Mountain Biking Rediscovered - July 25, 2009

Each semester in college I loved taking an easy one-hour credit/no-credit class with friends. Bowling, tennis and racquetball were just a few. One of the best classes I happened to stumble upon was mountain biking. After an unsuccessful attempt to join a Greek sorority I decided to use the money I would have spent on sorority dues to buy myself a mountain bike. Atop a shiny new bike I spent the semester riding up canyons I never would have dreamed of climbing on my own and off-road trails I'd previously thought could only be ascended on foot. The class introduced me to a whole new world and I was addicted. Brent and I spent many a Saturday hitting the plentiful trails in Utah.

When we moved to California we again found plentiful trails, but with babies in tow off-road mountain biking became a distant memory. The baby bike trailer was great for the kids, but not so great for the steep and narrow mountain biking trails. So, we stuck to the flat paved trails for years.

Then, we moved to the Midwest. With vast flat plains of cornfields we assumed the sport of mountain biking didn't exist. We had been told there were trails just over the border in Wisconsin but with three small children it required too much planning, cost, and effort to get away for an entire day for a bike ride.

Fast forward to the summer of 2009. A garage sale around the corner provides us with a "tag-a-long" bike that attaches to my bike for 4-year-old Ethan. Ethan can't get enough of his new "one-wheeler" bike and suddenly we think we could possibly attempt an easy off-road trail as a family. We head to the Kettle Moraine State Park about an hour away in Wisconsin.

We check in with the Ranger for maps and directions and are told the John Muir mountain biking loops would all be much too challenging for the kids. We choose to disregard the Ranger's advice rationalizing that our kids are pretty tough, and if the trail is too rigorous we can walk our bikes along the short 1.5 mile loop. The kids agree and we hit the trail.

1.5 miles later everyone is feeling confident and having a blast. I'm pleased with how well the tag-a-long bike works, and how Ethan can help me out on the big hills with his own pedals. Morgan is well equipped with an aluminum bike with gears and shocks, but Isaac is stuck with his heavy as a refrigerator hand-me-down bike from the neighbor next door. Instead of crying and complaining that the trail is too hard with his ill-equipped bike, Isaac quickly runs (not walks) his bike up the hill whenever it's too steep. What a little trooper.

After the second loop (4 miles), we are pleased as punch with our tough little brood of kiddos and excited to have reopened the door to the world of mountain biking. The kids seem pretty excited about their new discovery as well.

Loving the Lake

We've been spending a lot of time at Lake Michigan this summer. The kids love playing on the beach and swimming in the calm fresh water and I love how peaceful it is. The best part is it's just a quick 20 minutes from home. Can't beat that!

Irish Twins

Brent's "little" brother, Rich (or maybe "younger" brother is a better description), had a meeting in Chicago and came for a visit. He was in town for his birthday, which meant he and Brent were able to spend a few days together while they were both 36 years old. Brent and Rich are less than a year apart. Brent's birthday is June 20th, Rich's is June 15th, so for five days each year they are the same age, Irish Twins. I can't imagine how crazy 1973 - 1975 were for Brent's mom having two baby boys less than a year apart!

Rock On!

My surprise Father's Day gift has been a hit! We've had to ban a few inappropriate songs from the tender ears of our young kids, but overall we are logging many (maybe too many) fun-filled hours rocking out together as a family. Morgan is great on the guitar and loves to stay on "easy" mode so she can get 100%. Isaac is the drummer--he sticks with them even though a lot of his friends avoid the drums saying they are too hard. Brent and I trade off playing anything that's available. Ethan surprisingly isn't interested in playing, but doesn't seem to mind when everyone else is. Last night Brent played with both Morgan and Isaac, then at about 11pm after everyone (including myself) was asleep he fired it up again for a few songs before bed. Rock on!

Ahhh the 80s!

Ahhh, the 80s! 20 years ago when our little 35mm cameras were horrible we loved to spray our bangs and head over to Olan Mills for a photo shoot. I recently came across these beauties and just had to share. ...did I really just say 20 years ago! How is that possible?

My sister, Angela and I in 1989 (I was 17, she was 19).
My best friend, Emily Tyler and I...not sure the date, probably sometime during our Senior Year in 1989 or 1990.

Congratulations Little Mathlete

Apparently miss Morgan is a mathlete. Who knew? Unbeknown to me their school participated in the Continental Mathmatics League math contests during class time throughout the year. Morgan was the runner-up in her grade (second only to a boy named Daniel Oh...go figure). Add, subtract, win, goooooooo mathletes!

Ethan's Anatomically Correct Snowman

Having a 4-year old around (especially Ethan) provides a lot of good comedy in our house. This drawing (and Ethan's explaination) made me laugh today.