Colorado 2014- Day 8- Hike MS

Saturday was our last day in Colorado and it ended up being my favorite day of the entire trip!

 

On Wednesday, Emily noticed in the local Breckenridge paper that the annual HikeMS was being held in Keystone on Saturday.  I wasn't sure at first if it was something I wanted to participate in but after Emily and Jon signed up, I knew it was something we should all do as a family. 

 

We went on Friday night to register and got up bright and early on Saturday morning to make the 3o minute drive over to Keystone for the hike.  We started the morning with a great continental breakfast and then got ready to start the hike. 

"We are hiking for our daddy"

We divided into two hiking groups- the two mile hikers (me, Cory, Eden, Aubrey, and Lily) and 3-4 mile hikers (Emily, Jon, Parker and Addison).  The two mile hike was around the base of the mountain and the 3-4 mile hike was hiking up the mountain.

We said good bye to the Parker's group and got started on our hike.  The little girls did great on the first mile!  After a potty stop and snack break, we started the second mile.  They were getting a little tired at this point and we may or may not have had a little breakdown over having to share the stroller, but they were all finally able to find their happy heart and finish strong! 

Along the hiking path were signs that helped you know that you were on the right track.  The girls loved looking for them and showing Cory and I which way to turn!

Having to share the stroller is just not fair sometimes! 

Ready to finish strong!
 

The two mile hike was challenging for Cory but he did great!  I was so proud of him for finishing and showing the girls that nothing is impossible as long as you don't give up.

 

Crossing the finish line

After we finished the hike, we called to check in with Emily's group.  They had originally thought that they would hike the 3-4 miles to the middle of the mountain and then ride the gondola down.  But when they got to the middle, they were told that they would either have to hike the 3-4 miles back down or keep hiking another 3 miles to the top of the mountain.  After a lot of deliberation, they decided to just keep on hiking, which means they were going to end up hiking a total of 7 miles.  We told them that we would pick up the lunches and meet them at the finish line at the top of the mountain! 

Riding the gondola to the top of the mountain!  I was so proud of Cory for completing his hike!

While we waited on Emily, Jon, Parker and Addison, we enjoyed our lunch that they provided for us.  My parents and Ryan joined us for lunch and we couldn't have asked for a more spectacular view while we ate!

After lunch, we called Emily and found out that they were almost finished with their 7 mile hike so we all went out to meet them at the finish line!

I encouraged Eden and Lily to go and congratulate Parker for doing such a good job on his hike.  They both ran to him and gave him a big hug.  I'm not sure how I got lucky enough to capture this moment but this picture ended up being my favorite one of the day!  It warms my heart to see my kids encourage each other.  Parker is always one of the girl's biggest cheerleaders and it was nice to see them encourage him when he accomplished something huge!

We were so proud of Parker for making it the entire 7 miles up the mountain!  Emily said he pushed through even when it got tough and didn't complain hardly at all!

I know they don't fully understand why we were hiking, but they all did a great job hiking in honor of Cory. 

Our entire hiking group

The whole family

We always try and take some family pictures on our trips to CO and decided to take them on top of the mountain this year.

We are so thankful to Emily and Jon for getting our hiking team organized.  Without them, I don't think we ever would have signed up for such a great event!  One thing I haven't mentioned is that in order to hike, every team member was required to fundraise a certain amount of money for the MS Society.  After we registered, we sent out an email to our family and friends asking for them to support us in our hike.  With such short notice, we weren't sure how much money we were going to be able to raise.  I think we were all shocked that in just three short days we were able to raise over $1400 for the National MS Society.  That is absolutely amazing!!!  We truly do have the most supportive friends and family!!

Just when we thought the day couldn't get any better, we learned that in addition to hosting Hike MS, Keystone was also hosting a children's event from 11-3 on Saturday.  There was face painting, train rides, horseback riding, balloon artists, and bounce houses and it was all FREE for the kids!  After we finished lunch, we rode the gondola back down the mountain and let the kids enjoy an afternoon of fun!

We were all exhausted by the end of the day but it was all worth it!  It truly was a day I will never forget!  It felt so good to hike in honor of Cory and all the other courageous men and women who live with MS every day.  I hope Hike MS is something our family will be able to do again in the future.  We might just have to start planning our summer vacation to Colorado around the hike!

We ended the day with one last family dinner in Colorado and then we packed up our suitcases so that we could get on the road back to Texas bright and early on Sunday morning.  We had such a fabulous week in Breckenridge and I am so thankful for the time away with Cory and the kids.  We definitely made some memories that will last a lifetime!  As much as I hated seeing our vacation come to an end, it felt great to be back home on Monday.  There truly is no place like home!