Catch UP!!!

I have a few minutes to update. More for my record than your interest....
Sorry no pics right now. There are only so many hours in a day.
Summer started with a bang!
June found me with my two awesome kids and a bunch of family and friends backpacking into the Grand Canyon. Havasupai to be exact. 11 miles in. Cascading bliss for several days. So many beautiful things to see. Hiking out. My kids were amazing on their first backpacking adventure.
We spent the summer working hard. We survived girls camp, scout camp, 4th of July fun, and more working.
Updates:
Kassidy completed the requirements for her Young Woman's Personal Progress Recognition. She is truly the best teenage daughter there ever was. She likes 9th grade and has 2 Honors classes plus a College Prep Literature class. She recently came home from her first quarter of "high school" with a 4.0 GPA. She also just got her braces off and we love her beautiful smile!!!!
Mitchell hates that there are no kids in our neighborhood. Loves school and sports still. He spent a week up north with cousins during summer and wants to go live with his cool aunts now.  He plays tight end and cornerback on his football team. HE LOVES IT!!!!! He is in 6th grade at the intermediate school and brought home a 4.0 GPA for the first quarter. He is wearing contacts and growing out of all his clothes.
Bethany - ME
working at an oral surgery practice here in town. Serving the young women at church. Helping Brandon get his business off and running. Playing co-ed softball, mountain biking, and hiking when possible. I have new scars to prove it.
Brandon
LOVES his new career!  Working very hard!  He mentioned the other day how much he loves his new job and wishes he had started it sooner. It is a great fit for him and he is so happy here. He is doing so well that he is moving out of the district office and opening his own new office in about 2 weeks. It is awesome!!!! Still biking when possible. Playing softball with his awesome wife. And scoutmastering weekly.
Maybe one day soon I'll have time to post photos.

Movin' On Up

Kindie Graduation age 6

sweet toothless smile

Elementary Graduation Age 11

mature wise smirk
Still to come in years ahead...
High School and College Graduations
He is very sad that this is the last week of his life he will ever have recess.

Par for the course

My work puts on an annual golf tournament for a memorial scholarship fund. So one day instead of surgery, I "worked" here. Brandon was one of the tournament sponsors. Here is a shot of his sign at the 2nd hole. Not a bad day's work. For either of us.

Feet Food

Mitchell was complaining that he hadn't had enough to eat today. I listed all the things he had truly eaten.

Mitch: That's feet food mom

Me: Feet food?

Mitch: Yes, I need belly food.

Me: ???
Mitch: Feet Food goes straight to your feet and you don't feel full. Belly food feeds your belly.
My boy is growing.

Just another day

One of our training hikes turned into this adventure... He loves an audience!

A quick question for our friends in the Denver area...

Is it still snowing?

Training Day

I am taking my kids backpacking into Havasupai this summer.

One of our small training hikes included this day trip. Below is the always included jumping shot.

My kids are totally excited for the chance to hike

into the Grand Canyon. I am excited to take them.

YAY!!!!!!

Mitchell climbed up the big rock in the lower left of this photo.

click to enlarge if you can't see him.

So fun.

Creamy Goodness

Best. Ranch. Dressing. Ever.
Thanks to friends for introducing us to a Utah made, local favorite.

The reason for the season

I feel compelled to update since I just posted about Mitch's team yesterday. He had game 3 last night. So here is the rundown...
Mitchell's team is inexperienced and young. Mitch has been playing since he was 5, loves the game and understands the game. They played a more experienced team with a real coach last night. :)
At the end of the game, Mitchell's team was down 16 to 0. You wouldn't have known it by watching him. He played catcher through 4 pitchers, over 100 pitches thrown. Everytime the ball is pitched, Mitch squats down, then up, and unless it is hit, Mitch makes a throw back to the mound. Every wild pitch, he is chasing a ball to hustle before bases are stolen. My kid was tired and losing, but you wouldn't have known it. He never once slowed down or looked discouraged, he was still calling out where the play would be to his team, diving for the tag at home, and playing his heart out. He became the final out of the game as he tried to steal home on a wild pitch and was tagged out. The final batter on his team would have struck out, so he was trying really hard to get one run on the board for his team. I was more proud of him at this losing game than I have ever been when his team has won. He showed heart, courage, determination, strength and good sportsmanship. This game was not about being competitive, it was about being your best. I blinked away tears watching him.
This is why we play. This is why we hike. This is why we participate in legal child abuse. :)
This is why we try hard things. Because it's awesome to watch your kid not give up mentally or physically.
Plus playing ball is just plain fun.
The coaches and parents of our team have nicknamed him now.
Mad Man Mitch

Tis the season

If you know us at all, you know what time of year it is around here. A new season has begun. Mitchell is sticking with his position of the last 3 years and playing catcher again. He really likes this position. With the move we ended up in a new league with a team that is fairly inexperienced. Poor Mitchell asked one thing of his parents before game 2. "Please don't try to coach the team," he begged. That lasted about 3 1/2 minutes till Brandon was hitting grounders warming them up in the field and I was giving base running advice. Sad, but true.

Brandon's uncle said it best... "I'd hate to coach a team with you as parents."

But give it up for this season's Indians, they are now 2-0. And they have a really cute catcher.

Secret Get Away

We took a day off when my sis and her cute family were here. They showed us a fabulous place that is soooo close to our home. We had no idea. Now if any of you visit we know where to take you. Just a short half mile hike to this magical slot canyon.

Family tradition means that someone jumps off something. Since Brandon's ankle injury the jumping has become the kids responsibility. Mitch is too brave for me. Let the magic begin... can you see the people? (click on photos to see them enlarged)
Mitch crossing the river

Kassidy surveying the scene

The cute girls - my daughter, sister and niece

The Wild kids playing in red dirt and water

Kassidy took a moment of peace

Mitch found out how cold a river fresh from the snowmelt can be

Here is the reason-
Sunshine, red dirt stained socks, kids first rapel in a slot canyon, happy children

Now this is why we moved here. You bet we are livin' the dream baby.

Everyone needs sunshine sometimes

I spread a blanket out on my front lawn this afternoon. Stretched out, with my jeans rolled up. Closed my eyes for just a minute while basking in the sunshine.
Next thing I know, my alarm clock is waking me.
Beep Beep Beep.... Beep Beep Beep
Realizing I don't have an alarm clock outside, in the afternoon, I sit up, shield my eyes from the sun, and look around. My neighbor Ken was out on his driveway enjoying the sunshine too. You see, Ken is a WWII vet, which means he is a little older than I am, and he is in a motorized wheelchair. As he backed down his driveway in to the sun, that is when I heard...
Beep Beep Beep. I like my mobility. It is quiet. But now I know my old neighbor likes sunshine too.

Battle in the Backyard

First came basic training.

Safety Rules. Safety Gear. Then they took to the woods to secure their team base and position.

Eagle Eye and Thunder stand ready.

Sniper was lying in wait...

Rocket ran after the enemy.
Thunder thought he had an opening...

He runs toward the base...
Only to be pegged by none other than Phantom.

Phantom not only hidden in the brush,

but pulled grass and twigs over his legs in an effort to be even more concealed.
Can you see him?

You just gotta love these boys!

From Peaks to Prom

My cute friend Hailey is a super star. I have hiked up Mt Elbert with her and her mom. Hailey, her sister Ashley, and I have been on top of Mt Yale together. We have rafted the Upper Arkansas River. And now, she asked me to help with her hair for her PROM. Isn't she adorable?

Today she is an angel

We came home to a message on our answering machine from Kassidy's English teacher. "Hello, this is Mrs. J----- from D----- Middle School. I'd just like to tell you as parents your daughter is a diligent student. It's just a pleasure and honor to have her in my class. I told her today that a student that is that diligent will surely be successful. I just want to let you know it doesn't go unnoticed what a diligent and very obedient child you have and it is going to pay her great dividends in the end. I just enjoy having her in my class."

So she uses this face at school...

And saves this for home...

Chest Pains

Warning: this post is rated PG13 for partial nudity

Parental discretion is advised

Please shield your children from this unsightly chest hair.

This shows what a mountain bike handle bar can do to your sternum area.

The Zen trail wasn't so zen-like.

Curly Is In

We had a great visit from Mom, Dad, WB and kiddos. They came down south to pick up their new horse. My mom's new horse is a beautiful buckskin that is preggers with what genetically may be a curly horse. We took the kids to the see the curly horses. They are supposed to be hypo-allergenic. My kids and hubby are soooo allergic to horses.

My kids had a nice visit with these 3 curly youngsters. Mitchell totally rubbed his face into the horse. And guess what...

No allergic reaction. Welcome back to 1982. Perms rule.

Schooled

So my new friend Crystal let me tag along with her today on the fabulous trails right by our home. We hit the trail on our mountain bikes at 7:30 this morning. Going up the first hill Krystal left me in her dust and then continued to ride circles around me... literally.
It was a beautiful ride. Great terrain. Gorgeous scenery. Close to home.
And Crystal kicked my arse.
But the best part...
having red dirt caked on my tires and splattering in my face while watching the sunrise over the red cliffs. I didn't take a photo. My hands were on my grips. THE WHOLE TIME.

Much Needed Vitamin D Boost

My sweet daughter wanted to go hiking for her 14th birthday. Yesterday we hit the trail. We took a nice little stroll up to the top of an extinct volcano. The kids ran all the way around the rim and then slid right down into the middle.

This is me and my hot hubby standing on the rim. Amazing view.

The scenery wasn't too bad either. We were so happy to have some cousins visit and hike with us. Love those kiddos.

And Mitchell knows how to hang with all these girls.
It was nice to be outside, enjoying the canyon, feeling some sunshine.
Thanks for making the trek down to visit us DB.
Thanks for the trail suggestion and company Manda and fam.
PS This is 12 minutes from our home. Does that entice more visitors?

Lunch break today

Menagerie

When you move during the week of Christmas, you have to move pretty fast to get a tree put up and decorated. We got our small tree up with lights pretty quickly. I decided it would have to do. My children, however, decided our tree needed some ornamentation. Here is a list of the "ornaments" I found on our tree Christmas morning.
A caribiner
a Grand Canyon key chain
2 seashell necklaces
an 8 inch long yellow feather
an 8 inch long white feather
Leopard print fuzzy dice - yes, the large, hang in your rear view mirror kind
and a tin angel bell adorning the top
It looked pretty darn good.