My Five...: November: Quartz Mountain Trip

The first weekend in November we took off for another trip to Quartz Mountain, this time with just one other couple, our friends Erik and Meghan and their daughter Mary-Claire. I was very anxious about going. Aaron had just signed on to be a part of the Brown & Zinn Realty Team. He had a "gimme" lead; he could've done his first open house and have possibly found new clients. Then, there's always the "How are the kids going to travel?" and "How will the kids sleep while we're there?" questions that haunt every trip, no matter the distance. Once we got there, though, all those anxieties were gone. Oh, how I love how the nothingness of creation calms my worries.

I don't remember exactly what time we got there - it was definitely dark - but Blaise was so excited. He had been asleep, so I carried him in, captivated by his awe. The stars were so bright out there, and he noticed them right away. "A whole sky full!" he told me while snuggled up in my arms underneath his special blanket. This was a line from The Berenstain Bears Too Much TV. It cracked me up that he remembered it.

If it wasn't for this picture, I would've forgotten how excited everyone was to brush their teeth. I don't know why. Blaise and Zélie both lined up in a hurry to get their ration of toothpaste from Dad.

I don't remember the order of events of Saturday, but basically we went out exploring. Aaron, the kids, Erik, and I went out for a morning hike up the side of the mountain and then down to the lake. Blaise had so much fun walking up and down the beach. I had so much fun watching him. I have no idea how long we walked. A half hour, 45 minutes? But every can that had washed up on shore was back floating in the water. Blaise searched them all out diligently.

The two tiny specs in the middle of the below picture are Blaise and me. I really can't say enough how much good it did for me to simply watch my son explore. He is in his element in the outdoors.

Runaway baby.

Zélie being around the water scared me because there was nothing that was going to stop her from going in, not even the frigid water temperature.

To alleviate my fears, Aaron took the baby on her own rock climbing adventure.

In the afternoon we hiked up to see a small cave. Blaise also had a lot of fun at this spot, particularly because we pretended to build a fire and get chased by a bear.

Erik, Meghan, and Mary-Claire on top of the cave.

Aaron and Blaise on top of the cave.

Oh, how I could write an entire post about this girl's giddiness each time we rode the elevator. Just look at that pure joy in her eyes. And how she waited with baited breath for the elevator to start going! It was so intense for her every time!

Saturday night we put all the kids to bed and then stayed up late enjoying some kid-free time with our friends. It's always so refreshing to come out from the trenches of family life and talk - really talk- with those living this Vocation, too. I'm always reminded that I'm not alone in this battle. I'm making our conversation that night out to be so serious, but it really wasn't. We played cards and laughed about Erik's stories from high school. But it was the comments made and questions asked while shuffling cards and checking on babies that made me feel...well...like a "real person" and not just a mom.

Sunday morning we got up and ate a breakfast of cereal and chocolate pop-tarts. The pop-tarts were a blast from my past. I always remember having pop-tarts on camping trips. Who knows if this actually happened every time, but it happened at least once and that's all it takes for a kid to feel like it was every time.

Blaise wanted to eat on our little balcony. The morning air was so cold, but I'm a sucker for snuggling under blankets, so I had fun. He did, too.

Then, it was time to pack up.

Who's this I see coming for our stuff?