Family Hike

Saturday it poured rain at the house. Sunday we woke to blue skies and a gorgeous day, so we decided to take the kids on a hike. The city just revamped a trail north of my house in the Etiwanda Wilderness. The put in some nice signs that explain the history of the area, some kiosks, and a couple of covered picnic areas and turned what used to be a quiet, lonely, and sometimes a bit spooky running trail of mine into a trail full of people. All in all, I think it is a plus for me as it adds some safety to an area that I love to run. What it certainly did, was make it more accessible to my family for a leisurely hike.
So off we went on Sunday for a 4 mile hike. The hike climbs the foothills and has a couple of steep areas, so I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about the kids being able to pull this off without being carried or a doing a on of whining. But that was not the case. Cruz, my 3 year old, asked to be picked up a few times, but after both Yvette and I refused a number of times, he gave into the fact that he would have to walk it; and he did a great job. Whenever it would get tough and he'd start to complain a bit, I would distract him by pointing out an animal or how high he had climbed. Like I said, he did great.
Diego never complained once and thoroughly enjoyed the adventure. Isabella did was she always does and just excelled. She shared the adventure attitude and was full of questions for the 3 hour duration of the walk.
It was great family time and something I needed very much to recharge my batteries.

I look forward to the day when I'll be able to run that same trail alongside my kids and wife, but for now just walking and seeing it for the first time through their eyes was more than enough.