processed the whole idea of medieval knights jousting and using hand-to-hand combat with swords and weapons to impress the king and win the hand of the princess.

Hamp was so enamored with the fighting that he now wants his own sword and shield - and after the show he made sure to get his phot taken with "the bad guy"!

Sam was so distraught with the fighting that he closed his eyes and asked to go home. In an effort to provide some explanation I told him that long ago during the times of kings and knights they used jousting and fighting to solve their problems. This in turn prompted the question, "so since that was a long time ago, now people don't have to use fighting to solve their problems anymore, right?" 

Oh Sam.... if only!!!

Thank you Mojo & Dado for a perfect long weekend at the beach, in the pool and especially with you!

We loved baseball at the park, playing with floaties in the pool, ice cream sundaes on the porch, at tv time in the bed.

What a wonderful way to end such a fantastic summer vacation...

surfing

Warriors again!

I guess we all had so much fun last year, we came back for more!

The Warrior Dash at Copper Mountain was last weekend and we made the most of it - with more friends, more kids, more food and more fun! Although, perhaps not as much mud as last year...

The course this year was still quite challenging - with obstacles to climb over, climb under, climb through and slide down! - but it didn't deter anyone from having fun!

Once *most* of the mud was washed off, we hung out at the big post-race party and enjoyed the sunshine, some good food and lots of laughter!

We did it right this year - we stayed in Frisco overnight after the race so that we could take advantage of being in Summit County and all it has to offer. 

Specifically: mountain biking!

(although the scenery, shopping and sushi options are pretty great, too!)

that's a lot of bikes!

While some of the bigger boys (Hamp, etc.) took a fun singletrack ride through the mountains, I escorted Sam and friends on a beautiful paved trail around Lake Dillon...

(with a stop to play on the shore, of course!)

nothing beats a little post bike ride ice cream!

Another fantastic weekend - made better with the company of great friends!

Until next year, perhaps?! 

Trapper's Peak & Wall Lake

 

Check out that awesome gaggle of backpack-laden boys and dogs, all shined up and ready to hit the trail!

This gang was ready to hike up a mountain, set up camp by the lake and spend the next 3 days hiking around Wall Lake, including a summit of Trapper's Peak at 12,002 feet!

And who, you might ask were the adults in charge of this rag-tag group of backpackers?

John (tour guide), Kris (camp expert) and me

And so... off we went! We left Monday morning and enjoyed about a 3 hour climb to get to our camp site at Wall Lake. The boys carried their own stuff - including sleeping bags and sleeping pads, clothes and some water and food. Hamp's pack weighed about 15 pounds... just enough for a first time backpacker! The adults carried tents and cooking supplies - with packs weighing from 30 to 50 pounds! (Hmmm... wonder whose was only 30?!) Oh, and Gabe carried all the dog food!

taking a break on the trail!

After braving a lightning storm and being pelted by sleet at 10,000 feet, we made it - albeit a little wet and a little cold and a little tired! - to the campsite. The sun came out and made the rest of the afternoon perfect for setting up our tents, getting a campfire going, collecting firewood and checking out the lake and the view!

Gabe & Lola - best buddies!
They were such great camping dogs - and their friend Micah came too (but was too shy to get in the picture!)

We woke up Tuesday morning and took advantage of the clear sky for some amazing hiking and views of the Flattops. We headed around the lake, through a field, up a faint trail through the trees, across a scree field, and up the rocky East side of Trapper's Peak. The views were extraordinary, the boys were amazingly agile and energetic, the dogs were great and the photographer was out of breath most of the way! ☺

A thumbs up from Kris = "you're almost at the top Mandi! You can do it!!!"

At the top of Trapper's Peak at 12,002 feet.
So proud of these boys!!! They were amazing.

A beautiful photo of the view of Wall Lake from the top - courtesy of Mountain Photography by Jack Brauer

Funny thing is - once you get to the top, the adventure is not over. Getting down is almost as difficult sometimes as the hike up! In this case, the rocky side of the peak was a challenge... but the boys (and the dogs!) were like little mountain goats skirting down the hillside in no time.

Gabe eagerly waited his turn to head down the hill!

There were more rocks to climb down once we hit the "wall" of Wall Lake (seen in the background below) but again, nothing deterred these adventurers!

A quick break for lunch (and a 30 minute trail run for the other adults - I volunteered to hang back and watch over camp☺) and we were all ready for another hike!

This time, the goal was an overlook above Trapper's Lake.

But to get there, you had to climb some more... wait for it... rocks.

Kris at the overlook (we didn't allow the kids to get that close!) of Trapper's Lake

Here's what we did in between hikes!



We must have sufficiently worn everyone out, because we all hit the sack before dark.

Which was good, because we all woke up before dawn to break camp and head down the mountain!

Ice on the tent Wednesday morning... guess it got pretty cold at night!

Headed out on the trail!
Had to have Gabe on leash just in case - there were sheep grazing in the area and we wouldn't want him getting curious and invoking the ire of one of those notoriously protective sheep dogs!

(For a view of ALL the cool pictures from the trip, check out my Shutterfly album)

A beautiful 2 hour hike back down to the trail head and finally, the backpacks were off and we could all share in the satisfaction of a truly fun, accident-free, exhilarating pack trip.

To be honest, I'm not even sure I was ready to come home! Besides sleeping on the ground (which gets more and more uncomfortable the older I get...) I absolutely LOVED being in the middle of nowhere, with no cell service and nothing to entertain me besides my thoughts, nature's beauty and the excellent dynamic of six boys aged 9 to 14 (aka lots of fart jokes)!

But the best part for me was the pride I felt watching Hamp carry his own pack, keep pace with the older boys, jump in the cold lake, hike up a mountain and scurry over boulders... and especially when his very slow but persistent mother finally made it up the rocks to Trapper's Peak (where Hamp had been happily resting with his friends for several minutes already!) and he ran towards me, gave me a big hug and said, "Good Job, Momma!". Totally worth it.