#RONA

50 days.  That’s how long its been since I have put gas in my car (and I still have a quarter tank left).  Thats how long its been since I have hugged a friend.  50 days since I’ve been inside anyone’s home aside from our family.  58 days since I have been to a restaurant.  60 days since I have watched Chase’s baseball or soccer games or played tennis.  65 days since I have been in the grocery store.  45 days of not hugging my parents.  But, I guess I should go back to the beginning.  #rona or Covid-19 entered our lives here in the US the first week of March.  And wow, it sure came in hot.  Mom and I went out on my birthday to a fun dinner and Hudson House and had an amazing Tuna Tower. (That is where I am going stat when all this goes away). J and Zoe were off at Sky Ranch for some daddy daughter time.  I had no idea that it would be the last time we could go out to eat for months.  That Sunday night we all celebrated my birthday at moms house.  It was the last “normal” day.  We had heard rumblings of this virus that started in Wuhan, China, but it just all the sudden got exponentially worse.  Mom and Dad cancelled their flight to Florida and left that next day to drive there, hoping to get some beach time in, but also needing a bunch of stuff they left there.  They only stayed 4 days.  It was Spring Break for the kids so we had a trip planned to Broken Bow with the Brazeals and DeJeans.  We went ahead with our plans and enjoyed being out in the woods with friends knowing that we would come back to some very different circumstances.  Upon arrival we Lysol’ed EVERYTHING in that house and then we really just enjoyed being together.  That trip was such a blessing.  One of my favorite memories is the girls and dads making up a dance to “Dance like your Daddy” by Megan Trainor.  But, we had to eventually leave. That’s when words like “social distancing” started to pop up - meaning stay 6 ft away from anyone not in your immediate family.  As we were driving into Dallas we received the Dallas Mayor’s order that we were to “Shelter in Place” for 2 weeks in order to “flatten the curve” (kind of like pulling a dominos out from a row that’s destined to knock each other down).  No Work.  No School.  No....Nothing.  What does that even mean you say- it means don’t go out, for anything, except needs like groceries.  And, when you do, don’t forget to social distance.  (And that last sentence sounds like someone yelling straight in your ear because all the bad things are being reported CONSTANTLY so much that you can barely escape it)  How many beds the hospitals have left, how many ventilators we are short, how the Italians are having to choose who lives and who dies because they don’t have the medical staff or equipment to handle all the sick.  How many months off a vaccine could be.  How the virus spreads.  How it is particularly dangerous for people over 60 or with underlying conditions.  In other words, FEAR is plaguing the entire world because we have never seen anything like this in our lifetime.  The WHO (World Health Organization, which I never even knew existed, labeled Covid-19 a Global Pandemic March 11th.  Social media is exploding. Then the economy begins tanking.  Part of the effect of “stay at home” is that basically all non-essential businesses are shut down.  Small businesses are taking a huge hit.  Amazon is basically going on overdrive to try to keep up with the demand since the only way to really get things it so order it.  (Making Prime mean 2 weeks instead of 2 days).  A Michigan Dr. makes a Utube video of how to wipe down all your groceries (including your produce) and people across the country start Lysol wiping all their food.  Which, bring up another interesting factor.  Finding toilet paper, antibacterial wipes, paper towels, or hand sanitizer is about like winning the lottery.  People are hoarding these things, and the supply cant keep up.  Thankfully I had just made a Sams run right before the crazy so I had enough to last me 1 month.  Stores like Target have entire rows of empty shelves.  Other stores have lines around the building to get in (social distancing, remember). Spring Break was extended, extended again, and eventually mid-April the Governor cancelled school for the rest of the year.  All public, private, and higher education institutions.  Done.  No Prom, Graduation, Shows, Senior Teas, no celebrations.  Weddings- on your front porch.  No gatherings of 10 or more.  No church.  All parks are closed.  No sports - professional or youth.  ESPN has really had to dig in for new material.  And the news... now regularly filmed in new caster’s own homes.   Flights, cancelled.   No one is using gas, but producers are still producing so gas is $1.33 around the corner.  Stadiums and Convention centers are filled with cots for the sick overflow.  Daily press conferences from Trump, Fauci and the team working on Covid.  Economy continues to tank while the government tries to bail out business so they can survive while having no sales.  Stay at home remained in place through April 30th.  Those are the facts...  but life, of course, goes own, like it does and we had to adjust.  We arrived home from Broken Bow to the news of Stay at Home, Work from Home, and school closed (indefinitely was the word RISD used).   Indefinitely.... sounds rather ominous no?  I rather thought so.  That first week - it was brutal.  We are all home, unsure of what is to come.  There are 4 (very hungry, mess making, somewhat cranky) people in my house ALL DAY.  I have to order groceries 10 days in advance, at midnight,(every 4 days) in order to feed these bottomless pits.  1 bag of grapes per day.  But, I was so thankful for Central Market Curbside.  When there is a global pandemic if you go anywhere with people, it kind of feels a little surreal after being so isolated the rest of the day.  That first week of school, I wanted to pull my hair out with all the apps, websites, log ins, emails, and information overload.  Everything has an app, and the kids apps aren’t the same.  ZOOM calls started, which is basically like a Group FaceTime chat, thankfully with the added bonus of a mute button for those poor teachers trying to corral 22 kids via screen.  We decided we need a schedule so I made one that we all tweaked over the coming weeks.  That schedule was the topic of much scrutiny.  At first it included waking up the kids at 7am(clearly not my idea) with 2 learning times, plus devotional, PE, read alone time, creative time, writing time, chore time, and play outside time.   Zoe wanted to stay to the schedule to the MINUTE and would freak out if we ran 10 minutes late to any of those afore mentioned activities.  And, if we did, she would need to know the whole plan of the rest of the day how we were going to make the time up.  I don’t think Chase ever even knew what the schedule was - he just went with what she said.  This is also interesting due to the fact that she has so much more work and is so much more self sufficient with it than he was.  His load was pretty light so I have added things like memorizing poems (which we actually really enjoyed doing together on the hammock), learning multiplication facts, and writing stories.  He is much like his mommy - he wants to do excellent work, but he is willing to take the quickest road to get there!  Zoe uses google classroom like a pro and aside from printing out some things for her she is completely on it and (hopefully) doing above and beyond what she is required.  We are now in a good grove of wake up 8/8:30 to do our devotional together (which has been so sweet) do school work and read alone time (where I fit in my daily workout), lunch, finish school, chores, and play.  They have both really enjoyed FaceTiming Ella and Evan for the 2nd part of the school time and doing homework via that.  Chase now has his own iPad now and both kids have LOVED texting and calling the grandparents constantly— with lots of emogis and gifs.   Those first few weeks we were social distancing even with the grandparents, and that was REALLY hard.  We all missed the hugs and the hanging out without the constant worry we would get them sick, even if we felt totally fine.  In fact, I think that was the very hardest part of all of this.  That separation.  It was awful. One day Pappy even brought over a a blanket to put over the kids so they could give them hugs.  We went 45 days without hugging my parents, and quite a while for Pops and Gigi too.  That’s a LONG time.  I’m not sure if it was harder for mom, or me.  Stay at home, social distancing is not for extroverts.  AT ALL.  Zoe and Chase miss their friends too, but honestly I think they are partially living their best lives at home.  Zoe particularly has been happy as a clam with the routine and being at home (once she got to hug the grandparents again).  They have been on one million bike rides.  At first just with each other, now with friends though still keeping our distance.  Chase has become Mr. Daredevil extraordinaire.  He’s popping curbs, riding no handed, and jumping up and down whatever he can find.  I think its his way of filling the empty cup no sports has left behind.  I have had to give him some strict rules for when they are riding without me - and Zoe is not a fan of all his tricks!  We have heated the pool and had many many evening swims - minus the pool fence!  The yard looks so different and much more appealing without it!  We spent one weekend pulling weeds, trimming and mulching back there and now it looks fantastic!  Right now in fact, I am sitting up by the pool doing my quiet time and other little things enjoying all the birds chirping and Lex sitting at my feet as I do many mornings before the kids get up.  They have been up SO late that they have been sleeping later and later.  Chase slept until almost 10 yesterday.  Summer is basically here - we are out in the yard until past 8 most nights.  They camped out in the backyard 2 nights with daddy.   We have played many many games or pickle ball, Kan Jam, and paddles.  The Spring weather has been FANTASTIC.   That has been a particular blessing because at those first weeks when the grandparents would come over we would mostly have to stay outside (and 6 ft away).  They and the kids lived for those outdoor Kan Jam and pickle ball sessions.  Chase’s birthday came up right in the midst of all this of course.  Clearly, no party, no friends, and getting the whole family together was challenging.  However, the day ended up being a really sweet one.  A few days before he got to be a part of the birthday parade in our neighborhood.  Cars line up at the school with balloons, banners, and crazy things on their cars and drive around telling all the birthday people HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  I think the parade was 8 minutes long.  That has been a pretty awesome thing to see the community come together to do.  He got “Chase is 8!” Donuts to start the day -always exciting!  I had all his buddies and family that are not here make a little video clip for him and Zoe did a fantastic job of putting it together into a keynote (like she loves to do).  She even added her own sweetest and most heartfelt clip.  Some were precious, others were hysterical.  The Walkers even made him an IMovie. We have watched it many, many times.  Mom, Dad, and Tay Tay came over and we did birthday presents in the morning outside - again a gorgeous day.  He got a Sphero Robot like Zoes so they have been making lots of use of those together.  Mom even made him a huge sign out of a plastic tablecloth and wrapping paper.  They ate lunch and his 1st requested birthday desert - Mom’s pound cake.  Pops and Gigi came over that afternoon and we played and played outside, mostly with their gift- a pickle ball set!  That night we naturally had Pizza - but Chase also added his other birthday requests - green jello and  Gigi’s Triple layer Chocolate pie. Can you eat that all with pizza - apparently so!  That night, without prompting, Chase said that was one of his favorite birthday’s ever.  I asked him why and he said because we all just hung out and played all day long and didn’t have to rush to go anywhere.  Really, he just loved having his people - tho he did miss having his cousins to celebrate.  Two days later we celebrated Easter.  Figuring that out was a bit of a challenge but we ended up having all the grandparents over together.  We set 3 different card table eating spots up by the pool, all 6 feet away from each other.  We were all set up to eat, then out of the blue - it starts thundering and raining . so we bring it all in, and everyone too.  Then 10 minutes later put it all back out after the shower passes and enjoyed an absolutely stunning evening outside.  The kids did their annual Easter Egg Hunt - and we have already found the 2 eggs we couldn’t find that day!  That most be a record! Usually we find a couple as the year goes on.  After that April has kind of gone by in a blur.  I myself have definitely had to adjust to all the sudden everyone being home and everyone calling “mommy” every half minute.  I still haven’t figured out why we have so much laundry when we aren’t going anywhere, but wow it piles up quickly.  That, and the dishes... My dishwasher is jammed full every night from 3 square meals plus everyone’s snacks throughout the day.  The amount of fruit this household goes through is truly astonishing... every 4 days.. 8 apples, 3-4 bags of grapes, 2 18oz cartons of blueberries, a bag of clementines, and a bunch of bananas.  I mean.. really... Justin eating at work saves my grocery bill more than I ever knew!  The kids are now the official doers of all dishes.  They empty them and put the breakfast dishes in in the morning, and are generally in charge of putting them in the rest of the day.  They each have daily tasks which include making their beds, feeding Lex, skimmers, putting up laundry, and DISHES.  One silver lining of Covid-19 - my kids now expect and know how to do chores.  They have organized (well, mostly Zoe) pantry, drawers, cleaned baseboards, pulled weeds, cleaned bathrooms, showers, and floors.  (no cleaning ladies for 2 months- ouch).  And usually.. they have a pretty good attitude about it!  While I have been juggling the domestic normals, I have also been trying to stay active (and really missing tennis!).  I started running and have slowly built up to 5 miles and I now actually really enjoy the time out of the house, and the quietness of it.  I totally get the draw of running like I never did before.  It’s kind of mind-clearing, soul-filling, sun soaking exhaustion.  I now look forward to my run days. I also hopped on Justin’s Wahoo trainer for a month.  It was a good workout.. but SO boring.. I told him I’ll never understand it.  But, I was grateful at least to be able to move.  Since the gym will likely be a sketch place to be for a long while and I was doing mainly spin there anyways, I ordered myself a Peloton... and man.. THATS a fun, great workout!  April was a really strange month.  Lots of change and sad things, but many silver linings too.  We love having Daddy home.  We have eaten almost every single dinner outside and played until the sun goes down (which means mommy and daddy are tired!).  We have enjoyed just being together- playing games, reading lots of Harry Potter, finding lizards, bike riding, just hanging outside, Kan Jam, Pickleball, hide and seek, long walks, and just taking each day as it comes. 

Christmas 2019

I sure love December.  I mean, its crazy... and its super even more crazy when Thanksgiving is November 28th.. BUT.. what a fun time.  Dash the Elf arrived Dec 1st as is his tradition.  That crazy elf did some FUNNY stuff this year.  My personal favorites were the Frozen II reenactment and the ELF SCHOOL he made upstairs. The first 2 weeks were nonstop.  We got home from Waco, house already decorated thank goodness.. except the tree of course.  This was the first year, I actually thought to myself.. man, artificial tree would sure be nice - but, don't worry, I soon came to my senses.  We did have the most beautiful tree this year - the first time we got a Frasier fir, despite the fact that we had to saw off like 3/4 foot off the top and more off the bottom to fit it in our house.  We measured all our favorite trees.. except that one.. oops.. Zoe and Chase helped me put all the ornaments on.  Zoe is my expert decorator and is SO good at it.  Chase wanted to put ALL the ornaments (like ALL of them including the old, broken, made at school ones) front an center.   I finally told him he was not allowed to put any ornaments in "my area" unless I told him too!  Ha!  We did breakfast with Santa at a local movie theatre followed by Frozen II which was really spectacular! Tete came for a visit the 2nd week of December so we shopped till we dropped - well mom and Tete dropped anyway!  I was still running full steam ahead!  We had a fun time just hanging out and dined at Origin one night!  New fave!  Zoe particularly was so glad her Tete was here.  She really just loves having her family together.  She told me during Christmas that while she understood why Tete and Charlie couldn't be here on actual Christmas, she really liked it when they were here!  Speaking of Zoe, shopping for that girl is getting rather challenging.  She still is a kid, but is entering the "tween" years where she doesn't really want clothes, jewelry, etc yet, but doesn't really play with toys either.. I kind of REALLY miss the age with hot wheel parking garages and Disney princesses.  Chase - easy.  Anything sports is a win.  We hosted 2 Christmas parties - one with friends and had the best time laughing it up.  We hit up Six Flags Holiday in the Park - which the kids think is the BOMB.  I, on the other hand, have started to get old.. and have about a 5 ride max.  Ridiculous.. but.. thats how it goes I guess!  We served some refugees by helping them pick out presents for their family at our community center.  J, very sadly, got the flu that day.. so that kind of put a damper on the next 5 days or so.  Zoe, Loli, and I did our usual nutcracker watching many of her sweet friends participate.  Santa also paid us another visit.  We had I think 16 kids and 7 families over.  It really is a special time.  Outside of that, we really lessened our "planned" activities and enjoyed some sweet time at home making gingerbread houses, watching Christmas movies, and playing lots of games and Nintendo together.  I also FINALLY got the kids into Star Wars!!! YAAAASSSSS.. The kids and I have been watching them in chronological order and it is SO fun!  The kids have also been in a really good swing, mostly, where they have enjoyed playing together doing random things.  Zoe had a Christmas Choir Concert at Northpark so we were able to see her sing!  Christmas came along and was magical.  Santa brought Chase a Day Prescott jersey and a new football.  He brought Zoe a betta fish (cant believe he did that!) and a little robot.  Gift highlights were a new bike for Chase and lots of sporting equipment!  Zoe was ELATED to get an iPad and a projector to use to teach school along with a Karaoke mic and some new Athleta clothes.  She has also discovered the greatness of the vest - and is now looking more and more like my mini me.  What can I say.. Athleta plus a good vest.. you just cant beat it.  She also got a brush hairdryer and hair towel and is now doing her hair on her own!  They both got remote control cars and Chase got a new drone to replace the one that got run over.  Another favorite was a kid's size surf board.  They cant wait to use it!  Justin's big excitement were some new bike wheels - always got to get faster right?  We had a lovely Christmas Day being together.  Zoe walked up to me that afternoon and said, in the sweetest voice..."Mommy, Im so happy.  I love you.. Merry Christmas Mommy".. MELT.. yep.. me too my girl.  Such sweet time.  2 Days later the Waco crew arrived and we Christmased Part 2.  The kids had a big time playing together as always and the boys played LOTS of Nintendo since it rained the entire time.  Thank the Lord for Stella!! Zoe would have been up a creek with all this football and Nintendo that all the boys want to do every hour.  My sweet boy is still mine though.  When given the opportunity to sleep upstairs with all the boys, he said he would rather sleep with mommy and daddy in their room.  So.. of course.. I will take those snuggles any day. 

Europe 2019

Day 1 Lake Como, Italy. Arrived at Milan 6am Italy time and took 2 trains to Varenna. Obviously had excellent coffee lakeside. Walked around and toured Villa Monastero. The gardens were absolutely stunning. Varenna is a tiny waterfront town with cobblestone walkways and little bistros and gelato shops down all the tiny, very hilly alleys. Hardly any cars. Pizza/salad lunch was SO delicious. Took ferry over to Bellagio- the pearl of the lake. Back for antipasti and wine and 13 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Day 2- Varenna. Began the day with a 6 mile hike starting with a STEEP climb to Castillo Vezzio, a beautiful castle perched right on the mountaintop with stellar views. We then took a crazy loopy path to the Sentiero del Viandante. We got lost 800 times as the path was only marked by these little orange signs once every .25 mile or so and it included teeny tiny alleyways through even tinier towns, mule cart paths, and hiking trails. It was like a scavenger hunt! We had no less than 5 locals tell us the way. Quite a few beautiful little shrines to Mary along the way and so fun to go through the towns along the coast and see locals just hanging out in the street. Next up a boat ride to Villa Balbianello where Star Wars and James Bond were filmed. All rounded out with wine and pasta in Varenna Piazza at Quattro Pass.

3. Our big adventure. So... when I picked Lake Como as one of our dream destinations, I did not know it is a HUGE biking Mecca. People travel from all around the world to ride these “hills”. Naturally(read: amazing wife) I signed us up for a 40 mile ride/climb. Me on an Electric bike, J on his fancy speedy bike. They brought us the bikes from Bellagio and got us situated. While I wasn’t around the guide states- you know this ride is really hard right? And also, if she uses that bike battery the whole climb- it will die before she gets to the last *biggest* climb. It will not last the whole ride because you picked such a long one. Ok.... Challenge accepted. I will use my legs to crank this thing (which by the way, is about twice the weight of Justin’s bike) So, off we go. We pass through quaint little Italian towns with old men sitting out front just chatting away. People are walking around with their groceries at a slow Italian pace. As we get higher we get into the “wild” where it’s basically nothing but you, the panorama of Como, and the intoxicating smell of tomatoes and fresh basil. It’s an awesome ride. My little battery is doing just fine about half way up and I am crazy sweaty but enjoying every minute. Got up to 30mph, before I panicked and braked! About mile 26 it starts to rain lightly. No biggie. About mile 28- total pour down, so, praise the Lord, we find a tiny church and take shelter for about 20 minutes. It let up slightly, so we decided just to go for it. We climb. Climb. Climb. I am DYING - battery or no. Said battery then suddenly drops from 15% to 6% Basically I just prayed to reach the top. And- we did. In the rain. With 2% battery life. It was cloudy but still breathtaking. 7200 foot climb. Then, we flew, in the rain, back down 7200 feet. We were FREEZING, WET, exhausted- but we did it. After that, the only moving we did was to pour more wine and go get Pizza. And after that 2100 calorie burn- man did I enjoy every single cheesy, delicious bite! #detailssoiwontforget #sorrysolong Also, they call lettuce “rocket” here. I’m going to start calling my salads that. Much more appealing, no?

4. Did you know Lago Di Como is 1345 ft deep!!! That’s like oceanic y’all. It’s a glacial lake. We rented a boat and cruised for a couple hours. Stunning Villas and small coastal towns dot the coastline. Every town seems to have an ancient church and when they ring the hour, the beautiful bells sound for miles off the water. The sound is magnificent. One of the villas pictured was just bought by a London hedge fund officer for 45 million Eruo. So, you know- if you are looking for a “Lakehouse” ... Most every large villa has a botanical garden attached. Some of the old nobility owners let people tour the gardens just to pay for the garden maintenance. George Clooney’s Como villa is actually quite small in comparison. Hotel Du Lac. If you ever visit- please stay here. It is absolute perfection and we got to know all the friendly staff by name. The breakfast buffet on the terrace with unlimited cappuccino was unreal. Ate lunch at our favorite “gas station” and stocked up on some Italian goodies for home. Took the ferry to Menaggio where we began our “moderate” 7 mile hike. All Trails (app) LIED. We went straight UP via one million switch backs for 2 grueling hours. Climbed 2200 feet. But, the wide expanse at the top was simply jaw-dropping. We even FaceTimed the kids from up there! I could have easily spent the day just sitting there watching the tiny boats leave white trails as they drove the lake. The ferry boats back and forth, back and forth. Watching the myriad of butterflies and grasshoppers covering the grassy knoll at the top. Quiet except the toll of the hour. But, per our normal, we are “maximizers” and after 15 minutes had to RUN down the hill to catch the ferry home in time for a world record fast shower and our dinner reservation. Mom, so sorry but I could not get fancy for our patio dinner 😉. Wine, pasta, gelato. Repeat.

5. Left beloved Como and headed to Switzerland by train through Lugano to Lucerne. 4 hours by train passing some beautiful Swiss countryside on the way. The trains are clean and cool. The train station restrooms- enter at your own risk, or I would advise just skip all together 😬. Walked 4 blocks through the city to our hotel right in the middle of town. Feels a bit like NYC, but once you reach the river/lake, the comparison ends. The old world meets the modern here. The famous 13th century Chapel Bridge greets you as you enter the lakeside promenade. It’s art work depicts stories of the city’s beginnings and evolution. Hundreds of people gather to see the bridge and watch the river flow beneath it, a surprisingly fast clear current rushing through the city center. From the bridge you stroll along the shore, cafes and restaurants bustling with hungry tourists, all paying INSANE priced to fill their bellies. We found a hamburger... for 50 CHF (dollars). We were starving so found one of the more casual but very Swiss establishments, Rathaus Brewery. We decide to try the local cuisine and got a pretzel prosciutto sandwich and a “sausage/mozzarella salad” which was really only salad if you added, for extra $, the “garnish” of lettuce. It was actually all quite delicious and very unique. We then climbed up to the tower wall to get a view of Lucerne and the lake. We also found 2 churches, which actually both were being used! We have been here 5 days, seen many churches, but no churchgoers. The large Jesuit church was holding mass with a choir singing their praises to God, the melody filling the high, domed, and beautifully painted ancient ceiling with adoration. Next we walked to the Lion Monument- dedicated to Swiss mercenaries that fell during the French Revolution. We visited one of the MANY museums (though, admittedly we prefer nature) called the Rosengart. It houses many of Picasso’s works (amazing, but what a strange dude) as well as my personal favorite genre, impressionists. Monet. Cezanne. Serat. Fabulous. Also interesting to note- there is NO shopping on Sunday in the whole city. Headed to Co-Op grocery store for light dinner and wine. Cheaper!!

6. Mount Rigi, Queen of the Mountains. So far, my favorite day! Started off early with 3 shots of expresso and popped by Macchi bakery down the street to get a picnic lunch. (For only 8 CHF!) Grabbed ferry to Vitznau, a stunning hour ride across Lake Lucerne. On the way we made friends w. Captain Marcel, whose family has been in Lucerne for over 800 years! He gave us the hiking routes to take for our next adventure! We arrived at Vitznau, and took the oldest cog railway in Europe (1870) part of the way up the mountain to Rigi Kaltbad. From there we began our trek across to Rigi Scheilegg, panoramas of Switzerland, including its highest peaks, France and Germany on our right the entire way. I cannot even really describe the beauty and sheer vastness of it all. It begs the question, how can one doubt the specific, intentional power of the creator? As we crossed the ridge into the less touristed area (thanks Marcel) we basically only saw a few Swiss locals enjoying their holiday, and my personal favorite, the cows! They are everywhere, their giant bells ringing loudly, though soothingly, across the valley falling into harmony with their occasional mooing and constant buzz of grasshoppers. (Hear video) As odd as the mixture is, it is amazingly beautiful and peaceful. We sat at the top of one of the ridges just soaking it all in. J and I don’t “sit” very much, or well, but this was worth the quiet reflection- time to grasp your own insignificance in comparison to the vastness, yet, realizing that you are loved by the one who created you, and have been given the gift of this specific, glorious perspective of the world. We hiked, then, to the far peak, ate our yummy picnic, (tramp was randomly at the peak restaurant!) took a STEEP cable car down to the valley floor, then decided, sure, let’s try to summit! The locals looked at us as if we were crazy, but, 10.3 miles in, 4500 ft of climbing, we made the top of the Queen, Rigi Kulm. The back side of the mountain hike up was full of magnificent tall pines, and waterfalls (we happily drank from) pouring crystal clear cool water down to the lake. From Kulm, we took the cable car, CRAZY STEEP, down, sunset ferry back.

7. Mürren, Switzerland. After required 3 shots of expresso headed to the train station to catch the train from Lucerne to Interlaken. Made it with 2 whole minutes to spare! The ride was a leisurely jaunt through the Swiss countryside and the views grew increasingly more rich and fairytale-like. You pass about 4 lakes or “sees,” most of which reflected the high green peaks through the turquoise shade of the water. (Pic 1). Then hopped on a cable car from Lauterbrunnen valley up to Mürren, a small resort village midway up the mountain. One coop grocery, 2 carless lanes, and 6-8 little shops/ restaurants hug the main area from the steep drop just feet below. Otherwise only hotels and ski chalets cover the rest of the town. Since half the day was behind us we took the next cable car up to the Schilthorn, one if the highest peaks in the region. We, and hundreds of Japanese tourists coming up from Interlaken. Many keep on going to Jungfrau, the “Top of Europe” We, generally speaking, despise crowds, and crowded spots, so our time up top was short, but I will say that the Japanese know how to take pictures! This, obviously, a huge bonus for me that wants 5 different angles and 2 poses. And you don’t even have to ask! They already know! We got our view of the big 3 peaks and headed in down to do a small hike before dinner. Yet again, the station master eyes us and gently reminds us the time of the last cable car back down - aka - are u sure u want to start that hike now? Yep - because I’m married to a crazy triathlete overachiever which I mostly love, but really despise when I am DYING hiking up a hill with a 166 HR and his is only 86. 🙄 we made it a couple miles to “Mirror Lake” and I took one million pics, then headed back to the cable car, 1 hr early. I breathed a sigh of relief. Not getting stuck up here! Celebrated our 15 year Anniversary with dinner at out hotel, Hotel Eiger. We obeyed the waiter and got all Swiss dishes (except the crazy good salad). Cheese Fondue was a huge treat. It’s a Swiss Fare- local cheese melted with wine, garlic, and Schnapps that u dip w bread.Followed that with a reindeer filet. (Don’t tell our kids). Best meal in decades!

8. Mürren. Wengen. Cliffhanging Adventure. Well, today we decided to really take the plunge and do the Mürren Via Ferrata meaning “Way of Iron” We were both a little nervous but the thrill was too great to resist. You basically climb on the edge of the cliff from Mürren to Gimmelwald with Lauterbrunnen Valley sitting 4000 feet below your feet, which, at times, are essentially just hanging out over the valley. A 1/2 “ diameter rebar footstep stuck inside the mountain face holds you up from step to step as you look straight down to the valley floor. Obviously, you are also clipped to a cable at all times, but the drop is pretty astounding as you make the 3 hour trek. There are also 2 tightrope walks which cross you over waterfalls, the water, at least, obeying gravity by plunging down below. We actually loved this part and just stood out in the middle a while. The scariest, though was the suspension bridge. It swings with the wind and at one point you only have one hand hold. But. It. Was. Awesome. I would do it again tomorrow. Thankfully, we had a beautiful afternoon yet to spend so we trekked to Wengen via train and then climbed up to another peak, Kleine Scheidegg. We took the less traversed path and only saw about 6 people once we got into the higher area. It was a tough, long 3000 ft climb, but the open meadows at the end with Mount Eiger showing us her North Face with nothing to block our view was worth the miles. She also had 4-5 MASSIVE waterfalls pummeling down in their white, foamy glory. And, of course, cows. To top it off, right above our train ride home, was a beautiful little reservoir, reflecting Eiger and Monk just like a teal shaded mirror. The good Lord created some magnificent views. So grateful and thankful to see them and hope you enjoy them too. #wanderlust

9. Lauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland. Today was a “rest” day.. My legs are still burning from yesterday so a nice easy, 30 mile ride through the valley was just the thing. 😂 It actually was a really relaxing trip. We had ebikes and you could go as hard as you wanted (Justin turned on the motor like 4 times in 7 hrs 😂) or basically use the motor the whole way. I did enough to make a dent in the large quantity of cheese I’ve been eating! We did a tour through Flying Wheels Interlaken to tour the area, have a delicious picnic lunch, and ride through the “valley of 72 waterfalls”. Sure enough, there were waterfalls everywhere including the famous Trummelbach Falls, where the falls are actually inside the mountain. The video here doesn’t do it justice. 20,000 liters per second go through that gorge. Jokingly I asked our awesome guide George if people canyon (like doing really crazy water slides inside gorges) in there. They do! But only in the winter months when the water is low, and only for military training. Umm. Pass on that! George, our guide, was an awesome part of the whole experience and let us glimpse into the local Swiss tradition, and also his own love of extreme sports (so much around here). BASE jumping, Canyoning, paragliding— all daily occurrences in the valley. They have 20,000 base jumpers a year!! Now, those people, are crazy! We saw Gimmelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Mürren, and quite a few towns in between. Finished up the day by walking to see Lake Brienz. That color. Amazing!

10. Oberhornsee, Switzerland. One of my top 5 life experiences. We hiked 15.3 miles, 8 moving hours, through jaw dropping, dreamlike terrain. I have never seen the like. Ever. We got an early start from Gimmelwald, knowing it would be a long day, so I woke up with daybreak through my open window. We descended down to the valley just as the first light of the sun crested the mountains on the other side. It shone its bright yellow rays through the thousands of pine needles, dew bouncing it back like tiny little mirrors. The light was sideways and diffused, throwing everything into a warm glow. The photographer in me was so excited our hike slowed to a crawl. We reached the bottom to find small meadows with streams running through them, everything there the greenest of greens. We started up the other side, a steep 2000 ft climb that opened up to the great wide open -180 degrees of fields, rocks, mountain faces, glaciers, and waterfalls. Magnificent. We crossed and wound around the ridge, following the mountain, as the terrain changed w each turn. Stopped for lunch at Obersteinberg, a 2 building town sans electricity. Our backdrop was a massive waterfall. Tolkien stayed here when writing Lord of the Rings - this place as inspiration for the Elven realm. Onward, upward 2k more ft through grassy knolls with huge boulders sprayed in like they were thrown down from heaven. Waterfalls and raging rivers we crossed and walked alongside. The last part of the climb was a field of flowers, growing on the steep mountain face. Finally, the top, right under the glaciers sitting in the mountain saddleback, is the lake. Stunningly beautiful clear turquoise glacier melt, a reflective surface for the glory of the mountain tops. I lost count of how many waterfalls we crossed on the way home by way of the opposite mountain. The roaring or humming of the water changed as you moved but the sound was ever-present. We went right under the one we watched at lunch. It seemed so far away at the time. A little taste of heaven this place. “In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land."

Hopped across the pond.. All hail the Queen! St. James Park, Buckingham Palace, Oxford Street, Kensington Palace, Westminster Abbey, Churchill War Rooms, Liberty London. History and people and monuments everywhere. Bit of a culture shock after being alone on a mountain for the better part of 2 days, but don’t worry, there was enough shopping to cure it 😉. Or window shopping at least!  J had to work for 2 days so... I shopped... and then we ate... again!  We ate a different nationality of food each night. My favorite was a Japanese place.  Each morning a yummy breakfast with MORE coffee too of course.  The last night Justin surprised me with tickets to see Hamilton at Victoria Palace.  SOOO cool and SOOO good... Now I know what all the hoopla was about!  Finally headed back home with an entire row (and really the better part of the plane) all to myself.  WHAT A TRIP!

Aug 19 - notes to our teachers

Zoe girl - that’s what we call her ;). She is a girly girl and it just stuck!  Zoe is my true 1st born rule follower - totally terrified of getting in trouble!  She also likes to be in charge - of her brother at least!  Zoe is empathetic, kind hearted, and a great lover of people.  She is an introvert for the most part and enjoys small groups or one on one situations the best.  She has a harder time in large groups on the playground for instance.  She is an excellent student and God has gifted her with an incredible brain.  She scored a perfect score on her practice STARR test and very rarely brings home less than mid 90’s grades.  Zoe loves math!! I never have to ask her to do her homework and half the time she is reminding ME of things!  She is ultra responsible!  Part of what makes her so bright though, is that she is a perfectionist and has incredible work ethic.  She totally gets this from her Daddy and always shoots for the stars. Along with this perfectionism though, is a very strong need for structure, and routine.  Zoe does not enjoy when her day changes on her and likes to know the “plan” for pretty much everything before it happens.  Very much Type A.  She is already worried about leaving a whole day for REACH (though she loves REACH itself) and is nervous about getting everything done she will miss.  Any assurance you can give her would be most helpful! She also gets emotionally bothered when others at her table or near her are consistently disruptive or distracting.  Zoe is extremely organized and absolutely loves helping in the classroom and loves to get up and “teach” the class if allowed.  She wants to be a teacher when she grows up! One of her favorite days last year was when her teacher allowed her to get up and teach an art project Mrs. Tucker had taught her.  I asked Zoe what I should tell you in my letter and she said "I LOVE  to ask LOTS of questions because I want to know every detail and make sure I am doing it exactly right!"  Bonnie Altimore was SO patient with her million questions last year and she thinks Bonnie hung the moon!  Zoe is also very watchful of peoples feelings and never wants anyone to feel left out.  She wears her heart on her sleeve. 

As far as her likes - Zoe loves friends and pretty much asks me for a playdate every single day of her life!  As Im sure you have noticed, she and Ella are good friends.  Sydney Davis is another one of her people.  Zoe loves her family with every breath and that includes all 4 Lake Highlands grandparents that you will be meeting in the coming weeks.  Lexi is our 1 year old golden doodle and Zoe simply adores her.  

Zoe’s other interests include art and dance.  Mrs. Tucker comes to our house every Monday to teach art to her and a few other girls.  Its Zoes fave day of the week.  If she is ever having a down day, just grab Amanda.  Zoe is right at home with her.  Zoe will be doing choir this year too which she is excited about! 

Chaser - That is what many family and friends end up calling him.  We named him very appropriately.  The kid loves to RUN!  He is quite proud of his 2 Turkey Dash wins and is already talking about how he needs to practice for this year’s Dash.  Really, though, its not just running.  Any time of game, competition, challenge - if he thinks he can do it, he is ALL in.  He loves the thrill of the game and will work hard to achieve his goal.   Thankfully, this also applies to his school work and in pretty much all areas of life - except cleaning his room - which he miserably fails at on a pretty consistent basis.  He also cannot spell to save his life.  He gets that wonderful trait from me I’m afraid.  Chase loves all his people big - our rather large Lake Highlands family.  Justin and I are both LH grads and both our parents live here and are very active with the kids.  You will meet Pappy, Loli, Gigi, and Pops within the first week of school as Justin and I are headed OOT for our 15 year anniversary.  Chase loves puzzles, card games, and chess.  He loves all sports and water-sports like wake boarding and surfing and is playing soccer, baseball, flag football, and tennis this fall.  We are not those parents that push him do to one million things (at all).  He just loves it and thrives on being active.  He plays hard, and pretty much does most things to his very best (except again, as I mentioned, cleaning).  Chase is a very happy, easy going kid and is generally perfectly content to go with the flow on most things.  He is flexible and does not mind a last minute change in schedule, or just seeing where the road takes him.  He loves his friends and is fairly outgoing and generally kind to others (thank you Jesus). He loves to laugh and is always drawn to people who provide smiles and giggles.  Some of his best buddies are Bridge DeJean, Evan Morgan, and Owen Morris- who also happens to be in your class.  Chase is also a perfectionist to some extent, especially in school and always wants to please his teachers.  He expects his work to be be perfect and gets very frustrated if he messes something up.  We like to make cards for friends/family for certain occasions and I cannot even count the amount of times he has started over because he was not satisfied with how it looked.  He made a 80 something last year on one paper and when he brought it home, he pulled it out to show me and he looked like his cat had died.  Side note - we dont have a cat, but a sweet golden doodle named Lexi who wakes Chase up every morning and puts him to bed every night.  He adores her.  Chase is also completely mortified of getting in trouble.  He had a sub last year and got mixed up in the cross hairs of a couple other boys in the cafeteria.  She wrote him up in his folder (first time ever) and he was so very upset that Mrs. Ray was going to think he caused trouble.  He is a tender hearted guy and only needs a gentle reminder or quick conversation about expectation to get back on track.  He does not respond well at all to sternness, even from me or his Dad.  Also, if he is every super cranky, or just not acting his normal, please feel free to give him a snack.  Sometimes I think he gets low blood sugar and “hangry” Chase is not a happy camper and there is no getting out of it without food!  

Christmas 18

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!  And it really was!  We had such a wonderful Christmas and holiday season.  We really toned down our activities this year and just kept the ones that we really loved. We went to a cute show at the Dallas Children’s Theatre, the Gift of Christmas with the Walkers and donated toys to the Jingle Ride.  We had breakfast with Santa (but not at the parade this year), Zoe and I saw her friends dance in the Nutcracker, and saw pops and gigi at Starry Night.  We also cheered Daddy on in his first half marathon!  He had an amazing pace going (7min mile) but tore his hamstring mile 9 so was really hurting by then end but still finished with a great time!  We got the kids each their own ginger bread houses and broke out all the Halloween candy.  We spent 2 hours decorating those houses.  Daddy and Zoe’s house was beautiful, neat and had pretty patterns.  Mommy and Chase’s house was very creative (including a pond with Swedish fish), super colorful,  and maybe a little messy.   I’m not sure who had more fun, us or the kids.  Definitely a repeat activity next year!  They also both helped me decorate the tree and spent hours helping Daddy put up the lights!  We really enjoyed just being at home and enjoying some time outside after what seems like months of nasty weather.   Dash came back Dec. 1st and both kids wrote him tons of sweet notes and couldn’t wait to find him each morning.  My favorite spots we found him were the Candy Cane Zipline from the tree, and the toilet paper hammock in the bathroom.  The kids will I’m sure say their favorite was the cup (so they could carry him around).  Midway through Fall Zoe decided she really enjoyed riding her electric scooter (that she pretty much just looked at since last Christmas) and also her bike!  Well, actually she liked riding Chases bike with gears.  So, we had the kids rotate his bike and her scooter when we went around the block.  I’m not sure who was happier when Zoe got a brand new bike for Christmas - Zoe, Chase, or us!  Naturally Daddy got her a “daddy” style awesome bike.  The kids were so much fun this year and really played with each other quite a bit.  They still fight as most siblings do, but such an improvement over last break  Santa came to our house again for a quick visit a few days before Christmas.  Both kids told him they wanted a surprise.  It’s so fun to see what Santa comes up with!  Tete and Charlie came for Christmas this year - yea!! We love having them here with us.  Christmas Eve was a packed house with all the usuals plus Tete, Charlie, Vicki, Dave, Grandma, Grandad, and Uncle Alan we had 16!  We had a lovely dinner and the kids were thrilled to be the main source of entertainment.  They both spend HOURS making each person their own bag of personalized snowflakes, snow swirls, stars, and Santa hats.  They were so excited to give everyone their bags!  Christmas morning the kids were up and raring to go by 7:30 and ran into the living room bright eyed and bushy tailed. Santa brought Chase Healys (shoes with wheels in the heel), and Zoe a fully stocked slime kit.  Zoe was thrilled to have her own bike too!  Mommy bought daddy a fancy new bike trainer and VR training software. Pretty much all of his presents these days are bike related.  My big surprise was a new phone (really, a new phone camera!)  The kids were thrilled to get “Dragons” action characters and flew those dragons around all day.  They kids were so much better this year about really enjoying each gift and watching each person unwrap.  Zoe loved her American girl doll that looks like her (name is Chelsea) with a golden doodle pup of course, a Chemistry experiment kit, a fluffy rainbow sloth backrest, and a caboodle with nail polish that she has since made into her art kit.  Chaser was thrilled with his Nintendo switch and new games!  He has also enjoyed his laser guns, lava lamp, games, and cowboys and Baylor apparel.  We spent the next few days just hanging out with Charlie and Tete and playing lots of games and Nintendo.  They left on Friday and a few hours later the cousins arrived for round 2.  They were a few hours late, and Zoe and Chase were about to drive me crazy asking WHY they weren’t her yet, and WHEN would they get here, and WHY did Uncle babes have to work on “Christmas Eve!!! Thank goodness they finally arrived and we had our second big (15 person) Christmas Eve Dinner.  The kids had a blast unwrapping and then spending the rest of the day in their jammies, except when we went out to fly drones!  Tucker and Lexi had a great time chasing those! The last present of the day was a box, inside a box, inside a box, inside a box, with a note that said a BIG trampoline was coming the next week!  We tried so hard to get it there for the cousins, but winter weather had other plans.  Probably worked out for the best though, as it took Pops and Justin 6 hours to put together!  The kids were really big helpers though and stayed outside and helped the entire time.  They LOVE the tramp and have already had so much fun jumping around.  Chase has already perfected his front and now back flip.  But the real gift (aside from Baby Jesus) was just having such a wonderful break with so many family and friends to spend it with.  Having a fully week home, just us has also been such fun family time.  

Fall 18

And, we turned around from Colorado, (never getting back into the pool because the weather was atrocious) and Zoe started 3rd grade and Chase started 1st in August.  Zoe has two teachers (they share subjects) and her favorite is her home room teacher.  She has been such a blessing to us this year and has really reached out to Z on an individualized level.  She figured out that Zoe loves to organize, so instead of playing iPad games in “free” time, Zoe helps her organize papers, etc.  Third grade math is also super challenging (though Z has done great!) but Ms. McClure has done an amazing job of answering all her questions patiently and really being an out of the box teacher.  She even asked Zoe if she wanted to teach the whole class how to make these swirl snowflakes that Mrs. Tucker had taught her the week before.  She got to go up and even use the iPad projector (insert excitement!).  She was so thrilled.  She also got into REACH and while the transition to missing a few hours every week was a little challenging, she is really enjoying the additional challenges and teaching style.  Zoe is doing great in school and even got the only perfect score in her class on her middle of the year math test.  She has Ella in her class, sitting next to her no less, so lets say its been a great Fall semester at school.  It’s been such a more pleasant year that last year.  Her confidence in herself has grown and we are just in a better place.  Zoe still loves dancing and art.  Mrs. Tucker comes over every Monday to teach art to Zoe and a couple friends.  Mondays are the best!  She also started playing volleyball this year and ended her last game by getting a few very important points by getting her serve over the net!  She is still my one on one girl and loves having friends over.  Practically every day she asks me for a play date.  Some things never change!  My sweet Chase buddy has morphed into a full on boy and just looks so much older than he did a year a go.  His chubby cheeks and baby belly have changed and he looks more like the crazy athlete he is.  His 1st grade year has gone beautifully so far.  We adore his sweet teacher. He doesn’t have many good friends in his class, but it hasn’t seemed to phase him one bit.  He looks for every opportunity to go run and play football and soccer on the playground.  He continues to play Baseball, Soccer (they won 2nd!), and tennis and still wants to add in sports.  We also started him on Classical Connections which has been great for his little brain.  His REACH class has been awesome for him (as its only 5 kids) and he continues to excel in school, though spelling is not as natural for him. (Like his momma).  He also really loves being with his friends and remains super easy going (unless hungry) and always want to play play play with his buddies.  Bridge, Evan, Owen and Jet continue to be his constant companions.   He still loves to run and very proudly brought home the 2nd place Turkey Dash medal in November.  He still cuddles me daily and still has 27 tickle spots.  And, most importantly, he is still mommas boy forever ;)  Daddy is definitely starting to swoop in though, with all the sports, biking, and running. And like Zoe, Chase lives for campouts with his daddy.  Fall as always was busy for us, and  between all the soccer, baseball, and volleyball games we went to Phoenix with mom and dad.  It is a beautiful place but it rained the entire time we were there except the first day.  (And it only rains 6 days a year there).  We did manage to squeeze in a hike before the rain- one that mom will not likely let us forget.  The hike itself was not that hard, but boy was it HOT! Desert hiking is not quite the same as the mountains!  Zoe and Loli were not fans.  I thought it was a great workout though!    I also went to Kentucky for Bethany’s wedding and it was great to be back in the bluegrass state and also kind of fun to be the “kid” since it was Charlie, Tete, Mom, Dad, and I most of the time.  We also stopped into Frankfort, TN - what a great little downtown!  I want to go back!  Ironman and Evie (from Disney Descendants) had a fun, though wet Halloween.  We split up this year so I took Zoe to Trick or treat w. her friends while Chase hung with the Buxhill crew.  Then we met back up and the kids had a blast running around in a pack and we even found some new super cool houses to check out in the hood.  They have been around for years, but we never knew!   We hit up Six Flags on a Friday and we rode so many coasters that mommy had to stop!  Zoe and Justin did a Father Daughter camp out at sky ranch which Zoe adored.  Justin wrote her a sweet note in her journal which she keeps right on her desk in her room.  Overall the kids have been doing the whole sibling fighting thing a LITTLE less.  Zoe likes to be in charge, and Chase, well, he just wants to do it how he wants to which usually involves less rules and structure than Zoe prefers.  They did start playing parade (or meeting) as they now call it again - which makes me so happy!  We stay pretty busy on school afternoons with homework for both kids and this fall we had an activity every single day.  I am NOT a fan of that and will try to plan better next year.  Zoe even had volleyball practice on Friday nights, which at first, we did not like.  But, it actually ended up kind of fun because she enjoyed it and Daddy and Chase got some solo time to practice one of their sports.  And, we stopped getting Mexican every single Friday.  Justin and I have kept ourselves pretty busy even outside of the kids.  J completed in several triathlons and is going full speed ahead! He spends hours and hours in the garage and on the bike in the dark training.  He loves the competition and I think it fills both his physical need to be active and his desire to achieve.  He has done some amazing feats so far and plans to do a half Ironman in Tennessee in May.  The kids love cheering him on and are so proud of him when he hits the finish.  I have been playing tennis tennis tennis and love the physical and social outlet.  My team En Fuego is such a fun, different group of gals and I had the pleasure of being co-captain this Fall.  We took home 1st place!  Total blast.  I play pretty much any time I get the opportunity.  I was blessed with another very busy photo season for my business.  It rained more in that period than it had in like 30 years, so scheduling around that was a bit of a doozy but we made it through thanks to all my awesome babysitter grandparents!  Thanksgiving was a fun blur as usual.  We served at Mission Waco on Thursday and then enjoyed lots of yummy food ourselves on Friday. The kids absolutely LOVE their cousin time. Crazy and chaotic as it is.  They are all old enough to to be fairly self reliant, so with the exception of food or breaking up fights, we really barely see them as they are off in their own world doing legos, nerf wars, or jumping on the tramp over and over. Stella and Zoe go who knows where and emerge hours later.  I’m so glad they all have each other, even if I am totally exhausted when I get home!  We always end fall wondering, wow, how were we so busy?  But, that’s life I think, for now.  So much to pack in, so little time.  So much life to live, and we don’t like to waste one moment! 

Summer 18

Summer 2018
We started summer off with one week of being home and recovering from “Crazy May” which was jam packed with sports games, Zoe’s awesome recital, Mother’s Day, my annual girls trip to Venice with Mom and Tete, and an extra trip for J and I to Santa Barbara California.  California was a great little getaway for us.  J had a conference at the Ritz so I was able to come along for the ride.  We took an extra day and did a 16 mile VERY hilly bike ride through some vineyards.  J, naturally, rode circles around me.  But, not to worry, I smoked him at tennis. We also had a celebrity siting - Justin Bieber was singing his heart out in a lounge chair at the pool one day.  Why didn’t I take a picture!  Then back in town for the end of Kinder for Chase (tear) and 2nd for Zoe.  I’m ALWAYS ready for summer, but having my baby finish kinder was super sad.  But, time goes on and we slept in (well, sort of), and enjoyed having to be absolutely nowhere for a week.  The next week however, the kids and I headed of to Venice with Laurie, Ella, and Evan for a week at the Beach.  We had a great first day and boogie boarded nonstop and even snorkeled a bit.  The next day we went down to the beach and found that the Red Tide had completely taken over!  It was so sad!  Dead fish everywhere and lots of coughing.  But, we swam in the pool and just hung out so the kids had a great time anyways.  The next day, we planned on getting up bright and early and going to Siesta Key, a white sand beach about 45 minutes away.  While the tide was still present, it was leagues better than Venice and such a gorgeous beach.  Top 10 in the US.  We came home in the afternoon to a surprise of Luke showing up in a red corvette.  Luke had scouted the entire beach looking for us so the next day when we went back to Siesta key, we found the most gorgeous, uncrowded spot.  We spent the ENTIRE day on that beach, like 11 hours.  Luke even went and picked up dinner so we could stay for sunset.  The sand was beautiful and perfect for the boys “roads” which we made for their trucks - a very cool race course I must say.  The girls looked for shells and found quite a few sand dollars too.  As the tide went out, the beach turned into a huge aquatic zoo with all sorts of creatures.  Sand crabs, and fighting conchs, littered the inches of water.  They found probably 20 of those and put them all in a bucket, then poured them out only to watch them run or dig.  They also probably found 40 Lettered Olives, which are small smooth swirling shells with the snails still in them.  The kids loved watching them race back into the sand.   The entire time I was wishing for my big camera.  The sandbar was simply stunning and the kids running up and down it with all their creatures was just a dream.  Just what the beach is supposed to be.  We got back to Dallas and were able to watch Justin compete in his second Triathlon.  He was speedy and made great time!  The kids were pumped to cheer him on.  The very next weekend we had Lake weekend with the Morgans and DeJean’s.  It’s always a good time, always good laughs. The kids tubed their hearts out and Chase showed off his wakeboard skills.  Thankfully, no firecracker or fan to the mouth incidents this year.  Whew.  The next week was Pine Cove in the City, which they enjoyed, and I enjoyed the week to myself! (Read:tennis) We also had another fun weekend on the lake with the fam at Cedar Creek. Fantastic weather.  Well, it was a little rough as I got some sort of virus that completely took me out for 2 solid days and poor mom had to take care of me but the rest of them had fun!  My sweet Zoe girl even got up on the wakeboard!  We were SO proud of her.  And she really is getting confident with it.  She would go way out to the side and get down way low and bend her knees into a crouch.  From there on out, she popped right up and was ready to go!  (Though still doesn’t want to do it quite as much as Chase).  Chase started really getting some air on his jumps! (Which of course, I had to send Mrs. Mac.)  Zoe and I spent our annual weekend at Jade Waters with Ainsley and Lindsey.  I think Zoe’s happy place is either A. When her WHOLE family is present or B. With Ainsley.  We enjoyed some lovely sun time and, as always, lots of giggles from the girls. Those two!  They are going to Pine Cove together next summer and I just cant wait! (I’m a little jealous too).  And, we saved the best for last.  We headed to Colorado in August.  I now understand why half of our neighborhood does this.  It’s AMAZING.  And equally wonderful not to be here in the misery of August heat and humidity.   Breck was simply stunning and fabulous.  We rented a sweet house with the DeJeans that was about 10 minutes up the mountain from town.  We had room to tie up our hammock out back and just enjoy being away in Gods glorious creation.  We spent the first day just hanging out and doing a couple small hikes. J and Brad decided to make “their own” hike which landed us right in the middle of this huge rocky valley (and by rocky, I mean completely covered in piles of rocks).  They insisted we cross this “small stream” which, against my better judgement we did.  Naturally, the stream grew considerably wider by the time we tried to cross back.  We were lost, and it had only been a few hours.  Men.  That, thankfully, was our last “off road” hike of the trip.  Though, I will say it was quite beautiful and Bridge even spotted a bear (very far up the mountain) as we were trying to get our bearings.  The kids slept in a bottom bunk room and had a game room area down there too.  There were hot wheels and legos everywhere! We also hit up the Fairy hike which has all of these “fairy” houses and cute/funny/weird little fairy nooks.  The girls and the boys both loved it.  The next day we spent at EPIC at Peak 8.  It’s a mountain theme park with awesome alpine coasters and slides (our two favorites).  They had a kids area which was fun, but easy for our kids.  They had mazes, tube slides, and mining for gold.  It was definitely epic ;)  The next day was probably my personal favorite.  We did the McCullough Gulch Trail hike which as a pretty steep 2 mile hike that included a beautiful waterfall and a secluded lake at one of the upper points.  It was simply breathtaking.  There was even snow on one side of the lake, so naturally, we had to go play in it (by we, I mean the boys).  I could have stayed up there for hours and taken pictures.  I give Bay a hard time, though because as everyone started to tire, she started running everyone down the mountain to get back! The kids were troopers, especially little Brynley and Zoe.  Bridge and Chase practically ran up the whole mountain. I had to keep tell him to slow down because he was surely going to twist and ankle jumping from rock to rock at rapid speed.  But, they never did, until the very end when we were almost back to the bottom.  We also collected some cool rocks, my idea of course.  And, as exhausting as that all was, it spurred Brad and Justin to do a 14er later in the week.  (Several actually).  They got up at 5 am to get up to the top!  They hit the tops of Democrat, and Mr. Cameron, and one other.  High elevation was 14,267ft.  Whew! That’s was a doozy!  We had a low key afternoon after that including some pond balls, these human size gerbil balls that float on top of Maggie’s Pond.  Since the boys had their time, Bay and I had a girls night of shopping, food, and wine on the patio of this quaint little house-like restaurant. Next up, River Rafting, though it was really more of a river “float” with a couple bumps along the way.  It was still a fun intro into the sport.  The highlight was definitely the cliff jumping.  Brad and Justin did the 25ft jump.  And guess who flipped off of it?  Chase and Bridge jumped the 6 foot jump and froze their booties off when they hit that ice cold water.  Both of their faces were priceless and total shock.  The girls all opted for dryness.  One of the next highlights of the trip was feeding the chipmunks at Saphire point.  It’s a gorgeous short little .25 mile hike with chipmunks everywhere!  They come right up to your hand and eat out of it.  All 4 kids were a little addicted to this activity so we had to come back one more time another day! They were pretty cute!  And, finally, because we hadn’t had quite enough physical activity, we rented bikes and road the road from Breck to Frisco and back.  Zoe was not interested in her own bike, so she and Justin road tandem which was a good call, because instead of riding there and catching the shuttle back, we decided to take in all 22 miles (the last 10 of which were entirely slightly uphill and upwind - like a lot of wind).  It was a great, exhausting ride, and Chase is very proud to have ridden those 22 miles.  All the kids really did great.  It was an adventure! It was such a wonderful trip, each night ending with relaxing and trading stores in the hot tub.  The last day we even saw a fox in our backyard!   On the drive back home we stopped at Garden fo the Gods - basically a collection of really odd shaped cliffs and rocks.  The great outdoors - yep.  We love it.  And when we got home.. J received a big fat box... “Made with Passion, Made for you..” Another bike.  Here we go!  Maybe we should have packed some more into summer?