Flashback

I need to blog some of the blur that has been our life while transitioning from summer to school, starting with Labor Day Weekend.

Some visitors to our side told us about a group of cabins inside Rocky Mountain National Park. In checking on the cabins for a possible future family reunion, I found that someone had canceled a reservation for Labor Day Weekend. We jumped on the opportunity to visit the cabins in person.

When we arrived at the cabin, Sophie exclaimed in her fake British accent, "Oh this is so fancy!" We all laughed as we looked around at the plain, uninsulated wooden walls with electric wiring stapled in place. While "fancy" did not aptly describe the rustic structure, it certainly was cozy enough, and it did have running water, electricity and a propane heater. Maybe in a child's eye, it looked like the ultimate playhouse.

We got a later start than we would have liked the first morning, hiking up Deer Mountain. Before we reached the top, a storm gathered overhead while another storm swept across the valley towards us. The rumble of thunder and the lightning flashes chased us down, but the veil of rain shrouding Long's Peak created a breathtaking vista as we trotted down the mountainside. The abbreviated hike did not disappoint the children, because of the enticement of the creek near our cabin.

The next morning, we feverishly packed the van and got an earlier start in the mountains. We revisited our favorite lake hikes and added a new lake to the list. The path to Lake Haiyaha proved to be the steepest hike we have done as a family, but the kids rose to the challenge. We noted that Matthew led the way for the most part, evidence of his increasing strength, maturity and endurance as he approaches his tenth birthday. With some external encouragement, Sophie proved to herself and to us, that she was able to hike with nary a complaint and with actual enjoyment. She alternated holding hands with James and me, cheerfully chatting about ponies and princesses, castles and gardens.