Family Hikes With Four are Possible ;)

George and Daddy, Mommy and Emilie (in sling!) Thankfully though, today is winter solstice, so from now on the days will get longer!!! Yeay ^_^!!! Well, the trip back was much faster (maybe because I was in the lead and desperately wanted to get back before dark). At the top, George gave daddy the hug of his life, thanking to having survived all the branches that whacked his face as he rode on daddy's shoulders back up. Apparently, George was much more brave and exploitive with daddy, when he was helping daddy clear the path yesterday, but with me there, he knew mommy would mother him, while daddy obviously will not if it's just them two. ;) Scott wants to prepare him to be a man. Today we went on an awesome sunday walk. Well, a hike actually, and boy was it nice to get outside! We cut it a little close with the sun already set behind our mountain, but we really couldn't resist to go while we still could. Though admittedly I was quite a bit worried we wouldn't make it back in time. Even if on our own land, I was still worried for our safety. I mean, come on, we live on acreage with dense brush and tall trees covering most of it! Scott assured me we would be ok though, and yesterday he was working on a path he was making and wanted to show off his impressive work. It was crazy great, but he failed to mention one thing before we started down the cut away trail... it wasn't finished to the end point we were going to! Let's just say I was thankful I had put on my leggings under my shorts (My jeans still don't fit!), because ow, it hurt as it were with the cactus-like weeds with millions of sharp needles poking! I wasn't totally impressed with the place we finally managed to get to because it wasn't exactly a "clearing". Instead, there was a gigantic dead tree which had toppled over onto sort-of-low brush. We climbed up onto the tree, Scott offering his hand like the Prince charming he is inside, and sat and enjoyed the sunset. It was rather splendid, it really was. I was really scared about bugs and snakes, but it turns out they don't like the fall/winter temperatures. That fact alone would make late fall and early winter my favorite seasons, if not for the fact of the sun always setting so darn early! George hugging Daddy once we made it back to the top! It was a really nice hike, and it was really surprising how at one we felt with nature. Really, we just need to go in our backyard to get "nature". There's plenty of it. Mostly wild turkeys and deer, and apparently a horse, since we found horse poop in our back yard! There's the lovely dangers in our backyard as well that nature provides, in more abundance than I would like. There's ground bees, that I've personally stumbled across with George, and also rattle snakes, and of corse, the mountain lions (which have taken down several horses and other animals in a ranch across the hill from us). Anyway, Scott laughed as I clapped my hands as I walked to scare away snakes (though they are probably all hibernating), and I was so glad to get to the dirt car trail on our property with our house in view. It's so nice to get in touch with nature and feel and experience the outdoors, but oh but oh, I appreciate our house so much more after a hike! It's a great little glimpse at what the pioneers went through too. Just 20 minutes and I was so thankful. Good medicine for the soul I think :) Scott hadn't thought it possible to do a family hike, but with the handy sling my sister made for me, and a spare hand for George, it was quite possible! We're looking forward to more family hikes in the future, though hopefully next time we won't cut it so close to dark!