A Family that Plays Together. . .

It's never too late to share your hobby or your interests with your grandchildren! Maybe this story of inspiration will set you on that track!

A couple of years ago, my long-time friend wrote me about a family vacation--a vacation she and her husband took with some of their children and grandchildren. It was one of those stories one loves to hear, and makes you express.......gee, I would love to be in THAT family.

She and her family members visited New Mexico and the Enchanted Circle. Her husband, her son, and two of her grandchildren made plans to climb a local mountain. What a bonding time....for all! Those that made the hike and those that stayed behind. Here, I'll let Kathy tell the story:

With great excitement, four of our family members left before sunup on July 4, 2016 from our cabin in Angel Fire. My granddaughter named their group the "Independence Patrol." This motley crew of our family consisted of my husband, our son and his daughter, and our oldest daughter's son. Together they were off to conquer the highest peak in New Mexico, Wheeler Peak, a mountain between  Red River and Taos.

The "Independence Patrol"

Now my family is spread out geographically and our times together are few and sometimes far between. This was a rare time for the most of us to be together. And especially these four who had never interacted as a team or group before.

We all knew the hike would take all day. We felt a bit nervous as we said our goodbyes knowing they were beginning a 30-mile drive to the site for the challenging climb. When they left, we all crawled back in our beds. I picked up my cellphone and found this beautiful prayer my daughter-in-law had just posted (from her bed upstairs) on Facebook:

"Dear Lord, please protect Luke, Amber, Granddad and Cutter today as they climb Wheeler Peak. Give them strength, endurance and light, but grounded feet. Let nature be their friend and guide. Bless them with the beauty that surrounds them, great weather, and above all, a wonderful and divine experience. We ask you to hold them in this special time together and let them, in the presence of Your land, feel You. Please bring them back safe and sound. Amen"

Charting the course.

Mountain respite. . .

Grandfather and grandson

When the sun came up, the rest of us had coffee and breakfast, dressed, and left to drive over to Red River to meet them later in the day at the foot of the mountain. We could think of nothing but our climbers, and we talked and wondered about them every minute. On the way to Red River, miraculously one of the group texted from the summit, and that's when we pulled over to take this picture of ourselves knowing the Independence Patrol was at the top of the mountain behind us!

The ground support team

We knew there would be challenges with the climb. . .more so for a couple of the group than the other two! The beauty they saw as they climbed (to be eventually above the tree line) was something they shared through their priceless pictures.

We made it!

The view from the crest! They met the challenge and succeeded!

I think often of these four souls and the challenges they met and faced individually and as a group. They experienced together what the rest of us were simply dreaming about. It was pure joy for us to see the weary party at the foot of the mountain. For the rest of their days, these four will know they conquered that mountain, and they did it with each other. My husband said, "You reach a point when your body is telling you to quit. . . but no one did."

The three generations!

Michelle's prayer was answered that day--"Bless them with...a wonderful and divine experience. . . . And please, bring them back safe and sound."

​Thank you, Kathy, for sharing this wonderful experience in my blog. I hope it's an inspiration to other grandparents. To my readers: Kathy made a small keepsake book for various family members based on this experience. She included a quote from Dr. Seuss in that little book. I'll end this week's blog with the same quote: