More about hiking with kids...

I have a cold. :( So I am going to just post a letter I wrote to my pastor at church for an assignment he gave us. He told us to "Take a hike" and tell him about it:

Last weekend we took your advice and took the family on a hike. We agreed to meet my sister and her kids in at Golden Ponds Park. The park has paved trails, but is still feels like you are in the wilderness; with waterfalls, cacti, mysterious noises coming from the forest, and more! Although there were paved trails, the hike did not feel any easier than a typical hike due to the heat, the children, and my husband who is apparently not into nature as I am. My sister and I used to hike every weekend before we had kids. She has three children that are six and under and I have one very high-maintenance four-year-old. Don't get me wrong, I love my daughter so, so much, but she started whining 20 feet in and never stopped. So, while the trails we used to hike were grueling and steep, this well paved road was as challenging mentally as those other trails were physically.

Before we even left our house we had to get all the gear together, find a time that was agreeable to everyone involved, change the times a millions times, and round everyone up (which was like herding cats). When we left the house our dogs decided they wanted to come, so escaped when we opened the door. They then did that things Black Labs do best when they don't want to budge - laid on their backs with sad puppy eyes. So after everyone was in their correct places, we drove to the trail. Although all of the kids were hot and tired, all four of them had different attitudes. My niece was ambitious, my nephew seemed bored, my daughter complained, and my other nephew has a fantastic disposition and just enjoyed the scenery. Oh, and my husband was convinced that our 1.5 mile hike was six miles and told us that people are smarter in New Mexico (where he is from) because when it is too hot they stay home. My sister and I were content to enjoy nature, but were definitely held back by the 9 million stops between the kids and my husband, so we spent a lot of time waiting on others. In the end we only traveled 1.5 miles for a couple hours, but it felt like a long journey by the time we returned.

To make a long story short, this is what I have learned: Getting started on a journey takes preparation - both mentally and physically. Convincing others to go on the journey with you is not always easy, or even possible. We all travel at our own rate. We all travel with a different attitude. Other people's attitudes can definitely impact the attitude of the people on the same path, but they can also impact the length of time it takes others to reach their destinations. Sometimes we get lost along the way, but generally end up on track. Sometimes you have to carry others who don't have the strength to do it themselves. Usually the journey is worth the effort, despite setbacks. Most importantly: At the end of the day, we tend to enjoy the success of completion when we have had someone along to share in our success.

Therefore, despite the incessant complaining, I am glad I was able to share the experience with my family because I love them!