Hello to all our far-flung family and friends. During this time of thanksgiving and community your absence leaves a hole that is impossible to fill.Torin and Ronan had an adventurous 2011. They climbed mountains (Saddle Mountain, 2.5 miles, 1600 ft vertical), visited with cousins in CT, explored NYC, and grown physically, socially and academically. Its hard to believe Torin is now 6 years old and in the 1st grade while Ronan is 4 and in his last year of preschool. They get along quite well most of the time and we’ve been told their interactions are similar to Matt and his brother when they were young. Hopefully this closeness can be maintained throughout their lives.
Ronan has started to blossom in preschool where he really enjoys playing with and discussing dinosaurs, working on puzzles, and “creating” with legos/blocks/boxes/whatever he can grab. He continues to demonstrate a strong ability to focus and concentrate on the activity he loves and we suspect it won’t be too long before he is drawn to puzzles with 200+ pieces and creating with a more diverse set of raw material - hello glue gun. Ronan is very interested in the natural world and has become the family’s caterpillar, slug, bug, unique stick/rock, and bear spotter while on hikes.
Torin started skiing last year at Mt Hood and has indicated he loves, “skiing backwards and taking big jumps”. He is going down green and some blue runs now under his own power though I don’t think the parents will be able to relax until he masters the art of stopping. There are similar heart-stopping moments as he learns to bike as well. With any luck he’ll avoid damaging his newly dropped adult front teeth in either activity. Torin has been bitten by the writing bug and will happily fill every piece of paper in the house with his musings and related illustrations. He was recognized in the spring during a tea where one student from each class was given the opportunity to read one of their stories to the principle and school parents. We are very proud in this self-motivated accomplishment and hope his interest in learning remains strong.
Matt and Jamie had an adventure in 2011 as well, summiting Mt. St. Helens in the summer with Jamie’s brother and sister-in-law, Mark and Emily Emiley. We were lead by an experienced Sherpa, our neighbor Mark Seker, who ensured a safe and fun trip. We had wonderful weather and superior visibility; I’d strongly recommend checking out the video. While the hike was awesome and destined for legend, its summarized below:
- A leisurely stroll through the forest to get to the mountain base.
- A vigorous climb around knee sized rocks as we went up the foothills.
- Rock hopping as soil gives way to a zone of human to car-sized rocks. This was wildly fun.
- Navigating a transition layer with smaller and less frequent rocks. The wind begins to pick up and goggles go on. Ominously fine ash is becoming more prevalent.
- The final push to summit a steep slope of fine ash. The wind is doing its best to sand blast you. Every uphill step gains only a few inches due to slipping in the ash. Time to dig deep and find some motivation.
- Paradise at the summit followed by drinks (thanks Mark!) and dancing
- Race you down the mountain!
Happy Holidays from the Repasky Family!
