the ex-young women's backpack

ex-young women's backpack, you say? what on earth is that? well, I'll tell you. it's what happens when you plan an activity for which the yw have been asking for ages, and then they all bail out at the last minute (minus two) so you bring your family and have a grand old time anyway. thanks yw for not coming! I think I should try to plan more of these...on days when no one can come, of course, excepting the Turners, who were lots of fun. here's the crew of reliables at the Ruth Lake trailhead - Jacksons, Turners, and one other yw. gratefully, the Rom on my shoulders thing didn't last too long. you have no idea how relieved I was when Jim persuaded him to walk on his own two legs (which happened conveniently right after I said, "you are SO going to owe me a backrub later!") but I think having him walk on his own was worth forfeiting the backrub.












my backpacking girl. note the baby strapped on the back. anytime I tried to say how proud I was of my backpacking kids, she reminded me that SHE was the only backpacking kid, since Rom was only walking, and not actually carrying anything but his blanket, which didn't count.
okay, seriously. how gorgeous! I'm thinking this is the perfect time to be in the uintas. as long as you don't freeze. I don't have a picture of our completely frost-covered tent in the morning, so just imagine, and be glad that the girls in our family brought along our down jackets (the boys apparently still have no nerve endings.)











breakfast time. happiest time of the day. tutti-frutti oatmeal and hot chocolate by the fire. I couldn't choose between these pictures.






couldn't choose between these either. I hope this isn't indicative of what their engagement photos will look like in twenty years or so (not with each other, obviously.) remind me to nix the double tie-dye look at least. but for our purposes here, the tie-dye was intentional for small kids in the woods as we approach hunting season...


fun fun fun. do this. go here. be happy.









and if you haven't taken a trip up for some fall glory yet, do that too.