When lightning strikes

June 25, 2015 By

Denver has had some craaaaaazy weather this spring/summer. Though the deluge has subsided, it’s not uncommon to have daily thunderstorms. Temperatures have been tolerable in the 80s and low-90s, which makes me really happy. Just keep me out of the upper 90s and triple-digits.

I’ve experienced a handful of scary lightning storms but none scarier than backpacking the West Rim Trail in Zion 15 years ago. It’s a miracle we made it though the night, though being greeted by a winter wonderland was one of my favorite moments ever.

Last month, Denver had a crazy lightning storm that electrified the horizon for more than an hour. I’d like to say we cowered under my duvet and belted out “My Favorite Things” as we watched each enormous Zeus-like bolt power through the atmosphere back to earth, leaving backlit impressions into our retinas.

Jamie in deep reflection in between bolts

But if we’re being honest here, this is what it looked like every time the light illuminated the room.

Some things (and kids) are better left in the dark.

Filed Under: Bode, Hadley, Humor

It’s Bode’s first ever guest blog post

June 22, 2015 By

And that boy doesn’t disappoint as he tells it straight about his Avid4Adventures:

From stinky, dead bloated fish.

To the girl who wiped out mountain biking and her “skin folded off.”

To his hiking bathroom breaks.

To freaking me out when he rocked the boat.

To kicking his sister’s butt rappelling.

Read all about it here.

Filed Under: biking, Bode, hiking, Humor, outdoors

Risky Bode Business

June 12, 2015 By

What to do when you’re an 8-year-old boy getting dressed and your mom walks into your room without knocking to put away the laundry: stand in your underwear and flex. Or maybe he was doing that anyway.

P.S. I made him put on shorts for the picture. For obvious reasons.

Filed Under: Bode, Humor

It’s gonna be a long summer

June 11, 2015 By

[Setting: Day 1 of summer vacation.]

“Bode, I’m pretty sure that watching endless Minecraft videos on YouTube counts as video game time and you’ve used all yours up.”

“Mom, it’s Minecraft SCHOOL. As in learning.”

Filed Under: Bode, Humor

School’s Out for Summer!

June 3, 2015 By

And just like that, I have a fourth and sixth grader.  This whole elementary school thing is speeding by waaaaaaaaay too fast and I can’t believe Hadley is entering her final year.

One of the nice things about them going to different schools is they have had a slightly different schedule so we’re able to celebrate their start and end dates separately. Bode’s last day was Thursday while Hadley’s was Friday. I made each of them a special breakfast with our hallowed “You Are Special Today” plate and Bode brought up the unthinkable. “MOM, who is going to get the plate next year when we’re at the same school?!”

We ultimately decided Hadley would use it for breakfast because sixth grade is a big year and she’s transferring back to her old school. Bode generously said he’d take it for dinner. If only our biggest problems could always be who gets recognition on their special days!

Bode

Bode has had a wonderful third grade year and pulled off top grades in everything except for one element of writing. As we were pulling together his teacher’s gift, he observed “Mrs. Acosta is my favorite teacher I’ve ever had.”

I replied, “Put that in the note. She’d like to hear that.”

“Well, maybe I should put that she’s my favorite teacher I’ve had so far because there might be some I like more in the future.”

Maybe that’s why his writing grade was lacking.

He usually takes the bus home but I went to school, hoping to catch that initial leap and jump for joy as he celebrated the end of the school year. It didn’t happen. I was talking to my neighbor Meredith and when the bell rang, he didn’t notice me and raced for the bus. “Dude, I’m right here!” He reluctantly came back, posed for a picture with his teacher and begged me to ride the bus home with his buddies one last time. And so I drove home by myself and took that celebratory shot when he got off the bus.

It would appear you take what you can get with fourth graders.

Hadley

Hadley has had a great year despite the school mess.  The year isn’t a total loss (well, besides the lack of learning, chaotic environment and the fact most of her closest friends are leaving the school. :-) Field Day and Big Time Trampoline Fun Center were fun. Her fifth grade has spent the entire year training for a multi-school Pentathlon that consisted of javelin, sprints, long-distance, discus and Greek wrestling. She came in first in the sprints in her city group and second in long-distance.

Her victim brother will testify just how dominant she is in the wrestling.

Make no mistake: Were it not for her unqualified teacher and interim principal’s refusal to let her transfer classes, we would still be there through eighth grade. My anger and frustration have subsided and I’d been feeling indifferent about pulling her out until my friend sent a video she made for Hadley’s previous teacher, Mrs. Price, before the bottom fell out this year. We had two amazing years with dear friends and a true experiential education as she has flourished in the arts and outdoors. We’ll choose to forget her third year. A few screenshots from the video of Years 1 and 2:

The Great Pumpkin

Mesa Verde National Park Camping Trip

Outdoor classroom

Adventuring at Balcony House

Apple picking + making apple pies

Organic farming camping trip at White Fence Farm

Fireside storytime

Bestie London

Sand Dunes National Park

Her favorite moment from school was summitting the highest dune in North America with only a handful of hearty souls.

The Mama

As for me, I celebrated my final day of freedom the best way I know how: I went hiking on a new-to-me trail, Independence Mountain, and indulged in Country Road Cafe with my friends Debbie and Jennefer.

 

On Friday, I squealed to Jamie “It’s the last day of school!”

“Yes,” he wryly observed. “Looks like your vacation is over and now the real work begins.”

Filed Under: Bode, Hadley, Humor

When you are the definition of old

June 2, 2015 By

As we were hiking up North Cheyenne Canyon in Colorado Springs, I commented to Bode:

“Can you believe your sister is turning 11 tomorrow? Doesn’t that seem old?”

“No, 11 doesn’t seem old. Being 43 seems old.”

Good chat, Son.

Filed Under: Bode, Humor

3rd Annual Birthday Celebration at The Broadmoor

May 28, 2015 By

This was Hadley’s third birthday we’ve celebrated at The Broadmoor, which means it’s a tradition, right?  While my previous trip was a working vacation for my write-up about Broadmoor Outfitters, this one was all relaxation and play.

PLAY

We started with bowling and delicious food at their high-end alley PLAY. Something you should know about the boys: they’re sore losers and were grumpy that Hadley and I started out strong.  Of course, we didn’t rub that in one bit.

 

Everyone had a strike near the end of the game except for Bode. He grabbed Hadley’s jacket and bowling ball and, with it awkwardly tucked under his arm, he chucked the ball down the alley. We tried to stop him…until we realized he had just bowled his first strike. I’m not sure what to make of that other than maybe having her vicariously closer to him was like a security blanket?

Fly Fishing

Usually, we spend a good portion of our day lounging poolside but with Colorado’s rainy weather, we had to get creative. We played a lot of heated Checkers matches in the lobby and teamed up with Broadmoor Outfitters for a  fly fishing expedition at the Lake House. This Adirondack-style lodge is adjacent to a scenic lake stocked with carp, rainbow and brown trout on one of the resort’s famous golf courses.

We had only fly fished once before at The Broadmoor’s Ranch at Emerald Valley a couple of years ago so we welcomed our guide Tyler’s expertise. As he was just about to explain how to strip the line to reel in the fish, he got a bite and was able to not only explain but show us how to do it. The guides are just that good. And so are the views. Can you see the deer on the shore just behind Bode?

The fish must have received the memo it was Hadley’s birthday because she was reeling them in like crazy! Jamie and I had quick success as well but then there was poor Bode who couldn’t even get a nibble. We’d have him switch places to where Hadley was finding all the fish and he’d get nothing while Hadley would catch them in his previous spot. With rain clouds about to burst, he’d about reached his breaking point when I uttered my first fisherwoman’s prayer: “Dear Lord, if you’re listening and able, could you please help The Boy catch a fish?”

Within a minute, he caught one hook, line and sinker. Turns out fisherwoman’s prayers really work.

The Others

We were pleased that The Broadmoor opened a game room specifically for Memorial Day weekend and we had a fun playing ping pong, air hockey, bean bag toss and foosball. This photo was supposed to be representative of Hadley and Bode learning to play pool.

But really, it’s all about Jamie’s photobomb.

And even though the Memorial Day carnival was moved indoors due to the weather, the kids had a blast.

Who am I kidding? We all had a blast going down that slide and launching into the pit.

We had a brief window of sunshine on Saturday so we swam.

Or rather, the kids did. It was still a blustery 50 degrees so Jamie and I joined the other lame, fully-clothed parents on the chaises while a small a handful of hearty kids played.

Later that afternoon, we stopped at the resort’s eco-chic eatery Natural Epicurean that features organic food. How often do you have the chance to eat healthy desserts that look like this?

We were so nice that even though Jamie didn’t join us, we ordered an extra treat. P.S. Don’t tell him that.

Believe me, we weren’t lacking in food. One night, we ate at Ristorante Del Lago, the resort’s newish Italian restaurant inspired by a luxurious villa in Lake Como. It was there that I informed Bode “Did you know if you can tie that maraschino cherry stem with our tongue, that means you’ll be a good French kisser?”

He’ll never order a Shirley Temple again.

As we lounged fireside after dinner, the kids played tag with Jamie and roasted s’mores. I am 100 percent grateful every time we’re privy to The Good Life and observed, “I know we’ve had an amazing day but just remember that money doesn’t buy happiness.”  Hadley responded: “Could have fooled me.”


Note to self: Save life lessons for when they are not currently in the moment.

The Brunch

The Broadmoor’s brunch is, hands down, our favorite part of every trip with more than 150 enticing choices alongside sculpted ice and live piano music. Jamie ensured he was first in front of what he deemed “the gateway to heaven.”

Now I know what the pearly gates look like. At least there won’t be all the calories in heaven, RIGHT?

We all enjoy the brunch but Hadley LOVES it and eats more than any of us with favorites being the pastries, breads and bananas foster.

This picture is very telling of our brunch experience:

Hadley is in sheer bliss, Bode (my pleaser) is posing but really thinking “hurry up and take the picture so I can get some more food” while Jamie has a mouthful of it.

Hiking

I always wake up at dawn to hike North Cheyenne Cañon by myself and this time, I was so overwhelmed with its forested red-rock beauty (it’s one of my Top 10 Hikes Ever), I did a second trip with the family. The Broadmoor offers a free shuttle to the Starsmore Discovery Center at the mouth of the canyon.

If you’re going to build a nature center, I highly suggest you do it in this beautiful setting.

The Birthday Girl

Hadley’s birthday fell on Memorial Day so she requested a room service breakfast of Belgian waffles and we were happy to oblige.

For presents, we bought her some clothes, a weaving loom, the Maze Runner movie and book series, some drawing paper and sweet Bode gave her a purse he had woven in art class.

I’ve long wanted to climb the Manitou Incline a.k.a. The Holy Grail of Cardio, which gains almost 2,000 feet of elevation over less than 1 mile. Hadley agreed to do it with me and it was to be our day of triumph!!  Until it wasn’t. You see, the Incline is one of the most unique and challenging trails in the country, attracting runners, Olympic athletes and cyclists from around the world. By the time we arrived at 10 a.m., the base area was a madhouse. We circled around for 45 minutes trying to find parking before finally driving down the mountain and parking in town. The problem: what comes down must go back up so we had to trek about a mile to even get to the start of the Incline. By then, I could tell Hadley wasn’t doing very well, complaining that her throat hurt.

“Let’s just hike a little bit and see how you’re feeling.”

It was steeeeeeeeep. Could we have done it? Sure. Hadley is in great shape after training for a Pentathlon all year and while I’m not where I was physically at this time last year, I could have toughed it out. But after climbing 1/5 of the way up, she looked miserable. If it wasn’t her birthday, I would have pushed her farther but I’m glad I didn’t–she spent the next day in bed with a cold.

At that moment, I noticed the sun was shining for the first time. “Here’s a plan, Hadley. Why don’t we race back to The Broadmoor, hit the pool, order lunch and strawberry milkshakes before going home?”

If there’s a way to salvage a birthday, that is it.

 

 

Filed Under: birthday, Bode, Family, Family travel, Hadley, hiking, Humor, Jamie, outdoors, travel, Uncategorized

Adventuring with Broadmoor Outfitters

May 27, 2015 By

For the third year in a row, we were able to return to The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs for Hadley’s birthday. As I was going through my pictures, I realized I never posted about our previous trip–waaaaaaay back in February when I was asked to write a story for their magazine about Broadmoor Outfitters, their onsite outdoor adventure company.

The funny thing is, we had better weather in February than we did over Memorial Day weekend. OK, it’s not that funny. We’ve had a month of non-stop rain, a real rarity in Denver. And though I’d much rather have inclement weather than 100-degree days, I’m ready for my trails to dry out.

During our visit a few months ago, we did it all:  Geocaching at The Broadmoor, a snowy hike and geocache up North Cheyenne Cañon, a mountain bike ride down Gold Camp Road, topped off by rock climbing Garden of the Gods.

Geocaching

It started with our leisurely treasure hunt around the grounds….


From there, we drove up North Cheyenne Cañon, grabbed our GPS units and hiked up Gold Camp Road, a former narrow gauged railroad bed that hauled ore from Cripple Creek to Colorado Springs. There were occasional patches of snow but when we crossed North Cheyenne Creek to start hiking the Seven Bridges Trail, I could have sworn we’d passed through an antique wardrobe into a frosty Narnia forest of ice demons, fairies and a snow queen.

We traversed a couple of the hike’s seven bridges before our GPS unit alerted us we were close to our cache…but then the arrow pointed us off-piste. And way up.

“Wait, we’re supposed to ditch the trail and hike straight up this steep slope?” I queried.

Audacious Hadley didn’t wait for the answer as she and our guide Kurt forged up the mountain in knee-deep snow. Bode and I (the more cautious ones) applauded their progress from the trail while Jamie (maybe the smartest of us all) rested on a boulder. 

And yep, that’s my kid in a T-shirt. She’s half-Canadian.

Mountain Biking

From there, we grabbed our mountain bikes. Though the pitch was moderate, the serpentine, mucky road’s precipitous cliffs and snowy patches still thrilled. I nervously barreled through pitch-black Tunnels 1 and 2 and I vowed to have my eyes checked after my blind foray with the dark side. 

At one point, Kurt pulled off the road, stashed his bike and beckoned us to follow him down the Columbine Trail, a route which leads all the way to the Starsmore Discovery Center at the base of North Cheyenne Cañon. We only hiked a couple of minutes but earned the view of a thousand hours of exertion. The canyon was a staggering cacophony of glimmering snow, velvet-green forests and Pikes Peak Granites’ milky and smoky quartz, pink feldspar and black mica.

From our perch, we could see where the mountains met the foothills and plains with The Broadmoor in the epicenter of it all.

Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is not my outdoor-loving family’s forté but I knew if we were to be successful, it would be with Broadmoor Outfitters.  We were given our choice of four main routes and I opted for the easiest with nothing to prove beyond having a positive experience and staying alive. Our guide climbed up and built an anchor off the bolts that are secured into the sandstone, gave us some final safety instructions and Hadley generously volunteered me as the guinea pig. Gingerly, I shouted “on belay” and started climbing.

Unlike North Cheyenne Cañon’s granite, Garden of the God’s blush-colored sandstone felt more forgiving with plenty of ledges to rest and “flakes” to grab onto. It didn’t take long before I summited and dizzy with excitement, I marveled at the expansive red-rock sea that had been created during a geological upheaval along a natural fault line millions of years ago.

The rappel down was my favorite part and I was greeted by a shocked Bode. “You didn’t think I could do it, did you?”

“I gave you about a 50-50 chance.” He looked ill with anxiety. Vertical rock climbing walls are the nemesis of a judicious kid.

Jamie at the summit

Jamie and Hadley easily reached the top but Hadley froze during the rappel and it took a while to coax her down. And then there was Bode. To combat his apprehension, he had been bouldering at the base envisioning himself as the first American Ninja Kid Warrior. When it was his turn, he tore up and down faster than anyone and was dumbfounded when his feet touched down.

I see a future for him on Mount Midoriyama.

Valentine’s Day Weekend

It was Valentine’s Day and after a full day playing in the outdoors, we were thrilled to have our first 5-star dining experience at The Broadmoor’s Penrose Room. The whole evening is a blur–from the moment we stepped off the elevator and Bode exclaimed, “this is faaaaaaancy,” to the Caesar salad they prepped right at our table to dancing to a live band with mortified Bode (Hadley was equally embarrassed to be swung around with her father) and being so proud of them for their good manners.

Of course, it helped that we had schooled them for a month about proper etiquette, threatening any lapse would be not “Penrose Worthy.”

I think it’s important to expose the kids to different beliefs so we opted to go to a non-denominational service at the Pauline Memorial Chapel located on property. The founder’s wife Julie Penrose oversaw its construction in 1919 and between the considerable collection of religious art and artifacts from Europe, dramatic bell tower and high high buttressed walls,  it reminded me of the early Christian basilicas. It was such a beautiful, moving experience!

The Broadmoor’s famous brunch wasn’t too bad, either. Unless you’ve spent the entire weekend stuffing your face with gourmet food.

At one point, Bode put down his fork, let out a big sigh and said, “I’m not full but my mouth is tired from having so much delicious food in it.”

First World Problems at The Broadmoor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: biking, Bode, Colorado, Family, Family travel, Hadley, hiking, Humor, outdoors

Yeah, what Bode said!

May 19, 2015 By

In our Sunday School class at church, our teacher shared a quote from Elder Marvin J. Ashton about the scribes and Pharisees who had brought before the Savior a woman taken in adultery. Their purpose was not to show love for either the woman or the Savior but to embarrass and trick Jesus…Jesus did not condone adultery but He chose to teach with love–to show the scribes and the Pharisees the need of serving the individual for her best good to show the destructive forces of trickery and embarrassment.

We were recently cleaning up from dinner and I asked Hadley to sweep the floor. She started complaining about one piece of cereal that was stuck to the floor–cereal that only Bode eats. “He’s soooooooo messy!!!” she complained.

My children are created equal as to their level of slobbery. Of course, both have varying degrees depending upon the situations but without fail, Hadley’s corner of the diner table is always the messiest.

I looked at her incredulously and quoted. “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”

They both stared at me, dumbfounded. Bode was the first to break the silence.

“I don’t know what that means but I’m going with Mom.”

 

Filed Under: Bode, Humor, LDS

Recital Stresses and Miracles

May 14, 2015 By

Last night the kiddos had their piano recital and we had a complete role reversal leading up to it. Normally, Bode is my go-getter and I can’t get him to stop practicing. However this time, one of his songs were really tough (Raider’s March from Raiders of the Lost Ark) and instead of delving in like he usually does, he avoided it whenever possible and really struggled as he tried to master it.

As of a week ago, he still couldn’t get through it without messing up and I started having Indy nightmares. And prayed. Big time. I scheduled an extra lesson with his piano teacher who offered to pull it from the program but I also felt strongly Bode should learn to work through it. A lot of things come easily for him and but I wanted him to work hard for something, struggle and overcome it.

Failure is not an option with that kid. He practiced right before we left for the recital and kept repeatedly messing up but when it came his turn to play, I saw him say a little prayer. He pulled it together and did a beautiful job.

I usually have to bribe Hadley because she doesn’t like piano and our deal is she can quit when she learns to play the church hymns. I’ve come so close to letting her quit many times because of the battles but last night made it all worth it. This past month, she caught fire and I haven’t been able to get her off the piano. Within the first week of receiving her songs, she almost had them memorized (Beethoven’s Fur Elise was her favorite) and her hard work payed off. Her teacher commented she had never seen her play so confidently and beautifully. There may be hope for her musical aspirations after all!

So many of our dearest church friends’ kids performed, which made the night even more special.

This is what happens when you  have them pose after the recital and not before: cookies busting out of their mouths.

Thankfully, they played better than they looked.

Filed Under: Bode, Hadley
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