The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

We made it across Kansas on Wednesday and spent the night in St. Joseph, MO. We chose the northern route, 36, through Kansas and Missouri to avoid driving on 70. By lunchtime on Thursday, we were passing through Hannibal, MO. Hannibal, a lovely little town on the Mississippi River, was the home of Mark Twain. We took a walk around town (the pictures were taken in front of Mark Twain's home; the kids are standing in front of "Tom Sawyer's Whitewash Fence!") and then picked up lunch to take in the car with us. For the past couple of days Brady has been listening to "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" on his iPod!

Thursday night we made it to the border of Indiana and Ohio and spent the night in Richmond, IN. Yesterday we made it into New York and spent the night in Corning, NY. We should be in Andover by mid-late afternoon today.

While we are ready to be off the road, the drive hasn't been too bad. We have loved the game the Clines lent us - a version of Bingo - and we've been working on state capitals and math facts! Ruth and Joe have been doing a lot to make our transition back to Andover as seamless as possible. They've shopped for us, picked up our mail, and even helped arrange to have our house cleaned for our arrival. We are very grateful for all of the help with our "re-entry!"

It's about time to end this blog ... for now, at least! We return to Andover with the hope that we can bring the best of our lessons of the past 14 months with us, while embracing the opportunities and adventures ahead of us.

Break In

On Wednesday morning, while packing up to leave Denver, we discovered that someone had broken into our truck overnight. Fortunately, we had most of our important electronics in the hotel with us, and they did not bother to rummage through the back of the truck. They were rather ambitious in rummaging through the cab and got away with quite a few electronics (computer, iPods, external hard drive, wireless router, etc) and Corb's new Filson briefcase.

It was lousy ... but we also recognize that it could have been much worse. One of the most annoying things was the delay in our departure that day. We've also spent a lot of time on the phone with the insurance company. The hassle is annoying. But ... we are moving on!

The whole experience has been frustrating for us and scary for the kids ... but it's reality (sadly). And, we really do recognize that things are replaceable. We're moving forward.

Ease Us Into It ...

In an effort to ease us into the transition of leaving Driggs, we decided that the first couple of days of our drive should involve some serious fun!

We decided that we wanted to enjoy our Monday morning, so Corb took one last bike ride and I got in one last run. That made us get a later start than we'd originally planned, but it was very worth it!

Before we left on Monday, Darla had arrived to spend a couple of days in Driggs. It made us feel good to know that she is ready to take good care of our home for the next 10 months. Plus, we had the opportunity to get our family picture on the front steps!

Monday evening and Tuesday morning at the Campbells' in Lander ... just plain fun. We enjoyed a wonderful "dinner from the garden" with the Campbells and Gilbertsons. The kids were in heaven -- Camp Campbell playhouse, complete with a letter for each kid in the mailbox; swingset; lawn games; a full moon through the telescope; shooting a pellet gun. This morning Corb and I each snuck in a run before a big Campbell breakfast, then we were on our way to Denver.

Another relatively short drive today. With some credit card points that we need to cash in, we booked the "family suite" at a Comfort Inn in Denver. This place is bigger than our house in Driggs ... 3 TVs ... we didn't make it to the pool and were almost late for the Rockies game!

A cab ride to and from the game, junk food including ice cream in Rockies helmet cups, and a Rockies win -- all in all a great day!

Tomorrow we begin the "push" east ... but (on the advice of the Campbells) we're opting to try to stay off the interstate at least through Kansas. We'll do our best to keep the fun alive!

Pierre's Hole 50

I've been gearing up for this race all summer.  Last year was the first time it was held and I finished back of the pack.  This year I wanted to better my time.

It is a grueling race that involves two 25 mile laps with over 4,600 of climbing per lap.  The biggest climb is up Bustle Creek Canyon to Ski Hill Road and Targhee Village.

There was a small course change this year.  We started with a small start loop up the lower Teton Valley Trail then took a hard left on the road to top of Shoshone lift.  Then onto the single track trail that drops into the top of Gremlin Gulch and winds back to the base area.  Last year the first leg of the race was into Rick's Basin, this year we started with Mill Creek and finished with Rick's.

I felt good during the start loop and the climb to Lightening Ridge.  I was content riding behind a few people and letting them set the pace.  Only 7 miles into the race on the way down the Mill Creek single track I flatted.  (Last year I flatted in about the same place, but on the second lap.)  After a quick tire change I was back on my bike and still feeling good.  Riding up Ski Hill Road I could see a two people that had passed me while I was changing my flat and started to make up time, slowly. Then after the lookout in into the S-turns of the road I started to feel sick and I slowed down.  My seat angle changed during the Mill Creek descent and I was not feeling comfortable on the bike.  Before descending into Dry Creek I stopped and tried to adjust it, but couldn't get it right.  The descent down Dry Creek went well and at the start of the climb up Bustle Creek I could see other riders again.

Bustle Creek got the best of me.  I started feeling sick again and had a lot of trouble on the climb.  After stopping several times I finally made it back onto Ski Hill Road and struggled back to Targhee Village where I called it a day, only 17 miles into the race.  My first DNF.

I don't know exactly what went wrong.  It was hot.  The 10:15am start was later than I expected but I planned for it.  I was right on track with my fuel and water intake.  I guess it just wasn't my day.  There is always next year.

An Evening on the Farm

The Russells invited us over for dinner yesterday. It was obviously nice not to have to think about cooking as we are trying to pack and clean up our house. Mostly, it was just wonderful to have an evening where our families could gather one more time. The kids all would have been disappointed if they hadn't gotten another chance to play - as soon as we arrived, they all scattered very happily! Brady and Elsa played a lot of pool, while the younger 5 kids ran around outside. Jeff and Corbin got out the shotgun and clays - check out the Tetons in the background of the picture as they shot (biodegradable) clays over the canyon! Susy and I wandered through the greenhouse and garden - she's done a lot with it since I've last seen it. We gathered some veggies for dinner. After dinner, Jeff, Corb, and the kids drove out to feed the lambs and check on the chickens and cows ... Brady and Connor got to bottle feed the lambs (unfortunately, the camera was left behind at the house!).

Another special night with good friends here in the Teton Valley ... the "good-byes" were tough. It helps to know we'll be back next summer.

Girls Day at Targhee!

We had SO much fun! Yesterday morning Tammy picked me up and we met Susy up at Targhee. Our room was ready early, so we checked in and then went out to run Rick's Basin and Quakie Ridge. This is my favorite run ever -- one that Sarah Nelson and Amy Lang showed me during one of our first summers here and that I've run many times since. It remains my most favorite among all trail runs.

Next we met up with a group to do some hiking. We hiked up the Bannock Trail to the top of Fred's Mountain. Then we hiked down a little ways to get on the trail to Mary's. We thought we'd get to the top of Mary's (which Corb and I hiked and skied with Susy and Jeff this winter), but the trail only went to the saddle between Mary's and Peaked. However the views were (not surprisingly) spectacular, so we were very satisfied. Plus, our plan was to take the chairlift down to meet up with some others, and as it was we made the last chair down only by minutes!

Next was the pool and hottub ... Tammy brought Margaritas :-) !! Then dinner and then back to our room. Some people joined us for the hikes, some just for dinner ... then 6 of us hung out in our room for the evening. We are the "Vegas 6" ... the group who went to Vegas in April for the Labor of Love Races -- Susy, Tammy, Heather, Sharon, Corina and me. Although Corina couldn't spend the night, she hung with us for quite awhile. Lisa was supposed to join us but sadly got pretty sick and had to cancel (luckily I saw her for a bit early Thursday morning for the last core class I could fit in before we leave). Evenso, we had lots of laughs and put together a photo album for me, with all the collective pictures my friends brought with them.

This morning, we had an early breakfast. Most had to leave at that point, but Susy and I snuck in one more hike up and run down Fred's Mt (on TVT)! Then Corb and the kids met me at the pool, where we all had a nice couple of hours until our extended checkout at noon.

It was a very special more-than-24 hours for me! I got a chance to hike and run some of my favorites one more time, with some women I count among some of the best friends I have. My Teton Valley friends have been one of the most wonderful unexpected things about this year. We've shared some remarkable experiences together this year. I cherish these memories and friendships.

Then I got to just relax with my family and swim with the kids before returning to the reality of packing. The kids loved the chance to swim, and we had the pool to ourselves.

We'll do our best to blog these last couple of days ... and then our return trip, which we hope to make kind of fun!

The End is Near

Today we managed to get a good bit of packing done. We intentionally did not start that job until now. On Sunday we had some friends arrive - a couple from Andover. Over the past few years, Corbin and Tom have connected about fishing, and Tom and Susan spend some time in Montana about every other summer. This year, Tom decided to check out the fishing on the Teton River.

Corb and Tom fished as much as possible over 2 days. They caught lots of fish and saw plenty of wildlife. Tom's wife, Susan, is fortunately very partial to children! Susan, the kids, and I enjoyed a good hike up at Targhee. Susan and Tom also got a chance to float on the Teton alone. It was nice to get to know them better. I actually taught Susan and Tom's son, Tad, years ago. Tad's now 30 and planning his wedding ... yeah, I feel old!

I've also spend some time recently immersing myself in the local public school system. I attended a recent training on "Restorative Justice" and also met with the Superintendent. The day was full of hope and positive energy. All were eager to hear about my experiences as a parent with a background in education. I am impressed by the new elementary and high school principals and am optimistic about the future of the valley's public schools.

Bottom line is that it was great to pile some good fun plans into our last week, so that we did not spend too much time packing! Tomorrow I will enjoy a girls' day and night -- a "good-bye" party for me up at Targhee. We have a run, a hike, some pool time, a dinner, and an overnight planned. I will blog that later ... the meaning is beyond words now. I guess the only thing I can say is that while we are very sad to leave here ... very sad ... we have made a conscious decision to return to Andover. We know it's the best thing for our kids and our family, and we feel good about it. It's the right decision.

Figure 8 Races

A few years ago, we went to the "Figure 8 Races" with Poppa Gary, and the kids loved it. In fact, Brady has talked about it and asked to go again, ever since then. This year, a friend asked Corb and me to help out, so it became a family affair!

I helped collect entry fees for a few hours.

In the meantime, Corb and the kids were in the arena awaiting the start of the races. Corb's job was to be a judge, counting laps. To be honest, we had a blast! We hung out with many friends, met fun people, and let the kids run wild with their friends. The kids were so entertained that we barely had to monitor them. Corb was judging, and I had a very fun view of the judge's stand :-) ... my cute "butt" shot is a little blurry, but I share it for the heck of it!!

It was a very fun night -- with family and friends!

Over The Top Hike

Last summer I enjoyed a beautiful hike with a group of friends from the west side of the Tetons to the east, starting in Teton Canyon and ending at Jenny Lake. Then last September, Corbin and I took a different route, starting in Darby Canyon and ending on Rendezvous Mountain. Both were amazing experiences, but I have to say that I was just "wowed" by the first hike and wanted to show it to Corbin. Unfortunately, I am terrible with finding trails and had little hope of showing Corby something new!!

Our friends, Susy and Jeff, were excited to do this hike with us, and that inspired us to figure out how to find the "trail that was not on the map." Corb consulted with some local hikers and between his information and my recognition, we were able to find the right trail. All of this was after much work to find childcare and coordinate schedules ... all the effort was so very worth it.

Shortly into the hike (as we were looking for the "hidden" trail), we just about stepped on a cow and calf moose! Luckily they ran up into the hills before we could be too scared. The hike up was steep and got us up to some beautiful pastures with wildflowers and then to Hurricane Pass well before noon. We stopped to take a ton of photos, then savored each moment of the hike down. At one point on the way down, Corb and I realized we had forgotten our camera about 2 miles back ... so Corb and I ran back up to get the camera (well, after a few minutes, we hiked as fast as we could, then we ran down). We returned to find Susy doing "hill repeats" and Jeff graciously resting!

Jeff and Corb both agreed that this hike rose to the "top 3 ever hikes" on their list ... in truth it is in my top 2!! There are so many things we enjoy doing here ... hikes, floats, trips, outings, etc ... it's easy to think about what we haven't done. However, we've tried to remember to value what we have done, not dwell on what we haven't. This hike was a big success, and to be able to coordinate and do this with our closest friends here was just precious.

On the way home, we were witness to a bad car accident ... and recently there was a very sad story about a local car accident ... we spent the time waiting in traffic just counting our blessings and being grateful that we would return to our collective 7 children safely and happily. It was a day of reflection, appreciation, and joy for all 4 of us.

Mother Daughter Time!

Maggie and I decided that we needed to have some girl time to prepare for our return to Andover. Corb's been saying we're getting "Andover-ized!"

The other day we decided to paint our nails. After shopping for some polish and accessory supplies, Maggie painted my nails, then I painted hers!

Today we went to the hairdresser together. Maggie charmed everyone in the salon! We had a fabulous time, and we can both now see beyond our bangs!

Darby Canyon Wind Caves

The Miller Sisters are a popular local singing duo. One of the sisters is a fairly new running friend of mine ... yet I jump at any opportunity to hear them sing just because they harmonize so beautifully! This morning they played at Pendl's, the bakery downtown. It was a great morning to enjoy muffins, juice, coffee and good music. A group of about 6 families (some with kids, some without) met at Pendl's before our hike.

By noon, we were on the Darby Canyon trail on our way up to the Wind Caves. It's about an 8 mile hike, roundtrip. Those without kids, with baby on back, or with older kids hiked rather quickly. Susy and I walked at our kids' pace, which was sometimes quite fast and yet also required breaks! We weren't sure if we'd make it to the cave at the top of the hike ... but we did!! Brady, Connor, Elsa and Will were troopers, and they were genuinely happy for the entire hike. Of course "magic" sport beans and sharkies that give you special powers (endurance, strength, extra oxygen, climbing power) seem to work really well!

We explored, played, and just had a great day overall. The cave at the top is pretty cool. We went in only a little ways - did not venture into the darkness. Our friends went as far as they could go without climbing ropes. With the right gear, it's possible to climb through to the Fox Creek side!

In the one picture with 4 kids and me (on a rock) you can see the big wind cave, up over Brady's head, in the background ... tall, rectangular cave in the rocks.

Just before we left this morning, Connor was feeling nervous and did not want to go. I made the decision not to let him opt out. The struggle to get him out the door was so very worth it! This ranks up there as one of the top outings I've had with the two boys.

Brady, Connor and I got home around 5pm and found Corbin and Maggie very content after a good father-daughter day together!