Green Lakes Hike

"I never knew how wretched hiking could be or how nice Grandpa's horses are".

-Lander as we hiked the switch backs

Lander, Alonso, Jake and Josh pose in front of steep switch backs. 

This Spring we had planned a hike. It got pushed back, and back, until the end of August, which worked well because it allowed us to bring Alonso along! We decided to hike to Green Lakes in the Jedediah Smith Wilderness, just east of Tetonia, Idaho. 

Jake, Alonso, Lander and Dixie get ready for the hike

Less than a mile in and we already needed a break, except for Josh and Alonso. 

They are regular pack mules!

We had the lake all to ourselves, but were too tired to even really enjoy it! 

Or clean up camp...

 This lake was next to our camp. 

It was beautiful despite thick smoke in the air from wildfires in Oregon.

 Yoda (Lander) visited our camp, he did.

It took Jake a while to figure out the hiking thing. Or more specifically a fight with his mother. Anger is a good motivator when it comes to hiking a trail. By the time we hiked out, he had it figured out and was an excellent hiker.

Welcome to Idaho!

August 15, 2015 is a date that we will always remember as the day that we officially met our new "son" Alonso and welcomed him to Idaho. Alonso is a foreign exchange student from Spain that will be living with our family for the entire school year. 

              the Jamison clan: Jake, Dixie, Lander, Josh and Alonso

Wait?!? When did you decide this? Are you crazy? What are you thinking?

We have been asked this many times since July when we decided to accept Alonso into our family. The answer has always been simple; faith and trust in the Lord!

It started one day while Dixie was working in the recovery room.

"Want to host a foreign exchange student?" Dixie's thoroughly groggy patient who had just awoke from surgery asked, a drugged young woman who works to coordinates placements for exchange students. 

While Dixie paused to say "No thanks!" she quickly flipped open her phone and pulled up a picture of Alonso. He was younger, even childlike in his picture.  He was cute and looked nice, but Dixie wasn't overly interested.

"Here, I think I have a picture of his family," she continued and scrolled to a picture of Alonso with his parents and sister. 

As soon as Dixie looked at Alonso's mother a pit formed in her stomach and she knew. He was supposed to come to our family. And it wasn't just Dixie. When Dixie got home and discussed this with the family, everyone knew. 

Update (8/31/15): It's interesting to see things come full circle. Alonso recently told some guests who were eating dinner at our house, "When Dixie speaks, if I am not looking at her, it's like I am hearing my own mother. She is 8000 miles away, but she and Dixie are so alike. They are sisters and exactly alike, even though they have not met!" No wonder Dixie felt such a bond with this mother in Spain!

Lander holds up a sign at the Jackson, Wyoming airport

 Alonso, happy to be meeting his new American family

 Alonso, Jake and Lander at the top of the Jackson pass

Grand Teton Relay

Did you know that 

12 friends + 24 hours = 180 miles 

Josh watches the sun rise over the Tetons after doing his final run in the race.

He ran through the town of Driggs and up the road towards Bates.

 Josh and Jarrod at the start of the race in Ashton, Idaho

 Somehow we only ended up with pictures of Jarrod running. Hmm... 

Josh and Jarrod relax in the one of the team cars and at the hotel between their legs of the race. Each teamate had to run 3 legs, of approximately 5 miles a piece.

Josh and Jarrod were able to run through Driggs and Bates. We thought it was very fitting. Here they pose at the last of their legs, on the road in Bates. The Tetons and Driggs are hidden in the background.

"Tough As Nails" team photo at the finish line at Teton Village in Wyoming 

 This was quite the accomplishment for Josh who is (and we quote) "not a runner.

We are proud of you Josherboy!

Alaska Basin

Josh attended High Adventure with the Boy Scouts and hiked to Alaska Basin in the Tetons. He loved every minute of it despite buckets of rain and an episode of carrying a double pack. All of his race training paid off!

Josh standing in front of the Grand Teton

The Tetons are gorgeous!

Josh knows how much Dixie loves flowers. Rather than pick them, he snapped photos to bring to her. Lots of hubby points accumulated on that one, Babe! 

 Josh's camp site. The basin was beautiful!

His fancy-schmancy tent kept him nice and dry. 

view from Jenny Lake

This view always inspires me. I'm surprised that this isn't called Inspiration Point. Instead, the real Inspiration Point is across the water and up the mountain a bit.

Inspiration Point

 We decided that we needed to show Hanisha (our friend from India) a bit of the west and decided that the Jenny Lake hike would be just the thing.

Lander and Jake at Inspiration Point, overlooking Jenny Lake

While we rested, we found that the little chipmunks were very used to being around people. This cheeky little fellow climbed right onto Lander's lap!

We heard that Cascade Canyon was very beautiful and that a bear had just been seen on the trail, so of course we had to go investigate. We are naturally dumb like that.

We didn't find a bear, but we did get on of Dixie's all time
favorite photos of Josh and Lander. Score!

and we soaked our feet in the beautiful creek

before making our way back down the mountain.

Dixie and Josh

 When the hike was finished, we decided to drive over to the Church of the Transfiguration. Josh's great grandparents were married in this very building.

Lander and Hanisha