About 4 years ago, when my large children were still in elementary school, we completed what was—up to that point—our longest hike. Under the beating Sunday we hiked more than 5 miles in Morgan Territory Regional Preserve in Livermore. We killed that hike and distinguished with a round of soft serve.

It was then that I realized how much I loved being outside with my kids. What made me really jolly was knowing they wanted to be outside, too. I started a blog, Raising Children Wild to record our adventures and to inspire and to join in the fun.