Adventure: Hammond's Candy Factory Tour

I took the boys to the Hammond candy factory-it's been on my bucket list for years. It wasn't a great time to go as they were only making one kind of candy so there wasn't actually that much to see. But it's a cool story-they still make all the candy by hand, and package it, label it, and box it by hand. And of course the boys loved the samples and store at the end. It was good to go once but I don't think it will be on our repeat list.

209 days until my 40th Birthday Trip!

Joe and I are hiking several sections of the Colorado Trail!  It is a guided hike so the company will carry our backpacks, tents, all the food, etc.  We just carry our day pack with water, snacks, and lunch.  When we get to the camp at the end of the day there will be hot appetizers, then the guides cook dinner, breakfast, and give us a lunch and snacks.

This is our hike:

This is one of the more isolated sections of The Colorado Trail. For the unsupported hiker, re-supply towns are few and far between. The support crew has to travel great distances at times to reach the day's final destination. For the non-supported hiker, water availability becomes a problem after Bolam Pass. However, the supported hiking trek carries ample potable water so the clients do not have to be concerned. The meeting time for this section is at 12:00 p.m. giving hikers at their option an opportunity to hike a small section of The Colorado Trail in the afternoon. We also like to get to this campsite early allowing you to set up your personal sleeping tent before the thunderstorms come in! Moderate Difficulty Highest Elevation Point for the Week - 12,490 Lowest Elevation Point for the Week - 6,960 Section A Description Miles Elevation Gain Elevation Loss July 24 Meet for Week -Durango /  optional 2.5 mile hike in the evening       July 25 Molas Pass to Cascade Divide Road 17 2,600 2,200 July 26 Cascade Divide Road to Hotel Draw 15 2000 1,800 July 27 Hotel Draw to Big Bend Trail 6.3 440 240 July 28 Big Bend to Fassbinder Gulch Campsite 18.0 1,960 2,200 July 29 Fassbinder Gulch to Durango - Disperse 18.0 1,080 4,460     TOTALS 73.5 8,080 11,190   Day One… of this section is twenty miles of hiking at an average elevation of 11,000 feet. Hiking through the San Juan Mountains on this first day will be a day you will always remember and will want to return. It is very comparable to hiking in the Canadian Rockies, but at a much higher altitude. The path upon which this trail travels is very scenic and every turn creates a new view. The first day is very rewarding, but is also the most difficult. You will see some of the most spectacular views of your life including two Fourteener's, Mount Wilson and El Diente, where Navajo Sam once resided. Day Two… is a day hike allowing the hiker to recover from the first days hike. This is a beautiful hike over Black Hawk Pass. Day Three… is a 6.3 mile hike. Bring a book to read in camp that afternoon!! You will have lots of time to rest up for the next days hike on the hi-line trail. Day Four… we have a long hike on the hi-line trail. Hi-line trail name implies exactly what it reads…. hiking on top of a spiny ridge with 360 degree views. Gudy Gaskill states "From the Hi-line Trail (also know as Indian Trail Ridge), a crest of cascading wildflowers, the views of the Hermosa Valley and the La Plata Mountains are extraordinary." On this day, the hike will top out at Kennebec Pass. From this point The Colorado Trail begins it greatest descent and altitude change. Day Five… As you would imagine, this is the day of descent to the end of the trail. By no means is this an easy day. It is near twenty miles long but descending approximately 4500 feet. The trail generally follows the canyon of Junction Creek, winding in and out of the numerous steep side drainages. Please make your own lodging reservations far in advance for the night before the hike and the last night because Durango will fill up quickly. After the entire group has finished hiking and is waiting at the end of The Colorado Trail, we will shuttle everyone to their cars. You should be to your vehicles by 6 pm on the last day. Due to the length of the last days hike and logistical issues, there will only be one shuttle available for the group once everyone is finished at the end of the trail.

Pickup soccer

We love the Parker Fieldhouse. They have anything you can imagine-indoor turf, skate rink, track, basketball, and batting cages. I brought the older boys here for a few hours yesterday, and we are back again today. Yesterday we played soccer, Trey joined some random family's football game, and Jonah and I did the batting cages. Today Eli was here for a while, but Joe came by to play for a few minutes and grab Eli so the boys and I could stay longer. Jonah and I went over to the basketball courts and when we came back Trey had joined this random family's soccer game. I can tell he is feeling legit with his rapids jersey and Messi socks.

Christmas Eve

We stand corrected

Over the last few days every time someone said to Eli "are you so excited for Santa to come?" He would say say "No! It's Santa CLAUS!"

Getting ready for the big day

Goodbye letters to Pickles and cookies for Santa.

Cross country skiing

The boys had their 3rd ski lesson this weekend and I took off Friday, so we all spent the weekend in Winter Park. I went cross-country skiing both Saturday and Sunday and loved it! It is so peaceful. I think I was the slowest and most uncoordinated person there but who cares. It was beautiful and I got a good workout!

Cool guy

Class party

So much for the sugar ban!

Rubiks Master

The newest young jedi

Eli's first non-family birthday party

Eli was invited to the 3rd birthday party for a boy in his Montessori class. The little girl next to him in the parachute photo is the teacher's daughter. Trey and Jonah think she is Eli's girlfriend because when they dropped him off at school one time she was so excited to see him and said "Eli come sit by me!"

Trey and Coach Dad

Helping with ornaments

Old man and the young buck

oh sigh...

Tonight Jonah was telling us about the gingerbread man in his class who "ran away" and people are sending in postcards from far away places where they have seen the gingerbread man.  He was SO excited today because one of the 3 postcards was addressed to him!  (Thanks Gigi and Bampa!)

As he was talking Trey said "That's just something your teacher made up, and she probably sent all the parents an email saying to send in a postcard saying they saw the gingerbread man..."  I shot him a look to get him to stop talking.  Then he said "It's not like the gingerbread man is real and can really move and go places.  It's not like he is an elf."

I thought we were out of the clear until later.  As I was putting Trey to bed we talked about that conversation and Trey said "Mom, why should we lie to Jonah about the gingerbread man and let him believe in something that isn't real?"  Uh oh...wasn't prepared for this.  So I said "well Trey, sometimes it's fun to believe because then magical things happen that you just don't question and it makes life fun and full of surprises."  He said "There are lots of things I don't believe."

Ugh.  :(

and the biggest abuse of a phrase goes to...

Eli!

Whenever someone is doing anything he doesn't like he screams "DON'T COPY ME!"  I think he thinks it means stop it.

Sneaky Pickles!