Some of Amanda's Newer Pictures

Hey this is Amanda! I just thought I would show everyone some of my new pictures. Here we go!


-One of my dogs, Rex.

One of the pretty flowers by the pool! (:

Me on a four wheeler ride at the cabin. Cassie took this!

It sounded really cool.

Evidence that we saw icicles! Hahaha!

You see the beaver dam? I think this picture is pretty.

One of my favorite pictures ever.

Me (middle), Cassie (bestfriend of the right), Bella (Cassie's sister on the left)

My dad took this one, but I edited it.

Tell me what you think! Bye.

Sometimes it's not about the climb.

Yesterday as I was spending some time with Jake, we were driving in towards the house and looked at Lone Mountain. "Why don't we go climb that today", I suggested to Jake. He didn't hesitate and immediately started to make plans. "When can we go, can I bring a friend, who is coming with us," were his immediate questions. We had one more soccer game, and as I sat there trying to figure out why I had suggested this outing and what was I thinking, I realized that it was something that I have been wanting to do. We have lived in our house for almost 7 years now and there has not been a single time that I have looked at the mountain without wanting to climb it. I don't know why, I don't really like to hike, but there has always been an urge to see what is up top. My brother Randy used to jog the mountain when he was in training to be a fireman, Kathy has been part way up with the young women, and I have watched the transformation of the mountain as we have lived here. At first it stood out all by itself, soon houses started to work their way towards the base, then tracts of home were built behind, the Beltway even comes within 50 yards of the back side of it. Even with the new neighbors, Lone Mt, is still a sentinel standing high above everything around it.

As the game was over we came home and got ready to go. Tim and Amanda decided that they didn't want to climb it. Jake wanted to have a friend go, but he had a baseball game. The only ones that stayed on track with the plans were Kathy, Jake and I. Kathy drove, and as we got closer to the mountain she continued around the backside, the road to the path was newly barricaded so we drove as close as we could, and then climbed out of the Excursion to begin our climb.

We walked until the path started to head straight upwards. I started walking and soon realized that Kathy and Jake had a whole different take on how they were going to tackle this mountain, than I did. I was charging full speed ahead, they were casually walking. I was anxiously climbing each rock to see what was on the other side, they were noticing the different things around (the gravel pits, the marks of graffiti on the rocks, etc..). I kept climbing until we hit about 2/3 of the way up. As I looked back to see what was keeping them, I saw them both standing at the ridge part of the saddle in the hill looking over the valley. Kathy had her hands on her hips, Jake was crouched, just looking. It hit me that this is not anything unusual with how I approach things. I am always so concerned about charging ahead, looking to see what is next, that I sometimes don't take the time to appreciate the journey. If it's work, I am always looking ahead to see what I am going to be doing down the road. Even on family vacations I am guilty of running from ride to ride at Disneyland to get to the next place, and don't take the time to realize all the details of the place, the music, the characters, and yes Darren, even the Churros. I can't wait for the ride to be over so that I can hurry to the next.

As I looked at Kathy and Jake, I realized that maybe it is time to take a different approach to things. They were enjoying their hike, I was just sweating and breathing hard only so that I could get to the top and see how quick I could turn around and get down.

I read a comment on the "Post secrets" website today that I found very insightful, it said,

You shouldn't give up.

Fight for yourself and who you are.

You've got to go through the worst times in life

to get the best .

It is no secret that many of us are charging through life right now, scared of what is going to happen tomorrow. We keep our heads down and charge forward, because that is the only way we know how to go about it. In reality we don't need to be afraid of what is happening right now, to the point that it makes life miserable. We can still take the time to enjoy the climb. Look at the views, try to spot things that you would normally overlook.

I love to look at Amanda's photos, because she can capture the smallest details that many of us do not see, only because she is taking the time to appreciate and look. Where I see a valley, she can identify a flower growing from a crack in a rock, or icecycles growing underneath the banks of a stream.

We did eventually make it to the top of the mountain, it really isn't that big of a hike. The sun was now down over the hills, and the blanket of lights over the Valley were all turning on. We looked for our house. We talked about how straight the streets were and how different all the lights were, we even took a few photos and then it was time to head back. I trailed behind, trying to get a couple of photos of the valley at night.

I watched Jake cautiously walk down the rocks. As we climbed back into the Excursion and started to drive we saw a faint light bobbing up and down. As we go closer, we passed a father and son on their way towards the trail to hike the mountain in the dark. I wondered what they would learn from their trip up. Were they climbing it just because it was there, or would they take time to appreciate the climb.

The difference between then and now.

Today as I drove home from Jakes soccer game we had our interesting conversation. We talk about the freeway being messed up, what was Las Vegas like when I was a kid, etc...
Halfway home I asked him what he wanted to do when he grew up. I want to be a professional soccer player, was his response. I flashed back to when Jeff was slightly younger than Jake is now and I had asked him the same question. Jeff told me that he wanted to be a professional basketball player. Being new to the whole Dad thing, I began my lecture on how hard it would be to play basketball, what it would require, how few people actually ever are good enough to make it. I told him that he would be better off going to college and getting his degree to get a real job instead of pursuing an unrealistic goal for a white kid that doesn't come from a geneticly tall family. For years I regretted telling him that. I think that all kids should have dreams, and in my attempt to be the realistic Dad, I felt like I had crushed his. Why not let them dream, if they want to be a profesional basketball player, scuba diver, or pogo stick hopper, let them dream it. I wish I could go back to that day and answer him differently.
Today I felt like I kind of had that chance. When Jake responded that he wanted to be a pro Soccer Player, he also asked "what should my backup plan be?" I thought about it for a minute, and we talked. I told him that if he wanted to be a soccer player then he is on the right road. Right now he should have fun and practice hard. Plan B would be to get on the high school team, and then go to college and play. As we talked I told him that if he played at the college level, he could also get a degree and that would be awesome. Once he graduates from college then he can decide if he wants to still play, or he could do whatever he wants because he will have both options. I know that whatever his decision is, he is lucky to know early on what he wants. I know that he will grow up and who knows what he will ultimately do. I hope that if sports are his future, that I can at least get discounts to his games, pro sporting events are too expensive.
The important thing is that after that day with Jeff I have never wanted to be a dream killer. The kids are doing just fine deciding what they want to do, and when the time comes they know that they can come to Mom and Dad for advice. In the meantime. watch out David Beckam, Jake Mecham is coming after you.