Family Outdoor Life Archives

Posted on January 24, 2018 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Mom – January 2018

Outdoor Mom January 2018

During our outdoor time this month we went….river walking!

We are keeping our routine of walking to the river just about every day. Our weather has had so many ups and downs with rain, ice, snow, fog, and sunshine. It just can’t seem to make up its mind about what season it is and we just take it as it comes. On the snowy days, I feel as if I am living in a snow globe and marvel at the big fluffy flakes that descend down on us to blanket the landscape. I love walking after a snowstorm in the crunchy snow, looking for tracks. It is so quiet and peaceful. I often just stop and wish I could capture the moment and share it with all of you because photos just don’t do it justice.

My son had two friends spend the weekend and we enjoyed sharing our world with them by walking to the river and taking them on a hike.

The most inspiring things we experienced were…rainbows and ice.

We had a day of rainbows that were brightly colored. It looked like you could reach out and touch the end of the bow!

We woke up to a frozen wonderland one day this month. Everything was decorated in spiky hoar frost. I couldn’t resist going out to take photos even though it was really cold. I have decided that the proper clothes make getting outdoors so much easier. My family laughs at me with my wardrobe of boots, hats, and scarves.

Our outdoor time made us ask…who?

Who is making all of the tracks we see in the snow and mud? We are constantly finding tracks but can’t be sure who is making them. We spotted coyote scat along the trail so we know that we have some of those critters roaming around. We also found crayfish claws left on the river bank which we think are remnants of a river otter’s dinner. Then there was the single deer hoof we found with about 6 inches of leg and fur. Where did the rest go?

Each time we visit the river we are fascinated by the changes that can happen overnight. One day the water is flowing, the next it is frozen. Then there are the days that the sun shines warmly on the water and breaks up the ice, sending little floating icebergs down the river. It is so different than in the summertime!

We have been trying to find some winter color during our nature walks as part of the Winter World of Colors challenge from a few weeks ago. The challenge included the idea of seeking out some color against the drab winter background and although these pops of color are far and few between, we did manage to find some outstanding examples of color since we started looking for them. If you haven’t had a chance to work through this Winter World of Colors challenge, I invite you to give it a try soon.

Just a note: I had someone comment about the lack of images in my posts lately. I have cut back on the images here on the blog but I do post many, many images over on Instagram. You can follow me there and see images from our adventures just about every day.

Follow me here: Instagram – outdoorhourchallenge. If you would like me to take a look at one of your images on Instagram, use the hashtag #outdoorhourchallenge

Want to join in the Outdoor Mom post?

Answer all or just one of the prompts in a blog entry on your own blog or right here on my blog in a comment. If you answer on your blog, make sure to leave me a link in a comment so that I can pop over and read your responses.

During our outdoor time this month we went….
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting….
I added nature journal pages about….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
One last image…

Don’t miss the winter membership sale going on over at NotebookingPages.com!

Posted on January 10, 2018 by Barb — 3 Comments

Outdoor Mom’s Nature Goals 2018

I’ve learned a lot about goal making (and keeping) over the past few years. My conclusion? Goals will motivate us if we keep them simple, clear, and reachable. Goals are different than wishes. Goals need to have steps built into them to get you where you want to be by the deadline.

Nature Goal for 2018

I spent a lot of time this past year becoming familiar with my new habitat here in Central Oregon and my overall goal for 2018 is to continue to grow in knowledge about the local flora and fauna, with a particular emphasis on the birds, mammals, and plants that are in my own backyard.

This year I’m going to make my goals quarterly. I can pretty much see the next few months ahead and can create goals to keep me on track. At the end of the quarter I can decide if I’ve achieved a goal, if I need to continue working towards a goal, or if I need to revamp my expectations.

1^st Quarter 2018 – Baby It’s Cold Outside

Begin to use the Nature Observer journal every day to keep track of my nature experiences. Use the journal prompts included in the book to inspire my outdoor time. Don’t expect each page to be perfect but create a personalized record of my outdoor observations and adventures in 2018.
Find two books to help me learn about the local habitat.
Take one new local hike with my family.
Visit the High Desert Museum and possibly buy a family pass. Look at the gift shop for books.
Visit the nature center at Sunriver. Ask about volunteering.
Continue to participate in Project Feederwatch.
Participate in the Outdoor Hour Challenge by completing the reading in the Handbook of Nature Study, taking the walk, and doing a follow up journal page (or something else appropriate). If needed, I will also look up the topic in my local field guide to see if there is additional information.

Additional things on my nature to do list

Decide if we’re going to purchase a National Parks pass and/or a State Parks pass.
Plan a trip to the ocean.
Make plans to visit John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
Continue working on our new garden plan, emphasizing native plants and natural features.
Participate in the online Nature Book Club by sharing one book per month here on the blog along with a corresponding activity. I’ll be sharing more on this in the near future.

I always love to read your goals so leave me a comment with your goals or a link to your blog if you post an entry there.

Be Inspired! Be Encouraged! Get Outdoors!

Nature Study Goals From Previous Years:

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

Are you interested in creating your own nature goals? Here is a free printable for you to use as you brainstorm the goal and the steps to meeting that goal.

Nature Study Goals 2017 Planning Page

You may also want to plan out your nature book project for 2018. Here is a planning page you can print and use!

Nature Book Project Planning Page

Posted on December 29, 2017 by Barb — 2 Comments

Nature Goals 2017 – End of Year Recap

Nature Study Goals 2017 – This was the year I focused on my nature journal!

The following items were on my nature goals list this year. I’m so glad I kept it simple for a change and made the journal page the measure of my success.

image of page in my nature journal

1. Create monthly entries for my Outdoor Mom experiences- I did my last entry a few days ago (recap included): Outdoor Mom – December 2017.

2. Focus on my nature journal, creating a weekly nature journal page – I’m so happy to report that this has been a joy and a big success. My journal is full and I’m going to continue on now that it’s part of my weekly routine. I highly recommend this goal to everyone who wishes to create a meaningful record of their outdoor learning and experiences. I’ve been so inspired that I’m going to write a new ebook that will hopefully inspire its readers to make their own journaling habit.

3. Instagram images of my journal – This was done every Wednesday in 2017! You can follow me on Instagram!

4. Read and review 6 nature journal related books – I was fairly successful in reading the books (5 out of 6) but not so good at reviewing them. (Note some of these are Amazon affiliate links.)

1. Laws Guide to Nature Drawing (Review shared in January 2017)

2. 20 Ways to Draw a Tree – I shared this on Instagram but not here on the blog.

3. Nature Anatomy – Skimmed through this for inspiration.

4. The Curious Nature Guide – This helped me with some new journal ideas.

5. Draw 500 Things from Nature – Still working on this one.

I’ll be posting my 2018 nature goals soon…excited to get started!

Join us for another year of nature study using the ebooks shown above. All of these ebooks are available in the Ultimate Naturalist Library membership here on the Handbook of Nature Study.

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Our Central Oregon November World

November World – Central Oregon High Desert

We’ve only lived here in Central Oregon since May so we haven’t experienced all of the seasons yet. The November World Outdoor Hour Challenge suggested comparing the things we see this week with another season. I guess that means I would need to compare my November habitat to that of summertime. We had such a glorious summer season with lots of time spent outdoors so this should be fairly easy.

The river behind our house runs year round but there is a small slough that was filled up with water in May and almost dried up in mid-summer. Right now it has lots of water and at times is covered in a sheet of ice. When we moved in last May, we could pull our kayaks out to this slough and make it out to the main river, but by the end of June it was landlocked again. We’ve been keeping track of the amount of water as it rises higher with the rains and snow.

The green grasses of early summer are all gone, either from the cattle grazing or from it turning brown in the freezing temperatures. There are small patches of yellow-gold, tall grass still showing in areas and we read that this is what the winter elk will be eating because it will be sticking up out of the snow. I am anxious to see if the elk come back….they left in late spring when the deer showed up.

Most of the trees in our area are evergreens so they look pretty much the same as in the summer. There are lots of cones on the ground and the squirrels have been very busy gathering them up. We will have up to five gray squirrels in our yard at a time scurrying around under the feeders and up in the trees.

The river willows are all barren but are still very pretty with their reddish-orange colored twigs. The leaves are gone but there are buds forming with the spring time leaves sleeping inside.

The beavers are cutting the willow limbs and dragging them down to the river. We’ve been trying to find where they are taking all of the willows but have been unsuccessful. We think it may be easier to spot their activity once the snow is blanketing the ground and we can see tracks or other signs of their movements. I am thoroughly enjoying the investigating of the beavers…it’s a bit like finding treasure when we see some tracks or cut willows.

The Canada goose are back on the river. We often see up to 12 at a time as they float in the eddy near our house. I’m not sure if they will be winter residents or not. You know I will be watching! (The image above is my best attempt at sneaking up on the geese and getting a photo.)

All in all, November has been a really good month for being outdoors for our family. There were some cold, snowy days but we are finding that even on a snowy day, if you bundle up right, getting outside is a refreshing experience and makes my attitude more positive.

If you want to follow along with the next series of Winter Outdoor Hour Challenges, we will be starting them up again in January. Make sure to subscribe to my blog and you will receive a new Outdoor Hour Challenge right in your inbox every Friday. There is no commitment to do every one. Winter can be a hard time to keep nature study going with your family but I guarantee you if you get them outside, even for fifteen minutes once a week, you will see the benefit in better attitudes (including yours!) Click the link above for more information on the nature study plans for the complete year using the Outdoor Hour Challenge.

You can subscribe to my blog here: Handbook of Nature Study Email Subscription

Use the discount code Nature5 to receive $5 off your Ultimate Naturalist Membership!

Posted on November 21, 2017 by Barb — 1 Comment

Outdoor Mom – November 2017

Outdoor Mom – November 2017

This has been a true month of transition. November has the feel of a real autumn as the aspens turn yellow and the snow comes in small storms, never sticking around but melting on sunny afternoons.

If you read my entry earlier this month, you know that I’m dedicated to the idea of walking to the river every day regardless of the weather for the whole of November. I’ve tried to faithfully keep to the goal and have only missed a couple of days so far. My walks are sometimes in solitude but often my husband or one of my sons will accompany me to see what there is to see. The sky is really the star of these walks and often the clouds put on a show. I benefit from these walks the minute I put on my shoes and step out the back door. It helps keep things in perspective and I feel far less anxious.

Also, adding to my nature happiness is my participation in some simple citizen science. I can’t tell you how happy I am to be counting birds again as part of Project Feederwatch. I’ve been super eager to get started, printing out my tally sheets and hanging and filling my feeders. I haven’t been disappointed in the number or variety of birds that I have observed. I love that this is a way to feel connected to my habitat and I don’t even need to leave the house to have an encouraging experience.

My favorite images from this month are from a walk we took in Bend, Oregon at Drake Park. It was a dazzling day of sunshine and the trees along the river were ablaze with color. There were lots of geese along the pathway and some mallard ducks too. I could have taken 1,000 photos and still not captured the glory of the experience. You will have to take my word for it!

We’ve been wondering what animal makes these mounds of earth out in the space behind our house. There doesn’t appear to be any openings but just random groups of dark earth mounded up, sometimes 2 feet in diameter and about a foot high. I’ve researched online and in my Central Oregon field guides but haven’t found a definite answer as to who is creating the mounds. I’m leaning towards a badger but my friend is trying to convince me it’s a marmot. I would appreciate any of your guesses.

In our yard, we’re still cleaning up debris and were able to light our burn piles since the weather has turned and they lifted the burn ban. The photo above shows the amazing sky we have and the variety of clouds in various layers that drift overhead. It doesn’t feel like work when you’re cleaning up under a sky that looks like that. It makes me feel grateful and small and humbled.

Here is one last image from the month that captures the feel of my outdoor life. You can see “my” river there in the photo as well as the back of my son as he hikes back home along its edge. If you look to the far left of the photo, you may be able to spot my house in the distance. I’m so grateful to be able to share this place with my sons.

Want to join in the Outdoor Mom post?

During our outdoor time this week we went….
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting….
I added nature journal pages about….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…

It’s been a wonderful month outdoors…looking forward to a wonderful December.

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

November Nature Walk Project

November Nature Walk Project

As the winter approaches, the temperatures have dropped significantly here in Central Oregon. This makes it hard to remain enthusiastic about getting outside for my daily walk. I did purchase a pair of winter boots to help keep my feet warm and dry on my outdoor excursions.

All I needed now was some motivation.

Then it came to me! Create a daily challenge to walk to the river.

I am such a creature of habit and I know making myself put those new winter boots on and get out the door every day would soon be something I looked forward to doing. So, I started on the first of November and have so far kept my determination to take the short walk down from my back door to the Little Deschutes River every day.

I chose a spot to take a daily photo, showing the changes and conditions each day. It is just a few paces down from the back fence and it faces towards Paulina Peak centered between two trees and centered over a stump.

November 1^st– just a typical autumn day

November 2^nd – this was a weather transition day and there were quite a few gray clouds and it was getting cold

November 3^rd– woke to a few inches of snow and we took our first snowy walk out to the river.

November 4^th– a lot of the snow had melted but the weeds were still crunchy with ice and the river was getting icy on top.

November 5^th– Back to a snowy landscape…the most snow we have had to date. We were out on our walk and it started to snow with large amazing flakes. Note: I forgot to take my traditional “over the stump” photo so this one will have to do!

November 6^th– The sun came out in the afternoon and I ventured out with our Kona dog. What a joyous walk! If only every day were this brilliant.

November 7^th– Still a little snow on the ground and the air temperatures never left the 30’s. The Kona dog and I took our romp down to the river’s edge, noted how cold the water looked today and then rushed home to warm up.

The value of a daily nature walk, even in the same place every time, is something I hope you can experience in your family. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate affair or take very much time for you to see a difference in your attitude and that of your children. The fresh air does wonders for blowing away the cobwebs of an indoor life.

Here a few nature walk ideas from my archives:

No Technology Walk

Use Your Senses Nature Walk

Members here on the Handbook of Nature Study have access to newsletters with nature walk ideas:

October 2013 – This whole edition is filled with nature walk ideas.

December 2016 – You will find the “3 Questions Hike” idea in this edition.

Posted on October 9, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Mom Journal – October 2017

Outdoor Mom – October 2017

We have spent quite a bit of time this month outdoors in our yard as we work on the landscaping. We discovered the most awesome garden nursery in our area and made quite a few trips over there to pick out bushes for our front yard.

We are trying to keep it simple while adding color to the view. It is also important to me to pick things that will provide shelter and food for the local birds and other animals. We settled on some chokeberry and twin berry bushes. I think they will be a perfect match for our habitat and yard terrain.

Our family managed to fit in a long weekend camping trip over to Silver Falls State Park. It was perfect weather for hiking and we managed to see all but one of the ten waterfalls in the park. The habitat in that area is so gorgeous and very different from where I live in the high desert. This Outdoor Mom loves being refreshed by the tall trees and the sound of water cascading over rocks! Plus, unlike our town, the air was smoke free!

Our backyard river walks are turning golden as the grasses start to go to seed and die back. My loyal dog companion is always ready for a romp down to the water. The muddy edges come alive with frogs jumping as we pass by. Our temperatures have been below freezing at night several nights so far but the days are pleasant and the sun is amazingly rejuvenating when we get out and walk in it.

September was a month of kayaking with my boys. It appears that the lazy river kayak is a favorite of my boys so we will on a whim drag the boats down to the water and take off on an adventure. The birds are the stars of the show on just about every trip which makes this bird nerd pretty happy. We often spot a hawk sitting on a tree or soaring overhead.

We had to take a quick trip to California to take care of some business so I was excited to fit in a morning wandering around some apple orchards. Apples were purchased for eating and applesauce making. Apple donuts were eaten, marking the true beginning of the autumn season in my mind.

So for now, this Outdoor Mama will be gazing at the mountains, watching for the aspens to change color, and making time for lots of walks. Our yards are cleaned up for the up-coming cold temperatures…snow shovels and rakes and blower at the ready. The firewood is stacked up for the woodstove. We are eager to see what the next month will bring as we are dreaming of our first long autumn here in Central Oregon.

Want to join in the Outdoor Mom post?

During our outdoor time this week we went….
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting….
I added nature journal pages about….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
A photo I would like to share…

Did you print out your October Nature Study Planner?

Posted on October 4, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Mom’s Nature Goals – 3rd Quarter Update

Nature Study Goals 2017 – 3rd Quarter Update

This quarter has flown by! I had a feeling this would happen since summers here are short and we made a point of getting outside to go hiking, biking, and kayaking as much as possible. We squeezed in a lot of adventures since June.

I feel much like a novice at knowing my new environment with even the most common of plants and birds being so new to me. It’s exciting to see my nature journal fill up with pages recording my adventures and discoveries. This has been the perfect year to focus on giving my nature journal lots of attention because it doesn’t matter where I go, there will be something to observe and then sketch onto a page.

I feel pretty good about my progress at keeping my nature study goals during the 3rd quarter of 2017. I am now in the home stretch and eager to keep the good stuff rolling.

As you turn the calendar on another month and another season, create some goals for your family or remind yourself of the goals you’ve already made for 2017. It’s not too late to fit in a lot of nature study time if you make it a priority….it will be winter soon enough.

Here are the goal details:

Create monthly entries for my Outdoor Mom experiences as I share our nature studies using the Outdoor Hour Challenge, our travel experiences, and any of my family’s nature adventures. This was accomplished. You can read my entries during each month here: July, August, and September.
Focus on my nature journal and create at least one page weekly. I think I missed one week in July if I remember correctly. I would call that success.
Post images of my nature journal pages on Instagram each week. If you follow me on Instagram, you will see a new nature journal page every Wednesday.
Read and review 6 nature journal related books. I read and thoroughly enjoyed the Vitamin N book by Robert Louv. I am now working on The Nature Fix by Florence Williams.

Original goals here: Nature Study Goals 2017.

If you want to see the previous quarter’s entries for 2017: First Quarter Update and Second Quarter Update.

Join me on Instagram for weekly images and nature journal examples.

It’s not too late to get started with your own nature study goals.

Do you want to create some goals for your family? Use the free printable planning page in this entry to get started: Nature Goals 2017.

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Barb — 2 Comments

Outdoor Mom – September 2017

Outdoor Mom

September 2017

I just keep adding to my list of animals seen here in Oregon. This week there were sightings of a porcupine and a coyote! The coyote was just trotting along through the back pasture until he came upon a downed tree. He hesitated and then pounced on some little creature, shook his head a bit, gobbled it up, and then continued trotting on down the way. It makes me very happy that my cats are indoor cats!

We’ve seen a variety of birds this month, including a whole flock of mountain quail. They are a bit different than the California quail I’m used to seeing. They don’t have the curved topknot like the California quail but rather have a straight plume sticking up. The mountain quail are much smaller too.

The most memorable outdoor related thing about the past month has been the amount of wildfire smoke in our area. It’s been a constant feature of every day as it obscures the view of the mountains and sometimes even just the across the street. Looking on the bright side, it makes for some crazy colored sunrises and sunsets.

Our grown boys are staying with us right now and we try to fit in some local fun as we all get to know our new area. This past week we hiked up to some waterfalls that create a natural waterslide. The water was pretty cold but the air temperatures were hot. The men all gave the slide a try while I was content to watch, photograph, and stand with my feet in the water along the shore. What a memorable day!

I picked up a new-to-me bike at the thrift shop for $20 and we’ve had it out for a spin a few times on the bike trail at Sunriver. There are miles of trails that wind around the resort and down along the river. Whoever planned the trail was smart! They strategically placed park benches along the trail in perfect spots for viewing the beautiful vistas (when there isn’t wildfire smoke). This new bike will allow us to cover more ground when we explore the beauty of Sunriver.

Garden Update

Just to note my gardening challenges, I was told I live in plant hardiness zone 5A. I’ve been talking to my neighbors about their success in gardening here in the high desert and so many of them have told me to only plant things that are meant for garden zone 4. This means I have to look for plants that have a range down to -40 degrees! I couldn’t understand why at first but just this week I had someone explain it to me in a way that makes sense.

Garden zones take into consideration the low temperatures overall. Here in my area we have the potential for frost throughout the summer and very cold nighttime temperatures will affect the growth of plants. So, this explains why on the surface it appears that I could get away with plants for zone 5A, but just one night of a cold snap will kill them or stunt their growth. It’s far better to pick plants that will grow in zone 4 range instead and not chance it.

I get it now. I will continue my quest to make a practical garden plan over the winter.

You can use this website to get an idea of your climate zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone.

If you live in my area, I have found this to be a very helpful guide that we’ve printed out and saved: Xeriscaping in the High Desert.

Want to join in the Outdoor Mom post?

During our outdoor time this week we went….
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting….
I added nature journal pages about….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
A photo I would like to share…

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Barb — Leave a comment

Outdoor Mom – July Part 3

Outdoor Mom July: Part 3 – Travels

This is Part 3 of my Outdoor Mom entry. You can read Part 1 here: Outdoor Mom Part 1 – My Own Backyard and Part 2 here: Outdoor Mom Part 2-Wildlife Sightings

I keep reminding myself that the perfect summer weather is only here for a few short months in Central Oregon. It could get cold and wet as soon as September or early October so we need to be outdoors as much as we can right now. We made lots of time for kayaking and exploring in July, both close to home and during a trip to New York. Here are a few of the highlights.

Our youngest son was home for a few days at the beginning of the month so that gave us an opportunity to get out on the lake in the kayaks. We were there fairly early and it was fantastic weather for exploring this crystal clear lake up on the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway. We paddled across the lake, through a canal of sorts, and then over to the other part of the lake. We had the dog with us and she is such a good passenger, even if she gets excited when we see ducks and geese. The yellow water lilies were blooming and the damselflies were out in force, landing on our arms and legs if we stopped paddling.

We had some young people come and stay with us for a week and one thing we did was kayak up on Sparks Lake. I love this lake! The view of the mountains, the relaxed paddling around the lake’s edge, and the beautiful wildflowers all contributed to the enjoyment of the day.

One of the most amazing parts of living where we do now is the ability to drag our kayaks straight from the backyard down to the river. We had left the truck down at the pull-out earlier in the day so all we had to do was jump on the water and go. We went further than normal and it ended up being a four hour paddle/float down the Little Deschutes. The girls were really good sports about the unexpected length of the trip. My husband made up for it with a delicious dinner when we got back home.

I had the opportunity to spend some time in New York and Ontario with my kids during July. We were driving right through Niagara Falls so we made the stop and took the Hornblower cruise from the Canada side. All I can say is that it was WAY better than I expected and it was overwhelmingly beautiful. The power of the falls is awe inspiring.

We took one day while the girls were here to make the trip to Crater Lake National Park. We stopped and viewed the lake from two different viewing points, hiked the Castle Crest trail to see the wildflowers, and then hiked to Plaikni Falls. I will be writing up our entire trip in a separate entry.

This is a peak in our area that you can actually drive up to in a car. Let’s just say we’ll be driving up there probably every summer to take in the splendid view atop a volcanic mountain. It is breathtaking!

I hope you enjoyed seeing a glimpse into our July travels and adventures. It was fun to have some young people to share the experiences with us.

This is Part 3 of my Outdoor Mom entry. You can read Part 1 here: Outdoor Mom Part 1 – My Own Backyard and Part 2 – Wildlife Viewings

Category: Family Outdoor Life

Outdoor Mom – January 2018

Outdoor Mom’s Nature Goals 2018

Be Inspired! Be Encouraged! Get Outdoors!

Nature Goals 2017 – End of Year Recap

Our Central Oregon November World

Use the discount code Nature5 to receive $5 off your Ultimate Naturalist Membership!

Outdoor Mom – November 2017

November Nature Walk Project

Outdoor Mom Journal – October 2017

Outdoor Mom’s Nature Goals – 3rd Quarter Update

Outdoor Mom – September 2017

Outdoor Mom – July Part 3

Outdoor Hour Challenges for families since 2008!