So Many Goings On!

Not a whole lot of time has passed since our last post (relative to our own posting history, of course), but we have so many things that we want to post. So here goes!...

Fall is arriving here in NYC! We can't get out enough right now to see enjoy it, especially knowing that this is our last autumn in the northeast. The list of things that will be missed following our departure from NYC is developing and the fall in this part of the country is right at the top. Here are a few pics:

Our family hike in the Catskills (Kaaterskill Falls) -










Saturday's picnic in Palisade Park (This park is another of the highest ranking items on our list of things we'll miss when we move. Ever since we discovered this preserve under the George Washington Bridge 3 years ago it has been the site of LOTS of family picnics, hikes, playground visits, holiday BBQs, and Dad's long bike rides. Speaking of Dad's long bike rides, read on! More on that to come...)







(Looking back at the George Washington. Beautiful!)


(Our leaf collection)

Halloween

Check out these costumes! Go wifee! Yes, you wouldn't know it by looking at our girls' costumes but my wife is the one that has never touched a sewing machine in her life. The one who claims she has no speck of craftiness in her, and entirely lacks any interest in changing that. Something must have happened this year in our attempt to be, no, forced condition of being even more economically aware as Shannon chose to and became excited to make the girl's costumes this year. So a carrot and a bunny were the results. Clever, eh? They both turned out so well. Ashlynn loved her costume; a little confused to see all her friends dressed funny at the ward Halloween party, but loved her own funny outfit. In the words of Ashlynn, "A pretty. A pretty bunny, mommy?!"





So with a carrot and a bunny in the works, the latter half of the week we began to think more about what Shannon & I would be ourselves. Farmers were the original, and final, idea but we had a number of others thrown in there at the last minute, too. Farmer and carrot/bunny and magician, for example. My favorite idea, though, was for Shannon and I to complete the foodchain: Carrot, bunny... Just couldn't come up with a fox tail or eagle wings fast enough. I don't know, I thought it was funny. So I think that's our plan for next year; four stages of the foodchain.

A Century of Riding

No, this is not a gross exaggeration of the amount of time I recently spent on some drawn out, exhausting bike ride. Rather, it is the actual number of miles I rode last Saturday (and therefore it was, indeed, drawn out and exhausting)! That's right, a week ago I was successful in completing my first 100+mile cycling event!!! (And when I refer to my means of transportation I am referring to bikes of the no-motor sort). I've been excited by the idea of riding a century (or 100mi.) bike ride over the past year and considering a very limiting schedule for our family I chose an event in Virginia as my best opportunity to do so. Since beginning my attempt at training 6 weeks ago my bike has, for the first time since moving to NYC, thanked me for spending more than a day outside of the attic. Although, sadly I think it will soon be heading back to the attic; a place I vow to never keep my bike again. Now back to my attempted 6-week training. It was exactly that... attempted. An example of the great disparity between theory and reality. Theory said I could ride 2-3 times per week working my way up to a 70mi. training ride before the real deal. Reality said nu-ugh; 1 ride/wk if you're lucky with a max training ride of 52mi., sick kids, a crash (minor, don't worry), flat tire... no 2 flat tires... in a single ride, and so forth. So as you might predict, with such a resume waves of fear started to set in by Thursday night and took over my thoughts by the time I approached VA Friday night. "Why the heck am I doing this?" frequented my thoughts that night. I was still excited to do it, too, but unsure how it would all pan out. I was luckily blessed with fantastic weather and a riding partner as I started that next morning. I was fair and gave him ample warning that this is my first century, I didn't train well, and the like, but when I told him my average speed I was shooting for he was sufficiently encouraged to partner up. Perhaps I was a little optimistic in my prediction but it worked out SO WELL! We rode the entire course together and somehow were never passed by another rider in the entire 105 miles! Granted, once the headwind off the Chesapeake set in at 45 miles he was leading me nearly all the way to 75 miles. So I gotta give him credit for the draft he provided me at no charge (And I mean draft as in breaking up the headwind. Don't worry, I'm not talking about any post-ride celebration draft here. That one I turned down.). By the time we headed back south to our starting point we had a side wind that was still strong but more tolerable and enabled me to finish surprisingly strong and comfortable. Sore, definitely, but at the finish I felt good enough to ride another mile just to make it an even 105. It was on the long drive home to NYC that the cramping set in, as did the need to frequent almost every convenience store restroom along the first 1.5hrs of the drive. I don't know if my tears at the finish were due to pain, relief, elation, or exhaustion. I think it may have been all of the above, although I think the elation predominated now. I don't know if any of you experience this when running, cycling, etc. but I feel like a cry baby after events like these. Shannon wasn't with me so I first called her but fought through tears to talk. Thank you for your support, Shannon!!! Yes, this was an accomplishment for me, but with 2 kids at home and little time at home with them as it is, without Shannon's willingness to let me realize this goal it would not have happened. Thank you!

Total Distance: 105 miles
Total Riding Time: 5hrs 45min.
Total Time: 7hrs 20min.
Average MPH: 18.1

(Kudos to my riding friend. Ok, yes, I got shown up by an older man. But he's completed 7 other century rides before this one. Here we are at the finish:)

The Girls

While I'm at it, I've got to include a quick update on the girls, too, of course. Tayler is already 6mo old now and still the smiliest baby I have EVER seen. I was with a friend the other day when he introduced Ashlynn to someone else as the happiest little girl but I had to correct him. Maybe she was a year ago, but Tayler takes the cake now. She is, however, discovering that she has a voice and she is not afraid to use it. So keep her fed and well-rested and everything is peachy.

Ashlynn is so fun. She's starting to say so much and so many funny things. Shannon would do much better at posting the funny things that she says so I'll try to get her to do that soon. For now, here are some of our recent pics of the girls.

Where Did Summer GO?!?

A few months ago we posted about a few of the things that happened during the first half of the summer. It's sad for me to admit that I guess it's already time to post about the rest of it. Man, we love summer. How is it possibly over already? Despite the hot and humid summer that we've had it went WAY too fast. We love fall, too, but when the days get cooler you always know that winter is sure to soon follow. And although the calendar insists that winter is only as long as the summer is short I remain skeptical.

Since being here in NYC I've joked (ok, it's not entirely a joke) about counting down the winters left in my life. This is in hopes to soon find ourselves somewhere much warmer. Now that we're down to one more winter here in NYC, and what we considered as our last winter left in life, we might be adding one more to this countdown. As some of you already know, we've been doing a lot of research, prayer, and consideration concerning what to do after graduating from dental school. Last month we decided that I will be applying to a couple of 1-year residency programs. Now that my applications are completed the next 4 months will consist of waiting for interview opportunities and receiving acceptance on Jan. 31. It looks like we'll be in 1 of these 4 cities: Denver, Seattle, San Antonio, or Salt Lake City. Can't wait to see what happens!

The rest of what we want to update can be done mostly through pics and videos. So, here they are:

Fun With The Girls

Ash is so funny sometimes. She's talking a lot. Not always great at it, but tries. Just watch this and you'll see what I'm talking about...



And don't these look like they should be seen in advertisements for Life cereal? After she finally got over her fatal fear of dogs, she and Bailey had a lot of fun. And we learned years ago that if you feed Bailey she's gonna love you. Looks like she's got a new best friend. Ash was so funny to watch; as she held the open box of Life in one arm she'd pull out 2 or 3 pieces at a time with the other hand, place them on the ground, and in the process spill the rest of the box on the floor. Bailey got more Life that day than any of us.

Ashlynn's TWO!!!

While in Colorado a few weeks ago we celebrated Ashlynn's second birthday with my parents, my brother Patrick, Steph, and her little cousin, Adam. She was so fun. Here are a few pics & videos.