“Two boys and one girl is my ideal.”

I couldn’t help but eavesdrop. You don’t see two grown men discussing fertility over dinner very often.

But such was the case last night.

Meanwhile, my husband and I were body-blocking our children from leaping to their death from the open second floor window.

Ah, dinner in Snowmass Village, Colorado.

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From the beginning, parents (myself included) like to think they have it all planned out. If the child is a girl, our family will take one route. If it’s a boy, we’ll move in this direction.

By your second child, you realize how little control you have over anything.

Which is why my husband and I have charted a new course in recent years. Live your life with your children.

And Day Seven meant braving our first longer hike (2 miles) with both kids in the middle of Dinosaur National Monument. Think desert – lots of desert.

I attempted to calm my nerves by coating my favorite preschoolers in sunscreen…twice. I adjusted their Lightning McQueen and Minnie Mouse sunglasses at least five times.

But my husband’s perspective was entirely different. Where I saw all that could go wrong (i.e. cliff falls, dehydration, etc.), he only saw pure family adventure.

I think this is why you get married – the nudging ensures we grow.

And, after 45 minutes of perseverance, we drank an incredible sight.

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Later that evening, I would overhear the man at the table beside us dream of his first child – due in the months to come.

There is so much he has left to learn – so much that every parent has left to uncover.

But, yesterday, our kids hiked alongside us and – perhaps more amazingly – ate five bites of kale at dinner.

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One Year Ago: When Hovering Hurts