We have had such a wonderful time on our trip across the country! Great times with family and friends! Wonderful training experiences! Incredible times of bonding together as a family that will enable us to thrive and remind us to cling to each other when the journey gets tough.
We tried to drive to the top of Pikes Peak...I say we tried because we decided with the high winds, the absence of guard rails, and ice on the road that we had gone far enough at about 12,000 feet. I was leaning away from my window...hoping that my weight transfer would keep us on the road. The views were absolutely stunning in spite of the fact that we didn't see the summit. Others who made it to the top said that the winds were so high up there, that we would have had to hold onto the kids to keep them on the ground. I am confident that we made the right decision that day.
We climbed to the top of the Incline in Manitou Springs. If you've never heard of it, I encourage you to Google it to see what its all about. It used to be an old cog railway. The sign at the bottom of the trail said something to this effect: this is an extreme hike and should only be attempted by trained athletes. Of course, we didn't let that deter us. We climbed over 2000 feet (more than 2000 actual steps) in about nine tenths of a mile straight up. Then we walked 4 miles on a slushy switchback trail back down to our van. It took us about 4 hours in all to conquer the Incline! We did it hand-in-hand, cheering one another alone. It was such a gift to share this experience with our 3 babies. People who climbed past us when we stepped off the trail to catch our breath said how impressed they were with our kids. Not only did Desirae, who just turned 3 years old in January, climb all 2000 plus feet she counted the steps as we climbed...in intervals of 30 with some assistance of course.
We also explored the Garden of the Gods and the Cliff Dwellings with my brother and his children. Last weekend my parents joined us here in Colorado Springs and our family, my brother's family and our parents spent a day at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. It was amazing! We actually got to feed giraffes!
We will be heading back to Ohio about this time next Saturday. It's hard to believe that we have been on the road for nearly 2 months. What an incredible gift this time has been to our family and to our preparation for the journey that lies ahead. We love and appreciate you! Thank you for sharing this journey with us!
We tried to drive to the top of Pikes Peak...I say we tried because we decided with the high winds, the absence of guard rails, and ice on the road that we had gone far enough at about 12,000 feet. I was leaning away from my window...hoping that my weight transfer would keep us on the road. The views were absolutely stunning in spite of the fact that we didn't see the summit. Others who made it to the top said that the winds were so high up there, that we would have had to hold onto the kids to keep them on the ground. I am confident that we made the right decision that day.
We also explored the Garden of the Gods and the Cliff Dwellings with my brother and his children. Last weekend my parents joined us here in Colorado Springs and our family, my brother's family and our parents spent a day at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. It was amazing! We actually got to feed giraffes!
We will be heading back to Ohio about this time next Saturday. It's hard to believe that we have been on the road for nearly 2 months. What an incredible gift this time has been to our family and to our preparation for the journey that lies ahead. We love and appreciate you! Thank you for sharing this journey with us!
