Nope, I'm not Miss Adventure, I'm Mrs. Adventure - with a little monster to tag along, actually, if you count Burton, 2 little monsters! This past weekend was a great one. Sean worked and/or slept most of the weekend, but Liam and I got the chance to head out on a hike with Burton on Sunday. The weather was lovely, a little windy, but as soon as we got up a bit higher, the trees kept us warm. Liam rode along in his backpack and Burton ran ahead. It was a rough start - I swear, sometimes getting out of the house with everything is more of an adventure than the hike itself! But once I finally got us together, we headed out. We went to Meyer Ranch Park, which ends up being about 15 minutes away. It's a quick and easy drive and Liam spent the ride giggling at Burton in the back.
We got to the parking lot and it wasn't too crowded. We found parking and it was time for me to get everyone ready to go. I got myself ready, then moved on to Liam, all while Burton was whining in the car. Liam started out a little less than happy, he wasn't a fan of his hat. That got tossed off soon after we started - reminder, next time, bring the hat that straps under his chin. The first few minutes were rough, Burton was on his leash and pulling to want to run and explore, Liam was crabbing a bit and in turn, I got a bit upset. The "ice shoes" I was wearing over my boots kept falling off, the dog was annoying, the baby was crabbing - what on earth was I doing! Why did I do this to myself? We could have stayed home and watched the Olympics. But then we went on a bit farther. Burton got let off his leash and got to run and I started to show Liam all the neat things we were seeing. Everyone, including me, seemed to lighten up a bit and enjoy their time. I hiked longer than I had with Liam on my own, was out on the trail for an hour an half. Burton was happy and a good dog and finally, Liam dozed off in his little pack. I went back to the car feeling amazing, like I had just been on a great adventure, and I was.
Monday turned into a great family day! Sean and I were both off for a change with no plans! We decided it was time for a harder hike, so we took on the hike to the Cathedral Spires. The drive there was gorgeous and Liam again spent most of the time giggling at Burton in the back seat. We got to our destination, which was across the street from a lovely mountain stream. Liam "hiked" a bit up the hill with some help. It was time to get going. Everyone was ready, Liam was on my back and we were ready to go. The trail was tough, we climbed close to 1000 feet in a short time and didn't quite make it to the top, which is actually the bottom of the spires for climbing. The trail was getting tricky and everyone needed a break, and a snack. We stopped for some goldfish and milk and rested a bit. The trail had quite a few rough spots, loose stones, large step up on rocks, etc, but it was so worth it. The views were amazing! Liam touched some rocks and trees and was just laughing as Burton ran around like a crazy dog. It was such a fun time. Then we started the climb down. It took us longer than going up due to the fact that footing was tricky. Thankfully Sean carried Liam and we made it safely down. It was one of those trips that I can't put into words and we didn't take many pictures, but my mental camera is full!
When we got down, Burton decided to run into the river and thankfully got himself out. It was a great day to end at Brook's with a beer and bison burger. I think the fact that we have so few days together as a family really makes me appreciate the time we do get to spend together. That's my lesson of the day, don't take time you spend with those you love for granted, but rather treasure each moment.
Sean's on a case again tonight, so Liam and I will head home to see Burton - alone, but I am so excited at the chance that I might see him before work, it will make it all worth it!
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