Hiking Mt. Bierstadt

 

I hiked my second 14er in Colorado with my brother in law last October. 

My first 14er was hardly a hike as you can drive almost all the way up Mt. Evans and it's just about 1/4 mile hike to the summit.  This was my first true hike to a 14er summit and it was GORGEOUS and just a glorious way to spend a day.  God is SO creative and there is SO much wonder and awe to be experienced at the summit of a towering mountaintop. 

We arrived at the trailhead around sunrise.

And a lovely sight that was. 

I made him take a selfie with me in the parking lot.  We at least came.  lol. 

And we saw a whole lot too

mountain lakes really make me smile. such peaceful beauty. 

Glorious Day!

Made it to the summit wearing my kids' Frozen beanie.  Yes, I intentionally brought Anna and Elsa along (a constant and beautiful reminder of my sweet kiddos).  

yep, I made my bro in law take pictures at the top too

We met people at the top and took pictures with them  and their plant as well.  

Then we met more people and took more pictures with even more people in them. 

Mt. Bierstadt.  

We did it. 

Thanks, Nick, for being you.  You are a great friend, a thoughtful listener, and one fun brother.  

Thank you for helping me actually HIKE a 14er.  I don't like to hike alone and you are always up for an adventure outdoors.  

We joked about telling family and friends stories of who we hiked up Bierstadt with and one of our jokes was that we hiked up with our "friend from Israel".  And then literally on our way back down the mountain we met this guy from Israel.  God is too funny. 

What an incredible day.  

Hiking is one of my favorite things ever. It's such a beautiful way to get close to the Creator and experience His glory and power and beauty. 

Brad and Emily's visit to CO- (June 2019)

Shortly after my sister and her family came to Colorado, we hosted Chris' sister, Emily, her husband, Brad, and their 3 little girls, Gianna, Therese, and Chiara.  

One of the first outings was a park.  Because-- kids!!

The sand box was a crowd favorite. 

Reading books with Uncle Brad was also a favorite. 

Magna-tiles galore!

Therese turned 3 during their visit so we got to celebrate her birthday with her! 

There's Nick, enjoying his treat with the kids!

We took a sunset hike on Therese's birthday to one of our favorite local hiking spots.  

Brad and Emily asked for some views, so we took them to a little park that definitely has views of the mountains!

Always with the hands in his pockets.  I love it.  

It was pretty sunny, so our shot of their family was hard to get

cousin pictures!  

Kayla (10), Elise (8), Ava (6.5), Gianna (5), Elise (4), Therese (3), and Kolbe (2.75)

And we got one with the baby in there too!  She's about 6 months I think.  

Elise took a few of those.  She was insistent that she would take a good picture.  

There's our monkeys

Visiting Uncle Nick at his new house. 

Kayla loved hanging out with Chiara.  She is so good with babies (and constantly asks for another baby sister).  

I made my own ricotta cheese during their visit.  Thanks for the help, Bon Appetit!  

sunset and drinks on the back deck

Brad and Emily were with us for Father's Day, so the kids all made a huge banner for both the dads.  

Family movie night. 

We snagged a picture of Ava with her godparents (and her cousins).  

Brad reading the Father's Day banner. 

Uncle Nick even jumped in a picture.  

Happy Father's Day to these amazing guys!  You give of yourselves so selflessly for your families.  We are forever grateful for the sacrifices you make and for the tender love you bestow.  

cousin buddies. 

During the trip, Uncle Brad was given the title, Captain Bald Eagle and he led a troop of other birds whose job was mostly to report on the weather forecast outside from time to time and the whereabouts of smaller siblings.  The kids loved this game and each of them got a fun name.  Kayla was Swan.  Elise was Robin.  Ava's alias was Bluebird, while Gianna was Pink Hummingbird.  Even the smaller ones got honorary names though they didn't do much scouting or reporting.  Sophie was Rainbow Hummingbird, Therese was Goldfinch, and Kolbe was Mockingbird.  I believe they even called Chiara Baby Sparrow just to give the whole gang a name. 

Thanks for coming out!  It was so much fun to get together and let the cousins make lasting memories.  We had some great chats, great laughs, and several grand adventures.