Fortunately, as he matured, so did JW's music tastes.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Happy Birthday Hammer
Today is the 49th birthday of Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), better known by his stage name M.C. Hammer (or simply Hammer). The first concert JW's parents took him to (as in drop off and pick up) was an M.C. Hammer concert at the Forest National in Brussels, Belgium in April 1991 when he was 14 years old.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
The Cycle Continues
The below blog post explains the story of the rock from Machu Picchu that has remained on John's headstone for the past three and a half years and which was returned to its rightful place atop the ancient sacred sanctuary just last week. A "temporary replacement" rock from mountaintop has now been placed upon JW's headstone. The intent is that at some point in the future, another member of the Leonard clan, perhaps an Aunt and Uncle, or a cousin, or even a member of the next generation can likewise return this rock to its rightful place, and return with another "temporary replacement," continuing the cycle for years to come.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
A Day in the Sacred Valley
It was with mixed trepidation that we approached the latest Leonard family road trip - this one to the Peruvian Andes. Neither of us, of course, would ever had made such a trip on our own. It was the sense of adventure of our children that has brought us to almost 13,000 ft. elevation today.
he would share but, of course, there were those parts which we could only glimpse. His life with Alex, his work life, and the adventures upon which he embarked with his normal sense of zest, are all examples.One of John's most noteworthy adventures and which had a tremendous impact upon him was his hike up the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. The email embedded in the below blog post captures it all for JW - "amazing."
In a sense, we feared returning to Machu Picchu as a family would only further emphasize his absence (as if it needs any help in that regard). But once again our children propelled us on a path we didn't think we were ready to take.
Today, in JW's words, was amazing - and we didn't even make to Machu Picchu yet. Together, we explored the Sacred Valley of the ancient Incan civilization visiting many ancient archeological sites and as a result experienced first hand the exhilaration JW experienced almost five years ago. In doing do, we achieved more than just a glimpse into the wonderful life John carved out for himself during the time he was allotted in this world - it was almost as if we got to share this adventure firsthand.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Return to Machu Picchu
Today, John's Mom, Dad, brother and sister departed for Peru to commemorate one of the most exhilarating things John did in his life. Specifically, less than a year before he died, he hiked up the Andes to Machu Picchu, a pre-Columbian Inca site located at 7,970 ft above sea 
level on a mountain ridge in Peru. Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu was built around the year 1450 and abandoned a hundred years later, at the time of the Spanish conquest. By clicking on the emailto the left, you can read in his own words how this adventure impacted John.
Several years ago, Chris, who was an intern in John's Dad's last office while in the Federal government, spent some time in South America. While there, he too hiked to Machu Picchu and, as you can see, brought with him John's picture. He also brought back a rock from the mountain that has, as you can see in the picture to the left, been on John's headstone for the past three and a half years. This week, we will be bringing that rock back to that mountain and leaving it in its rightful place, in memory of John's significant achievement.
level on a mountain ridge in Peru. Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu was built around the year 1450 and abandoned a hundred years later, at the time of the Spanish conquest. By clicking on the emailto the left, you can read in his own words how this adventure impacted John.Several years ago, Chris, who was an intern in John's Dad's last office while in the Federal government, spent some time in South America. While there, he too hiked to Machu Picchu and, as you can see, brought with him John's picture. He also brought back a rock from the mountain that has, as you can see in the picture to the left, been on John's headstone for the past three and a half years. This week, we will be bringing that rock back to that mountain and leaving it in its rightful place, in memory of John's significant achievement.This time around, while John's bro & sis will be replicating John's three day hike through two 13,000 ft mountain passes, John's Mom & Dad will be taking the train from Cusco, the ancient Inca capital. Check back here for more pictures.