Michigan weekend

We loaded up the car and went to Michigan for a mini vacation.  We hadn't been to Michigan this year as our June and July were packed with other travels/activities. 

The house we stayed at has the best walk in beach area.  I couldn't ask for anything more.  They also had all sorts of water toys for the kids, paddle board, kayaks, and a boat.  We took advantage of everything we could find.  The kids wore their floatation devices as required and wanted to be in the water all day.  It was a perfect weekend with perfect weather.  We took the babysitter too which helps make it perfect since it's back to man on man vs zone defense with children!

Kayleen is up for about anything.  She took each child on the paddle board and no one fell in the water. I can't say the same thing for Andrew who took the paddle board out without children. I wasn't silly enough to attempt such nonsense.

Kayleen and Miss M.

Drew and Willie ready to kayak.

Kayleen and Cater.

Miss M floating in her own personal blow up boat.

Drew and the paddle board.

Digging for treasures.

Miss M loved the tube. We could hardly get her off of it.  Andrew even tried to shake her up a bit by driving in circles and sending her over the wake but she couldn't been shaken!

Willie wasn't as fearless.  He did awesome but once he hit a few wake he was done.

Kayleen and Willie tubing.

The final test...Kayleen and Cater.  It was either going to be really good or really bad.  And I have to admit it was really good.  She stayed on the tube for quite some time without getting bored or falling off.

And then there were all of them.

Summertime playing

The baby house acquired a drum set.  Drum sets belong only in baby houses.  

Like weapons.  Weapons are becoming the new norm.  I prefer it stays in the baby house.  I've come to learn nothing stays in the baby house. Nothing stays where it's supposed to stay around here.

We went downtown to Andrew's office - I can't even remember why I would subject either one of us to such torture...it must have been a moment of weakness - the children destroyed his white board and wrote all over themselves while they were at it.

She had to buy the backpack that came with something.  Why would you buy a backpack that didn't come with some sort of trinket.  The backpack she picked out came with a batgirl stocking hat. The stocking hat will probably prove to be more useful than that bag that we have yet to use.  

Her intensity is nothing to be messed with.

Indoor playing at the Ball Factory.  I am not sure why I subjected myself to this destination now that I am thinking about it. The kids love it. There are a lot of nooks within the building but it's not a very big building so you can't really get lost but you can lose sight of your mother.  And when someone loses sight of their mother the tears start flowing like you asked them to pick up their toys.  And when  you consider it rare for all three of them to play together it means someone was always crying. I think I bought them each an $8 slushy as bribery to leave.

I moved some toys into Cater's closet.  I moved the baby stuff into her room also. She loves all things babies and we spend a considerable amount of time upstairs playing.

We were just conversing about our day.  She's been so talkative lately and not just bossy.  She's still plenty bossy but she chats with you also.  She's having less meltdown to the ground thirty minute tantrums since she's become more and more verbal.

Aunt Jessie bought Miss M colored hair spray for her birthday.  The girls rediscovered it.  She was stained pink for a long time.  My shower was stained pink for a long time also.

Cater flying in the air at swim lessons.  She loved it.  She loves to be thrown around in the water.

Ragbrai 2017

The kids dominated swimming lessons this summer.  They each progressed so much.  It was fun to watch them each morning happily get in the pool and work with their teachers. Miss M could have used some work in the listening department but her swimming progressed regardless.  

After our Friday morning swim class we loaded up the minivan full of suitcases, bikes, scooters, tents, and everything else we needed for the kids to spend a week at Grandma Camp and me to ride my bike across Iowa.  

Simple entertainment at Granmda D's can last for hours.

Feeding the ducks that I am not sure we were supposed to feed.

The next morning after arriving at Grandma's house I snuck out the door early in the morning to load a 10 passenger van with all my gear to drive and drive west for the start of RAGBRAI.

I set up my tent all by myself.  It's a popup tent but I was still pretty excited I was able to do it when I hadn't ever set it up before.  Everything laid out and ready to roll the next morning for our first day ride.

My friend Bob.  We rode RAGBRAI together back in 2007, 2008 and 2009.  We've remained friends and I adore who he is as a person.  We kinda matched on the first day.  We took off together but didn't ride together for long. 

I started and ended my day riding with the man in charge of the whole operation, Lonnie.  He's been organizing the Cobrai team since 2007.  He generally likes to ride alone but he let me tag along.

After cleaning up after the finish of Day 1 I went to the camp grounds and found my friend Keith. He was riding solo.  And by solo I mean with all his camping gear on his bike. It was an amazing feat to ride 60-110 miles each day carrying an extra 40 lbs (at least). He's my hero but I didn't envy him at all.

We rode together for the rest of the week until he ditched me on Day 6 to head off to a family reunion.  I've known Keith for a long time.  A really long time.  Andrew went to college with his wife, Michelle, which means I've known Keith for around 15 years.  Michelle and I keep in touch throughout the year.  And Facebook helps too.  We were able to chat about everything as Keith and Michelle's life is never boring!

We also got to chat about pie.  It was getting to be the end of the first day.  We were tired.  I had just asked him what his favorite pie was when we saw the Amish pie stand. We had to stop and get some fuel to take us in the rest of the way.  It was oh so yummy pie and homemade ice cream.

This was the finale of our century day.  It ended up being a 110 mile day for us.  It took us around 11 hours to finish.  We had a picture taken before but I can't find it. And I think the picture of us still smiling 110 miles later is what's most important.  It was a great day. It was a really hard day. It could have been a mentally defeating day had Keith not been such a great partner.  We did experience the most awful accident.  One biker ran into the wheel of another biker. It was completely innocent but they both went down and one ended up with a concussion.  The man started snoring while holding on to his bike in the middle of the road with the sun beating down on him.  It was so frightening. It was myself, Keith, the other cyclist that went down and the man's friend who had turned back around.  We were in the middle of the century loop so there were less people around.  There was also less cell reception.  Keith ended up getting ahold of the emergency teams but waiting was scary.  RAGBRAI also utilizes the Air Force Cycling Team.  Their role is to stop if they see anyone needs help from a flat tire to an accident.  Within a few minutes there were at least 20 Air Force men taking control of the situation before emergency crews arrived.  It was amazing.  Absolutely amazing to see 20 men/women coming to the rescue of a cyclist in need.  There was comfort there knowing you weren't alone.  We saw another woman go down about 10 miles outside of town when she hit a train track wrong and it caught her tire.  Again, there were Air Force cyclists at her side within minutes and before the emergency vehicles arrived.

One of the mornings we woke up on a golf course.  We were the only ones there. It was serene and beautiful.

Taking off from the golf course with Lonnie and Bob!

What RAGBRAI looks like when you roll through town.

What a rest looks like when you need to stop in town to rest your weary legs.

What bliss looks like after you rode a strong/fast 55 miles to arrive before everyone except the support crew and the host says you can sleep in a bed in the house.  It means the best night of sleep for the week.  Btw, I snagged the mattress and didn't have to sleep on the floor.  The award for riding as fast as I could.  Worth everything.  I took a 3 hour nap while riders rode in in the rain and I went to bed at 8:30pm.  The picture still makes me smile with joy.  

As we rolled into the next town we noticed the mural of Dan Gable painted on the side of the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame.  The mural was painted by the woman who let us sleep in her house, in a bed, in the picture above.  

It was really a great week. It made me so happy. I didn't have any responsibilities besides getting myself from one town to the next.  And I owe it all to Grandma for taking the kids and to her support staff :) Cathy and the kids had gone to visit as well as Nick and Callie being around in the evenings to help and keep Miss M over night.

One house we stayed in was on what used to be a goat farm.  The owner has a few cows instead.

Keith and I departing each other as he had other obligations and I needed to ride on to get my tent set up for the evening.

The final stretch.  You see a little bit of everything on RAGBRAI. I think that's why it's so special.  Everyday is full of new surprises.

We rode those hills to get to the final town.  They were no joke.  They might have been the toughest hills I have ever ridden.  And I crushed them.  And by that I mean I didn't walk.  

2017 RAGBRAI complete!

Team Cobrai.  I hope to be fortunate enough to ride again soon.

Cathy took a few pictures of the kids and sent them to me while I was riding. It was nice to get pictures and to know everyone was smiling and alive.  Reception was terrible in Iowa. It always is.  I wasn't able to make calls due to the extra 20,000 people in each town and texts were spotty at best.  The texts that did come in were a great reminder of how good things can be.