Stewart Falls (or maybe it's Stuart Falls)

Jerel's mom suggested a hike at Stewart Falls.  The kids have done great on hikes in the past so away we went.  Trudy had told us you park and then ride a "tram" to the top.  When we got there, the "tram" turned out to be a ski lift.  I almost died.  Trams are entirely enclosed and safe.  Ski lifts are entirely open and prone to causing death.  But the kids thought it was awesome and we all survived.

The hike part went okay....it wasn't the hiking the kids struggled with, it was the fact that sometimes when you are outdoors, there are bugs.  Or bees.  Or flies.  Or butterflies.  Etc.  Any of these, per my children, are deadly and entirely worthy of causing tantrums.  At one point a fly flew and hit Zay's lips; he seriously hiked the next mile and a half with both hands covering his mouth.

The kids had fun playing near the waterfall.

So that was fun and all, but then I had a GREAT idea!  I explained it to the kids.  Eliza was game, Isaiah was not.  But I told him it would be awesome, and it would be a long time before we had another chance like this, plus WE CAN DO HARD THINGS!  I'm always trying to get that through his head.  And finally he decided he might do it...after I promised him Oreos. 

 

Zay was super brave and headed off first, with me following behind dragging Eliza.  And then there we were, walking under the waterfall!  So awesome!  So wet!  So cold!  And I thought to myself, "Hmm, maybe I should've brought a change of clothes for the kids."  But I didn't.

And with that we had done it--we'd had an adventure!  We did something scary and hard!  We felt great!  We felt strong!  We felt empowered!  Oh wait, not we didn't.  We felt cold and wet and like we had the meaniest mom in the whole wide world.

And so we hiked the rest of the way cold and wet and soggy.