it might not be the Matterhorn, but it felt like it!

shawn, kelly and kerry
kerry and dan (he's the leader and russ' best friend)


on saturday i had one of the biggest physical challenges that i've done for many, many years...the plan was to climb mt. boney and scatter my brother in law's ashes on one of his favorite sites...i was not going to go at first, thought i would stay home and tend the babies...but, then i thought, i should go in uncle russ' memory...i've climbed halfway up in early years...way earlier...but, i thought, i can do this..so we ( me, my kids, kelly and jeff, russ and kerry, my sister in law, reilley and her son shawn and our friend danny) started off at 6 am...it had rained the night before, it was muddy, slick, dark...when the light came it was foggy and misty, which turned out great, because it was cool...so, we walked and hiked and climbed on and on...i was at the end of the group...way far away from the rest...wondering if i was on the right trail, thinking what have i done...i will be wandering forever...FINALLY, after hours of hiking we got to the top...then, we walked down the ridge a bit to this ledge, that i guess on a clear day you can see the ocean...that's where we scattered the ashes...it was a special moment to think of him and rembember his life..then we started down on the SHORTCUT, wow, what a way to go...it was down the face of the mountain...sliding down slick mossy rock, crumbly rock (i'm thinking, where is willie? he's the one that likes to rock climb..alas, he and kelly k couldn't come), at one point it was the rock on one side and poison oak on the other...so i was clinging to the rock....and boy did my thighs hurt..and my toes!!!! .then, you get off the face....and you still have to hike out!!! from this outting i learned many things....the main one is...just keep putting one foot in front of the other...just as in life...sometimes it's better to not look up and see the big picture..just keep those feet moving...you can't give up...so, no matter how long it takes (in my case 8 and1/2 hours), you have to do it...you have to endure to the end..you might fall or stumble...but, you have to pick yourself up again and keep walking...life is like this hike, we sometimes can run up the mountain (my kids, not me) and sometimes we trudge (me), but, we all get there...sometimes you need help from others (russ and kelly helped me alot coming down), you sometimes give help along the way ( not me, i just took alot of help)....we all need encouragement and love (everyone kept giving me ALOT of encouragement)..and in the end....it is all worth it!!! when you accomplish something that is so far out of your realm(this was it for me)...it makes you really proud of yourself....and you can think of that when the next hurdle comes along.... so for all of you out there...trudging along the path....just keep moving those feet...one step at a time!!!