Watch for Tumbleweed

(You can still enter the giveaway here)

I love going to Boise for the family time. Because money is tight for everyone, we usually go on some outdoor adventure of some kind, and this last visit to the city of trees was no exception. My brother had to go on an overnight Scout trip, so my dad and Scott went with him for some serious male-bonding time. The next morning, me, my sister, and my mom brought them lunch and we decided to go on a hike the boys did the day before.

Had I known this was the plan, I would have brought at least tennis shoes. Instead, my feet were adorned with sandals I've had since 8th grade (those Dr. Martin's were a real pay off).

Call me old fashioned, but when I heard "hike" I pictured a nice beaten trail through some woods. Instead, I was faced with an uphill climb through giant rocks.

Suddenly, I felt like I was in the beginning of an "I Shouldn't Be Alive" episode.

There were big, uneven boulders with slippery moss on them with a surprising tilt you didn't find out about until you were balancing for your life, and leaping to another more steady.

We also were not alone on this "hike." What Scott called rock-chucks darted in and out of the gray landscape. Big, furry beaver-looking things. I prayed a lizard wouldn't mistake my exposed big toe for a rock and scurry into my shoe.

Among the rock-chucks, lizards, heat, and a stressed out little sister, there was also tumbleweed everywhere. I had Scott carry me over a few spots to avoid a prickly confrontation with it and by some miracle, my family and I got to safe ground (or so we thought) and wanted to take a picture.

Notice, that for some stupid reason, we decided to pose behind a giant chasm of spikey tumbleweed. I had set the camera on self-timer but was worried I wouldn't be able to get behind the rock in time, seeing as I had to get AROUND the tumbleweed.

Scott to the rescue. He said he would take the picture and try to get in it in time.

To our surprise, after Scott pressed the button on the camera, he ran DIRECTLY INTO THE TUMBLEWEED CHASM!

From there, he fell so far down, that he disappeared into the tumbleweeds- so much so, that we couldn't even see the top of his head!

That's why he's not in the above picture.

He's buried.

But let's take a closer look at my families reaction to my poor husband's tumble into tumbleweed:

Aren't they the nicest in-laws ever?

... I have to admit, it was really funny. I mean, it was funny AFTER I knew he didn't break a leg or hit his head or fall on a rock-chuck.

Scott's explanation was that there was a rock path in the tumbleweed that he was going to walk on, but in the rush to get in the picture, missed it by about five feet.

Luckily, he thought it was pretty funny himself. I mean, he thought it was funny AFTER he knew he didn't break a leg or hit his head or fall on a rock-chuck.

And that's what happens when the Sylvester's go hiking.