Peres Family Adventures

Easter Weekend 2011 part 1

2011-11-10T15:09:00.000-08:00

This year we did something a little different. We asked the Easter bunny to come visit us Saturday morning so that Steve and I could head to San Francisco for a quick weekend getaway and the kids could go play at Aunt Teresa and Uncle Deron's house. So, pictured below are the festivities before heading out on our trip.

Easter Outing with Grandpa Peres and Phyllis

2011-06-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

Since we moved here Grandpa Peres has invited the boys to the annual Grandparents' Day Easter Activity. The kids look forward to it every year. There are games and activities, an Easter egg hunt, and then Grandpa takes us out to lunch.

Joshua playing games.

Scott decided this was the year he was too old for games.

Noah playing games. Note the typical Noah tongue.

Scott and Noah decided they were too old for a picture with the Easter Bunny.

Grandpa, Scott, Elizabeth, Joshua, and Noah.

Waiting patiently for the mad dash.

Noah.

Scott and Noah.

Joshua

Scott

Noah

Happy kids.

Sunday BBQ

2011-06-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

Along with the great weather in April comes BBQ! We invited our good friend, Julie, for dinner and a little fun. Steve taught the boys how to play football and was making up all kinds of plays with the craziest names for them to execute. It was pretty entertaining.

Julie--"mmm, BBQ!"

Noah and Daddy

Executing one of Daddy's fine plays.

Julie and Elizabeth

Scott

Scott did a great job tending to the grill.

Steve

Joshua's hungry.

Crazy Noah.

Tis the Season for Sleepovers!

2011-06-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

It's April and the boys love it when the weather starts to warm up because that means sleeping outside. Even more fun is when our next door neighbors, Tyler and Alex, join the fun.

Corduroy is back!

2011-06-21T07:43:00.001-07:00

At the beginning of April Joshua's kindergarten pal, Corduroy, paid us another visit. The neighborhood kids, Scott, Noah, and Joshua had a great afternoon playing in the yard with him.

Boggs 8-hour Mountain Bike Race April 2, 2011

2011-05-31T09:09:00.000-07:00

I have several teammates who have raced 8-hour and 24-hour solo races and team races. I have always been in awe of them and wanted to try it myself. I decided to go for the 8-hour solo first and see if I could handle that. I may still do a 24-hour race someday...maybe. I was pretty nervous about this race and knew I'd have to train quite a bit to be able to do it. I did several long 4-5 hour rides plus my usual training. It paid off. I felt pretty ready when the day came. Steve and the boys were going to be my pit crew, but Steve ended up having to work and so I asked my good friend Julie to be my crew. She did a great job! I had food, water, and Cytomax ready every lap. I spent very little time in the pit and just kept going as hard as I could. There had been a lot of snow just a few weeks before that. The snow had melted, but the conditions were really muddy and so the course had to be changed to fire roads instead of single track trail. It made for a very boring, monotonous day. A lot of people dropped out, but I was determined to finish. There was a lot of climbing and then a few long downhill sections. Not much in between. The course still had some really muddy sections which made it tricky and mucked up your chain like crazy. I tried to clean and lube my chain every few laps, but by lap 6 my bike just wasn't happy. I kept getting chain suck, but one time got it so badly that my chain was jammed and I couldn't get it out. I had to run with my bike in my bike shoes about 1/2 mile to the pit to get some help. It was determined that I had two bent chain rings. I had to either drop out of the race or ride only in the big chain ring. That meant pushing really hard gears going uphill. I decided to go for it. It was HARD, but I was determined. It actually made me faster in some sections. I kept at it and finished 14 laps total. All that hard work and determination paid off because I took 1st place in the Expert Women's category. Yay!!! Thanks to Julie for her awesome pit skills, thanks to the guys at Mad Cat for helping with my bike, and thanks to Steve and the boys for their love and support. I think I'll do it again next year!!!

Cleaning my chain with my water bottle between laps.

Eating one of Julie's awesome turkey sandwiches as I head out for another lap. Lovin' the muddy stripe up my rear end.

Eating on the run again.

Do you love my brown socks?

My poor dirty bike.

Finished! Thank goodness!

Julie and me after the race.

Julie did everything for me from that point on. Fed me, helped clean me up, loaded my bike. I was pretty spent.

The podium girls. Erin Upchurch took 1st in her women's single speed category, Jen Brandt took 2nd in her women's sport category, and I took 1st in women's expert category. Go Mad Cat girls!

On a few of the laps there were guys that had money sticking up out of soda cans and beer bottles for racers to try and grab. I grabbed $1. Go me!

I came home with a 1st place medal, a new Camelbak, and some tickets to some kind of expo that I wasn't able to go to.

Time to clean up my bike.

All clean and rested.

Prairie City Mountain Racing is Back 2011

2011-05-31T08:53:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year... the Prairie City Mountain Bike Race Series. Steve and I have raced a few races this year, but decided to cut back and save a little money. The races we did do were fun and butt-kicking as usual.

Crazy Hair Day--March 18, 2011

2011-05-31T08:38:00.000-07:00

The boys had crazy hair day at school and had very specific instructions on what they wanted. Silly, silly boys.

Joshua's hair started out this way, but it's not what he wanted. I thought it was awfully cute.

Scott and Noah's First Basketball Season 2011

2011-05-31T08:09:00.000-07:00

January-March 2011 Scott and Noah played basketball for the first time. Most of the kids on Scott's team had already played at least a year or two. Both boys went in there and learned the skills quickly and did well. It was a lot of fun to watch them.

Noah in white, third from the right.

Noah has a great shot.

Noah

Noah takes a shot with his tongue sticking out as usual.

High fives all around.

Noah playing defense.

Scott putting the moves on.

Scott with his team, the Eagles, watching.

Scott throwing the ball in.

Scott with his coaches at the end of year party.

Noah with his coach at the end of year party. Yummy trophy.

Noah and his team, the Leaping Lizards.

Noah and his coach.

Hill Climbing with the Big Boys

2011-05-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

That's me on the far right at the end.

My team, Mad Cat, started meeting in Folsom on Wednesday nights for a weekly hill climbing training ride back in March. Being that it was right in my backyard I was all over that! Of course, I was the only girl who joined in, as usual. I showed them who was boss, though, and was often in the top 3 at the top of the hills. Oh yeah!

Snelling Road Race February 2011

2011-05-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

I was upgraded to a category 3 racer last summer and finally decided to put that upgrade to the test at the Snelling Road Race. The weather this year was so much better! I was totally nervous, though, because my competition was going to be much stiffer. I was proud that I was able to hang on to the pack and actually do some pulling of my own. It was a long race...about 50 miles. I was pretty tired by the end. I knew I had a chance at a top 10 finish and really worked for it at the end. My legs were SO tired with that uphill finish. I was able to squeak out a 9th place. I was hoping for a little better but happy to have done so well in my first race as a 3. Yay!

Joshua and his pal Corduroy

2011-05-30T09:51:00.000-07:00

Once again, in February, it was Joshua's turn to have Corduroy over to play and have a sleepover. It's always a good time when Corduroy comes to play!

Pinewood Derby 2011

2011-05-30T09:45:00.000-07:00

In February Scott participated in the pinewood derby for Cub Scouts. Unfortunately, he kinda procrastinated in getting his dad's help with it and had to rely on mom at the last minute to help him with his car. There's a reason dads usually help with this stuff. Mom totally ruined his car. Luckily, we still had Noah's car from last year and used that. It worked. It wasn't the fastest car, but Scott was happy to have won the "Most Creative" award.

Scott's First Play

2011-01-31T13:20:00.001-08:00

On January 28, 2011 Scott and his class put on a play about Martin Luther King, Jr. and his life. Scott played the part of David, a student in the classroom learning about Martin Luther King. He did a great job. What a cute kid.

Ms. Lane, Scott's teacher.

Scott and some of the other students in the "class".

Scott delivering one of his lines very expertly.

Isn't he just the cutest little thing?

Getting ready to sing "We Shall Overcome".

Sing it, Scott!

Happy 41st Birthday Steve!

2011-01-31T13:15:00.001-08:00

Steve turned 41 on January 8th. It was a fun-filled day. We opened presents which consisted of biking gear and stuff like that, watched the boys play basketball, went out for Cold Stone ice cream, played hockey at a local street hockey rink, and then Steve went to a birthday party for a friend who was turning 40. He and about 15-20 guys went to dinner at In-N-Out Burger and then to a racetrack to race go-carts. He said he had a lot of fun.

New Years Eve Like You've Never Seen It Before

2011-01-31T12:46:00.000-08:00

We went to Grandpa Peres' house for New Years Eve and to celebrate Steve's birthday. Anne and Rick and two of their girls were there, Teresa and Deron, and Grandpa Peres and Phyllis. We ate lots of yummy finger food, sang Happy Birthday to Steve, and played games. The most unusual activity of the night was when Uncle Rick started giving Scott and Noah physical challenges to try and see who could win. Scott and Noah are extremely competitive and Noah often beats Scott in things like this, so it was actually quite entertaining. The two activities they did that I didn't get on camera were push-ups and the splits. Go Uncle Rick!

The challenge was to see who could hold a pencil/pen up at shoulder level the longest. They're all smiles now.

It didn't take long for Scott to realize this was a little harder than he thought. Noah's still smiling.

Meanwhile, Joshua plays a game on the Ipad with Teresa and Deron.

Scott: C'mon Noah, isn't this getting hard?

Noah: ha, ha, ha. Piece of cake. Scott: I'm dying here!

Scott was really struggling. We were amazed at Noah's calm concentration.

Scott: Please, Noah. Isn't this bothering you? Noah: Nope.

Scott watches Noah like a hawk for any sign of weakness.

Scott's gonna blow. Noah is as calm as can be.

Scott's sweatin' bullets now. Noah is starting to cringe a little. I'm pretty sure they lasted about 10 minutes or so.

Next feat. Who can do the dead bug position the longest?

And the Superman position? Arms and legs off the ground.

Standing on one foot?

Serious concentration.

Rebecca and Elizabeth decided to give it a try too.

Joshua was just content playing games.

One Can Never Have Too Many Hobbies, Right?

2011-01-31T12:33:00.000-08:00

The kids received money from their Grandma and Grandpa Turner for Christmas. They decided to do some work and earn more money so they could buy some new rollerblades. It was very exciting and they picked up on it quickly. Since Daddy loves hockey so much he bought them sticks and pucks and taught them to play hockey. I don't mind one bit. The more active hobbies the kids have the better. It does a body good!

Scott's Been Busy

2011-01-31T12:31:00.000-08:00

The present Scott was most excited to get started on was the Kinex set from our realtor, Sandy. He spent hours and hours on it and about three days later had it finished. So cool!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-31T11:51:00.001-08:00

The boys are so excited to open presents Christmas morning. Unfortunately, Joshua came in our room a little too early and I asked him to go back to bed for a little while. Of course, he couldn't sleep anymore and I finally heard him crying because he really wanted to open presents. Poor little guy. It didn't take long to get him smiling, though. It was a great Christmas. I was worried the kids would be disappointed that they didn't get much, but they said it was one of the best Christmases ever. Thank goodness!

Steve got me a great hat and belt and lots of yummy junk food, among other things. He knows what I like.

I prepared Steve for a cold winter on the bike with some biking gear.

Joshua asked Santa for a Lego set and got it!

Noah asked Santa for a Nerf gun and got an awesome one!

Scott really wanted the movie How To Train Your Dragon from Santa and was pleasantly surprised when he got it.

Of course, there's always clothes.

Noah had so many holey jeans, it was time for some new ones.

Imagine Scott nodding his head up and down and chewing his gum. This is his "I look cool" look.

Scott begged for a hat like this months ago and was so excited that I remembered that. I'm such a cool mom!

Scott got Joshua some Alien Goo thingy.

Scott got Noah some sour Dots.

Noah was in desperate need of new shoes.

Joshua's gift to Mommy and Daddy. He made this in Kindergarten.

The boys were very happy to get the Leven Thumps series from Grandma and Grandpa Turner. They also were very excited about the money they received and spent it on new rollerblades.

Scott made us this cute little snowman tile in 3rd grade.

The boys thought it was awesome that I'd get something as cool as Tech Deck.

Daddy and the boys got the new Xbox Kinect and games. Very cool!

Elizabeth spent some of the money from Steve's dad on some hot new boots. Steve wonders where the Harley is that goes with them. The vest is from George also. Thanks!

I finally had to give up my old clock radio I've been using since I was a kid. It's time to grow up, I guess. I love this new one!

Noah gave us a cute little coupon book full of nice things he will do for us.

Steve decided it was time I had another bike. Of course, you can never have too many. This is my new cyclocross bike. I love it!!!

We gave our kitties some treats.

Phyllis gave us the cutest little dancing Santa scene.

Teresa and Deron gave the boys some great books and games.

We played games and ate food. It was a great day.

Deron finds a good read.

Steve, reading as usual.

Scrabble anyone?

Deron had to check out my new Dance Central game I got for the new Kinect. He was awesome!

Even Joshua gave it a try.

Shake it Teresa!

The Peres Family. Merry Christmas 2010!

Teresa and Deron

The annual picture with the bear to see how much the kids have grown.

Corduroy--again!

2011-01-31T11:46:00.001-08:00

On December 15th Joshua got to bring home Corduroy to play with again. They had the usual fun playing outside and playing games. We like Corduroy a lot!

Elizabeth's Fall/Winter Cyclocross Season 2010

2011-01-31T10:29:00.000-08:00

I really had no intention of doing any cyclocross races after my busy road season was over in July. I was burned out. However, I volunteered to set up a cyclocross race one morning with my team and I got the itch to race again. It was a beautiful crisp morning, the sun was shining, and the course was awesome. I didn't race that day, but I vowed I would be racing the next one. I borrowed a cyclocross bike from my teammate, George, because there was no way I was racing again with my mountain bike. It's way too heavy for those 'cross courses. Luckily, I was able to get a screamin' deal on a new Giant TCX cyclocross bike for Christmas. Yay! I did two Sacramento Cyclocross races and probably at least 4 or 5 Folsom Rodeo Cross races. I usually came in either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. It was fun. Nothing super special. Cyclocross is super intense. Your heart rate is up near it's maximum the whole time. Races last only 30-45 minutes. It requires tons of speed and power. I love it!

Lembi Park race in Folsom

I managed to take 2nd place. It was super tough.

Rodeo Cross in Folsom--various races.

Beautiful sunset! That's me in the bottom left corner.

I'm in 3rd place off the starting line.

Sacramento Cyclocross at the rodeo grounds--my last race of the season.

2nd place

Fall Soccer Season 2010

2011-01-26T13:21:00.000-08:00

This year we had all three boys playing soccer this fall. Talk about soccer mom! We had 6 practices a week and 3 games every Saturday. Good thing I love watching my boys play! They all played really well this year. I saw huge improvements in their play over the season and they had lots of fun. The pictures here are of their last games of the season and their awards parties.

Noah was an awesome goalie!

Noah played great on the field too. His coach relied on him heavily.

Scott was a well-rounded player too. He played in the goal and on the field. His nickname was "thunder foot" because he could kick the ball so far. He's turned into a really good player. Very impressive season!

Noah's awards party.

Joshua played soccer for the first time this year. He did so well! The coaches relied on him both in the goal and on the field too. What athletes I have!

Joshua's awards party.

Scott's awards party. Such crazy kids I have.

Pumpkin Carving with the Phipps

2011-01-26T13:12:00.000-08:00

On the Friday before Halloween we went to Auburn to have dinner with our good friends, Mark and Mary Phipps and family. We ate a super yummy dinner and then carved pumpkins with their boys. Good times!

Boys will be boys!

Halloween 2010

2011-01-26T12:52:00.000-08:00

This year we were kinda not on the ball for Halloween. I never got around to getting the Halloween decorations out of the attic, and I love Halloween! The kids couldn't figure out what they wanted to be for Halloween until the last minute. The night before the school costume parade I was at Wal-mart trying to find some spray paint for their hair. That was the only part they could figure out. Unfortunately, none that I liked could be found. However, I did find some nice body paint in the craft aisle. Scott and Noah decided to be soccer players. Joshua's class went on a field trip, so they didn't dress up.

On Saturday the church had a trunk-or-treat activity for the kids. The deal was that the kids had to get their jobs done to be able to go. Joshua had ample time and plenty of encouragement, but he still didn't get those jobs done. It was a sad parenting day for me. I had to stick to my guns, so Joshua stayed home with Daddy while I took the other two boys to the trunk-or-treat. Noah was a soccer player again, but Scott decide to be Calvin, of Calvin and Hobbes. It was Joshua's first year not dressing up for Halloween. Sad. At the trunk-or-treat activity the boys had more fun posing for fun pictures in the dark than actually getting the candy.

Scott Goes to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery

2011-01-26T12:30:00.000-08:00

On November 4th Scott and the 3rd grade classes got to hop on the bus and head to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery for a field trip. He was lucky enough to have me, his Mom, tag along. It was my first time going on a field trip with one of the kids ever! I never went before because I always had little ones at home. I have to say it was a lot of fun. I learned a lot about salmon that I didn't know. I would go back any time. The not so fun part was riding on the bus. I'm definitely not a kid anymore. I couldn't stand the noise and the smell of those lovely seats.

Scott and I enjoyed a nice sack lunch before the tour. It was a beautiful sunny day.

Scott with his class listening to the Park Ranger.

Big salmon!

Salmon jumping up the ladder.

Scott loved watching the fish do their thing.

This is the ladder that was created to simulate a river where the salmon fight their way up the current. It was amazing watching them climb up the ladder.

Scott had to resist the urge to throw rocks. He did save a few and let me carry them in my bag. How nice.

Dead salmon. The kids thought that was pretty cool.

They were a very good attentive class.

Feeding the fish.

Scott feeding the fish.

Joshua and Corduroy Are At It Again...

2011-01-26T12:26:00.000-08:00

On October 28th Joshua got to take another turn with his kindergarten pal, Corduroy the bear. It was another fun-filled couple of days. We didn't get many pictures, unfortunately. Here are Joshua and Corduroy watching TV together.

Trip to the Coast

2010-10-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

My great friend, Julie, and I headed for a quick trip to the coast near Santa Cruz on October 22-24. We were hoping for a little sun and sand, but what we mostly got was wind and rain. Oh well, we had a great time and ate some great food. As long as there is good food and good company, I'm happy.

Here we are eating the most awesome vegetarian pizza at Blondie's Pizza in Berkeley. We sat at the open window and watched the most interesting characters walk by. Cool place.

Happy 9th Birthday, Scott!

2010-10-08T11:40:00.000-07:00

October 6th was Scott's 9th birthday. After soccer practice we had Grandpa Peres and Phyllis over for cake, ice cream, and presents. One of his presents will be taking him to see the new Harry Potter movie next month. He's super excited. He liked getting money from Grandma and Grandpa Turner and from Grandpa Peres. He liked the Harry Potter X-box game and other presents. However, when I asked him what his favorite present was he told me it was all of his new clothes. Funny, some things never change. He has been all about clothes and high fashion since he was very little. So cute!

Scott said the money he was getting from Grandma and Grandpa Turner was his most anticipated gift. He loves $$$$$.

He was thrilled to get the Lego Harry Potter game for the X-box. He is really into Harry Potter this year and just finished the last book a few days ago. What a reader!

Scott and the looks on his face are classic.

Really Scott?

I decided to do a soccer cake this year. He's quite impressive this year and I love watching him.

I was floored that he agreed to give me a nice smile for the picture.

It didn't take him long to start with his usual antics again, though.

Scott with Grandpa Peres and Phyllis.

We decided we had to have a picture of him and some of his new clothes. It was quite a haul
(I love clearance sales!!!) and I was proud to know I'd done such a good job. He didn't think I would ever buy such cool clothes. I told him I'd been buying cool clothes for years, he'd just forgotten.

This is Scott's classic "I look cool" look.

He told me he was having such a hard time deciding on what to wear because there were so many great choices. This was his favorite, I guess. Way to go Mom!

Fall Camping Weekend

2010-10-08T11:02:00.000-07:00

We'd been itching to go camping again and love camping in the fall because of the fall colors in the mountains. We decided to head up to one of our favorite spots at the beginning of October. However, there wasn't much color and we realized it was the Utah fall colors that we really miss. Oh well. We still had a nice relaxing weekend together.

The boys eating breakfast.

Scott begged for an early birthday present and I knew just the right one to give him. He was so excited to finally get his own Calvin and Hobbes comic book.

Another avid Calvin and Hobbes reader.

Now all three boys have their own books and spend many hours reading and rereading them over and over again.

Noah used to HATE reading until now. His reading has really come along in 1st grade and now he's happy to sit and read to Daddy.

Scott often has his nose in a book.

Elizabeth relaxing after an awesome run through the mountains. The boys rode their bikes and mom and dad ran. Loved it!!!

Joshua

Steve fell asleep in his chair as usual.

Joshua read his Calvin and Hobbes book to me, complete with faces and sound effects. So cute.

Noah found a bottle of fish bait and got creative with it.

We went hiking on the Discovery Trail. It was beautiful and quiet.

Scott

Steve and Elizabeth

There were educational sign posts along the way.

The boys loved this walkway.

Steve

Scott looking for fish down in the water. If you looked really carefully you could see them.

Mommy and Joshua

Scott, Mommy, and Joshua

Noah loved this big pine cone.

The kids felt the need to get as close to the water as possible, of course.

Joshua. Isn't he cute?

Joshua wanted to be sure and have his turn to pose for the camera on this particular spot.

Noah insisted on having his picture taken on this particular spot. I was happy to oblige. I love pictures!

Oak Chan Dragathon

2010-10-08T10:36:00.001-07:00

On September 23rd it was time for the annual Oak Chan Dragathon fundraiser. The kids asked for donations (thanks Grandpa Peres, Grandma and Grandpa Turner, and Mom and Dad) and then ran as many laps around the grass field as they could in 20 minutes. Scott, Noah, and Joshua all participated and did great! What a bunch of little athletes I have.

Scott was one of the faster guys out there with the 3rd graders.

Scott stops to say hi to a couple of his friends.

Scott

Scott did a total of 10 laps. Way to go! That's the equivalent of almost 2 1/2 miles in 20 minutes!

Noah was a fast little dude too.

He just kept going and going.

Joshua got to run at the same time as Noah. He was cruisin!

Noah ran 10 laps just like Scott. What a stud!

Joshua finished 7 laps. What a guy!

Corduroy and Joshua

2010-10-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

On the weekend of September 10-12 Joshua got to bring our pal Corduroy the bear home from kindergarten. We'd had Corduroy several times last year when Noah was in kindergarten and were excited to have him back. It was a fun filled weekend of watching bike stunts, soccer games, eating at Islands, and relaxing at home.

Eating oatmeal with peppermint sprinkles and chocolate syrup. Thanks Daddy!

Playing a little soccer with Noah and Joshua.

Kitty magnets...

2010-10-08T10:12:00.000-07:00

Early one morning at the end of August the kids came to me and reported they'd found another kitten in the yard. I suddenly had a feeling of Deja vu. We'd just gone through this last year. I headed downstairs and sure enough, there was this cute little light orange colored kitten. Of course, the kids wanted to keep the kitten, but Steve and I decided our two kittens were enough and that we'd need to find a good home for this one. We let the kids feed and take care of the kitten for one night and was able to find a friend in the ward who had been looking for a kitten just like this one. What a relief. The kids had named the kitten Carrot, but the new family settled on Cinnamon. They report to us that the kitty and the family are very happy. Another successful rescue. Who knew I'd be such an "animal lover"?

First Day of School, August 9th

2010-08-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

Scott started 3rd grade, Noah started 1st grade, and Joshua started Kindergarten!!!

Joshua lines up for Kindergarten.

Mrs. Moffit welcomes Joshua. He was so happy she remembered his name since she had Noah last year and talked to Joshua several times.

Joshua holds two fingers up to show he is ready to listen!

Joshua fell asleep on the floor in his room after school. Kindergarten is exhausting!

Happy Birthday Noah and Joshua!!!

2010-08-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

We ended up celebrating both boys' birthdays with Steve's family on August 7th, the day after Steve's trip to the ER. Aunt Teresa and Uncle Deron, Grandpa Peres, and Phyllis came to celebrate. We had a BBQ, a pinata, and ate cake and ice cream. Good times!

Noah

Scott

Uncle Deron

Joshua

Joshua (5) and Noah (7)

A new gun from Teresa and Deron.

New Bakugans from Teresa and Deron.

Joshua, Noah, Phyllis, Scott, Teresa, Deron, and Grandpa Peres.

Daddy relaxes in front of the TV with his broken shoulder.

The boys teach everyone how to play Bakugan.

Steve's Scary Adventure--August 6th

2010-08-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

Steve and I went for what was supposed to be a quick bike ride before the kids' birthday party. However, about 15 minutes into the ride Steve blindly hit a big divot in the road going about 21-22 mph and went down hard. I only heard it because he was behind me. I slammed on my brakes and turned around to see him sprawled on the ground, lying on his back with his head on the curb. He was in bad shape. He was all scraped up and was complaining of his right shoulder hurting. I got him up and off to the side of the road where he could sit in the shade. I tried calling some friends to come and get us, but no one was answering. It was probably best, though, because he was awfully pale and in a lot of pain. I called an ambulance and within about 15-20 minutes we had an ambulance and fire truck to help us out. They loaded him up on the ambulance and off he went. The guys on the fire truck kindly loaded his bike on their truck and took it home for us while I rode as fast as I could back home to get the kids and head off to the hospital.

It turns out he broke his helmet in two places. He would either be dead or a vegetable if he wasn't wearing that helmet. We are so grateful for helmets! Let this be a lesson to all of you!!!
He also broke his collarbone and scapula and separated his shoulder. He finally saw the orthopedist two weeks later and in that time the clavicle fracture had moved more and was so bad that his shoulder was just hanging there with nothing attached. He ended up having surgery August 23rd to have a plate put in to reattach his collarbone. Now it's just a matter of healing up. It'll take a while because of the scapula fracture. He won't be back on the bike for a good long while. Poor guy. We are just so grateful it wasn't worse!

More Hairy Adventures--August 5th

2010-08-29T11:41:00.001-07:00

We found Hairy peaking out from under the eaves on the roof. This became her new "hangout".

However, it took Hairy quite a while to figure out how to get back down.

Joshua Turns 5 August 5th!

2010-08-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

I took the boys to play at Bouncetown to celebrate Joshua's 5th birthday. We opened presents and a few days later had a combined birthday party for Joshua and Noah with Daddy's family.

Bakugan and Dungeons and Dragons movie.

New shorts...boring.

New cool jammies...exciting.

Remote control truck...awesome!

A new Calvin and Hobbes reader is born.

What a guy!

Joshua's First Soccer Practice Ever!

2010-08-29T11:16:00.001-07:00

Joshua got to start playing soccer this year and his first practice was August 2nd. He was a bit shy at first and would just watch everyone do their jumping jacks and such, but once I gave him the okay and told him to do what everyone else was doing he did great!

Our Utah Trip Highlights

2010-08-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

July 23-August 1st the boys and I headed to Cedar City, Utah, leaving Steve at home again (sad), and spent a super fun-filled week with Grandpa and Grandma Turner, Jonathan and his 4 kids, Heather and her 4 kids, and Christina and Keith (briefly) and their 2 kids. We really missed Angela and her family, though. It was a house full, but we had so much fun and the kids loved playing with their cousins. Most of the kids slept outside in a big tent. We had a big birthday party for those who were having a birthday around that time, went to church, played at the park and the "beach", went to the temple, played and rode horses at Aunt Rebecca's house, went swimming at the water park in Washington, played fun games like kickball and red rover at the park, had a big water balloon fight, went hiking and fishing, went mountain biking and rock crawling, and, and, and...I was exhausted and ready for another vacation when I got home.

The boys' cake: Noah, Stratton, Hudson, Keith, and Joshua.

The girls' cake: Amy and Jessica.

Michael, Amy, Jessica, April, Noah, and Hudson are ready for cake.

Amy (3) and Jessica (5).

Grant with Uncle Jonathan.

Noah (7), Keith, Joshua (5), Hudson (7), and Stratton who didn't want to be in the picture (5).

Jessica and Grandpa Turner ready for church.

Naiya, Jonathan, Michael, and Hudson.

Kaden (13)

Stratton

Tyler

The beauty parlor before church.

Birthday party with fun presents.

Stratton and Hudson.

Noah's presents.

Joshua's presents.

Joshua playing at the beach in Cedar City.

Michael, Naiya, Noah, and Hudson.

Jessica and Hudson.

Amy

Grandpa Turner

April getting splashed by Noah.

Naiya and Michael

Jonathan and Hudson

Tyler

Stratton

Grant and Heather

Kaden

Joshua

Michael and Noah

Christina and Amy

Grandpa controls the pinata. Amy and Christina swing first.

Jessica

Kids waiting in line.

Joshua

Kaden and Jonathan. Jonathan was trying to see how long he could grow his hair, but he let it go unruly like this most of the time. It was driving us all crazy, and eventually drove Jonathan crazy enough that he let my dad cut it. He looked great. Picture later?

Hudson

Noah

Scott

April

Naiya. Kaden finally busted it open with one swing. The kids all went crazy, of course.

Michael, Jessica, Tyler, Amy, and April watching a movie.

Movies were the best babysitter and easiest way to get some peace and quiet...for a few minutes.

Lined up and ready for a water balloon fight. April, Noah, Joshua, Scott, Jessica, Hudson, Michael, and Stratton.

Stratton and April

Scott

Grant and Noah play with sidewalk chalk.

Rock crawling at 3 peaks. Noah, April, Scott, Naiya, Jonathan, Joshua, Jessica, Michael, Stratton, and Grandpa Turner.

Amy, Tyler, and Christina join the group.

Happy 7th Birthday Noah!!!

2010-07-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

July 17th was Noah's 7th birthday. We asked Noah what he'd like to do for his birthday and he wanted to go camping...again! We didn't complain. We love it. He had very specific requests while we were there and we did our best to fulfill them. They included kayaking/paddle boating, mountain biking, and a pinata. It was a great weekend.

Steve thought it was great getting us all wet with the paddles. Not nice!

The boys' first paddle boat ride.

Noah found the perfect birthday party rock where he perched and opened his presents.

He started things off with what he already knew about, the Big Bakugan.

Yep, it's close to school starting again. That means new socks, shoes, and clothes.

Noah's favorite present, a Calvin and Hobbes book (suggested by his dad).

Noah picked out a new backpack for 1st grade. His other one is too small for the big stuff he has to bring home now, according to Scott.

We let Joshua and Noah open a combined present since it's almost Joshua's birthday.

X-box Lego Indiana Jones on one side and...

X-box Kung Fu Panda on the other.

Noah tries to hit the pinata.

Steve is having way too much fun tricking Scott.

Joshua got some of the biggest hits!

The mother lode!

I let Noah choose anything in the store, anything from homemade cake or cupcakes, donuts, bakery-made cupcakes, etc. He chose Hostess cupcakes. Made my life easier.

Crazy kids on the birthday rock.

The boys all made their favorite Calvin face.

Mad Cat Angels

2010-07-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

I went on a mountain bike training ride on July 8th to Granite Bay and we took a little dip in Lake Folsom to cool off. Just what the doctor ordered!

Courtney Troy, Erin Upchurch, and me. I promise I'm not that fat. My pockets are full of tools, food, and a water bottle.

Prairie City Awards BBQ--July 7th

2010-07-14T17:49:00.000-07:00

The annual awards BBQ was held at Beal's Point. I received a medal for 2nd place in women's expert age 35+ category. Whoo hoo!!! I worked hard for that! Deron and Teresa joined us in hopes for free stuff like they gave out last year, but we weren't so lucky this time. Last year I won a bike, helmet, and gloves. This year I won a date with Steve to the local rock climbing gym. Can't complain!

Elizabeth 2nd place, Asa Salas 1st place, Duv Cardenas 3rd place expert women age 35+.

Booyah!!!

Steve and Elizabeth.

Teresa and Deron

Noah, Joshua, and Scott.

Can't Get Enough!

2010-07-14T17:21:00.000-07:00

We headed for the hills again for the 4th of July weekend. It was so much cooler up there than it was down in Folsom. This time Uncle Deron and Aunt Teresa joined us for the weekend and stayed in our cozy trailer with us. Grandpa Peres and Phyllis stopped by on Sunday for a BBQ. We didn't see any parades or fireworks so it didn't feel much like the 4th of July, but we had a great time anyway.

Hiking on the Rim Trail at Lake Tahoe.

Joshua and Daddy on the Rim Trail.

We made an attempt to get a good family picture. Scott decided not to cooperate. Oh well. I still like them.

Deron and Teresa

Cute picture!

I had to hold Joshua's hand on the way down the trail because he got going way too fast and kept falling on the rocks every few seconds. Poor knees!

Mountain biking the Pioneer Trail, one of our favorites. Noah, Scott, Joshua, Steve, Teresa, and Deron.

Scott, Noah, Joshua, Steve, Elizabeth, and Deron.

Mommy and Joshua biked together while the others went ahead. Joshua was absolutely incredible on his little bike. What a biker!

Phyllis and Grandpa Peres join us for the evening.

Scott reads while Steve tastes the hot dogs.

Deron and Teresa trying to keep the mosquitoes away.

Scott loves reading Harry Potter.

Noah limbering up for dinner.

Joshua's usual pose.

Joshua playing at Lake Tahoe.

Scott playing at Lake Tahoe.

Noah skipping rocks at Lake Tahoe.

Deron and Teresa making lunch.

Steve chillin' in the shade at Lake Tahoe.

The boys found a shovel on the shore and Joshua had to have his turn digging.

A Grueling Race...to say the least.

2010-07-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

July 3rd was the Leesville Gap road race. This is 63 miles of the worst roads you can imagine. Potholes, poor attempts at pothole repair with blobs of black top everywhere, dirt and gravel roads, deep gravel, and a gnarly 3-mile climb thrown in for fun. Of course there were other hills and such goodies, but that was the worst of it.

It was pretty evident in the first 10 minutes of the race that the visions I'd had of dominating the race with my teammate, Asa, and helping her cross the finish line in first were pretty much out the window. There were 13 of us cat 4 women at the line and 1 master's woman who got to start with us. I overheard her talking to the race official and she told him she was technically a pro. Well, the race started and in the neutral section she takes off ahead of everyone. I just let her go because 1) she's not in our category and 2) this was still the neutral section...we weren't supposed to be racing yet. Well, it didn't take long before a few girls took off after her. I didn't jump, because of reasons 1 and 2 above. Asa and I both mentioned that to those who were passing, but they still went. Well, in all that confusion they turned the corner and I got dropped. Crap!!! We turned right into the wind and they are tearing off down the road, finally catching the pro. Now I have to spend a few minutes burning myself up just trying to catch the group. I'm mentally kicking myself as I do this. I finally catch the group, feeling sorry for my teammate Stephanie who got dropped, and did my best to hang in there. They were going at a killer pace and we're riding way harder than we should be for the first part of this race, especially knowing what's ahead...the potholes and the long climb. I keep thinking "what are they doing?" We rode in a double paceline and I didn't really feel like I was getting much rest. Once the "pro" girl sees that we are about to catch the master's men age 55+ (who left 5 minutes before we did) they stop the paceline and tear off after them. Oh goody! Let's ride even faster! I never thought I would be so glad to see the highway crossing and start the fun potholes just so I didn't have to stay in this insane paceline.

We cross the highway and all chaos erupts and the riders split up all over the road. We had caught the men and a few of our women were able to sneak through them, but after they realized they were being passed by women they didn't allow that anymore. It was every woman for herself at this point. You couldn't ride behind anyone because all you could do was just try to stay up on the bike. I stayed with the group for as long as I could, but they were still keeping an insane pace and after killing myself trying to catch them in the beginning I didn't have it in me to continue so fast. I backed off a little and let the leaders go, including Asa. At this point I had switched from winning mode to survival mode. All I wanted to do was finish.

After a while I ended up riding with a few girls, one from UCLA and the other from UC Davis. We took turns pulling when the road allowed and then in the deep gravel section they couldn't stay up on their bikes and decided to walk. I rode through it like a champ, thanks to my mountain biking skills. Of course, I let them catch me again because I still wanted someone to work with.

A few miles later a girl who had flatted earlier goes screaming past us trying to catch the leaders. The UCLA girl and I jump onto her wheel, but after a few minutes I decide it's too fast for me and back off. Just as I am wondering how Stephanie is doing she pops up out of nowhere and catches us. I couldn't believe it. Go Stephanie! She informs me that I'd lost a water bottle. I bought a 2-bottle cage for the back of my seat so I could carry 4 water bottles, but those bumpy roads were too much for it. Dang! I needed that! It was one of those expensive insulated ones too! We finally reach the big 3 mile climb and the UC Davis girl, Stephanie, and I start the long grind up the hill. Fortunately, hills are my strength so I was able to pull away, pass a master's guy, and reach the top way ahead.

I start down the bumpy decent and, sure enough, out pops the other water bottle from behind my seat. Dang! I stop and go back for it. I can't afford to lose so many expensive water bottles and I'm going to dehydrate before the feed zone if I'm not careful. I stuff that water bottle in my rear pocket with my tubes and stuff and ride on. However, now I'm riding slower because I'm afraid to lose the water bottle out of my pocket. I finally reach the bottom, settle in, and ride several lonely miles by myself. Finally, out of the blue comes the UC Davis girl who says "do you know how hard I've been riding to try and catch you?" We end up working together which was nice. Mile after mile we ride, I continue drinking my Cytomax, eating my Honey Stingers, and hoping for the feed zone. The race director said it was at mile 35. No. It was at mile 42, thank you very much. The race director also said the race was about 60 miles. No. It was 63+ miles, thank you very much again. They need to get those details down better because people count on it when they are racing.

Anyway, mile 36 comes along and boink!, there goes a spoke on my rear wheel. Perfect! Stephanie pulls up along with the guy I had passed before and he doesn't offer much help. None of us have a spoke wrench and it doesn't want to come out. Fortunately, the SAG vehicle comes by and stops. A guy who had flatted out twice and was along for the ride helped me wrap the spoke around another spoke and true the wheel a little so it wasn't so wobbly. I had to have the brake released because the wheel was so off balance. Great, I still had a big descent ahead of me. The guy driving the vehicle had some extra water and gave us each a bottle. Thank you! We were all out.

I was grateful to Stephanie and the UC Davis girl for waiting for me and we rode the next climb together. At this point, with my wheel the way it was, I was just trying to finish the race safely. We got to the top of the climb and I said my good-byes because I wouldn't be able to fly down the hill like I wanted. I had to try to take it as slow as possible. Not an easy task when your rear brake isn't working. I had visions of my whole wheel falling apart. It freaked me out and I was glad to make it to the bottom in one piece.

At mile 42 I happily switched out my water bottles and had two fresh ones. Thanks to Scarlett and Kyle for being there for us!!! Scarlett offered to follow me the rest of the race because of my wheel and I gratefully took her up on her offer. I cruised along until there were about 13 miles left. I could see the UC Davis girl in the distance and was slowly catching her. I thought it would be nice to work together again to the finish, but when I almost got there she turns around and sees me and takes off. Huh! Well, I'll show her!!! I kicked it into TT mode (that's time trial mode) and rode as hard as I could the final 13 miles. I passed her and then some. It wasn't so hard with the tailwind behind me, but as soon as I made the last left turn into the wind it got harder. It was seriously the longest 4 miles ever. I was super glad to finish and not to have finished last! I took 10th out of 13. Not quite the race I had planned, but they never really are.

PCRS#12--The last race!

2010-07-08T14:09:00.000-07:00

June 30th was the last race of the season. I was extra nervous because I had to beat Duv in order to secure my 2nd place overall. It was all up to me and Asa wasn't about to ease up on another race. I rode as hard as I could, kept Asa in my sights, and took 2nd. I was proud of my race and happy it was finally over. It's stressful! So...I took 2nd place in expert women age 35+. YES!!!

Talking with my friend, Chris Patterson. She was my biggest fan this season and showed such enthusiasm for my races. I loved talking to her! She was always so encouraging. So glad to have met her this year.

Cruisin'

Hydration is very important!

I was one of the only riders with a Camelbak, but I'll bet I was one of the best hydrated riders out there!

Asa and I coming up to pass our friend Chris Patterson. She races single speed sport with the guys! She rocks!

In hot pursuit of Asa.

Grunting up this hill.

Love the fast downhills...especially when I pass the guys! Woot-woot!

I was asked to pose. This was not my idea. But...who doesn't like to show off every once in a while?

Chris and me.

Team Mad Cat rocked Prairie City this year! Go team!

Gus-Gus, the mouse--June 29, 2010

2010-07-08T14:02:00.001-07:00

One morning the boys found a chubby little mouse in the yard. Of course, our kitties were interested in it, but they hadn't killed it...yet. The boys caught it and wanted to keep it for a pet. I explained that we wouldn't be able to keep it and that it is the kitties' job to catch and eat mice. Well, Gus-Gus had already been named and was practically a member of the family. However, Noah was holding it and it got away. The next day, however, Tigger, our hunting cat, found Gus-Gus and gave him a good "chewing". The kids got Tigger to let go and caught Gus-Gus, hoping to nurse him back to health. The poor mouse was bleeding and did not look good. I was afraid Gus-Gus was going to be dead-dead very soon. Gus-Gus actually made it through the night and the kids let him go later the next day, knowing that he'd probably be found by the kitties again. Such is life.

Camping/Training at Snowflower--June 25-27

2010-07-08T13:31:00.000-07:00

We decided it was time to head for the mountains in the tent trailer and enjoy some quality time together. It was also an opportunity for me to get a HARD training ride in before my big Leesville Gap road race. Luckily, I was able to meet up with Jessica Balaam and her friends so we could suffer together. We rode from Donner Lake, up to Rainbow Bridge, and down to Soda Springs. Jessica stayed with me and rode all the way to Cisco Grove and back. There was a TON of climbing. It was a good hard 46 miles.

Jessica Balaam, Me, and Jess' friends Mary and ? on top of Rainbow Bridge with Donner Lake in the background. Beautiful!

Jess Balaam

The rest of the weekend was spent biking, hiking, and relaxing with the family. So nice!

Noah's ready to ride.

Joshua's ready to ride.

Daddy and the boys ride while Mommy rests up for her big ride.

The boys and I went hiking around the little lake at Snowflower after my big ride. We even got to play in the snow!

Joshua poses.

Scott pretends he's about to fall.

Noah's just cute.

Joshua, Noah, and Scott.

Mommy, the hunter.

They all found hiking sticks.

Noah on top of the big rock they found.

Scott "skiing".

Scott and Noah crossing the stream.

Joshua jumps over the water.

Scott crossing the stream again.

Scott and Mommy.

Joshua and Noah found a hill to run down.

Scott and Joshua, pals. Isn't that the cutest?

Scott and Joshua play air hockey.

Noah sets up for pool.

Hangin' With The Boys--June 15, 2010

2010-07-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

The boys and I ventured out for a ride around Lake Natoma. Joshua was on the tandem with me and Scott and Noah rode their mountain bikes. These guys ride like champs! We did about 11-12 miles, only stopping a few times to hang out with the geese and take a dip in the lake. I need more days like this.

PCRS #11--Another win! June 23, 2010

2010-07-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

This week, with the end of the season coming quickly and with a quick add of the points, it was pretty obvious that I was going to need some teamwork from my team in order to pull off 2nd place overall. Since Asa's 1st place was pretty secure she was willing to work with me, thank goodness! Because of my poor performance the first half of the season with mechanical problems and back pain I needed a few more points to beat out Duv C. So, with a nice pull from Jill, Asa and I tore off on the first hill. I stayed right behind her for the first half of the first lap and then passed her on the downhill. She made sure no one came close to beating her and I rode my heart out, coming in 2 minutes before Asa and almost 6 minutes before Duv. It was the race of a lifetime! I took 1st, thanks to Asa's help.
Steve decided not to race this week.

Courtney Troy, Me, and Stephanie Denison.

Asa Salas, Jill Kollman, Me, and Jennifer Marie.

The beginning of the race when Jill pulled Asa and me with Duv (in the light blue) behind me.

This guy and I kept passing each other back and forth. It was obviously very frustrating to him, being passed by a GIRL. He was frustrating the heck out of me because he kept getting in my way and I couldn't afford to slow down. Finally, in an exasperated voice he asks me what I'm doing. I told him I was trying to win. He asked what place I was in, I told him 1st. He said "Oh." I asked what place he was in and he also was in 1st. So I told him we were obviously good for each other then. Buck up cowboy!

PCRS #10--DNF June 16, 2010

2010-07-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

What a weird coincidence. Both Steve and I had mechanical problems in this race and didn't get to finish the race, hence "DNF". Steve had a flat and my chain got all twisted up. I was super bummed because I was racing really well and staying right behind Asa. I actually felt like I had a chance to beat her. Oh well.

However, the kids were AWESOME! They raced like little mad men on bikes. It was super cool! Scott took 6th, Noah took 14, and Joshua took 40th out of 50-60 kids. Not bad, eh?

Scott

Noah

Joshua

Mad Cat Ladies Ride--June 12, 2010

2010-06-14T10:36:00.001-07:00

In conjunction with Ladies Night at Mad Cat and the Mad Cat Bike Swap we also led a Ladies Ride for the community. There was a road ride and a mountain ride. I helped lead the road ride. We had about 7 ladies join 5 of us Mad Cat ladies on a 27-mile ride. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful ride.

Me and Rhonda Figone finishing the ride.

Good times!

I am way in the back with my arms raised up. I did my best to get in the picture.

Me, Kim Alvarez, and Yvette Crockell.

Rhonda Figone, Jill Kolman, and me.

Chatting with some of the riders.

Great ride!

PCRS # 9--June 9, 2010 FIRST PLACE!!!

2010-06-14T10:04:00.000-07:00

I never in my wildest dreams thought I would take 1st place in the women's expert race, especially not my 1st season racing in this category. There is a disclaimer, though. My teammate Asa, who normally wins 1st place every week and is the one who sets up the courses every week, was feeling under the weather and wasn't racing in top form. However, I've been told she is very competitive and will not just let someone win, no matter how she is feeling.
Here's how it went down. I was able to pass the first couple people leading us out in the first minute or so. After that I gave it all I had knowing they were all chasing me down. It was a very hilly course. I'm decent at hills, both up and down, so this was to my advantage. I thought I was going to die after only the first lap because of how hard I was going. I still had three more to go. I hung on and kept riding as hard as I could. By the 4th lap I had noticed there was a pretty big gap behind me and couldn't even see my nearest competitor. On one of the long uphill sections I decided to sit and spin up the hill rather than stand and power up it. When I got close to the top I suddenly see Asa coming out of nowhere passing me. I yelled "Oh, Asa!" She just laughed and cruised on ahead. I was so mad that I'd held the lead for so long and she was just going to swoop in there and take it right out from under me. Oh no! I was suddenly very motivated and took off after her. I followed her down a very tricky descent and even followed her line, which could have been a disaster, as she is a pro downhiller and I had not even ridden that line yet. I almost ate it on one drop off. Fortunately, I stayed up and got down the hill okay. Right after that was a big steep uphill section that split into two. She took the left and I took the right. I hammered up that hill as fast as I could and passed her! After that I put my head down and didn't look back. I went all out to the finish and won the race!!!
I talked to Asa after the race. She came in about one minute after I did. She teased me about lolly gagging it up the hill and told me she wasn't just going to hand me the race. Lesson learned. Thanks Asa!
Steve raced too, but he wasn't feeling so great, so he was happy to have finished 11th. He is such a great supporter and cheerleader for me and I super, super, super appreciate him.
The kids didn't get to race this week because they didn't live up to their end of the bargain. They had to get their jobs done at home in time to be able to ride and practice for the race. They slacked off several days in a row, hadn't practiced, and had to miss out. Hopefully, they learned from that. We're not about to shell out the money for them to race if they are not going to be responsible!

This gives you an idea how many people are out there racing. There are about 500 people racing on the course AT THE SAME TIME! Chaos? Sometimes. You have to get really good at passing people. I'm on the far left in the front.

That's Asa in the red with the mohawk on her helmet. I'm right behind her on her tail. This is the beginning of the race.

I flew down this hill and passed tons of guys in front of me, including my own teammates.

Passing.

Steve cruising past people too.

Go Steve!

Takin' a walk on the wild side!

Rafting On the American River

2010-06-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

On June 5, 2010 we went rafting with Mary, Mark, and Ammon Phipps. It was a beautiful day and we loved it! We even got into some pretty technical stuff and the kids did great! Thanks Mary and family!

Noah

Mark Phipps

Joshua

Scott

Elizabeth and Steve

Ammon and Mary Phipps

Lookin' Like Grandma?

2010-06-14T09:38:00.001-07:00

I went to a 70's birthday party for a friend who was turning 40. I borrowed some clothes from another friend. When I came out of my room, ready for the party, Noah says to me "you look like grandma". I laughed and told him she probably looked pretty similar to this back in the 1970s. Am I right, Mom?

PCRS #8--June 2, 2010

2010-06-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

This was a big race for a few reasons. First of all, it was the boys' first mountain bike race, and second, it was my first race on my new bike. Scott took 9th, Noah took 15, and Joshua took 27th out of 68 kids. Great job guys! They've got racing in their blood! Steve took 7th and I took 2nd! I felt fast with that new bike and my back did better, although not completely pain-free. I'm still working on strengthening and stretching...yes, I even started doing yoga.

The boys are lined up and ready to roll.

My New Niner

2010-06-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

Due to all the trouble I was having with my current mountain bike (yes, the one I just got last year for my birthday) due to it being too small and causing lots of back pain we decided to try building up another one. Fortunately, being part of Team Mad Cat there are great perks like huge discounts on bike stuff. I bought the Niner frame because I love riding 29ers and made sure it was the right size this time. I bought a super light fork and wheel set and transferred everything else over from my old mountain bike. Fortunately, I was able to sell my old frame and fork and wheel set so that helped with the cash flow.

Look What We Found!

2010-06-14T08:39:00.000-07:00

On the first day of summer vacation the boys diligently got their jobs and summer learning stuff done so I took them on a bike ride and found a little "pump track" or dirt jump area. The boys were in absolute heaven. There are several tame areas where they can ride around and get confidence, but there's also some really dangerous stuff out there. I'm not so sure I like the fact that we found this place. I'm having visions of my boys a little older and a little crazier on their bikes...

Scott, thumbs up!

Noah found the perfect resting place.

Scott

Noah and Joshua

Noah

Scott

Joshua

Papa Cat's 41st Birthday/Memoral DayTeam Ride

2010-06-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

Mike or Papa Cat, owner of Mad Cat bike shop, was turning 41 on Memorial Day. What better way to celebrate than a team mountain bike ride in Auburn? There were nearly 30 riders there. It was super fun! Thanks to Steve for staying home with the boys so I could go. What a sweetie!
(That's me 2nd from the right.)

Avery and me chatting. This girl is AMAZING!. She's only 11 and rides like a champ. She started riding at about the same age my boys have started riding. There's hope...

Riding through the pretty meadow.

George caught me coming out of the bathroom...

...so I had to show off.

This picture was sent to Niner bikes. They sell only 29er bikes. This means the wheels are 29 inches instead of 26 inches. These bikes are super fast and super cool. Probably at least half of the team rides a 29er. I was riding mine for the first time. That's me 5th from the left.

All 29ers.

Cruisin'.

This was the trickiest section on the trail but super fun!

Beautiful trail!

Pondering...

I was hoping to catch some air like everyone else was, but since it was my first time on the trail I didn't know what to expect and barely got my rear wheel off the ground. Lame.

Backyard Campout

2010-06-14T08:14:00.001-07:00

We were supposed to go camping over Memorial weekend, but didn't make reservations at our campsite in time and had to stay home. We made it up to the kids by letting them make smores and camp out in the backyard. Scott insisted on sleeping under the stars instead of in a tent and the other boys agreed. I had to stay up half the night watching TV because I couldn't sleep with all the racket they were making outside. Hopefully the neighbors didn't get too upset.

Noah Graduates From Kindergarten!!!

2010-06-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

On May 27, 2010 Noah graduated from Kindergarten at Oak Chan Elementary. What a great year he had! We'd made the decision to keep him home an extra year when he was 5 and really feel it was the best decision for him. He started school at age 6 but loved being the oldest, tallest, fastest, smartest kid in school (according to him). It did great things for his confidence. He had lots of friends, boys and girls, and his teachers all raved about him. They were sad to be losing their super responsible Noah. Joshua has some big shoes to fill this next year!

Noah with his diploma. He opened it up to find a blank piece of paper. What a rip off! However, the next day he received the real thing in class. What a relief!

The ONLY time Noah would smile for graduation was when he got the post-graduation ice cream sandwich. Must be my kid.

Noah with his buddies Tayne Jones, Colin Veers, and Jacob Granados. I'm curious to see this picture recreated at their high school graduation. What fun!
Incidentally, Noah was all dressed up in his Sunday-go-to-meetin's when I took him to school as I assumed he was supposed to dress up. However, when I saw other kids being dropped off they were all in shorts and t-shirts, definitely not dressed up. I didn't want him to stand out like a sore thumb, so I took him home to change. However, a few hours later when I came to the graduation there were several kids dressed up super nice, like Jacob. Oh well.

Noah with his fantastic teachers: Mrs. Moffit, Mrs. O'Reilly, and Mrs. Greco. Loved these ladies!

Joshua was super happy to get an ice cream sandwich too!

The boys came home for some post-graduation kitty love.