Sedore Family Blog

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2011-01-02T10:31:00.002-06:00

I can just feel it...2011 is going to be a GREAT year!

Kyle has some new racing plans for this summer, we'll see if he keeps the mind set and does them!

Alexa is LOVING dance and I am excited for her spring production in May. I also plan on working with her at the pool so she can be a better swimmer. I may look into lessons at the outdoor pool for this summer.

I plan on enjoying my new job and learning from it every day!
I also plan on getting on my bike more and doing a few Mt Bike races this summer and then Cyclocross in the fall.
My ultimate goal is to get healthy again! I fell into a huge rut after going to school and I've been slowly working out of it. New Year....New Me!!!

A NEW POST!!

2010-10-21T20:23:00.003-05:00

First announcement: I start a NEW job on Nov. 8th! I accepted a position with Lakeview Obstetrics and Gynecology as a float CMA. I am excited and nervous all at the same time!

Alexa has been LOVING swim lessons and dance. I don't have any pics from swim lessons yet, but here are some from her "parent sit-in" class on Wednesday. Enjoy!

and the Hunt Continues

2010-08-19T21:05:00.003-05:00

Since my last post I've completed my externship and have had a couple of interviews, but no job lead yet. Another interview on Monday, crossing my fingers!

I have been busy with my family and reconnecting since I've been a little distant since going to school. Alexa and I are having a blast just hanging out and having us time. Kyle and I had a date night for the first time in who knows when the other night. It was great to go out for dinner and a movie with just the two of us.

We have Alexa signed up for dance class at Johnston Dance Academy. She is SUPER excited!

I also have her signed up for more swim lessons on Saturday mornings. She is excited for that too, but not as excited as dance classes!

Take Care all....will try and post more often!

Almost Done!!

2010-06-20T09:49:00.003-05:00

So I have one more week at Internship and then July 20th I will be done with classes!! I've had a blast at my site, everyone is VERY nice and easy to get along with. They have been VERY helpful in teaching me what I need to know and making sure that I do everything correctly.
I have my resume up to date with my intern site on it and ready to start applying for jobs. I will b ecompeting with quite a few other new graduates, but am ready for the challenge. Hopefully I'll get my name out there before they do!

I've done 2 Mt. Bike races so far this year. The first on Mother's Day up in Waverly and the second one the first of June in Ida Grove. I'm definitely out of shape, but I figure this year is for fun and to get some of the experience of it. I'm not sure which other ones I'll do, but I am loving it and want to do more!

I do have some pictures to post, but don't have the time right now...I will in a couple of days!!
Later!

Do you read this....

2010-03-20T20:26:00.002-05:00

....if so leave a comment!! I want to try and keep it up if I know that people are reading!

I have through July for school and it will be at that time that I will have more time to keep up with the blog. For now there just isn't a whole lot going on to blog about.

So...if you check this at all, click on comments on the bottom of the post and leave a little shout out!

Later!

Happy 2010!

2010-01-10T20:52:00.005-06:00

2009 has come and gone and it was a good one! We are looking forward to an even better 2010! We started the year with a fun get-together with friends on New Years Eve, hanging out and playing Wii. New Years Day we traveled down to Ft. Madison to celebrate Christmas with the Kyle's family. It was a great day and spent a good portion of the night playing Wii again.

The first week of January brought another snow storm with ice, 6 inches of snow and sub-zero temps. Alexa and I still made it out to the Princess breakfast at the YMCA on Sat. the 9th. We had breakfast and then Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Jasmine joined us for crafts and pictures! Alexa had a great time!

Snow White and the girls mining for treasure just like the dwarfs.

Making a sand castle with Cinderella.

Sleeping Beauty helping make a magic wand just like her friends the fairies.

A picture with all the Princesses.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2009-12-13T22:02:00.001-06:00

Wishing all out in blogger world a Blessed Christmas!

Another term done!

2009-11-25T23:27:00.002-06:00

Another term down and 10 weeks closer to becoming a Medical Assistant! This term went pretty good. Pharmacology was tough, A&P 2 was OK, and Medical Office Management was pretty easy. Finished up with 2 A's and an A-. Not too bad!

Up next is Diseases, Medical Law and Ethics, and the first Clinicals! I am nervous and excited for Clinicals...definitely getting into the heart of it now.

I have found a book holder that says it hooks onto any bike...so I can sit and spin and read my textbooks at the same time! I am super pumped. I've lost a lot of fitness and it's amazing how it affects my mood. Ready to get going again!

Happy Birthday Alexa!

2009-11-16T22:06:00.002-06:00

It's Nov. 17th, 2005 at 9:07pm....after lying in a hospital bed since 5am, our little girl is finally here! The years have flown by and now she is four. So full of life and so smart! She soaks up so much information every day and is a bright and happy young lady! Happy Birthday to our little miracle....Love you with all our hearts!

Mom and Dad

What has been happening....

2009-09-14T19:26:00.004-05:00

My first term of classes went GREAT! Finished up with all A's!! Now to keep it going, the goal is to graduate with honors...wish me luck!! This term brings Anatomy and Physiology 2, Medical Office Management, and Pharmacology. Phew!

Labor day weekend we had the 7th annual 24hr Mt. Bike race at 7Oaks in Boone. It was another fun time! Kyle once again participated on a 4man team. Going into the night they were down a few laps, so they decided to hang it up and cheer on the other teams and have fun.
On Friday night before the race, Kyle and I rode some of the course. Well Kyle rode and I fell and walked many times! But it was fun and I really think that I want to train some more and try the 12hr portion of the race next year with some of my other girlfriends!
Thanks to Mom and Dad for watching Alexa once again. It sounded like she had a great time with them, heading to the IA Lakes for the flea markets and a little camping experience at the Gayer camper. Alexa also enjoyed playing with cousins Natalee and Izzy, and 2nd cousins, Jonathan and Luci.

This last weekend we were visited by Tony and Kathy. Alexa stayed in the hotel with them, while Kyle and I headed out for another mt. bike ride on the Des Moines center trails. It felt really good and I even did some technical things I didn't think I would be able to! A few more times to get more comfortable and back to Boone I'll go to tackle that course again.

On Saturday morning we headed to the Des Moines Farmer's Market. Once again, lots of great things to see and do and buy! Here we are waiting for the balloon man. Alexa had him make a flower. Very cute!

Earlier in the month, I had Tony take my annual pictures of Alexa in Kyle's jersey. This year he is riding for All9Yards. We are really enjoying this team and all the great people involved. Here she is in Kyle's jersey...
I too am on the team. The women are All9Yards Pink. Here she is in my jersey....
Next weekend Alexa and I are headed back to Marcus for cousin Derek's wedding and to celebrate my 35th birthday with my parents. Still can't believe I'll be 35!

Marcus Fair

2009-08-22T21:33:00.005-05:00

Every year the little town of Marcus has a fair, not a big one, but it has enough to keep everyone busy! We were able to make it back again this year and Ben and Pete made it back too! We had a ton of fun, got to hang out with the family, see lots of old friends, and just relax!

...pics from the weekend...

Ben and Pete riding in the Pirate ship....Matt and Jonathon behind them.

Alexa and Pete in the car!

Alexa, Pete, and Lucy in the bounce house.

Where's the candy?!?

Lounging on the porch, it was misting out, and they insisted on being outside!

More pictures!

2009-08-13T21:27:00.003-05:00

Last weekend we headed to the Blank Park Zoo here in DM for a little family fun. We got there kind of late, but still saw most everything in the hour that we had! During the summer they do Family Friday night every other weekend. Otherwise they are only open till 5pm each day. It was fun!

Baby Goats!

Checking out the saltwater aquarium.

The Wallabies were all fairly close to the path eating dinner.

On sunday was the Mob the Quab Mt. Bike race at Lake Aquahbi near Indianola. Kyle raced single speed and got second place! Alexa and I took pictures and made our way up the big hill at least 5 times! After walking the hill, I felt sorry for the guys that had to make the climb as the last leg of the race. Great Job!

Quick gear change before the race. Taylor also raced single speed.

Heading into the single track for another lap...did I mention it was HOT!!

Off to Marcus for the weekend, will have more pictures from the weekend!

Catch up in pictures...

2009-07-11T20:36:00.005-05:00

Learning how to give good back rubs!

Alexa spent a weekend with G'ma and Papa and she really liked this statue.

I participated in the Pigman Sprint Tri on June 7th

Alexa got to spend some time with 2 sets of grandparents while I was getting everything for my tri. G'ma and Papa Sedore and G'ma and G'pa Williams. She really took to G'pa Williams, he enjoyed seeing her!

Alexa got to go see Uncle Ben, Aunt Courtney and Pete in Dayton!

They enjoyed an Air Force air show, Aaron Tippin concert and fireworks after! She had a blast with G'ma and G'pa Voetberg and Natalee while visiting.

A comparison of Kyle and Alexa. Getting creative with the camera 4th weekend.

It's Official...

2009-05-27T21:15:00.002-05:00

...I am going back to school! I have decided to pursue a career as a Medical Assistant. I have been thinking about this for some time now and have decided to go for it! I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. Heck I haven't been in school since 1995...it will take some adjusting to get back into the studying mindset!

My hope is to get into a Family Practice or Pediatric clinic when I am done, we'll see what happens!

Memorial Day

2009-05-24T22:11:00.002-05:00

So I was looking around on the Des Moines Register website and the local news websites for Memorial Day services and all I found was either a thing down at Vets Auditorium, a service in Ankeny at one of the parks, or a parade and such in Indianola. Thought there would be more going on as I was hoping to bring Alexa to something to get her started on why we have Memorial Day.

Maybe I'll drive out to Greenfield and see the Freedom Rock. We'll see.

Check out this tribute and then say a silent prayer for all who have served and are serving for our freedom!

2009-05-10T16:07:00.002-05:00

I've had a great day today! Woke up to a little girl quietly lying in bed saying "Mommy....Mommy", she doesn't get out of bed until we tell her too...I know, Crazy!! So we watched some Playhouse Disney together, made some pancakes, and just hung out. After Kyle was done with his bike ride, he took Alexa and headed to meet his parents for lunch. I got a good 20 mile bike ride in. I originally was going to ride by myself, but met up with Kristin and Julie V on the trail, so they turned around and rode with me. A little relaxing and some grocery shopping to round out the day. I nice relaxing day!!

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T18:18:00.002-05:00

Coloring Eggs on Thursday night.

Woke up Sunday morning, had a little Easter egg hunt through the house and then got ready for church.

We even got some attitude during the egg hunt.

All ready for church, but won't pose for a picture, too busy playing with the little Disney Princesses that she got from the Easter Bunny.

Hope Everyone had a Happy Easter!

We are still here...

2009-03-19T21:55:00.003-05:00

The Sedore family has been busy! With the weather getting nicer and just day to day activities, it seems like the days are flying by!

Kyle is busy with his job at Hummels Nissan and trying to get more cycling in. I'm also keeping him busy working on getting my bikes ready for the riding season. I plan on commuting to work some this summer, so I'm having him build up a commuter bike for me.

Alexa has finished 2 sessions of swim lessons and has 2 more sessions before summer. I'm hoping to get her to the pool a couple of times a week to play and get her swimming some more without lessons over the summer, then get her back into the Y lessons in the fall.
She has also been riding her bike already this year. Saturday she gets to go with Dad to pick out a new bike/trike. She has a Specialized Hotwalk that she loves to ride and practice balancing. But her little trike for pedaling is definitely too small...her poor little knees the other night were hitting the handlebars!

I'm getting ready for my frist sprint triathlon on June 7th. I've been running over my lunch hour and it's amazing how much I've improved in the last 2 weeks. I'm actually getting more excited for this season.
I've joined the All9Yards Womens Cycling team as well. I mainly joined to get involved with some more group cycling rides, but have decided to add some bike races to my schedule this summer. We'll see how it goes. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time!

My goal is to be better about grabbing the camera when we are out and about. Whether it's playing with Alexa, or out on one of the many bike rides. I'm hoping to catch some good shots of our busy lifestyle and get them posted for all to see!

Have a GREAT rest of March!

A little Plug for my Gold Canyon Candles!

2009-03-06T22:10:00.001-06:00

Now that I've had some time off to enjoy the Holidays and my family for awhile....It's time for a new Season of Gold Canyon!

The spring catalog has some GREAT new scents!

Destination Vanilla line

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Citrus Garden Herbs

Also new are concentrate refills for Homeology products and refills for the Diffusers!

From NOW until MARCH 15th all orders placed via my website will be entered into a contest!

www.mygc.com/juliesedore

For every $20 in Gold Canyon product ordered (before shipping) your name will be put in a drawing to recieve $40 in FREE product!

That's the same free benefits as hosting a $250 show, without having to clean the house or make goodies!

Forward this email to friends and family...order together or separately!

If you want a catalog for an even better look at the product, let me know and I'll get one in the mail to you!

Thanks and have a GREAT day!

Julie Sedore
Gold Canyon Candles
515-238-3802
www.mygc.com/juliesedore

BRR

2009-02-15T18:59:00.002-06:00

All9Yards Pink Cycling team...and a couple others!
Julie S, Hannah, Kristin R, Julie G, Karolyn, Mindy (newbie rider), Kim, Kristin P, Maria (Punk Rock cycling), and Dee

Last weekend Kyle and I participated in the annual BRR ride. The ride is 24 miles and goes from Perry to Rippey. This year we were blessed with 40 degree temps and little to no wind! It was a great ride and we had a ton of fun.

Kyle and a few other riders decided to ride from Des Moines to Perry, so they left around 6am and Julie, Mindy, and I followed with vehicles at about 8am. Kyle and crew made it to Perry about 9:30 and they were ready for more. We were also ready to head out!!

Our first stop was at Breadeux Pizza for a group photo and for some, a pre-ride beverage. Me personally, I like to ride a little before any beverages. Julie, Mindy and I headed out before the rest of the group as it was Mindy's first BRR and she wasn't sure how long it would take her. She did well. The west wind the last 4-5 miles into Rippey got her a little, so Julie and I taught her a little lesson in drafting. JG and I rode fairly close to each other and we had Mindy tuck into our back wheels for some relief.

Once in Rippey, we met up with the other Pink girls and had a beer in the beer tent. Our ride back was a little easier as we had a slight tail wind. It was a great ride!!

Thanks to Mom for driving down and spending the day with Alexa!

From sledding to swimming...

2009-02-07T20:37:00.004-06:00

Alexa just finished up her first session of group swimming lessons. We have been doing waterbabies since she was 8 months old and she loves the water. It was bittersweet for me as I love teaching waterbabies and enjoy her progress she has made with me. But with another teacher she tried some new things and progressed even more!

For group lessons she was in a class of 4 and was at the beginner level of Pike. Her teacher said she did VERY well and passed her to Eel!

Sledding!

2009-01-25T20:10:00.002-06:00

OK...so these pictures are actually from Christmas Day, but I couldn't resist posting them. I'm so ready to get out there again, just need the weather to warm up a little!

Live Healthy Iowa

2009-01-16T20:54:00.004-06:00

I am once again team captain for a Live Healthy Iowa team. Last year I created team Voehendore and recruited Mom and sis Tracee to help us all motivate each other to get healthy and lose weight!

This year I extended the offer to my extended family and we now have a team of seven!
We have added Kyle, my cousin Paula, my aunt Lois, and another cousin Judy to our team and this year we are Team Famn Damily!

I am excited as it keeps me accountable for exercising and I'm hoping to be a great team leader and send them lots of tips and motivation to create healthy lifestyles.

Check out the program, create a team and compete against Team Famn Damily!
Live Healthy Iowa

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-01-01T11:19:00.002-06:00

May 2009 bring you a year full of love and happiness!

Happy Christmas!

2008-12-24T20:38:00.001-06:00

Wishing all our Family and Friends a
Very Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year!

Vegas in pictures

2008-12-20T20:24:00.008-06:00

Kurt found the slots right off the plane...

Getting excited to get to Treasure Island

Long plane rides make Sedore's kind of crazy

The classic picture by the welcome sign

Our view of the strip from our 18th floor hotel room

Treasure Island in the background

Hoover Dam

Inside of Hoover Dam

Construction of new Hoover Dam highway in the background

The white rock is where the water line was in 1996 when they had to open the flood gates

M&M world was awesome!

Monster and Tequila make for some crazy guys

We did get one dressed up night
It was a GREAT long weekend and we will definitely go back!

Jingle Cross Rock 2008

2008-11-30T21:26:00.009-06:00

Kyle's favorite cross race of the season, not only for the racing but the fun that is had at the race as spectators. This year there was even some fun during Kyle's race. He chose to race single speed this weekend and within that category, they also had the option to race in a Speedo. Yes, that is correct, a swimming Speedo, not the new jammer style, but the original little Speedo that you don't see much of anymore. There are pictures of course!

Saturday brought 40 degree temps and some great racing by all. Kyle was one of four wearing a Speedo. He was 2nd SS overall and 1st place Speedo. After his race we all headed to the hill with some adult beverages and had some fun cheering on the rest of the participants in their races.

Kurt made it down for the races also. His race was right before Kyle's. Not sure of his place, but he did good. Here's a re-mount pic.

The start of SS race and Taylor is stuck in the middle of the Speedo's!
The 4th Speedo (not pictured) was a guy in the Master's category and he raced on a Surly Pugsly!

Here he is...Kyle in a Speedo! I at first tried to talk him out of it, but I knew no matter what I said, he was going to do it anyway. I even tried to make Jingle Bells for his chest, but he has too much hair and they wouldn't stick!

Taylor was a little tired, can you tell by his face?
He did good for being sick just a couple weeks prior.

Another Speedo shot...check out that tan line! The mark of a true cyclist!

Sunday brought 32 degree temps and snow!! Kyle opted to save his skin and not risk the possibility of crashing and tearing himself up in a Speedo, not to mention the bitter cold! There was one Speedo participant, but I don't know who it was.

Kyle again placed 2nd overall in SS class. A great weekend of racing for him!

Kurt making his way up the snowy hill.

Kyle coming down the muddy hill!
Re-mount - the Pterodactyl!
Coming around the fence...thanks for the great shot Beth!
The ceremonial post-race beer...shared with a friend!

Picture by Tony Sedore

We had a great time and we'll see, if I can get some good riding in next year, maybe I'll try the race too!

2008-11-27T08:18:00.002-06:00

Thankful for a happy, healthy life and all the wonderful family and friends that I have!
Have a GREAT day, eat, relax, and enjoy the day!

Happy Birthday!

2008-11-24T18:40:00.002-06:00

Kyle turns 33 today!
Happy Birthday...we Love You!

Cranksgiving

2008-11-23T22:09:00.007-06:00

On Saturday, Kyle and I, along with many of our cycling friends participated in Cranksgiving 2008. We had a ton of fun and got many items for the Food Bank of IA.

The main jist of the "race" was that we had to get 12 items at 12 different stores and ride our bikes to get it. We had a balmy 34 degrees and snow! The spirit of giving and for me, just being on my bike again, made the conditions seem like no big deal. Here are some pics Kyle took while out riding.

Julie G. and I on the hunt for an item...

Mike Lebeda...I think he was singing: Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!!

Cam Kirkpatrick was holding me back so we couldn't leave while his Julie was buying their goods! CHEATER!!! :)

Mike and Jacob Naumann en route to their first store!

It was A LOT of fun and Julie G and I are definitely in for next year! Julie had a good report on our joint blog...check it out!

Look who's 3!

2008-11-16T15:30:00.008-06:00

Monday Nov. 17 is Alexa's 3rd birthday! It's amazing to me that she is growing like she is. She is getting smarter every day, and I have to give kudos to her preschool for that! She has picked up on so many things and has a great memory, I am really enjoying her personality right now!

We celebrated on Saturday with a Mickey Mouse pool party out at the AmericInn in Grimes. She had a ton of fun! I let the kids swim for a while, we then had pizza, opened presents, had cake and ice cream, and then finished off the night with a little more swimming. It was great to not have everyone stuffed in my little townhome!!

Her cake was made by Steph from Ankeny, she did the cake last year at the last minute and it was awesome, so this year I contacted her almost 2 months ahead of time! This year with more planning, we were able to be more creative. Alexa is all about Mickey right now, so we did Toodles from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show. Toodles brings Mickey and friends the Mouseketools when they need them to solve a problem. She thought it was pretty cool.

Pre-swim pictures with the Toodles cake.

The annual pic with the cousins, Natalee, Elizabeth, and Matt.

Ripping into the presents.
Blowing out the candles. She did really well!
All dolled up with her new Princess accessories!

My sweet baby girl is definitely a "big" girl now! Happy Birthday!

Finally...Spooky Woods

2008-11-09T14:26:00.003-06:00

Getting ready to go...

Princess Fiona (Mindy), Unhappy Jail Bird (me),
Drummer from Def Leppard (Kyle), Elton John (Kurt)

At the party....

The cool hollow logs with faces cut out!

Elton John and Princess Fiona

Jailbird and Eve (Julie G.)

Mark from Irwin's (Andy), Prison Inmate (Bill), Kristin as Bruce and Bruce as Kristin,
Drummer, Fiona, and Elton John

It was a fun ride with good friends, good food, and drinks! Hope to do it again next year!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2008-10-30T21:04:00.003-05:00

From Minnie Mouse...

This was from Friday Oct 24 after the YMCA Halloween party.
She made the necklace she is wearing at the party. She chose to do a bat necklace over a pumpkin or ghost necklace!

Oct 30th...Des Moines Beggar's night. We went trick-or-treating in the mall and then stopped at a couple of friends places.

Hope Everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween. Pics of Kyle and I and friends after the big Spooky Woods ride Halloween night...stay tuned....

Some fun...

2008-10-30T10:51:00.001-05:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Ancestors - Genelogy

I guess according to them, Alexa is a good mix of us! No wonder people say she looks like me, when I think she looks more like Kyle!

Sedore October in Pictures!

2008-10-26T16:34:00.003-05:00

Pumpkin Patch October 4th.....

Pumpkin Patch photos courtesy of the Webb family.

Cross out Crohns Cyclocross race Oct 5th

Spooky Cross Cyclocross race Oct. 25th and 26th

This is what happens to fine blond hair when all the moisture is taken out of the air!
Spooky Cross Oct 26th was 35mph winds and cold!

Halloween pictures to come at the end of the week!!!

Candles for Causes!

2008-10-01T14:35:00.006-05:00

Susan G Komen for the Cure
www.komendesmoines.org

Prayer Child Foundation
www.prayerchild.org

What do these 2 have in common?
I want to help both of them in the month of October!

For every Candle for Kids candle sold, I will donate $1 to
the Susan G Komen for the Cure – Des Moines affiliate!

The candles come in 4 great scents…
Baby Powder
Baby Magic
Cuppie Cakes
Cinn-a-Raisin Toast

The cost is $17.48 per candle
plus tax/shipping

How does this also help the Prayer Child Foundation?
For every Candle for Kids sold, Gold Canyon donates all of the sale proceeds to the Prayer Child Foundation.

Are you interested?
Place an order on my website by October 31st.
www.mygc.com/juliesedore
Payment is made on the website.

Or email me the scent and quantity you would like and I will place an order on October 31st.
luvcandles@mchsi.com
For me to place an order, I will need your payment by Oct. 31st.

Thank You for helping me on this challenge for October!

Julie Sedore
Gold Canyon Demonstrator

Feeling sentimental....

2008-09-26T18:03:00.002-05:00

Last night as I was tucking in Alexa, just looking at her made me realize how truly blessed I am with my life. Some reasons why....

Kyle - My true love. He has been a great husband and a great father. Yes, there are times I want to just scream at him, but some of that is just me being difficult too! He has stuck by my side through my tough times and makes me feel extra special when I really need it!

Alexa - my little miracle! To think, 3 years ago we were anxiously awaiting her arrival! Her little personality has so much character. A true joy to be around. Some days I still can't believe that she is really mine and how much she has blessed our lives with love and fun!

My parents - My relationship with them has just grown more and more over the years. I admire them for all they have been through. When I'm having rough times with Kyle I think of how they have made it through some tough times and how much they are still in love! It truly gives me hope that no matter what I will have a marriage that is as strong as theirs!

My siblings and their families - growing up we were the typical siblings and fought A LOT! Tracee, I did wear your clothes even though you told me not too! Ben, even though I thought you were the biggest brat, I would have done anything for you! Now we get along great and I really look forward to being with them. I absolutely LOVE my nieces and nephews and hey, my in-laws are pretty cool too!

My Parents In-law - I am very fortunate that I get along great with my in-laws! I know there are some out there that really dislike going to the in-laws, but I've even gone and stayed in Cedar Rapids with mine without Kyle...how often does that happen? I know we have our differences sometimes, but hey, who doesn't!

All my other friends and family - I am surrounded by great people! There are so many that we have a ton of fun with! You know who you are.

So all in all...Thank You to EVERYONE for enriching my life and making a positive difference in my life. I am truly blessed to have a great circle of friends and family!
Take Care and Love you all!

A fun Birthday weekend...

2008-09-22T21:44:00.004-05:00

As of Sunday I am now 34 years old...man that's starting to sound old!

My weekend started great. I got off of work about 1:45...as my boss said, "it's the last Friday of summer, no one should have to work today!" I stopped at the store, came home an picked up a little and then went and got Alexa from daycare. That night a few friends stopped by to grill and have some drinks. It was laid back and fun!

Saturday, Alexa and I lounged around in the morning and then got ready to go to Omaha for the night. Once Kyle got off work we headed over, checked into the hotel, and waited for my parents to show up. Once they arrived we headed over to the Old Market to browse and get something to eat. There's a fun little Christmas store that had LOTS of neat stuff, called Tannenbaum's. Definitely check it out if you really like to decorate for Christmas.
We ate a Southwestern American grill called Stokes. It was really good! Service could have been better, but oh well, it's a chance you take going to a new place.

On Sunday we took a trip to the Omaha zoo. Make sure you are ready to walk hills! There are lots of them. The zoo has definitely changed in the last 15 years. Some very cool exhibits and for being there for 6 hours we didn't even see everything! I would recommend it to all! Some of my favorite pictures of the day.

Kyle and Alexa checking out the Tiger.

I LOVE Polar Bears...this guy was walking around and swimming when we went by...very cool!

This gorilla liked Alexa...he crouched down by her and checked her out!

I also think flamingos are really cool. Very pretty!The butterfly house was one of the coolest things we did. Our camera doesn't do so good with still shots...this is one of the better pictures.

What has been going on...

2008-09-17T13:06:00.003-05:00

A few weeks have gone by and we've been a busy family!

After the Hickory Grove Triathlon I had my sight set on completing a good CyMan Tri on Sept. 7th. Well, I got lazy! I didn't train like I should have, more maintained than anything. I had about the same time as HG, but all in all it should have been faster as the bike was shorter. You can read my account here.

On Sat. Sept 6th Alexa headed over to G'ma and Papa Sedore's for a week vacation. She had a lot of fun and I got her room painted while she was gone. It is now Daddy's Little Girl Pink! Basically a little girl pink. She loves it! Her comment last night, after being home since Sat. was..."look at this pretty pink room!" She just can't get over it. I also ordered new valances to go with her pink curtains to break up the pink a little bit. I'll post a picture when I get the new valances up.

Kyle has started Cyclocross practices. He is gearing up for the last race of the season. On Nov 29th and 30th is Jinglecross in IA City. This year the Cat 3 riders are staged with the Cat 2's. Making it a harder race and he wants to do good! So every Tues. night is practice with other training rides in between. Cyclocross is fun to watch. The riders have to go over barriers and run up hills with their bikes. So it's ride, get off and jump over barrier, hop on and ride some more, hop off and run up a hill, back on and ride some more, barriers, etc. I'm excited for this season of racing to start!

Alexa is still enjoying SONshine Preschool and Daycare. Last night we had the family picnic. She had a lot of fun running around with all her friends. The preschool is based at our church and we are very happy with the program. She has been there since May and was excited to go back after her week at G'ma and Papa's. On Sat. she asked, "Mom, do I get to go to preschool tomorrow?" I had to inform her that she only had one more day to wait and she was so excited!

I know there is more as it seems I've been running around like crazy...but I just can't think at the moment! This weekend is a trip to the Omaha zoo...pictures to come!

PUPPIES!!

2008-09-03T22:11:00.003-05:00

My sister still has 4 puppies that they need to go to good homes! Comment if you are interested!
There are 3 black and 1 yellow lab left. The yellow is female and one black is female.

another thanks

2008-08-27T20:30:00.002-05:00

OK....so I was just reading through my post again and noticed I didn't mention a couple of people! I big thanks to Kurt and Mindy for coming out too! I know Kyle appreciated the help with Alexa and it was nice to hear multiple people cheering for me!
Also thanks to Julie G. for keeping me sane the week before. I was so obsessed with getting a better time that I was getting really nervous for the race.
THANKS TO ALL!!!

Hickory Grove Triathlon

2008-08-25T21:59:00.004-05:00

Sunday was my second race of the season, the Hickory Grove Sprint Triathlon. I was up bright and early at 4:30 to head up to Colo, IA to set up transition and get some good warm-up time.

After setting up, talking with Julie G, and my online buddy Dora, I headed down to the lake to warm-up. By 7:30 the air temp was about 60 degrees and water temp 77 degrees. First wave was off at 8:00am...Julie G was in this wave and she did great, I got to cheer her out of the water before I started 18min later!

Ready...set...GO! I was off to the swim. It felt really good until about halfway back after I rounded the buoy. My arms felt like dead weight. The only thing that kept me going was the girl to my right. I didn't want her to get too far ahead of me. I didn't know if she was in my age group or the one below me as they gave us the same color swim cap...I just wanted out of the water before her!

Coming out of the swim in 9th place!

The bike felt pretty good! I'm going to have a bike fit done before my next race for sure. My feet still don't feel quite right when I'm riding and now that I have the seat that I want, I need it adjusted just right!

Coming through on lap 2 of the bike leg...I think the guy in the blue was finishing his last lap. Some of those guys are FAST! I had the 13th best time on the bike.

The run is definitely where I need the most work. I was a sprinter in high school and it is challenging for me to get my breathing just right. In high school I used an inhaler during practice, but haven't had one for years! I've been trying to regulate my breathing without medication, but may have to just buckle down and get tested again. We'll see how this winter goes with training. Anyway...I did walk some, but still had the best run time to date. Just under 11min miles. I would like to be at 10min miles...we'll see!

Coming around the last curve of the run! I was trying to "kick it in". It didn't work the way I wanted though! I had the 23rd best time in the run.

Crossing the finish line! The guy with the Tri shirt is Scott. He's the one that pretty much talked me into doing my first tri last year. He taught me a lot!

I finished in 1:37:10....9 1/2 minutes faster than last year! My overall time was 16th out of 25...not too shabby! I was amazed and happy! My goal was 5 minutes faster, so I'm not sure what I'll make for my goal next year!

Kyle and Alexa were great cheerleaders! They arrived just before I was to head out on the swim and were there for every transition and I could hear them on the bike and run! Thanks! Love You!

Alexa picking pine cones out of the tree waiting for me to come in during the run.

Her shirt says: "Tri, Mommy, Tri" She loved the little playground!

Check out Julie G's account of her race here...she did awesome!

2 1/2 year pictures!

2008-08-15T12:14:00.005-05:00

I've decided that every year we are going to do 1/2 year pictures for Alexa, this way we can do a picture each year in her Dad's biking jersey and I can get other professional pictures other than just her birthday in winter clothes.

Tracie Shaner of Shaner photography has taken her pictures since she was 18months...I LOVE her! She takes a bunch of pictures, finds the best ones, then puts them on a CD so you can print what you want, when you want! It is a great service and we will use her as long as both of us are around!

Here are some of my favorites from the last photo shoot....and these are from an uncooperative little girl that morning!

Posing with Dad's jersey and her bike...last year you couldn't see her hands!

she loves the pretty flowers...

Such a little lady...

Kisses from Mom...

Kisses from Dad...he was out riding the same area where we took the photos...she wasn't amused that he was all sweaty...she doesn't like that much!

Busy weekend...

2008-08-11T21:48:00.005-05:00

Alexa and I headed back to Marcus this past weekend for the Marcus Fair and my 15yr Class Reunion. We had a full weekend and had a lot of fun.

Friday morning I headed out on my bike to Tracee's house. Mom and Alexa followed a little later. They went by with about 6 miles to go. Mom slowed to make sure I was OK and traveled on. I made it out to Tracee's (16.5miles) in just over an hour. Not bad for some good hills and a headwind!

Once at Tracee's we jumped in the truck and headed over to the old place to check out Molly's puppies. 10 lab puppies. 2 female and 8 male. Here are some pics if anyone is interested!! Just let me know!

Alexa holding the runt of the litter. If you are looking for a smaller lab, his paws looked pretty small so I don't think he'll get real big. He was very content to lie on his back. They say if the lie on their back, they will have a good demeanor when they get older!
Yep...still had the cycling clothes on...I had to ride back home yet!

They are 4 weeks and have started on puppy food! They all pile into the bowl and dig around each other for food! It's really cute!! The fat black one on the left is a female an so is the yellow one on the top right.

The yellow female. She was tired from playing! She is going to be a very pretty dog! This is actually the one I want, but we can't have any pets over 25lbs in our townhome! :(

On Friday night and Saturday we headed up to the Fair. They have 3 buildings with exhibits. One with all the food/craft judging. Farm animal judging, and even amusement rides! Alexa decided that she liked the bounce house and Pooh's playhouse the best!

Here she is in the bounce house.

In the balls of Pooh's playhouse. It was a cute little maze. The Carny girl didn't think she would make it through and she made it through like it was nothing at all!

The biggest thing for the fair this year was the Westernaires show. Click on the link to read about it. The horses were kept in a pasture just east of Mom's house. So we had to walk over and see them. I really don't know how many there were, but it was just a beautiful site! The show was awesome and I was amazed at some of the things the kids did!

Alexa and cousin Elizabeth petting one of the many horses that came up to the fence to greet us.

This one is a Mustang. It had a brand, which Mom and I think said: "US Service"A view from the corner of the pasture. The paints were absolutely beautiful!

A great weekend with family and friends! Make sure you check out my class blog for pictures from the reunion.

Times are changing...

2008-08-06T15:04:00.003-05:00

There have been some changes in the Sedore household and it definitely reflects in our attitudes!

Kyle has started a new job. He is now a Service Advisor at Hummel's Nissan. Plain and simple he needed a change. His first day was Aug. 24 and so far so good! He likes it and already he seems more relaxed and happy.

As for me. I have decided that I need to focus on myself and my family a little more. So that means no more coaching at the YMCA. I have toyed with the idea for the last year, but kept on going as I thought it was the one thing that was keeping me sane. You know, a break from Alexa, giving her and Kyle time together, but it really wasn't, it was causing more stress.
I'm sure I will miss it, but it will be good to focus on me!

I am going to focus on getting Alexa involved in a couple of programs at the Y, and focus more on my training so I can continue to do Triathlons next summer. I have 2 more sprints this year, I want to try and complete a sprint each month next summer and my ultimate goal is Hy-Vee Olympic distance Tri in 2010!

Our lives are definitely changing and we are realizing that different things are important to us now then what was most important 2-3 years ago!

RAGBRAI

2008-07-31T15:18:00.003-05:00

Finally...an update! Julie G did a good story on our blog, check it out!

I was actually a little nervous for the 3 days as I was sick for 2 weeks and only had one week to start working out and get a little saddle time in before the ride. All in all it went really good and I'm ready to do it again! Sounds like it may be family trip next year with Mom, Tracee, and any other family that wants to come along. I will definitely have to get more riding in before doing a whole week though.
A couple highlight pics of the week.

We did the ceremonial tire dip on Saturday. It was a 20 mile round trip ride from the camp ground. It was a good warm up for the next 3 days!

Don't remember the town, but we had to take this pic. I chose to be a brunette for this picture!

I had to take a picture with the Red Hat Ladies! They were having a blast waving, talking and watching all the cyclists.

Coon Rapids had their mascot lying on the road as roadkill! I really felt sorry for the lady as it was VERY hot out! She was having a lot of fun and encouraging everyone to lie on the ground with her for pictures!

Once again, it was a blast and I will definitely do it again!

Cycling and Trail Building

2008-07-18T10:12:00.002-05:00

This weekend will bring lot of cycling for me and lots of trail work for Kyle!

I will be heading over to Mo. Valley on Saturday with the Pella Cycling Club and ride the first 3 days of RAGBRAI! I'm excited and nervous at the same time. The first 2 days are the hilliest days of the ride...my legs don't like hills! I guess it will be good training for me! I'll post pictures on Wed. when I get back.

If the rain holds off Kyle will be working up at 7 Oaks all weekend getting the trail ready for the upcoming races. They have a lot of work to do! They've already replaced the bridges and now need to get going on the actual trail. Check it out here.

Have a GREAT weekend and we'll see you on Wednesday!

Update and a couple pics

2008-07-11T18:32:00.003-05:00

The last couple weeks have been kind of crazy. I've been going up and down with what we think is a stomach bug...I'm still not totally unconvinced that it's from the water I swallowed at the Hy-Vee tri.
Anyway, other than going up and down with stomach issues...some days are a lot better than others...we had a good 4th Holiday and have just been trying to relax!

The weekend before the 4th Grandma Voetberg, Matt and Natalee came down for a visit. Alexa was a good help getting the corn ready! We also enjoyed an afternoon at the pool on Sunday. Alexa likes the big slide...but I forgot my camera!

Bob and one of his crazy sleeping positions.

Kyle and Bob play rough...the funny part is, when Kyle let go, Bob just lied there like nothing had happened. Don't worry he's not holding on too tight!

2008-07-03T17:39:00.001-05:00

My first open water mile swim...

2008-06-23T21:26:00.002-05:00

Before I recap my weekend, I'd like to ask everyone reading to say a little prayer for the family of the man that lost his life during the swim of the Hy-Vee Tri this weekend. Jim Goodman, 46, signaled for help and by the time the boat reached him, he was going under. They were unable to revive him. He is survived by his wife and 3 daughters, 11, 7, and 3....please say a prayer for them!

This weekend was the big Hy-Vee Tri. Saturday I went out to the kids races as I knew some of the little ones participating. They kept their event as a duathlon as the swim venue was still slightly flooded and there wasn't a good low depth area for them to swim in. These kids worked hard and did great. It was VERY cool to watch!

On Sunday I woke up at 3:45 to get some food in my stomach and do one last check of my swim bag to make sure I had everything. My biggest debate of the day was if I should wear my wetsuit or not.
Kyle dropped me off at the swim venue about 4:45 and I headed over to get marked and get the timing chip for our team. I hear the official announcement that the water is 75. I've already decided that since I'm not 100% on swimming this mile, I'd wear the wetsuit for the buoyancy in case I needed it....well, I think that ended up being the wrong choice!

6:00am - they finally get everyone out of transition and headed over to the start. The first wave is off at 6:18, we are the 4th wave out. As we line up for the swim I am really second guessing my wetsuit....too late now!
Off we go!
About 300yds into it I hear a bunch of yelling and my lifeguard instincts kick in, I see a group about 30yds to my right holding a person up and yelling for help, another gal next to me and I start yelling and pointing, they see them, so off we go again.
Round the first buoy and a HUGE gulp of water! YUCK! I'm totally disgusted as I know that the water is even dirtier because of the floods...I tried to do a little breastroke to get my composure, but felt like I wasn't moving. How about sidestroke...GREAT...it's faster and I can cough and get over my icky feeling!
Back to freestyle. Just before the next buoy I start to wheeze and feel really hot! I think I'm overheating in my wetsuit!! Back to sidestroke and use one arm to move the wetsuit a little to get some more water in it to cool me off.
I then round the last buoy and am in a good rhythm and WHACK, I get smacked in the head...the guy even apologized! Once again a little sidestroke to get my composure.
Almost done...about 400yds to go! Kicked it in a little and made it pretty close to the edge before I stood up. I RAN as fast as I could, without falling, in transition to get to Kristin Reese and she took the timing chip and was off on the bike leg.
So, decision made, wetsuit is ONLY for training purposes. I have had issues in my last 2 races wearing it. If it's cold, I'll deal with it. If I'm not 100% in my head, I'll just talk myself into it!
After waiting for Julie G to exit her swim, she did the whole tri, I changed and took a little jog up to T2 and found Kelli, our runner, and we waited for Kristin to come in on the bike. After Kelli left on the run, we went over and got some food and drink from the participant tent and went over to watch all the other athletes. Some of the people were amazing! Kelli had a great run and we felt pretty good about how our team ended up.

Official Results:
My swim - 33:32 - 1.5K or 1 mile
T1 - me passing to Kristin - 1:04
Kristin bike - 1:12:34 - 40K bike or 26 miles
T2 - Kristin passing to Kelli
Kelli run - 1:02:42 - 10K or 6.2 miles

Total time was 2:51:18 for 9th of 38 all women teams. We did AWESOME and had I personally had a TON of fun!!

Swim is on...

2008-06-19T08:50:00.003-05:00

it's official age-group and Elite will be swimming on Sunday. I have to say I'm kind of disappointed, the original press release made it sound they were just trying to find a venue for the Elites and I was ready to run!
I know a lot of people are happy the swim is back on, but I know others are tired of the back and forth.

check here for more info.

Another Update...

2008-06-17T21:33:00.002-05:00

At noon while at the Y and at the swim meet tonight, I've heard they are testing the levels of bacteria in the water at Raccoon River Park. So does this mean they will change everyone back to a true Triathlon if levels are OK.

OR

Will they change just the Elites so they have their Olympic Qualifying and leave the age-group as is. My vote...leave age-group as is. I know many people that have changed their mindset for a different event, or have dropped out all-together.

Definitely change Elite back to a true Tri if they can....they need that Olympic Qualifier if they can have it!

I guess we'll know in about 36 hours....stay tuned!

Update on Hy-Vee Tri...

2008-06-12T16:11:00.002-05:00

...looks like I will now be running a 5K as the last leg of our team! Freaking out, a little, my running still needs work! I guess this will be good training for me for my sprint Tri's later this summer!

more info here....

Hy-Vee Triathlon

2008-06-11T11:09:00.004-05:00

OK...so I'm supposed to be swimming at Gray's Lake on June 22nd for the Hy-Vee Tri. Well, it is currently closed due to the flooding and we have rain in the forecast for the next 2 days.

I emailed the race director and the Hy-Vee marketing director and asked to have something posted on the website as there are TONS of rumors going around about what is going to happen.
I got the following response:

Julie
When I know then everybody will know. With a changing situation - will not place wrong information on the site until I have correct info. Nobody wants to know what's going on more then me and I'm working with state and city officials to figure this out so please just tell folks to site and pray that the rain stops.
BB

Guess it's going to be awhile before we know if there will be an event!

Pigman Tri...DONE!!!

2008-06-02T13:11:00.001-05:00

The race went good! Check out a race recap here for more information!

Am I Ready?

2008-05-30T12:13:00.002-05:00

I really can't say for sure...but come Sunday morning at 7:30, I have to be!

Yep, my first Triathlon of the summer. Sunday Morning, Pigman Sprint, Palo, IA...first wave off at 7:30am!

If you are up at that time send me some good vibes...race re-cap sometime after...check back!

Biking in MN

2008-05-28T22:26:00.003-05:00

Last weekend we headed up to the Root River Trail in MN to go biking with Kyle's parents, Kurt and Mindy. My parents couldn't make it...bummer!

Alexa and I checking out the water below...

Kyle blew a tire...I think he almost gave another rider a heart attack!

The excitement of the afternoon and a comfortable trailer caused a little girl to fall asleep!

Stopping for a beverage break and enjoying the little shelter...it was a close one for Kyle and the nails sticking out of the roof!

Potty Break!

We had a lot of fun and can't wait to do it again!

Saying Thank You...

2008-05-22T10:12:00.005-05:00

I know there are many out there that do not support the war and all that goes with it.

But do you still want to say Thank You to the Men and Women of the military for the sacrifice they choose to do?

The Gratitude Campaign shows you how to say Thank You when you are uneasy or feel awkward about approaching someone in the military to say Thank You.

I know personally that I don't have the mindset to be part of the military and am grateful for those that do. My brother is in the Air Force and has not been deployed, and I don't know if he will be due to his field of work, I still thank him for his role in the military!

Check out the link if interested and have another easy way to say Thank You!

Morels...Sesame Street...Graduation

2008-05-20T15:13:00.005-05:00

What a week! Wednesday night we cooked up some Morels and even got Alexa to try them...we had to tell her they were just like chicken nuggets, but she like them and ate quite a few!!

Open WIDE!!!

MMMM....tasty!

Friday night Kyle and I took Alexa to Sesame Street Live. Even though she was tired she loved it! She got really excited and danced a lot when Oscar the Grouch came out. I still am curious as to why she likes Oscar so much...hmmmm?

Picture with the Elmo and Grover sign.

Oscar and Elmo singing and dancing!

After Sesame Street Alexa and I headed back to Marcus for my nephew's graduation. They had his reception on Saturday with the ceremony Sunday afternoon. After the ceremony we headed out to his cousin Kaylee's reception. I babysat Kaylee every Saturday from the time she was born until I went off to college, about 4 years.

They grow up so fast! I can't believe they are off to college in the fall!

I didn't get them in cap and gown as the crowd was too big...even for a little class of 44!

My nephew Justin and I

Kaylee and I...think she could be my little sister?

Trader Joe's?

2008-05-12T14:45:00.003-05:00

So Trader Joe's is a big commercial health food store.
Something Des Moines may be in the market for? What do you think?
Check out my other blog and if you agree, send a message to the company to try and get one in DM!

Decorah and Waverly

2008-05-11T21:25:00.006-05:00

Kyle's first race this year was the Decorah time trials. This has been his favorite race from year to year. Kyle headed up on Saturday with Taylor to pre-ride the course and just have a little fun. These pictures are from the pre-ride as they didn't have anyone to take pictures during their race. Full results here. He got 1st in his age group and 11th overall. Pictures taken by Taylor.

Rounding the corner

Limbo on the bike!

Water crossing!

The very next weekend it was back to NE IA for the Waverly cross country race at Camp Ingawanis. Alexa and I stayed home again so no pictures of Kyle. Kurt rode along and had his first go at a Mt. Bike race. I think he's hooked!
The Reese family camped the night before in one of the cabins...we may have to look into that next year!

Kurt making his way up the big hill

Kristin making her way up the hill

Taylor was a little tired on the way home.
Kurt also fell asleep leaving Kyle to drive "all by himself"

Bedtime Prayers

2008-05-06T20:40:00.003-05:00

Each night I've been reading a Prayer book as our last book of the night. The other day I found her in her room "reading" the prayer book. She has the whole thing memorized. So lately at night she has been "reading" me the book. This night she needed a little prompting toward the end.
It just amazes me that a 2 1/2 yr old can memorize a whole prayer!

Goals and Challenges

2008-04-24T17:32:00.002-05:00

This new year I set some goals and challenges and have been tracking progress along with my friend Julie; as her goals are along the same lines as mine.

I have officially signed up for the Pigman Sprint Triathlon on June 1st. Now that tax season is over I've stepped up the training a bit and am really getting excited for it!

I got a race report today. It is capped out at 800 participants and they are predicting the water temps to be 65 degrees! YIKES! Good thing I bought a wetsuit on ebay a couple weeks ago.

I bought the wetsuit mainly so Julie and I could start some open water training here soon. I am doing the Hy-Vee Triathlon as part of a team and to swim 1 mile in open water will need a little practicing. She is doing the whole Hy-Vee tri and you can see her training progress on our blog as well. So once May 1st hits we are going to plan some training in the COLD open water!

My first "challenge" will be the PRC duathlon on May 1st. Need to work on my running and I figured this would be a good way to get some practice in.

Check out my progress and feel free to leave any comments/suggestions!!

Tiny Tumblers

2008-04-19T22:30:00.004-05:00

This past winter Alexa participated in Tiny Tumblers at the YMCA. She loved it and I have to say, it really did help with some of her "play" skills. She can know jump with both feet off the ground and can do somersaults!
Here are some pics from her last class:

Jumping on the trampoline...couldn't get a good picture as she was moving too fast!

Walking on the balance beam...

Playing "red light, green light" with Daddy...the hula hoop is so we can help them stop and go!

Singing the "Bean Bag song"....she LOVES this song!

Next January she'll be able to do the Tumble Tots.....Mom and Dad can work out during this one....maybe I'll run around the track that encircles the gym, that way I can still watch but get a workout in too!

Last couple weeks...

2008-04-16T14:21:00.002-05:00

...have been pretty unproductive.
Alexa and I were both sick last week, and before that it was just the every day routine of go to work, come home, go to activities, and back home to bed.

Alexa has been in Waterbabies and Tiny Tumblers at the YMCA. We are going to continue with Waterbabies through May, but now that the weather is warmer and she can get outside and run around, we are by-passing the Tiny Tumblers. She's pretty tired at night. I'm hoping we can make through waterbabies too!

Sat. April 12 we attended Zoo Tots at the Blank Park Zoo. Alexa learned about bugs! They did a little craft, read a book, had a snack, and got to see 3 live bugs. Alexa even petted them! A hissing cockroach, a walking stick, and a giant millipede. They were actually pretty cool and yes, I petted them too! I'm not a big fan of bugs, but am trying to get better as I don't want Alexa freaking out every time she sees one. Next Zoo Tots is the 26th and if I remember correctly it is water animals.

This Saturday April 19th, I'm going to brave a bike race! Kyle is hosting a Mt. Bike crit and I have decided to get into the action. Nervous, excited and anxious all at the same time. I think it doesn't matter what I do competitively, I'll feel the same way every time. I always doubt myself, but I just have to go out there and do it!
Thanks to Mindy in advance for watching Alexa so I can race!

A new member to the Cycling family

2008-03-29T22:05:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Beth and Taylor Webb on the birth of a little girl!

Olivia Joyce
March 29, 2008
5 lbs 14 oz
19 1/2 inches long

She is adorable! Lots of black hair like Taylor, and a cute petite face like Beth.

Alexa and I got Haircuts!

2008-03-27T21:36:00.005-05:00

Tonight Alexa had her first haircut and I decided to donate to Beautiful Lengths.
Thanks Mandy, we love our new do's!!!

Getting ready to go

Combing it out

The first cut!Styling it all pretty
I'm all pretty now!Alexa did really good for her first hair cut. She sat still the whole time and even looked at her toes when Mandy told her too! It was really cute to watch and I'm so proud of her!

I was thinking towards summer and all the cycling, running and swimming I want to do and decided my mid-back length hair was going to be too much. So I found the beautiful lengths program and decided to cut it all off!

Ready to cut....

First side gone!All done!A new do and 10 inches of my hair off to make a wig for cancer patients.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T20:44:00.003-05:00

Well, since I don't know how to use our new camera yet. I only have this picture of Alexa today. I kept hearing beeps so I thought the camera was taking pics. But I guess I wasn't pushing the button down far enough. Hopefully Mom got some cute ones to print off!
The Easter Bunny hid eggs and toys around the living room. She got lots of candy and some change for her piggy bank in the eggs, sidewalk chalk, a Ducky, a movie, and Disney Princess Soap paints.
In this picture her hair wasn't curled yet...it looked so cute!!

Anyway....hope everyone had a Happy Easter!

A nice day for a Hotwalk!

2008-03-04T17:59:00.004-06:00

Alexa got to get outside on Sunday March 2nd and test out her new Hotwalk! Can't wait for it to get nicer so we can take it over to the park near our house.

She loved it! Took a couple spills and tried to offroad in the snow and rocks. Not quite enough balance for the offroad, she tumbled right away. Hopefully she'll be like Daddy and not Mommy when it comes to the singletrack! I've still got the iffy-nerves from when I did super-man at Boone about 4 years back!!

After the hotwalk she decided that she needed to ride her trike. First work on balance and then pedaling....she knows how it's done!

A slight incline in the road really helps with the pedaling. I had to push her on the way back!

Potty Training

2008-02-28T19:49:00.004-06:00

Alexa has been potty training and it's going pretty good so far. Some days are really good and others we just don't stay on top of it. We have a sticker chart in each bathroom and each time she goes potty she gets to put a sticker on. In January she had about 50 stickers between the 2 charts! At the end of each month she gets a present for having lots of stickers on her charts.

January's present was soap paint for in the bathtub...she LOVES it!

Tummy Masterpiece

I even get in on the fun! Mom's back Masterpiece
Wall Masterpiece

Will have to start thinking of another fun gift for February....she has LOTS of stickers again this month!

Bitter Cold!

2008-02-21T20:57:00.002-06:00

It is so cold!! I'm excited this weekend is supposed to get up to 35 here in DM!!

Anyway, not much going on as we can't get out and do much. We have started looking at resorts for our December trip to Mexico for our 5yr anniversary! I can't believe it was 5yrs ago we were planning our wedding trip! WOW....time flies!

Last weekend we headed up to MN for the annual QBP Frostbike show. On Sat. we headed in to the scratch and dent sale and found some really good bargains. Check out my other blog for the best find of all! I also found a pair of tri cycling shoes and Kyle found a couple things also.

The show was good, some interesting new products nutrition wise coming out and it was just neat to see everything again. It was good to have a weekend to ourselves as we hadn't had that for awhile.

Sunday as the big storm rolled in we took almost an extra 2 hours to get home. Alexa got stuck in Cedar Rapids at G'ma and G'pa's and didn't make it home until Tuesday afternoon and even then Tony and Kathy said the roads were still horrible! It took them almost an extra hour to get to our usual meeting spot. I was glad to have her home and I think she was too! She loves spending time with the G'ma and G'pa's, but it's always good to have Mom back!

Let's say our prayers for some warm weather soon!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

2008-02-14T09:48:00.001-06:00

A day to remember all those that have touched your heart in one way or another.

Be thankful for all the LOVE you have in your life today!

Love, Kyle, Julie and Alexa

BRR

2008-02-02T17:41:00.000-06:00

Not too bad today, but factor in wind from going 12-15mph on your bike and it makes it a little chilly!
Yep, today was the annual BRR (bike ride to Rippey) ride. Julie G. picked me up about 8:30 and we headed over to Perry, picked up our packets, geared up and started the ride.

We took it nice and easy, good 13mph pace, not too hard, but still passing people. About halfway to Rippey we turned into the wind...I HATE wind! Slowed to about 10mph and pushed our way into Rippey. Once we got there we had a cookie and some coffee...now I remember why I don't drink straight coffee...YUCK! But it warmed me up a little and I chose decaf as I'm trying to stay away from caffeine as much as possible.

Heading back to Perry was a different story, wind at our backs we sailed along at about 16mph for a few miles. Then we had to make a turn and got a little of a side wind...once again...I HATE wind! Slowed down for a while and then the last turn we got to pick it back up again.

Once back in Perry we went to the Rec Center and enjoyed some good chili and played a couple of games for prizes. I won $5 in Perry bucks...not sure when I'll get back to Perry to use them. Maybe Mom and Dad can have them and stop for sodas on their way through when they visit us! I also won a handmade crocheted hat. Cute, it's tan and maroon. Doesn't offer much for wind protection, but cute to accesorize with.

Kyle, Taylor, Kurt and a few other guys also made the trip today. I think Kurt is hooked! Kyle and Taylor were going to do 2 laps, but only got in about 1 1/2. Once they met Julie and I on our way back they decided to turn around and head back into town with us.

Good day on the bike. I forgot my heart rate monitor so not sure on the logistics of that, but I could feel myself working and my legs got a good workout with the wind and hills!

Changing it up

2008-01-19T14:54:00.001-06:00

I'm really into the Chocolate Brown with either pink or blue accents....so here it is, the new colors on our blog!

Surgery update

2008-01-18T22:08:00.000-06:00

I just realized I never updated on how I'm doing since my surgery.

Things are going pretty good. I did start exercising the first of January. The first day I took it really easy and felt good. Well, the way my mind works...it felt good, let's go harder! That didn't work out so well, lots of pain the next day! So I took a couple of days off and started slow again.

Just this week I was able to run 1/2 mile!!! No pain the next day!!!
I'm going to have to say the surgery is working so far.
The next step is finding the right birth control that will suppress my menstrual cycle, but not wreak havoc on my system. I'm not too keen so far on what he put me on after my post-op appointment. BAD mood swings, plus other not so fun symptoms. Will try it for another couple of weeks and see if symptoms go away. If not, will talk to him about something different.

The suppression of the menstrual cycle will slow down any re-growth of the endometriosis. Crazy disease...see link in the sidebar to learn more.

Hope this plays for you!

2008-01-08T21:53:00.000-06:00

Kind of dark, but cute....I hope the sound comes through....Alexa singing her ABC's.
E and N get run together. It's a little different each time she sings it. Sometimes you can hear them and sometimes not.
I still haven't figured out why it's kind of like a rap!

2008

2008-01-01T11:17:00.001-06:00

New Year

2007-12-28T14:57:00.000-06:00

2008 will hopefully bring a healthier lifestyle for me.

My friend Julie and I have started a workout/goals blog for the new year.
Wish us luck and track our progress!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2007-12-24T17:23:00.001-06:00

Wishing everyone a Blessed Christmas and a Joyous New Year!

Christmas Fun

2007-12-18T12:09:00.001-06:00

Do you know your Christmas Carols?

Have fun!

Lazy Saturday

2007-12-08T19:07:00.000-06:00

Well...for Alexa and I it was a lazy day. We finally got going around 11:00 and headed to the mall for a little Christmas shopping. Got everything I was looking for today and was out by 12:30! Yoo Hoo...I even found some awesome deals...can't hardly beat 50% off on some things!

After that it was home for lunch, Alexa down for a nap and a little cleaning to be done. Nice relaxing stress free day!

This is how she looks after she wakes up!

Found it very funny how two different cats take a nap too!

This is how a normal cat sleeps...she woke up as I was moving in for a picture.

And this is how Bob sleeps! He also woke up as I was moving around.

Kyle actually went out and rode his bike at 9:00am! It was about 10 degrees for the Renegade Cross race at one of the parks here in DM. No rules, no fee, no catgories, just go out and race for 45 minutes.
Kyle was thinking the snow was going to be too much to ride through so he brought Alexa's bike to carry on his back and run the course. Come to find out when he got there, Rob had shoveled a path for the entire race. Jane brought her cross country skis and everyone else rode their bikes.

Sounds like he had a lot of fun and from Kyle's stories it was exactly what they had suspected with no rules!! Lots of pushing people off bikes, stealing others bikes to ride, and just plain ol' having fun!

Paul Varnum has some pics on his post....Kyle is in the green/orange overalls! Link to his page on the right!

Back Track to Jingle Cross

2007-12-06T21:06:00.000-06:00

Jingle Cross was Sat/Sun Nov 24-25.
Kyle did very well, finishing 12th on Saturday and 30th on Sunday. After lap 2 on Sunday he decided his back had enough and just rode the rest of the race. Full results here. He rode in the Cat 3/4 races.
Saturday was his birthday and that night the girls of Punk Rock Cycling hosted a party at Donnely's Pub so we decided to attend. Thanks to our friends Rob and Donny; they got the whole bar to sing Happy Birthday! Great for a guy that doesn't like to celebrate birthdays.

Saturday, Mid-Air over the first set of barriers on lap one! Blue team kit.

Descending after a LONG climb!Sunday, rounding the corner for the climb up!

More images here...check under galleries...some great pics!

A slower December

2007-12-01T20:46:00.000-06:00

I mentioned in an earlier post that December was going to slow down.
Well...on Friday Nov 30th I had laparoscopic surgery to remove endometriosis and hopefully relieve some of the pain I've been experiencing in my lower abdominal region. The doctor found a little endo and some nodules that he removed. So let's hope this helps!

I was diagnosed back in March of 2002 when I developed a cyst on my ovary. I had a lap surgery to remove the cyst and that is when they found the endo. I had another lap in January of 2004 as I had another cyst and Kyle and I wanted to start a family. This spring I started experiencing pain after rigorous exercise. I would also experience pain after eating certain foods. Shooting stabbing pains in the abdominal region. Another symptom of endo.

I've learned a lot the last few months about what foods aggravate endo and in talking to other women online about how much worse the disease really can get. I actually have it pretty easy compared to other women.

I'm recovering well and hope to be back to exercising by January, either walking on a treadmill or sitting on the recumbant. My goal is to do 2 sprint triathlons and actually participate in some bike races this summer of 2008!

Look Who's 2!

2007-11-20T21:41:00.000-06:00

Life has been crazy! I feel like all I do is run around all day and night and then go to sleep, just to get up and do it again the next day. December will be slower...I'll get into that later. The big news of the day is Alexa turned 2!

Sat. Nov 17th was the big day and we had her party that night. She had a Curious George party and had lots of family and friends come over. Here are some pics of the terrible 2 year old...

She was all smiles as everyone sang Happy Birthday!

MMMM.....good cake and ice cream!

New Kitchen set from Grandma and Papa Sedore
Cousin Natalee did a good job helping her put all the food and dishes away.

Cousin Matt and Mindy showing her how to do her new sit and spin!
She does pretty good. A little slow still, but I'm sure it won't be long and she'll be as fast as ever!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2007-10-31T09:35:00.001-05:00

Sunday Oct 21 we visited the Williamson Pumpkin patch just east of Ankeny.

I see one Mom and Dad!!

I like this one!

Yep, this is it!

Sunday Oct. 28 we visited Night Eyes at the Blank Park Zoo. They set up a path of stations from local businesses and organizations for the kids to trick-or-treat in. They also have a fun zone with bounce houses and a giant blow-up slide. We opted not to do the fun zone as there were A LOT of older kids. We enjoyed the path and received a free ice cream sandwich from Wells Blue Bunny.
It was a good run to see if her costume was warm enough for Beggar's night on the 30th.

Cool! I get another pumpkin!

We did a little bit of Beggar's night last night. We opted to stop at some of our friends houses instead of going to the neighborhood houses of people we didn't know. Alexa had fun and got plenty of candy for an almost 2yr old!
What is Beggar's Night you ask? Read below...
Here's an excerpt from Des Moines Register Reporter Mary Challender's story this morning on Des Moines unique tradition of Beggar's Night:

The credit for providing Des Moines children with the perfect outlet for their most groan-inducing jokes largely goes to one woman, Kathryn Krieg, director of recreation for the Des Moines Playground Commission (later the Parks and Recreation Department) for 43 years.

When Krieg assumed her post in 1931, kids on Beggars' Night were more likely to clamor "Soaps or Eats" than "Trick or Treat." Every year the newspaper ran a long list on Nov. 1 of youths arrested the previous evening for crimes ranging from soaping windows and sidelining streetcars to setting fires and throwing bricks through windows.

The flash point came on Halloween in 1938 when Des Moines police answered a record 550 calls concerning vandalism. Krieg, along with the Community Chest' group work council, began a campaign to encourage less violent forms of Halloween fun.

They set aside Oct. 30 as Beggars' Night and got the word out to the public that on that night - and only that night - children would be allowed to go from door to door and say the phrase "tricks for eats." The council urged that "eats should be given only if such a 'trick' as a song, a poem, a stunt or a musical number, either solo or in group participation, is presented."

The next year, the group work council again promoted the Beggars' Night concept, this time as a way to aid the war effort. An article published in The Des Moines Register on Oct. 29, 1942, carried the headline "Kids! -Don't Help the Axis on Halloween" and included this poem encouraging proper behavior:

"Soap and ticktacks are taboo,
Ringing doorbells? Not for you.
Thoughts of pranks, you must detour,
Lest you bet a saboteur."

The Beggars' Night program was so successful that by the mid-1940's, the number of Halloween police calls in Des Moines had been cut by more than half.

After the war, Krieg continued to issue annual bulletins in the Register laying still more Beggars' Night ground rules, including that children should stay in their own neighborhoods and that parents should turn on their porch lights for trick-or-treaters and accompany small children on their rounds.

Each year, she reiterated that children should not be given candy until they earned it "with a stunt, song, or riddle."

Now on Beggars' Night, a group of preteen girls will occasionally sing a song or a shy kindergartner opt for a cartwheel. For the most part, however, every trick-or-treater old enough to memorize one tells a joke.

Why did Dracula visit the blood bank?
He needed to make a withdrawal.

Krieg retired in 1974, a few years after the Register stopped running her yearly admonition to make children work for their candy. By then, the biggest Beggars' Night concern wasn't the danger trick-or-treaters might represent to the public but the danger some members of the public might represent to trick-or-treaters. Krieg died in March of 1999 at age 94.

The joke-telling ritual continues, as does its legacy: Reduced vandalism. Instead of tales of marauding youth, the only Halloween-related story to appear in the Register last year was about a gathering of local witches.

Newton CycloCross Championship Race

2007-10-29T21:06:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday was the Newton CycloCross championships. Many images taken by Fryguy
I stole a couple for the blog. Kyle had fun and once again pushed himself hard. I don't think I can get him to do a write-up, but I can for sure tell you he would say...I had fun, about pooped when Thad went down in front of me, and finished the best I could.

Here is my pic...kind of far away, but you can see his barrier skills!

Here starts the pictures from FryGuy...the are good!
Start of the race...check out Marc's pre-Halloween face!
Round the tree we go!Chasing down Thad! Thad's the tall one that jumped over the fire at the 24hr race!

Alexa also had fun running around and playing with Kyle's parents. She slept good!!

One more race the weekend of Thanksgiving at the Jingle Cross Rock race! Maybe if Kyle wins the bike, then we can make me a cross bike for next year....hhmmmm....may be fun!

Past week recap

2007-10-08T19:27:00.000-05:00

This last week consisted of bikes, football, and candles!

Last Saturday and Sunday Kyle had the Newton Cross out Crohn's cyclocross races. He did well and had fun. Results here.
Alexa and I made it to Sunday's race and she had a lot of fun playing with the Reese triplets and just being outside.

Kyle's seat broke on the first lap...here he is letting us all know.

Next photos taken by Julie G.
Jump those barriers!Pushing hard...Isn't she a little diva!

On Friday I headed up to Marcus to see my nephew Justin play Football. It is his senior year and up until a week ago he was quarterback. The Friday before last he fell on his hand and dislocated his thumb. A sports trainer popped it back in that night. On Tuesday he went for an MRI and he has a chipped bone at the base of his thumb. So no more quarterback for the rest of the season unless he can get his grip back in the next 3 games. He had some great plays on Friday night and did just as good as running back and defensive end. Yep small town IA, the boys play the entire game!

On Saturday my Mom had a candle party, I think I'm getting all her friends hooked on Gold Canyon...she had few guests, but a GREAT party!
Then we just bummed for the rest of the weekend. Alexa helped rake leaves and just had a ton of fun playing with her cousins.

Taking a break to watch Grandpa mow the yard...

Natalee, Alexa, and Elizabeth

Girl's night riding

2007-09-28T22:02:00.000-05:00

Kristin and I headed out on the center trails tonight. It was a lot of fun and I really like my SS 29er Kyle found for me. I think I'm getting hooked!

We started with a little bit of time up on Hillside. Not too bad, I struggled a little in places, but for the most part I think my bike is geared OK for it.
After hillside we went down to Denman's. I really like it in there. Still need to get the courage to do some of the logs, but all in all I'm OK with most everything. Little Italy slows me down still too...those close trees at the top of the hill make me really nervous!
We finished out with what I guess is Squirrel's Nest and Rhythm (as Kyle tells me).

It was a fun ride and I hope to do it again soon! I'll try to remember my camera next time, and get a pic of my bike on here too.

Squirrel's Nest Time Trial

2007-09-24T21:51:00.000-05:00

This Sunday was the Squirrel's nest time trial.
Alexa and I headed over to the race via bike and trailer as the race took place in the heart of Des Moines. It's great that we have this wonderful little trail system in the middle of the city!
Wow is she getting heavy! Not to mention she moves around a lot more and makes the bike jerk quite a bit. Good workout for me!
A good race turnout to raise money for CITA and the Price Vandelune Memorial Fund.
Kyle ended up with 6th place in the expert field and decided not to do single speed. He cranked so hard his lungs hurt!

Kyle coming around at the end of the lap. Notice the pain in the face.

Taylor towards the end of the first lap...check out that face!! Wife Beth off to the side doing what she does best...snapping a pic of the hubbs! Well second best...she's a darn good knitter, check it out here.

Jay Chesterman of Sioux City cranking on his single speed lap.
Taylor also decided to rock the single speed.
More pics here and here.

Walnut Creek Dolphins

2007-09-19T18:49:00.000-05:00

The swimteam is another love of mine and enjoy it every time I go to work!

I have been coaching on and off since I was in college and I truly don't know when I will stop!! I'm kind of hoping some day that Alexa will be a swimmer like her Mom. I know...I know...I have to let her choose...but a Mom can dream can't she?!

Right now I work mainly with the 10 and under age group and the kids are just so darn cute. Last night at practice I was 20 questioned on my tattoo. One girl asked why I had a cross and I told her it was because I was a Christian. Her reply: "I'm a Christian too, and I don't have one!" I told her she was too young...this all coming from a 9 year old. She then proceeded to keep the questions coming...I think she was trying to get out of swimming!

Anyway...check out the link to the team site above and learn about my first love...swimming!

Yoo Hoo....

2007-09-15T19:07:00.000-05:00

....Cyclones win!!!

check it out at: http://www.cyclones.com

yep still haven't figured out how to make the cool little underlined link thing....I need help!!

ISU vs Iowa.....

2007-09-14T15:59:00.000-05:00

Who are you rooting for tomorrow?
After ISU's first 2 games it doesn't look good for us, but I have to say......GO CYCLONES!!!!

24-Hour...finally some pics

2007-09-09T16:08:00.000-05:00

The 24-Hour race was Saturday and Sunday Labor day weekend. Kyle was one of the race directors and decided this was the year to totally relax! Him and Ron (another race director) decided to sign-up as a 2-man team so they could do a couple laps if they wanted. We had a ton of fun and can't wait for next year.

Here are Taylor and Kyle coming around for a lap. Taylor did the 12-hour portion solo and ended in 3rd place! Way to go Taylor!!

Taylor is first rider, Kyle following.

When 2 guys create a brotherly bond as these 2 have, they have no problem posing for unmentionable pictures! Beth (Taylor's wife) and I are really starting to worry about them!

Once again, we had the biggest fire in the camp. I even got video of Thad Neil jumping over the fire. I just don't have the cable to download it to the computer yet....sorry!!

For those of you that don't know Thad, he is the tallest guy I know in the cycling community and had no problem jumping over the fire. I just wish I would have taken a picture of Thad sitting in the Tot Spot chair....his knees were literally up to his shoulders! hee hee

MMMM.....chocolate chip cookies

2007-08-30T22:02:00.000-05:00

Alexa helped me make chocolate chip cookies for the first time last night. Aunt Tracee would be proud that I actually made cookies and not just bought the dough!
The best part was when she dropped the mixing fork in the butter and sugar mixture....she didn't like the feel of the mixture and dripped batter all over the place!

here is a pic of her mixing the butter/sugar mix with the eggs!

Re-wind to the State Fair....

2007-08-30T21:59:00.000-05:00

Just got this picture downloaded and thought the need to post it! We took Alexa to the State Fair on Mon. Aug 13th. She got to pet a lamb, calf, and a chicken. I attempted to talk to someone about letting her pet their horse, but they didn't even acknowledge that we were looking at their horse...SNOBS!!

Anyway, here is a pic of Alexa and Kyle with the calf.

Actual Results

2007-08-29T19:29:00.000-05:00

Well....the results have been posted and I did better than I thought on my Triathlon!

I signed up for the Athena age group...yep, women over 150 lbs....ooph ooph!! There were 12 in the group and I got 7th out of 12!! My actual time was 1:46.40

Swim time of 10:21 - 3rd out of the water
transition time of 2:04 between swim and start of bike
Bike time of 55:23 - 6th off the bike
transition time of 1:03 between bike and run
Run time of 37:50 - 9th to finish in the run.

Overall the groups I was 297th out of 342! hee hee, that sounds really bad, but I know it's not!

It's done....My first Triathlon

2007-08-26T16:28:00.000-05:00

WOW....that was an adventure!
It was fun, exciting and hard all at the same time! I'm not as good at re-capping as some of you out there, but here it goes!

We arrived and picked our spots for transition and got everything ready to go and set up. After I was all set up, I warmed up a little on the bike, went for a very short run, and then headed down to the water for a little swim. I thought I was ready!

Ready, set, start! The swim went really well, I swallowed a bunch of water, had to do some breastroke to get back on course, but I was in the front part of mid-pack when I finished....I think!

Biking also went well. It took a little bit to get my legs going, but once I got over that little hump I felt good. There were a couple of small hills that got me, as usual! I need more hill work. One was a combo of hill and wind...definitely not my cup of tea! Aside from the hills the biking went really well. I kept it in the big ring 95% of the time and had fun. Oh, and my back was killing me!

Oh the run! Definitely a sport I need to work on! The first mile was the hardest, I think I walked about 3/4 of it! Once I saw the 1 mile mark, I knew I needed to get it going. I started running again and didn't take a walk break until about 1/4 mile after I saw the 2 mile mark. I walked a little and got some encouragement from another racer and started to run again. Across the finish line I checked the clock and saw 1:46.???

I couldn't believe it! I had done it in under 2 hours! Deep down that was my goal, but after the week I had I didn't know if I could do it!

Thank You to Jane Riessen for giving me a ride up there and encouraging me during the race! Also thanks to Kyle for cheering me on and being there at the end to catch me! I was in pain and needed him! and to Tony and Kathy for coming and cheering me on and helping Kyle with Alexa, once I get some pictures from Tony I'll post a couple.

I plan on keeping up with the training and trying a couple of more next year. Maybe just the sprint ones again and participating in some of the bigger ones on a team. We'll see what happens!

finally...CA pictures

2007-08-20T17:50:00.000-05:00

Some of my favorite pics from CA!!

My cousin Dan and his beautiful bride Suzie!

The Voetberg Clan!
Sis-in-law Courtney, Pete, brother Ben, me, sis Tracee, Mom June and Dad Marlo

The Etter and Voetberg Kids
Josef, Tracee, Krista, Dan, me, Kim and Ben

The view from the look-out point at the resort.

The big rock I found to climb before my run on the beach! I had to time it just right so the waves didn't get me all wet!

Baby elephant seals....they were so cute!

Just a pretty view at the beach.

Busy

2007-08-17T17:51:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note...

Got back from CA on the 13th...it was wonderful! Highs of 70, down in the 50's at night!! Coast was beautiful, will post pictures later!

Traveled back to Marcus for a funeral. My best friend's nephew (14) passed away suddenly. Please keep them in your prayers as the grieve.

Triathlon is coming up fast! One more week! I don't know if I'm ready especially since the last week brought hardly any training! As long as I finish!!

More later....

Little Marilyn

2007-08-05T19:05:00.000-05:00

Alexa doing her best Marilyn Monroe impression with the A/C vent!