Weekend Hike: Devil's Racetrack

The weather has been so beautiful lately that we have really been anxious to get some hiking in. Our biggest dilemma is Jack's naptime. Today we decided to bite the bullet and head to Huntsville right after breakfast. We made a quick stop at a consignment sale before heading up to Wades Mountain Nature Preserve to hike the Devil's Racetrack trail.

We were promised views of Huntsville and Tennessee. The trail was 1.6 miles (one way) and we figured we would be finished in time for a late lunch. We were hopeful that Jack would sleep on the way home.

The trail is easy. It meanders through the woods, with a small amount of elevation gain. We were dubious about reaching a view point since we weren't really on top of the mountain. However, at the end, the trail did connect with the transmission lines and we were rewarded with a view. I wouldn't call it a view of Huntsville, not the city any ways, but it was a view.

We only saw a handful of people on the trail – which was a bit surprising since it was a gorgeous Saturday.

At the 1-mile mark Jack started fussing. Soon he was full-out crying. We weren't sure if we should turn back, stop and let him walk or let him cry it out. 

We let him cry it out and before our turnaround point, he was asleep.

I tried to walk as smoothly as possible as we made our way back to the trail head. It was nice to get a hike in, but I did feel a little guilty about Jack missing his real nap. He slept most of the way back to the car.

This hike is a walk in the woods with a view at the top (though don't expect a mountain). It was easy enough that we think it could be a good place to take a picnic to for eating at the view point. The 3.2 miles (round trip) took us about 2 hours, but that included time in the parking lot to get Jack and Sophie trail ready (i.e. Jack in the backpack and Sophie in her harness and on leash).

On a scale of 1-5, I would rate the Devil's Racetrack a 3. I am curious about the name... the rock formations didn't seem special and it certainly wasn't a difficult trail.

If you are interested in checking out this Nature Preserve, it is located north of Huntsville and has 8.5 miles of trails. It is open to hikers, runners, dogs and horses. The trails we were on were not suitable for horses, but just be warned that you might run into horses on some of the other trails.

This is the kind of trail Daniel would LOVE to live close to so that he could go trail running whenever he wanted.

Post hike we stopped at Chick-fil-a in Huntsville to grab lunch. It was an absolute zoo. It took over 20 minutes (after the order was placed) to get our food. I think Daniel stood in line for at least 15 minutes. We love CFA, but will plan on avoiding it anytime there is a rush like today.

I'm pretty sure that everyone in the backseat was more than ready to get home!

Throwback Thursday: Hawaii 2004/2005

*Photos from this trip are at the bottom of this post.
 
We have a bookcase in our bonus room that houses old albums and journals. In the past five years, I have relied more on my blog and Facebook to track our adventures, but the old albums are still there.

Jack loves to pull these things off the shelf. Occasionally we will look at the pictures but I typically put them back on the shelf because I don't want them to get messed up. The other day he brought me my journal that was from our New Year's Eve trip to Oahu in 2004/2005. I read through the account of our trip and it brought back a lot of great memories.

It was our first overseas travel experience together – the entire trip was actually 5 weeks long with a week in Hawaii and then a month in Papua New Guinea. The trip would mark a big transition for us. Upon our return home, we would pack up all of our stuff and move from Cookeville, TN to Charlotte, NC.

I am so glad that we took that time to make memories before we settled fully into a more grown-up lifestyle. One where we both worked and we lived far away from anyone that we knew.

For the Hawaii part of the trip, we went with a basic plan: We had a hiking/camping guide book and our backpacking gear. We would rent a car and travel the island of Oahu, camping and enjoying the beautiful state in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

The only problem was: we didn't take into account that it might rain.

We found ourselves scrambling to find a hotel in Honolulu on New Year's Eve. It took MANY calls, but we finally found a place that had a vacant room that wouldn't kill our budget.

We hiked. We camped. We snorkeled. We climbed an extinct volcano. We kayaked. We visted the Polynesian Cultural Center. It was a great adventure.

Here are a few excerpts from my journal:
December 28, 2004
Once we arrived in Hawaii, we decided it would be best to go ahead and get a hotel and sleep. The original plan was to sleep for 2 hours and then go eat supper and walk around Waikiki (this was about 5:00pm). I woke up at midnight and realized we had overslept our alarm clock! So we just slept on through the night.

December 29, 2004 
(Our first hike on the island, after getting camping permits in Honolulu.) We ended up hiking a total of 4 miles in the Waianae Mountain Range. We set up camp after watching a beautiful sunset on Pearl City and the other cities below. We quickly realized that the following items were left in the car: camera, Daniel's glasses, cooking and eating utensils...The lights of the city are nice, the stars overhead are awesome.The silence (besides the wind) is much better than the roaring buses and people in Waikiki.

All of this beauty and where is the camera? Forgot it, it was left in the car to keep the forgotten silverware company. -- Daniel 

December 30, 2004
We woke up around 5:00am. The wind was howling across the mountains and the rain drizzled some. We decided to go head and get up and try to hike out at first light (we forgot too many things in the car to continue the hike). 

We then drove out to Kailua Bay. We decided to swim in the ocean and then take a quick outdoor shower. I know this isn't a real "clean" but it felt pretty good. 

Most of the day was overcast with the everpresent threat of rain. We drove to the North Shore and saw some beautiful, rugged scenery. We found a place to camp, right on the beach and were about to pay our fee and set up camp when the campground manager informed us that the ocean swells were to get to 5-feet high with wind gusts of 50mph. 

So we decided to go get a hotel. We must have called 10 hotels before we found one with a room available.
 
December 31, 2004
I feel as though we are participating in the TV show, "The Amazing Race," where everyday the contestants are traveling all over the world and participating in different activities... We got up at 7:00am this morning and headed to Haunama Bay to do some snorkeling on the reef.

After snorkeling, we headed back to our hotel to clean up, repack and check out. We also had to search for somewhere to stay this evening. The threat of thunderstorms is still eminent and trying to find a hotel room last minute on New Year's Eve seemed almost impossible!  

During this time we also booked a visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center for the afternoon. After the luau and show at the PCC, we headed back to Honolulu. The annoying thing is that we have stayed in hotels the last 2 nights (unplanned because of the threat of rain) and it still has no really stormed...

Once in Waikiki, we checked in, got settled and then headed down to Waikiki Beach to ring in the new year. 

12:25am January 1, 2005 
We saw a cool fireworks display at the beach – it was packed! Afterward I watched a guy get naked and run into the water... Daniel and I waded some and then headed back to our rooms. We are definitely not ones to enjoy crowds. I hope it rains tonight, to make our hotel room worth it! We have decided to ignore the weather predictions here for the rest of the week and bite the bullet and camp like we had originally planned.

We came to Hawaii to camp and instead we got the promise of rain and the knack for not being able to obtain camping permits due to time running away from us or offices being closed for the weekend and holiday. 

Some would say that diligent planing would be key, but I think that the hint of adventure can be quite fun and we will forever remember the things we did not plan as opposed to the things we did.

It rained all day, but we managed to find a room at the Backpacker's Hostel on the North Shore. Bunk beds for us, but at least it is dry and we didn't have to sleep in our car rental.

January 2, 2005
Today we went to hike Koko Crater. It is one of two extinct volcanic cones. Basically it is a 2-mile round trip with a 1,200 foot elevation gain! 

As we head up the cone, we quickly realize that there is a near vertical section that we will have to climb as well as an arch... as we ascended I had a panic attack and it started to rain. I somehow pull it together and we finish the climb. 

The 360º view at the top was definitely worth the fear I went thgough. We can see Honolulu/Waikiki, Diamond Head, Hauanama Bay, the Ko'ola Mountain Range and Kailua Bay. Totally awesome.

 
Afterward we head to Hoomaliua Botanical Gardens to camp for the night. We are nestled in under the mountains and it is gorgeous. The only downside is that there seems to be a phantom person using one of the bath houses – we are supposed to be the only people in the park tonight... 

January 3, 2005
We left the beautiful setting of the botanical gardens and headed for Kailua Sailboards and Kayaks where we rented an ocean kayak for two for the day. There were some clouds and lots of wind and when the sun came out it felt great. The water was beautiful blues and greens. We paddled out to an island called Flat Island that is a bird sanctuary. 

Then we paddled on around to Lanakai Beach where we ate lunch, enjoyed the sunshine and tried snorkeling. Even though the water looked pristine, the winds were making the water cloudy with sand so we really didn't see anything. After that we headed back to Kailua Beach. At this point we were against the wind and Daniel was happy that I got some cadence...

 
After dropping off our kayak, we headed to Honolulu to get permits for camping. The permit was for the Wainamo Trail. This means "many waters." We got to the trailhead – which was at a guard shack and the guard was amazed that we knew about the place – we told him we had read about it in a book. Then he said he didn't think you could camp on the trail, but we said we had permits from the National Forestry Office. So he said, "Good luck and watch out because earlier today someone said there was a landslide at mile 4." This was not an encouraging thing to hear! At least he offered to keep an eye on our rental car... We had just about 2 hours to cover just over 3 miles of unknown territory. This made me a little nervous as I did not want to be hiking in the dark! Also we were in a hunting reserve (they hunt pigs and goats here) and it didn't seem ideal to be out at dusk! 

We hurried as much as possible, but at times the trail dropped off on one side. Also it was muddy with lots of tree roots. I was very happy when we reached our camping site at dusk. Our site has a good view but we agreed that the trail doesn't really merit finishing and we will hike out first thing in the morning. We finished the night eating Hawaiian chocolate. The stars are awesome! I am so glad the clouds have cleared – I was afraid of more rain!

January 4, 2005
We packed up camp and headed out of the jungle of Waimano. The trail was very muddy due to 3 hours of rain during the night. The bugs are pretty bad. We are hiking out because the views aren't that great. As usual we are always thankful to get back to the car and find everything intact and not stolen. We are very muddy, so we bag our boots and do the best to get the mud off of us. We agree that since the car wreaks, it would probably be a good idea to find a laundry mat and wash all of our clothes.

After lunch we headed for our campsite on the North Shore... This evening we are camping on the beach... our last night in Hawaii.

See Jack {mid February 2013}

This is an ongoing series of videos that I am sharing so that our extended family can keep up with how Jack is growing and changing in these early years.

See Jack "talk" on the stud finder. Everything is a phone these days.

{mid February}

See Jack push his toys around. He loves doing this.

{mid February}

See Jack trying to plug in his sound machine.
Right idea bud, wrong cord.
{mid February}

 
See Jack play during bath time. He has grown to love splashing with his daddy 
and was intrigued by the shadows on the wall.
{mid February}

Grocery Stores and Toddlers

In the days before I was a mom, I used to listen to my friends who were moms talk about grocery shopping with kids. Inevitably someone had a story to share about their little one's epic meltdown in the bread aisle. These stories kind of freaked me out.

A few week ago, Jack and I had our first difficult shopping experience. He did great during the shopping part, but struggled with the checkout part. He wanted out of the cart. He didn't like sitting still. There wasn't anything to look at, etc. He cried and wanted to be held. Unfortunately I can't hold him and unload groceries. There were people in line behind me and I started to panic. 

Anxiety is an evil thing in a new mom. I really wasn't sure what to do. I mostly wanted to cry. Instead I finished the checkout and hurried out of the store as quickly as I could – my blood pressure felt sky high. I'm sure some people in line were annoyed with me while others probably had empathy for the situation.

The next time we went to Walmart, we had a similar experience. Jack had a hard time checking out, but this time I was prepared with snacks. I also talked to him about why he couldn't get out of the cart. He still cried, but this time I didn't panic. I was in control and didn't let it bother or overwhelm me that he was crying or that people might be staring.

Sometimes I cope with offering a "toy" like a straw. Sometimes I have a snack pack in my arsenal to distract my busy toddler and I recently let an older gentleman give Jack a sucker as we made our way through the grocery aisles. My parenting is nowhere near perfect and I continue to learn how to cope with and teach my child, but I am thankful that I have managed to set aside my anxiety and deal with the combination of a potentially fussy Jack and grocery shopping.

Thankful for: Old Friends

If you are like us, you might have moved more than once in your adult life. While moving can be difficult, I am thankful for the opportunity to make new friends. I am also thankful that occasionally we get the opportunity to reconnect with old friends {though this happens less than we would like}.

Yesterday, we needed to make a brief trip to the Nashville area to pick up new tires for Daniel's car. We decided that it would be a good time to squeeze in a quick visit with longtime friends, Matt and Melissa. Matt and Daniel have known each other since they were teenagers and Matt was also the best man in our wedding.

Matt and Melissa have two precious kids: Zeke and Ella. Zeke is about 2 years older than Jack. Interestingly this is a similar age gap that Matt and Daniel share. I love to see these little guys play together. It was nice to meet Ella for the first time as well. I can't believe how small a 6-month-old baby feels in my arms! She is such a content girl and has the sweetest smiles.

Matt and Daniel had a good visit – Matt even convinced Daniel to help him hang some siding! And Melissa and I enjoyed catching up as well.

Being able to keep in touch with all of our many friends, both near and far, has been such a blessing in our lives.

My Favorite Bible Story

First off I wanted to thank my friends who shared their favorite Bible stories with me in the comment section of a previous post. Not a single person had the same favorite. One of the things that stuck out to me was that each story had something in common: God uses unlikely people and circumstances to accomplish his will. Over and over again, you see this play out.

Mary was a young, unwed girl who found herself pregnant with God's son. Luke 1:26-38

Abigail was a wife who made amends for her husbands actions behind her husband's back and saved her family from destruction at the hand of David. I Samuel 25

David volunteered to fight the giant, Goliath, while the entire Israelite army cowered at the idea of this task. He was just a teenager with no combat skills, yet he chose to face Goliath without armor; relying on a sling shot and his faith in God. I Samuel 17

Saul was a zealous man who persecuted early Christians – even vowing to wipe out the new Christian church. After his conversion to following Christ, he changed his name to Paul and became instrumental in spreading the Gospel of Christ. Acts 9:1-31

Ruth was a Moabite who chose to stay with her mother-in-law, Naomi, after the death of her husband. Custom of the time would have permitted her to return to her own family. Ruth's dedication to Naomi and Naomi's God results in Ruth becoming part of the lineage of Christ. The Book of Ruth

Esther was a Jew, from the tribe of Benjamin, who finds herself married to King Xerxes of Persia. Through the course of the story, Esther must appear before the king and request that her people be saved. In appearing before the king, she risks her own life as well as the lives of her people. The Book of Esther

In all of these stories, we see that God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. And he does this over and over.

I have spent the last several days contemplating my favorite story from the Bible. I grew up reading the Bible and my favorite story has varied throughout my life depending on what is going on with me. Right now I would have to say that my favorite story is when the Lord appears to Elijah. First comes a mighty wind, then an earthquake, followed by a fire. But God does not appear as any of these things. Instead, he appears to Elijah as a gentle whisper. I Kings 19:11-13

Again we see that God does not appear in expected ways.

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The winner for the book, A Story of God and All of Us, chosen at random is: Wanda

Thank you for sharing your favorite Bible stories with me! 

Thank you to The History Channel for inviting me to participate in this giveaway.

The miniseries, The Bible, will continue to air on Sundays at 8/7C.  

See Jack {early-mid February 2013}

This is an ongoing series of videos that I am sharing so that our extended family can keep up with how Jack is growing and changing in these early years.

See Jack and Daniel play with the "diaper helmet."  

Jack loves to wear things on his head or around his neck.  

{early February}

 
See Jack try to use the ball launcher to throw Sophie's ball.

We are going to have to work on this skill set.

{early February}

 
See Jack go "bye bye." 
He can now reach the handle to our back door and wants to put 
his shoes and coat on if we tell him we are going somewhere.
{early February}

 
See Jack eat yogurt. 
First dipping a waffle into it. Then dipping his fingers. 
Finally eating it with a spoon – with mommy's help.
{mid February}