Jardine Juniper Trail

The boys are working on their hiking merit badge for scouts.  They need 5, 10 mile hikes and one 20 miler.  Guess who does these hikes with them?

Yep, you guessed,

Mom

sometimes Dad,

and today, Kyle.

So, while they earn their merit badge, I remind them how beautiful all of God's creations are and how they are so blessed to witness such a thing. Most often they are up ahead of me.  It makes me happy to see them motivated ahead of me.  Too bad they weren't that way in Walmart. I would never have to go looking for them.

This is what Jared looks like when he is waiting for me to catch up.  See, he is kind of like Henry when he wants the okay to catch the cat. Your presence in the room will release him to chase the cat that you never intended for him to do.  Well, that is kind of like how Jared is waiting for someone along the trail.  He stops and waits....resting....until you just reach him thinking that you too will be able to catch your breath.  WRONG! Because as soon as I get there he jumps at the opportunity to start walking again now that he has rested.  It kills me.  SO......I have figured that when he stops to wait......I stop and rest just before I reach him.  That makes him wait long enough for me to catch my breath and start again or tell him that I will catch up. He will deny that he does this.  But I am his mother and I know what is going on.

 This was a much hotter hike than the others we have been on.  More of what we are accustomed to.  I don't really think that you would call 90 degree heat "hot", where we come from.  Either way it was warm.  We drank plenty of water and hung out a minute or two at a natural spring.  I thought Kyle was going to lie in it.  He was pretty thirsty.

 My little man is growing like a weed.  I have always seen Kaleb as my little guy.  He is growing just as fast as Jared is.  Keeping up with the big guy as usual. He is so cute. He hates it when I say that. But really, he is cute. 

 And a JOKER!

This is his holler monkey impersonation.

I kept thinking that at any time we will come around the bend and see the truck. 

All three boys spotted the truck and broke out in a dead run to reach the truck first.  I have no idea how they could muster up enough energy to do such a thing.  Kirk could hear them in the distance hollaring as they ran as fast as they could.

Boys! I lov'em.