The official picture of me and Kyle from the Gran Fondo ride! My helmet seems to be pushed back a little far on my head! 

Last week, we kicked off our summer break with swimming lessons. They started on Tuesday morning and go through Friday, June 12th. Only Brooklyn and August are taking them right now, and they are 45 minute lessons during which Dorien and Wyeth hang out with me and watch. Which sounds horrible, but really hasn't been that bad at all.

After lessons, we head to the gym for my morning workout, and some days, we stick around to swim at the gym pool.  We went last Monday before the sun had really decided to shine full-time, and the water was unbelievable cold. My older three decided it was still worth getting wet.

Wyeth and I, on the other hand, quickly realized that it was way too stinkin cold for our taste.

Ok, so Brooklyn only lasted a few minutes.

August turned into a caterpillar under the water fountains.

Wyeth was incredulous about this!

Dorien, just chilling during a swimming lesson.  I love this kid. Today, he observed to me (while at the swimming lesson pool) that the white chairs at both pools are different. The gym pool has hard white lines, but the swimming lesson pool has bouncy lines on the chairs. What an observant kid! He said he prefers the hard white lines. He tends to fall through the other ones.  

Here's Brooklyn reading to her little brother, who absolutely loves this. He loves books and adores being read to. Especially by his siblings.  

So far, our summer has been lovely. I'm trying to make it special, because I remember summers as a kid being just wonderful! We've been able to swim more at the pool simply because I don't have to watch Brooklyn and August like a hawk like I did last summer. This lets me play more with Dorien and Wyeth in the water without losing my mind. Trust me, four kids at a pool is no picnic. We're making progress, though! Last year, I wouldn't dream of going to the pool without Kyle.

As a special treat yesterday, I bought S'more fixings and we made them for dessert using our gas burners! Why don't we do that more often? It worked just as well as a campfire (minus the bugs!) and was delicious! I even bought lemons to make real lemonade and I think we've eaten our body-weight collectively in watermelons and canteloupes. Once we are able to go blue-berry picking and stock up on those, it will truly feel like summer. There's nothing like a good sweaty morning stocking up on fresh picked blueberries. Fabulous!

Here's Kyle, me and Alana Leiva at the second pit stop. We had ridden 50 miles at this point! For the first half of the ride, Kyle and I rode together, but not really as part of a larger peloton. Which was ok with me, because I was just enjoying riding, period. I'm also quite happy to ride alone. This says a great deal about me as a person...

Around mile 40, we somehow formed a pack of random people and stuck together for probably 25 miles. As I said earlier, this was a completely new experience for me. I quickly realized that yes, there are some lovely benefits to riding close together in a line and drafting. You can maintain high speeds with little effort! It was so much fun! 

If you've never ridden on a really long ride like this, there are elements of it that may not sound fun. Hours upon hours of sitting on a hard little seat pedaling and pedaling, up and down hills, through puddles, the occasional gnat flying into your mouth (true story), dogs running up and acting like your leg is their dinner, sore muscles...but that's just one aspect of it. All the other aspects of it are absolutely amazing. 

For starters, anytime you embark on something like this with a bunch of other people who find the same thing really enjoyable - there is a sense of camaraderie that is quite special. Whether it's fellow runners or fellow cyclists - you instantly form a bond with these people. They get this part of you that many others do not. They don't question that you want to spend your time this way. They love it, too. 

So there's that.  And then there's just being out in nature.  I am not what I'd consider a nature person. I hate bugs, particularly mosquitos and I don't like being hot or sweaty unless I'm working out (as long as I'm wearing work-out clothes, bring it on).  Put me on a bike, though, or on a running path, and everything changes. I am able to truly soak up and enjoy God's beautiful creation. On a run, you see things move past you at a slower pace, but you still find yourself exploring new paths, roads, parts of the state you would otherwise never see.  On a bike, you increase that exponentially as the increased pace increases the territory you are able to cover in the same amount of time.  Riding through back roads, country lanes, up and down hills that undulate like a wrinkled quilt...glimpses of other lives and stories unfold as you ride by. I saw a rooster perched on a fence, crowing his lungs out and it made my heart so happy. I said hello to barking dogs, smiled at strangers, waved at cheering kids, chatted with other cyclists I'd never met. But mostly, just observed the quietness of a Saturday morning. Felt the cool breeze drying my sweat, listened to the hum of the wind zipping past my ears, took in all the lush green forests and later, undulating fields as our path took us on a meandering journey through farm land.  

It was a blissful 4 hours when no one asked me for food or to do something for them. I didn't have to play Solomon and decide who gets to play with the toy they all want.  All the stresses and daily wear and tear and frustrations of motherhood just fell away, like old scabs.  I healed on that 70 mile ride.  My body worked, my mind stilled, I prayed and praised God over the miles, exulting in the world He'd made that I was able to so thoroughly soak up and enjoy. 

In many ways, it was a state of bliss. Of grace. Of release. Of escape.

Yes, I worked hard. Especially towards the end when I needed more fuel, but didn't have any.

And even that is a beautiful thing - you experience the mental part of what challenges endurance athletes. You could quit. Lots of people would. But will you?

Not a chance. It's when you dig deep and say, yep, there's more to pull from. 

I've got this. And you pick it up a notch. And then you cross the finish line and there's the satisfaction of knowing you went further than you've gone before. And you look forward to the next time.

Thank you, Geo and Alana, for giving Kyle and I the chance to do this! 

We love you guys so much!