Archive for October, 2011

It’s been a little over a year since the Great G-bini joined our family. I wanted to write this post around his first birthday, but clearly, I am slacking in the blogging department lately.

We have a friend and neighbor who loves asking me what I have learned from G each time she sees us. It’s such an interesting question, and she always makes me stop to think and appreciate some of the more subtle joys of having a baby.

G is learning new things constantly. It is amazing what new skills he can pick up and lessons he can learn every day. I have really enjoyed and been astounded by how much he has changed and grown in just one year.

And I know Mark and I have changed and grown quite a bit in that time. We love this little kid more than words can say, for everything that he is, was, and will be, and every amazing moment he has brought us.

So, here are the top 10 things I have learned from Little G this year:

1. Dirt is awesome!
2. Sleeping may look easy, but it’s actually a difficult skill to master. It takes work, patience, and sacrifice to keep healthy sleep habits.
3. Everything should be experienced with as many senses as possible. Remember to watch, touch, listen, smell AND taste everything!

4. Some things don’t have reasons, causes or answers. They just are.
5. Skills that may seem simple to you can be the most difficult thing in the world to somebody else.
6. Perspectives can change rapidly. And to get the most out of them, they should change often!
7. It is surprising what you can eat without any teeth.

8. Sometimes doing nothing is the hardest thing in the world.
9. Our basic needs are so simple – warm food, a safe place to sleep, and love. Focus on those, and everybody is happy.
10. You don’t need hair or teeth to be really, really, really, really ridiculously good-looking.

This post is coming, ummm, three months late? I should probably just admit it to myself: real life is killing my blog.

And when it comes to sharing photos and little write-ups about our trips, Facebook seems to be the easiest place to do it these days. But, some hikes we do (like this one) are just so nice, that I’d like to put them out on the interwebs for everybody to enjoy.

So, last October, Mark and I packed up the family and went for an afternoon hike at our favorite spot to view fall colors in Colorado: West White Pine Mountain road. This is a 1.5 mile hike to a saddle and on to the summit of a local little peak. The “trail” is really a 4×4 road and we were passed by probably nearly a dozen trucks and jeeps driving up and down the steep, rocky road that afternoon.

I think we hit the peak of local color just right. There were quite a few green leaves still hanging around, but they were absolutely out numbered by shining, golden aspens.

G spent the whole hike up the mountain in Mark’s backpack going “Ooooh woooow! Ooooh woooow!” Granted, those are two of the only 5 or so words that he knew how to say at the time, but I think he genuinely enjoyed the bright yellow trees and an afternoon in the mountains.

As we all did!