Sunday, July 20, 2008

2nd place citizen standing






david participated in the sundance hill climb yesterday!  this is a race for licensed cyclists competing for a cash prize, as well as recreational riders classified as "citizen riders".  david has worked really hard this year to get in shape, and getting back on his road bike has been his favorite part.
the race began at the entrance to sundance canyon, right off the highway, and the riders climbed a total of 8.2 miles and 2,800 vertical feet of elevation to the top.  david completed the climb in his best time of 55 minutes.  he won a 2nd place medal for his age category (recreational riders don't get cash prizes).
there were a couple of official teams racing--it was really neat to see them in matching jerseys and riding shorts--and they all had shaved their legs!!  david felt left out as one of the only guys without shaved legs.    

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

my little brother: an amendment requested by my mom

my mom commented to me by email* i didn't post enough photos of me with my little brother in my post about my brothers.  "don't you remember you were like his little mother?"  she asked.  i doubt jon erik checks our blog (i know, it is pretty lame), but here's an amendment post just for him!

jon erik was born 5 days before i turned 3.  my mom had him at home, in her bedroom in our townhouse on _____ way in ______ virginia**.  christian and i were present for the whole labor.  my grandparents were there and kept shuttling christian and me to the bathroom to wash our feet because there was newspaper all over the bedroom floor.  my mom was so focused during the whole labor--my dad made me go over and rub her leg in support and love, but i remember feeling very embarrassed to do so as i was a very, very, very shy child.  but i did, and i don't think my mom noticed--she was too busy breathing (she has since told me she does remember me sucking my thumb and giving her support).  as far as my almost-three-year-old memory goes, the whole labor was pretty quick, and i remember feeling like we were a part of something exciting and special (i think due to that experience my parents never had to field a "where do babies come from" question).  i was so amazed with the whole process and loved my little brother the minute he made an appearance into the world.  the midwife cleaned him up and wrapped him in a blanket and put a sock hat on his head.  the first thing i did was give him a kiss on his head.  christian told me i shouldn't do that because i might hurt him.  i immediately dubbed jon erik my pseudo baby and as my mom said, i became his little mother.  we did everything together growing up.    
while christian was at school, jon erik and i played school at home.  i think this was actually when i was in am kindergarten, but after i got home i taught jon erik everything i learned that morning.  this must have been a "music day" when we made our very own guitars and strummed like rock stars.  i have always loved jon erik's sense of individual fashion--he was born with this fashion gene and always put things together no one else would think of.  here's an example:  duck suspenders and flannel plaid.  in the summer it was a bathing suit and the 80s moon snow boots.    
here we are in the early spring or fall of 84, i think.  my mom always kept my hair cut really short growing up (to help diffuse the confusion that i was in fact a girl with a boys name?...just kidding...i LOVE my name--maybe some day i'll devote an entire post to my name...wouldn't that be exciting?)--this was the first time i could put my hair up in pigtails.  there i am, holding on to jon erik like always.   
in our spare time we played dress ups.  jon erik was a good sport--from barrettes to shoes.
after the townhouse we moved into a house with a long private drive that was perfect for playing on.  we shared the drive with our nextdoor neighbors, whose part of the drive went up a tiny hill/incline.  the neighbor girls had the coolest 80s toys (my little ponies, strawberry shortcake big wheels, frogger mini-arcade game, he-man and she-ra toys, glo-worms, light bright, etc)--jon erik and i loved taking the big wheel out for a spin.  he'd latch on to me like a sloth and we'd start at the neighbor's garage at the top of this incline, and see how far we could go down the hill without pedaling.  ahhh, those were the days.  

* the irony of this is that my mom doesn't believe in blogs--she thinks it makes it easier for terrorists and stalkers to find us.  maybe i should privatize the blog?  i don't know...i don't think i have enough presence in the world to make the bad guys want to find me.  
**mom called and told me i shouldn't put places and names on here.  so i deleted them.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

happy 4th




david and i had our four year anniversary on june 19th, but the 4th of july weekend was our first free weekend to do something fun to celebrate it.  we had a gift certificate to the blue boar inn in midway burning a hole in our pockets, so we spent it in style.  friday night we had a very fancy dinner at the inn, went to the midway memorial hill to watch the fireworks, and then back to the inn for cream puffs and a fancy room for the night.  the next morning we got up early for a hot air balloon ride over heber valley.  our digital camera's batteries died in the middle of the fireworks, so we had to use a disposable camera for our balloon ride.  i picked up a "highly versatile" camera, thinking  it would cover all lighting, indoor/outdoor, etc....david later told me "versatile" is the marketing way of saying "not specialized in anything"...in other words, the photos are grainy, and obviously not digital.  ha! oh well!

stretching out the balloon to get it ready to inflate.  we had a total of 10 people riding in the basket!  the pilot brought his wife and two kids, a couple that were friends of the pilot, another couple going for the ride, and us.  

inflating the balloon with a fan to get it open enough to add the gas.





up in the air!  david and i are both kind of iffy when it comes to heights, but the ride was so smooth, and the pilot so competent we felt safe.  pilot's tip: look out, not down.



while we were floating over the valley the pilot told us the history of ballooning.  it started in the mid-18th century with a duck, a sheep, and a rooster.  scientists at that time weren't sure if there was oxygen 50 feet straight up, so they decided to test the first official balloon flight with these three unfortunate guinea pigs.  fortunately, they survived, and the ballooning continued.  here we are at around 1,000 feet! (and still breathing)




here we are coming in for the landing.  you can see our shadow over the buildings.  it was interesting--we would float one way at one altitude, and another way at another altitude.  the pilot definitely knew what he was doing, and we landed exactly where he had planned.



getting the balloon dropped down to he ground, and getting the air out of it.  it's called "milking" the balloon.

this was definitely a great way to spend an anniversary!  we are very excited for our plans over the next year and feel very blessed to be working together to move forward.  we love our life together!

surprise trip to baltimore

this is my favorite photograph of my grandfather.  it was taken at my wedding in 2004.  my grandpa turned 80 a couple of weeks ago and decided to throw an outdoor bbq to celebrate with friends and family.  my two brothers and i flew in especially for the party--and especially for a surprise!  my grandparents weren't expecting us to come, and were so surprised when they saw all three of us get out of the car in front of their house.  don't you love surprises like that?!


laughing with my brothers: good.  
the three of us scrunching in the back of a truck: bad.
humidity: bad.

the whole family eating breakfast together: good.
my mom always being the photographer and not being in photos with us: bad.
eating at golden corral: questionable....

seeing cousins after 5 years: good.
spending 2 nights and 3 days without my husband: bad (that's the first time we've spent time apart in our 4 years of marriage, and neither of us enjoyed it at all!)
humidity: bad.

making egg salad for the party: good.
finding a double yoke: even better!  double good luck, right?!  (see how excited i am below)



watching jon erik do tricks on dad dad's scooter: good.
watching jon erik do tricks on dad dad's scooter in a snorkling mask: hilarious.
watching jon erik do tricks on dad dad's scooter in an old 80s short short swimsuit: bad.



party time!!  crab soup, salads, fruit, hamburgers and hot dogs, pies: good.

styling my hair and wearing make up in the humidity: bad.
humidity: bad.

here's the closest we've gotten to a family reunion in a long time!  the whole family above and just the cousins with our grandparents below. 



taking a dip in the cool, refreshing pool: good.
humidity: bad.
getting the cake ready: good.





we got to spend time with my mom and dad, too, which was nice.  jon erik and i flew in on friday and had dinner with our dad.  christian felt left out (he flew in on a redeye the next morning) so we scheduled another time to see our dad: early sunday morning for breakfast.  it was great for all three of us to be together and spend individual time with our parents; it had been a year and a half since we'd all gotten together.   
me and my mom: good.
humidity: bad.  that isn't sunshine in the background, that's humidity.  yuck.


the trip was a smashing success, and we had a blast!  i have to say, it's much easier for me to acclimate to a dry climate than a humid one, although i grew up on the humid east coast!  i don't see myself voluntarily living in a humid climate again.  i also don't see myself voluntarily going on vacation without david--we've been spoiled in being together and love our time together.  next time he's coming with me--even if he has to be squished into my carry on bag.

cupcakes and croquet






i celebrated my birthday a couple of weeks ago with a good group of friends at the park.  we had some good snacks--watermelon, cupcakes, chocolate fondue for strawberries, and chex mix--and a good game of croquet.  i'd never played croquet before, but now i'm hooked.  
the week before my birthday i'd finished my crazy 15 credits in 7 weeks semester with straight a's (i was not expecting an a out of epidemiology, but it came true--what a nice birthday gift!), and the week of my birthday i spent with no commitments.  it was very nice!  i couldn't have asked for a better birthday week than one of no commitments!