The last hiking week of the year

I love the fall, the changing leaves, the falling leaves, the fallen leaves, the cool weather, the start of school, the end of summer--everything about this time of year I just love! The grandmother I never knew hated it, she hated the dying. I don't care for dying, but I still love this weather! And I'm ready to see the end come to mowing and weeding and mosquitoes in preparation for the gorgeous northern Wisconsin winters.

I think I've set a hiking record this season. Maybe it has something to do with my youngest being 4.

Carson and Keira spent a wonderful week with us in September while Joey and Jamie enjoyed some time together out east. I wasn't brave enough to go far but we found the weather too beautiful to pass up a neighborhood walk.






A successful walk!

Before the leaves were completely gone we took a day trip to Wisconsin's highest point, Timm's Hill. That's what it is, a hill, but it's a very pretty one with hiking trails weaving around and through the surrounding hills.

For the boys, it's just not a hike without a football.


We found this carved on a bench and Dana especially liked it.


Knowing that her quantity time with her younger siblings is going to be drastically reduced, Dana made sure she focused on playing with these four.




A few weeks ago we took a Sunday afternoon drive to a nearby waterfall for a picnic, a hike, and a photo shoot for Dana and David.






I took the opportunity to get some family pictures for Keith and Nicole with Vince, too. It was such a very beautiful and memorable day!





This past Sunday was another beautiful, sunny, and warm-for-November day. I couldn't pass up the chance to get in what could possibly be the last hike of the season. I didn't have many takers but when Bryce called the cousins and got them to join us my numbers swelled from one to nine! My troopers didn't realize how many hills we would be mounting nor how steep they would be. We knew we were cutting the time close for getting back and making it to our evening church service but we timed it so we could just make it...until I took a wrong turn. There just wasn't room in our tight schedule for the extra 1/4 mile and back.

Kirk and Lisa found some hiking sticks along the trail to help them up the hills. Gabe found a stick and went one step better. He decided why walk when you can ride!?

Mom made an even better horsey!


They must not have been too daunted by the ordeal because they (along with Aunt Kelly) were willing to join us on the same trails the next day. I picked up Nicole and Vince AND the three little ones she babysits and we made quite a group.

The hills were just as steep and this time we were pushing double strollers.

Iron Man Bryce

Maybe Nana is helping to instill a love of hiking in the next generation.