Tuesday was the final day of school. Even though I’m looking forward to summer break, I was dreading the juggling act of work and home. For my final moments of freedom, I hiked Belcher Hill at White Ranch Park.
When I first got married and moved to Colorado, I was jobless so spent a lot of time exploring the local hiking trails while Jamie worked. I struggled with the transition but he tried to relieve me of my guilt by explaining, “I’ll earn the money and you spend it.”
I’ve never looked back.
Unfortunately he has and I’ve been working a lot lately, leaving little time for my favorite recreational follies. But on Tuesday, I needed a couple of hours to myself before summer kicked off.
As I started climbing, I realized this was the same hike I had done the day I found out I was pregnant with Hadley. Bursting with excitement, trepidation and gratitude, I remembered these emotions like they were yesterday.
And they became my today.
I reflected upon the almost eight years since that hike: all the highs, lows and joys of raising our family. My pregnancies, their early years, the first day we moved into our sparky new house and I thought, “I can never be unhappy here.” And I was right. It’s been the ride of my life since that hike and I would not change even one thing.
It’s no wonder that when I picked up Bode for his final day of preschool–the end of an era–that I started blubbering as we said good-bye to his dear teachers, Ms. Jan and Ms. Vicky, who also taught Hadley.
Next, we retrieved Hadley who was brimming with enthusiasm and her exuberance was infectious. Before us, we have 80+ glorious days to play, relax, travel and just be together.
And I intend to make the most of every, single one of them.
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 