On Tuesday the 16th Leighton turned 10. Crazy to think that he is already 10, but it has been such a joy to watch him grow and develop and become the amazing young man that he is. He told us for his birthday that he wanted to go on just a hike with Clint and I and wanted to climb a mountain. So we decided to hike Twin Sisters.
We got up early because it had been a very hot number of days and also wanted to be up and down before the rain and storms moved in. In the car ride up to the trail head Leighton opened the gifts from Clint and I, which was a Swiss Army knife and a drone. Clint did a lot of research on drones and found one that has good flight time, is easy to maneuver. Also on the car ride up we saw a group of young mountain goats playing with each other on the side of the road. They were fun to watch.Twin Sisters was actually the first Colorado hike I took Clint on when we were dating back in 2003. Its a very steep hike with over 2500 feet of elevation gain in just over 3 miles but the views are amazing and make up for the steepness. We made good time thanks to Leighton being in such good shape from all of his gymnastics training this summer.
We ate lunch part way down and had a great time just hiking and spending time together. When we got back home Leighton and Clint got the drone set up and figured out how it worked. A little while later my parents brought the other kids over and Leighton opened his other gifts, paracord bracelet making set from his siblings and a fishing pole, reel, tackle box and tackle from my parents. He loves fishing and can’t wait to go.
Leighton chose pizza and brownies for his birthday dinner which was great.
I love watching him grow, over the past few months he has started some pre-teen emotional stuff, and at times is getting too old to play with his siblings but then at other times is still young enough to chase bubbles and curl up and read his books with his stuffed animal every night in bed. He’s got a huge heart for people and a fierce loyalty to his family and friends. He is a blessing in our lives. Happy 10th birthday Leighton Reid!
Hiking Mommy 