The Family Homestead

Yesterday we took a trip with my in-laws up to visit the town of Brighton, which was originally homesteaded by WSBrighton 150 years ago... (My son, 6 generations later, is WSBrighton II). The first W built a hotel and humbly named the place after himself. The property was sold off in little pieces, with the last 4 lots finally being sold by my Father-in-laws father during the depression. So, unfortunately, our family has no piece of the fortune now earned there from the ski industry...BUT, we can go and get keychains and bumper stickers with our name on them! Dear Hubby picked out one of those license plate-edger things which says "B-Right-On." Since I figure I tend to be a right-on Brighton too, I wanted one for the van. So we got two.

While up there, we took a little hike up to Lake Mary. WS was from Scotland, and immigrated with his wife and young children. On the 2-month voyage over, his 2year old daughter, Mary, contracted measles and died, and was buried at sea. When he arrived here and homesteaded, he named a pretty alpine lake after that daughter. He named another lake after his wife, Catherine. We have suggested to our W that he might like to be baptized in Lake Mary. It would be cold, but he does have a summer birthday, and it sure would be an amazing experience. (We'll leave the choice up to him of course, but we have planted the idea, and thus far he seems to like it!)
The hike is only about a mile each way, but it gains about 700ft altitude, so there are some steep parts! I wore S in the wrap on the way up, but he's 17lbs now, and that's enough that it was throwing my balance off on the way down, so Hubby wore him on the way down, and S fell asleep. I love that my sweet hubby likes to wear the baby too, and I think he was delighted to get to feel the trust of a baby just falling asleep in his arms again. :-)