New Year's Hike

We like to start the New Year off on a good note by getting outdoors and exploring nature with a good hike. We may not always go on New Year's Day, but we try and go the weekend following New Year's Day. It always feels so good to get outside and enjoy the cooler temps while reflecting back on the previous year's activities and looking forward to new adventures that coming year. 

We love to hike to a waterfall. Hiking along a river and listening to the sounds of the water is so relaxing...and very refreshing during the warmer months! When we asked Cal if he wanted to go hiking, he gave an emphatic 'YES!' We followed up by asking where he wanted to go hiking, and he responded with 'waterfall!' He already shares our love of hikes that lead to a waterfall. We are always looking for new trails to take, especially ones with waterfalls at the end of the hike, or along the way. Thanks to our friends Liene and Roberts' recent adventure to a waterfall close by, we chose to go to the same area to see Falls Creek Falls. 

I opted to carry Callen on my back for the trip in, knowing that there would be two fairly steep climbs. I made the first one without much difficulty. We opted to stop at the large boulders for a lunch break and to let Cal stretch his legs for a while. He had a big time climbing on all the rocks and then jumping off the smaller ones to the ground. This proved to be a great stop for lunch and to fuel up since the remaining part of the hike was a bit challenging.

We made it to the top of the rock!

It's a little higher than I thought now that I'm looking over the edge

Climbing on the rocks...his favorite thing to do

More climbing

After leaving the boulders, there was a good part of the trail that was flat and good for Cal to hike along. In order to keep him on the trail and hiking at a reasonable pace, we had him looking for the purple blazes that lined the trail (this was the best marked trail I have seen in a long time...and for that I am thankful since it kept Cal on task to the waterfall!). Anytime he would start to wander off, we would ask him to find the next blaze, and off he would go to find a purple blaze!!

Cal always has to have a hiking stick to hike. He does a good job of finding one on his own

Hiking with dad

Mom trying to get Callen to come along and find a purple blaze

Look! A purple blaze!!

The last 1/2 mile of the climb to the waterfall was pretty steep. Cal attempted to hike this part himself, but he kept slipping and it was taking forever to go just 10 feet with him, so we put him back in the pack. I only lasted a bit further with him in tow before I had to give him over to Doug. It was steep and my short legs couldn't climb the steep steps and roots with him on my back. Once at the falls, we stopped for a few minutes to admire the view, but soon headed back because there wasn't a good place to sit and enjoy off the trail without getting too close to the falls...and it was too cold to get too close and just sit. We have been in places like that before with Callen, and he gets miserably cold so fast. 

View of the lower portion of the falls through the trees

View of the upper portion of the falls

The hike back was uneventful and Callen slept most of the way. It's funny how it seems so easy and quick to get back to the car after it was so tiring and took twice as long to get to the falls!!! 

It was a great day and I hope we can continue this tradition of a New Year's Hike year after year.

Christmas Celebrations

Another year in the books. I'm sure everyone is saying it, but how is it already 2016?! Sorry for the lack of posting last month. It's crazy how quickly time slips by with last minute preparations for the holidays, spending time with family, and traveling...and trying to relax just a bit and enjoy everything happening with the Christmas season. 

We had a wonderful Christmas! This year Cal was finally able to understand what was going on, and was excited for presents. He loved handing them out to family, but enjoyed opening them just as much. However, he would open one present and play with it forever and not worry about anything else he had to open. We had to force him to open each present because he was too busy playing and enjoying the previous one he had opened!

We were able to be home for Christmas Eve and morning this year. We thought with Callen getting older, it would be a good time to start being home on Christmas morning so he can enjoy Santa here. We went to Christmas Eve service at church and came home to fondue for dinner. This was a fun tradition of my family growing up and we thought it would be fun to do this year. Cal dipped a few pieces of bread and veggies in the cheese, but opted to mainly eat his bread without any dipping. 

Enjoying fondue

 

Hanging his last advent calendar present (an ornament) on the tree

Christmas morning was fun...and interesting. We all know Cal is not a huge fan of Santa. So when we told him Santa had come to visit, he immediately clung to me and would not get out of my arms. Even after showing him all the toys and books he had asked for, he still would not get down to check it out. We finally had to tell him that the toys just showed up there and they weren't from Santa! He eventually sat down with me and we went through his stocking. That loosened him up and he finally started playing with all his toys. Who knew vintage Fisher Price toys would be such a hit and so captivating to a two year old!! He could have played with the toys all day...but we had to eat and then get ready to head to my family's celebration. 

Taking it all in

Feeling a little more confident

Wow! Those toys look great

I'm going in for it

These are great! I had nothing to worry about!

The Epps family all joined at the Jones' house for our celebration. Lots of laughs and even better times watching the kiddos open their gifts. Cal either played with his currently opened toy, or was trying to snatch a toy away from Ella. After all the gifts were opened, the big gifts were waiting outside...a new bike for Cal and a Barbie convertible for Ella. The convertible was great. Ella is too small to drive it yet, so Cal took her on a ride. He was giving her whiplash over and over with his stop-start-stop-start driving!

New PJs! He wants to wear them every night

More toys! This is great!

Hold on tight...we're going for a ride!

Cal has a balance bike that Santa brought him last year. It has a wide wheel base in the back and he can zip through the house and outside on it without any problems. He has ridden it the 1/2 mile to CVS and back with me running behind! This year his aunts and uncles went in together to get him a new balance bike that is more like a real bike with thinner tires and larger frame...one that will grow with him over the years. I thought he was going to need a few weeks to get used to this new bike. Nope...he was off and riding it (with Uncle Scuba chasing behind) down the hill in front of the house. No learning curve needed for Callen! 

Big boy on his bike

After our Greenville celebration we headed to Charleston to spend the remainder of Christmas Day with Doug's mom's family. We spent the evening opening gifts and hanging out together outside...since it was close to 80 degrees! Cal enjoyed opening his gifts one at a time, with the highlight being his own 'real drill,', a power screwdriver, that he loves to play with. He was able to help Oupa make a box to carry all his toys using his new 'drill.' He was given safety glasses to use with his new drill and for all other projects he helps Doug with. These were a big hit too!

A big present!

Safety glasses are needed to open the big one

Looking for the full moon hiding behind the clouds

Reading my new book with Dave

What a great Christmas! It was so great to spend time with family over the course of the Christmas holidays. IT was neat to see the magic of Christmas through Cal's eyes this year. The joy he had with everything we did was so sweet. He was so happy looking at lights and blow ups around the neighborhoods, opening his advent calendar each night in anticipation of Baby Jesus's birthday, and cuddling with mom and dad on the couch to watch a Christmas TV special. He took everything in and loved every minute of the season.