May - Fighting Fires, Mommy's Day, and a Fat, Fat Kiss

May 10, 2014 - Brentwood Fire Station Open House

The next generation of crushers met at Brentwood Fire Station to see their brand new fire engine. The boys had a blast checking out the trucks, gorging on hot dogs and cake, and exploring the fire station. They even made the front page of the local newspaper!

May 11, 2014 - Mommy's Day

For Mother's Day this year, we enjoyed a beautiful day on the hillsides at Noboleis Winery in Augusta, MO, dining on a scrumptious brunch buffet.

May 22-25th - Knoxville and the Obed

We spent Memorial Day weekend in Knoxville, TN with new friends, Noell, Craig, and their adorable daughter, Riley. Riley is 4 months older than Micah and while they have met a few times at the Red River Gorge in Kentucky, they have not spent too much time together until this weekend. Micah and Riley are polar opposites. While Micah can sit in one spot for hours and moves slower than an old man with a walker, Riley never stops moving. She is full of energy and giggles, always has a big smile on her face, and has absolutely no fear of heights. They definitely brought the best out of each other. By the end of the weekend, Micah was giggling and chasing Riley around the kitchen table (ok, maybe he was the one being chased) and Riley sat in one spot at the Obed for longer than she ever has before! These kiddos played so well together that Riley planted a big kiss on Micah's lips after the first playdate! Afterwards, we asked Micah: "Did Riley give you a kiss?". His eyes got real big and he said with a smile, "Yeah, a FAT, FAT one!".

After a successful matchmaking, we spent the rest of the weekend camping at Frozen Head State Park, thanks to a great recommendation from Noell. When Craig asked Micah whether or not he had a sleeping bag, he responded, "No, I have a van". We figured this weekend would be a good one to change Micah's idea of "camping" and actually set up a tent, make a fire, and roast some marshmallows! He loved throwing rocks in the creek, off-roading his bike down hills and over rocks and logs, and climbing on a little boulder at the campsite. We spent two days climbing at the Obed and meeting new friends and other climbing families. At one point, I think that the number of children + dogs at the crag definitely outnumbered us adults. Despite a surprise rain shower at the end of our last day that left the rock too condensed to climb, we had an awesome trip and got on some superb routes at Lilly Bluff and Little Clear Creek. Aside from climbing, we spent some time playing in the river, although it was really, really cold! Micah didn't mind it at all, as he ran through the water, giggling and splashing with delight. We also hiked to two beautiful waterfalls at Frozen Head on our last day in town, where Micah managed to completely face plant into one of them and had to hike out in his birthday suit. We can't wait to come back and explore some more next time!

The Chicken Shack

On April 1, 2014, we welcomed three additions to our family: Henzi, Cayenne, and Pepper.

For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted a dog, or any pet for that matter. When I was growing up, my Mom was afraid of animals and disliked anything with four legs or two legs + feathers. The only pet I was allowed to have was a fish. I soon grew bored of the fish and I started holding hamsters and parakeets hostage in my bedroom, which unfortunately for me, and fortunately for them, didn't last long as their stench eventually gave them away. I anxiously looked forward to the day when I could finally have my own home to raise a pack of dogs and a variety of other creatures of my choosing. That dream ended the day I met Christian. I distinctly remember calling my friend Melissa one day, shortly after Christian and I started dating and telling her that the wonderful man that I had in my life was no longer "perfect": he hated dogs. After countless arguments, we soon realized that the topic of getting a dog was something we just did not talk about. Then one day, I discovered Christian's love for chickens. Ask him about his pet chicken, Jasmine, and you will see his eyes light up with excitement and joy as he tells story after story about her. So thus, we settled on chickens and I vowed to never speak of dogs again as long as we have chickens in our backyard. I guess three skittish chickens that have grown to dislike me coming anywhere near them will have to do for now.

We got the three chickens when they were about 1 week old. The black one, Pepper, who is a Black Sex Link, may have been a little bit younger. Micah was immediately drawn to the yellow one, the Buff Orpington, and decided to name her "Henzi", which we thought was incredibly clever for a two year old. I was expecting him to come up with a name like "Chicken" or "Hen", but he surprised me as he often does. Henzi is most definitely my favorite. As a chick, she was always the sweet and docile one who loved to be held. We always thought she would be picked on by the other two. She has grown to be a little less calm, but is definitely the only one who will let me come remotely close to her. Surprisingly, she seems to be at the top of the pecking order and is always alert and curious of her surroundings.

Cheyenne is a Rhode Island Red. Supposedly a calm and friendly breed, she has proved to be quite the opposite. She has brown red feathers and the most beautiful of the three. We believe she is the oldest of the bunch. She loves to eat and is usually very interested in seeing what treats I have brought for her. However, her timid nature holds her back and she definitely keeps her distance. I think I can eventually win her over with mealworms, her favorite treat. 

The black one is Pepper, Christian's chicken. When we first brought the chicks home, she was a big bully and constantly pecked at the other two. I thought about taking her back to the store and exchanging her for another one. Lucky for her, she eventually calmed down and now seems to be at the bottom of the pecking order. She is a feisty one though, very touchy and definitely dislikes being held or touched. Maybe one day she will come around but for now, she likes to stick by her buddy, Cheyenne, and stay far away from us. She also loves to perch and was the first to figure out how to use her roost.

We love being chicken owners. They are so funny to watch. They love to dig in the garden to find bugs to eat. We are starting to give them kitchen scraps in hopes to have some awesome compost to use for our garden one day. If everything goes as planned, we'll see some eggs from the girls in about two months! Christian built a beautiful chicken condo for the girls with more room than they could ever hope for. The best part is, he used mostly recycled materials and wood scraps he had left over from other projects, and created something beautiful for almost nothing. Christian and my brother, Devin, spent an afternoon painting it a bold red, perfect for a hen house! Here's their humble abode and our flourishing vegetable garden. 

The Ants Go Marching

Weekend of April 26, 2014

Our lives have been quite hectic as of late, but we still managed to make it out a few times this Spring. Yoli, Chuck, Micah, and I headed down to the Red for 3 days of out-of-shape climbing and ended up having a blast! We visited the Chocolate Factory on Friday and got on some exciting climbs. I have trouble breathing just thinking about them. Climbs that I would have previously warmed-up on are now terrifying, as I slowly return to the sport after being injured for 5 months. My elbow still causes me anguish, but if I'm careful, I can get in a few climbs before I have to call it quits. We climbed some SCARY stuff!

Enjoying breakfast in the "Moby"

On Saturday, we did some waterfall climbing. Talk about terrifying. Apparently the route we climbed is always wet, but it's always a little nerve racking when you're standing above your last bolt on wet nubbins with mossy sloping ledges for hands. It was actually a lot of fun and as always, I managed to find the absolute hardest way through the last section. I got completely sideways and did a one-arm-one-foot-sideways-press-up to clip the anchors. I must have scared Chuck pretty bad because he chose to top rope the climb. Mind you it was a 5.9. After TR'ing it, Chuck came down scratching his head and wondering why I had such a hard time with the route and decided to lead it and send it properly.

Chuck then decided to send Buddhalicious, I believe it was his 13th 5.11a or harder of 2014. If that's not impressive enough, the guy recently turned 70. He's crushing more stone then most 30 year olds. I think he's sent more 5.11s this year than Yoli and I combined.

Chuck, Micah, and Climber Dude.

All of this is quite amazing, but the real hero of the day was Micah-man, who decided to hike out of Muir Valley on his own, from the furthest crag in the valley. Yoli has actually contacted Dr. Weber (Dr. Weber and his wife own Muir Valley) to find out the official numbers.Micah, who just turned two, hiked up from Coyote Cliff to the parking lot pavilion completely on his own in just under an hour. He traveled 6840 feet (1.3 miles) with an overall gain in elevation of 310 feet up the new south trail that ascends hundreds of stairs and steep hiking. That's like taking the stairs up a 30-story building. Multiple groups of passing climbers were super impressed, giving Micah high-fives along the way. We kept asking Micah if he wanted a break and he would just say "I'm good!" as he kept soldiering on. We are very proud of him.

Our little hiker!

Wheeeeeeeeee!

Working on his VB problem

Snack time to celebrate the send!

On the last day, we skirted the crowds and visited Eastern Sky Bridge. Chuck and I got on a super crazy looking trad line that starts up a dihedral into a horizontal roof crack with no feet, and then GOES UP THROUGH A HOLE!? Yes, through a hole. Crazy good times. Chuck led it and I followed. I'm pretty confident that it's the hardest 5.9 I've ever been on.

Chuck the Man starting The Underling (5.9)

Approaching the passageway...

Until next time!