Showing posts with label Brian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brian. Show all posts
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Sunday, June 8, 2014
New Organist
Email written by Brian to his family:
I'd better not go to bed without making some kind of record of our experience in church today, and if I do it via email, you can share it with me. Here's a whole bunch of background before I get to today:
About four weeks ago, our bishop took me aside after sacrament meeting and told me he was thinking of calling (read "about to call") Tara to be the ward organist, and asked if I would support that call. I said, "Well, Bishop, you know I'll support any move you want to make, but I can tell you that will be challenging for her and for us." First of all, Tara is not an organist. She does play the piano, but that's not the same thing, and she and I both know it. But we also both knew skill would come over time (and by the way, don't misunderstand me - she's playing really well).
My main concern was our family situation. We're at a really difficult stage with our kids when it comes to behavior in sacrament meeting, and we've had more bad weeks than good lately. It's all we can do to keep from completely losing it, and that's with both of us working as a team all meeting long. One of us usually has to miss a large portion of sacrament meeting, taking one of the kids out into the hall. Now we would be adding another 30 minutes to that struggle, since Tara would need to be there early to practice and to play prelude, and I should also be there early (but rarely am) to help make sure the teachers have sacrament preparation covered. And, of course, once the meeting starts, now we would not have the full parenting team - worse, we would have the added distraction of Mommy being up on the stand and rambunctious kids not being allowed to be up there with her. You know what I mean: "Mommy! Mommy! I want Mommy! Let me go!" All this is just a portion of what flashed through my mind as I said, "...that will be challenging for us." But I also said, "You go ahead and talk to Tara, and I will support whatever you decide." And I meant it sincerely.
And, while I half expected him to change his mind once he really saw the full scope of the situation, I also truly believe that a calling is meant to stretch us and cause us to exercise our faith. Tara accepted the calling, and we braced ourselves for the inevitable.
There have been four awkward weeks since that conversation. The bishop has been unable to connect with the previous organist to release her, but he knew she would not be there to play and so asked Tara to fill in in the mean time. And, with other ward members not knowing that Tara is to be the organist, they haven't been giving her the hymn numbers so she knows what to practice, and we've had to hound the bishop to get that info, which he's not used to providing, because it's a calling delegated to someone else (round and round we go).
Today Tara and Paige went the 30 min. early, and I followed not far behind with the 4 boys. We walked because a) it was a beautiful day for it and b) the Sequoia needs a head gasket job and the van (which I still haven't sold) is out of gas until our next paycheck.
(*PLEASE* don't think I'm trying to get sympathy or pity by listing all these whiny details - I'm trying to set the stage for the mindset I was in going into sacrament meeting today. Not the ideal sacrament meeting mindset, I might add. I need to better prepare myself mentally/emotionally. Okay...)
We walked in just in time to hear the tail end of Tara's prelude and to find our seat on the bench space she had saved for us. We were on the side so I would only have one exit to block. Paige was making her social rounds, greeting all the grandparents in the ward. I got the boys situated, and I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Brother Blumer, my wife wanted me to invite you guys to sit with us so we can help you with your kids if you need it." Wow! Of course, yes please, I'll be right over! Humility dose #1. This was the same family that babysat Levi, Cody and Jonas while I went to watch Tara, Paige and Ashby in the UVMCO concert in Salt Lake - a very late night of babysitting for them.
A few moments into the opening song, there was a sudden outburst of little boy screams as Cody and Levi got in a fist-fight over who-knows-what. Cody is the easier of the two to lift, so I grabbed him and headed for the exit, while this couple and their teenage kids dealt with Levi. I abandoned Jonas there in his car seat, and I didn't even think of what was happening with Ashby and Paige (they're relatively low-maintenance anyway). As quickly as I was out of my seat with Cody, the man sitting right in front of me was out of his seat and sitting next to the kids I had just abandoned. Humility dose #2.
Cody calmed down pretty quickly, and we returned to our seats, but it wasn't long before Jonas, who usually sleeps through most of church, was crying and I had to turn my attention to him. I was holding/rocking/bouncing him to keep him calm at the very moment when the bishop called for a sustaining vote for Tara as the new ward organist. That's why my hand didn't go up. I think he understood that ;-).
At this point, I sort of lose track of the exact chronology of events. I know Ashby helped me by moving the car seat out of the aisle just in time for the deacons to not trip over it as they passed the sacrament. I know at some point another brother snagged Cody as he bolted down the aisle and helped calm him down until I could get there (joining the helpful family put us in a center pew instead of the side, so there were several times when the kid who needed the most attention was on the opposite side of the room from me). The first brother, the husband of the family we were sitting with, actually left the building with Cody at one point, and I probably could have let that play out just fine, except that I had already gone after them and Cody had seen me coming. So he and I both helped Cody decide to go back into the meeting. Then there's the sister sitting behind me who picked up the crying Jonas and rocked him, even standing at the back of the room with him for a few minutes, while I ... I don't know ... I was probably retrieving Cody from running onto the stand or something. Wait - where's Levi? Oh, he's sitting with that nice grandma/grandpa couple that lives kitty-corner across the intersection from us. And yes, Tara sat with us as much as she could (that's how she and I ended up on opposite ends of the long pew, with this other family and our kids interspersed between us).
At one point I took a quick count, and there had been six families directly involved in helping us with our kids. And with each act of kindness and patience, I was almost moved to tears. That's right. It may have looked like a circus act, with me jumping up every 5 seconds to chase after someone or to take back a misbehaving kid from someone, but I was actually feeling dose after dose of humility and evidence of Heavenly Father's love for us, as administered by others of His children. I wanted to take each of those individuals and families and hug them and thank them. And then I also realized there were dozens of other people around us helping by not only not being annoyed, but by smiling and sending positive vibes and empathic/sympathetic looks our way. I even felt helped by those who seemed completely oblivious to us because they were focused on the speakers or hymns or whatever was going on in the meeting. One elderly lady went out of her way to tell me after sacrament meeting that I have "darling children." It wasn't even with any "it's-a-good-thing-they're-
Get this: After the meeting, the brother who had initially offered the help of his family came up to me and, in an apologetic tone, said, "I don't know if we helped or made it worse for you." I assured him I was thankful for his help. I wonder how often we forgo helping someone because we doubt our own usefulness or don't want to intrude. I wonder how many of the others who helped us today felt apologetic about it. I didn't really get to talk to any of them about it, but they each did something to strengthen my faith today.
Oh, and here's the icing on the cake. This afternoon Tara got the following email:
"Tara, I had to drop you a note. You so reminded me of me, 40 years ago. I had 5 children under 10 and I played the organ at church also.
I'd better not go to bed without making some kind of record of our experience in church today, and if I do it via email, you can share it with me. Here's a whole bunch of background before I get to today:
About four weeks ago, our bishop took me aside after sacrament meeting and told me he was thinking of calling (read "about to call") Tara to be the ward organist, and asked if I would support that call. I said, "Well, Bishop, you know I'll support any move you want to make, but I can tell you that will be challenging for her and for us." First of all, Tara is not an organist. She does play the piano, but that's not the same thing, and she and I both know it. But we also both knew skill would come over time (and by the way, don't misunderstand me - she's playing really well).
My main concern was our family situation. We're at a really difficult stage with our kids when it comes to behavior in sacrament meeting, and we've had more bad weeks than good lately. It's all we can do to keep from completely losing it, and that's with both of us working as a team all meeting long. One of us usually has to miss a large portion of sacrament meeting, taking one of the kids out into the hall. Now we would be adding another 30 minutes to that struggle, since Tara would need to be there early to practice and to play prelude, and I should also be there early (but rarely am) to help make sure the teachers have sacrament preparation covered. And, of course, once the meeting starts, now we would not have the full parenting team - worse, we would have the added distraction of Mommy being up on the stand and rambunctious kids not being allowed to be up there with her. You know what I mean: "Mommy! Mommy! I want Mommy! Let me go!" All this is just a portion of what flashed through my mind as I said, "...that will be challenging for us." But I also said, "You go ahead and talk to Tara, and I will support whatever you decide." And I meant it sincerely.
And, while I half expected him to change his mind once he really saw the full scope of the situation, I also truly believe that a calling is meant to stretch us and cause us to exercise our faith. Tara accepted the calling, and we braced ourselves for the inevitable.
There have been four awkward weeks since that conversation. The bishop has been unable to connect with the previous organist to release her, but he knew she would not be there to play and so asked Tara to fill in in the mean time. And, with other ward members not knowing that Tara is to be the organist, they haven't been giving her the hymn numbers so she knows what to practice, and we've had to hound the bishop to get that info, which he's not used to providing, because it's a calling delegated to someone else (round and round we go).
In many other ways we feel like we're struggling, but
our list of stresses and anxieties would probably match that of anyone
else. We have a gazillion home repairs to perform, cars to fix, stresses
at work, doctor's bills, aches and pains, no money for it all, and we
especially worry for our sisters on both sides of the family right about
now. This is life, right? You take it as it comes, and try to deal with
it one thing at a time. But when you're asked right up front if you
would please change part of your routine and add a new challenge to your
life, you (perhaps subconsciously?) do a quick inventory and maybe
think, "Really? Right now?"
Today Tara and Paige went the 30 min. early, and I followed not far behind with the 4 boys. We walked because a) it was a beautiful day for it and b) the Sequoia needs a head gasket job and the van (which I still haven't sold) is out of gas until our next paycheck.
(*PLEASE* don't think I'm trying to get sympathy or pity by listing all these whiny details - I'm trying to set the stage for the mindset I was in going into sacrament meeting today. Not the ideal sacrament meeting mindset, I might add. I need to better prepare myself mentally/emotionally. Okay...)
We walked in just in time to hear the tail end of Tara's prelude and to find our seat on the bench space she had saved for us. We were on the side so I would only have one exit to block. Paige was making her social rounds, greeting all the grandparents in the ward. I got the boys situated, and I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Brother Blumer, my wife wanted me to invite you guys to sit with us so we can help you with your kids if you need it." Wow! Of course, yes please, I'll be right over! Humility dose #1. This was the same family that babysat Levi, Cody and Jonas while I went to watch Tara, Paige and Ashby in the UVMCO concert in Salt Lake - a very late night of babysitting for them.
A few moments into the opening song, there was a sudden outburst of little boy screams as Cody and Levi got in a fist-fight over who-knows-what. Cody is the easier of the two to lift, so I grabbed him and headed for the exit, while this couple and their teenage kids dealt with Levi. I abandoned Jonas there in his car seat, and I didn't even think of what was happening with Ashby and Paige (they're relatively low-maintenance anyway). As quickly as I was out of my seat with Cody, the man sitting right in front of me was out of his seat and sitting next to the kids I had just abandoned. Humility dose #2.
Cody calmed down pretty quickly, and we returned to our seats, but it wasn't long before Jonas, who usually sleeps through most of church, was crying and I had to turn my attention to him. I was holding/rocking/bouncing him to keep him calm at the very moment when the bishop called for a sustaining vote for Tara as the new ward organist. That's why my hand didn't go up. I think he understood that ;-).
At this point, I sort of lose track of the exact chronology of events. I know Ashby helped me by moving the car seat out of the aisle just in time for the deacons to not trip over it as they passed the sacrament. I know at some point another brother snagged Cody as he bolted down the aisle and helped calm him down until I could get there (joining the helpful family put us in a center pew instead of the side, so there were several times when the kid who needed the most attention was on the opposite side of the room from me). The first brother, the husband of the family we were sitting with, actually left the building with Cody at one point, and I probably could have let that play out just fine, except that I had already gone after them and Cody had seen me coming. So he and I both helped Cody decide to go back into the meeting. Then there's the sister sitting behind me who picked up the crying Jonas and rocked him, even standing at the back of the room with him for a few minutes, while I ... I don't know ... I was probably retrieving Cody from running onto the stand or something. Wait - where's Levi? Oh, he's sitting with that nice grandma/grandpa couple that lives kitty-corner across the intersection from us. And yes, Tara sat with us as much as she could (that's how she and I ended up on opposite ends of the long pew, with this other family and our kids interspersed between us).
At one point I took a quick count, and there had been six families directly involved in helping us with our kids. And with each act of kindness and patience, I was almost moved to tears. That's right. It may have looked like a circus act, with me jumping up every 5 seconds to chase after someone or to take back a misbehaving kid from someone, but I was actually feeling dose after dose of humility and evidence of Heavenly Father's love for us, as administered by others of His children. I wanted to take each of those individuals and families and hug them and thank them. And then I also realized there were dozens of other people around us helping by not only not being annoyed, but by smiling and sending positive vibes and empathic/sympathetic looks our way. I even felt helped by those who seemed completely oblivious to us because they were focused on the speakers or hymns or whatever was going on in the meeting. One elderly lady went out of her way to tell me after sacrament meeting that I have "darling children." It wasn't even with any "it's-a-good-thing-they're-
This is a stark contrast to the time a few years ago when we had just Paige, Ashby and Levi. We sat one Sunday
behind an elderly couple who was passing notes to each other the whole
time. The kids were actually doing pretty well that day, but they were
still a baby, a preschooler and a kindergartner - so you would hear them
every now and then. Well, we inadvertently caught sight of the note
conversation this couple was having, and it turned out they were writing
about us! "People should just keep their kids at home! Don't come to
church until your kids are old enough," etc. Luckily we were able to
laugh it off as ridiculously myopic, but it didn't do anything for our
confidence in parenting. I'm so glad this turns out to be the exception
and not the rule.
It's fitting that I had this experience in the same meeting
where Tara was sustained. I could see that she clearly is being
sustained. The congregation raised their hands, and they were
immediately put to the test. And it wasn't all chaos and juggling. There
were actually a couple of moments when I got to sit still and listen to
the speaker. I'm not sure how, but at one point I sat down, and I
looked around, and each of my kids was with some other loving
individual. I turned around to take Jonas from the sister behind me, but
she smiled and said, "We're fine." So I sat and listened. And what I
heard was an expression of Heavenly Father's love for me and for all of
His children in His family - it did feel like family. Get this: After the meeting, the brother who had initially offered the help of his family came up to me and, in an apologetic tone, said, "I don't know if we helped or made it worse for you." I assured him I was thankful for his help. I wonder how often we forgo helping someone because we doubt our own usefulness or don't want to intrude. I wonder how many of the others who helped us today felt apologetic about it. I didn't really get to talk to any of them about it, but they each did something to strengthen my faith today.
Oh, and here's the icing on the cake. This afternoon Tara got the following email:
"Tara, I had to drop you a note. You so reminded me of me, 40 years ago. I had 5 children under 10 and I played the organ at church also.
I
want you to know that it gets better and better. Time goes by so fast
and soon they are all grown up and gone and the 2 of you go to church by
yourself.
Nobody cares if the kids cry or make a fuss.
Enjoy playing the organ for your own sake. Don't even think about not
doing it.
Your kids are beautiful and smart. Enjoy them and have a great day."
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Free Night out
We just returned home from a fancy night out on the town. Really fancy - like we could've spent $300 fancy - but the best part is, it was all free!
Last Friday I learned that I won a Facebook drawing. You know, one of those contests that I enter several times a week, I actually won! The prize was two tickets to see the touring production of Jersey Boys at The Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City. Wow!
Before the show we enjoyed a super delicious meal at a fancy restaurant in downtown called Bambara. The good news is we had a gift certificate which had been sitting at home waiting for the perfect occasion. The bad news is that we were a half hour late for our reservation (due to work delays and a traffic accident) so we had to rush through our super delicious dinner. Here's what we ate:
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Warm Baby Kale, Crispy Prosciutto, Portobello Mushrooms, Potato Cauliflower Puree, Fennel Seed Butter
- Morgan Valley Lamb T-Bones, Farro Risotto, Baby Spinach, Red & Yellow Peppers, Caramelized Fennel, Pecorino, Garlic Chimichurri
- Blue Cheese Potato Chips
Then we walked across the street to the theater with our free tickets in hand. The good news is that our seats were awesome - 6th row center. Wow! The bad news is that we were up close and personal for all the profanity in the show (oops, we weren't prepared for that). I guess that's how everyone talked in Jersey in the 60's. Jersey Boys is the story of the rise and fall of the band The Four Seasons. The music was fantastic, and I'm still so impressed the high notes the lead singer can hit. But I feel bad that I can't really recommend it.
Overall, it was still a lovely night with my favorite person. Now we can say we have hobnobbed with Salt Lake City's upper crust.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Brian's Birthday!
The kids were so excited to celebrate Daddy's birthday. It was pretty low-key since Brian had to go to young men's in the middle of the festivities.
Paige made a pinata that she had read about in a book. She glued newspaper around a balloon, let it dry over night, then popped the balloon and filled the inside with candy. I thought it was so clever.
Brian was showered with presents - and tackles.
And I made his favorite cake - German Chocolate. Except this year I made it into cupcakes because I've learned that the kids don't like German Chocolate cake. They got plain ol' chocolate frosting instead.
Happy Birthday Brian! May all your birthday wishes come true!
Brian was showered with presents - and tackles.
Happy Birthday Brian! May all your birthday wishes come true!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Smile
I've always said how much I love Brian's smile. It fills his whole face.
But lately I've realized there's more to it than that. I've noticed just how long it takes for Brian's smile to leave his face. He's so genuine about his interactions and conversations with people that his smile will linger long after they've gone. I love that about him.
But lately I've realized there's more to it than that. I've noticed just how long it takes for Brian's smile to leave his face. He's so genuine about his interactions and conversations with people that his smile will linger long after they've gone. I love that about him.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Mountain Bike Date
My friend and I had been planning it for months, but it was a surprise to Brian.
Around 5pm, before Brian arrived home from work, I wrangled up the kids and brought them over to her house to babysit. I then borrowed her mountain bike and rode home.
When Brian pulled into the driveway 10 minutes later I was sitting there with two bikes and a cooler full of picnic food. Brian looked confused and I asked him if he would take me mountain biking.
Mountain biking is Brian's favorite past time. When we were dating he got me a good deal on a bike and we went a few times together. I would complain about the uphills and usually end up walking. Then one time after we were married I crashed pretty hard on a downhill. Then I started walking on the downhills as well as the uphills....hmmm...I was just hiking with a bike at my side - not so fun. Our second year of marriage our mountain bikes were stolen. We were eventually able to replace Brian's bike, but with one kid after another, I didn't really see a need to replace mine.
Over the last couple of years, Brian has really made mountain biking (his form of exercise) more of a priority. He has entered many races, sometimes two per week. He has done really well and he loves it. Of course, he always wants me to come with him. And I say, "How? I have a bunch of kids to take care of and no bike."
So, knowing how important it is to him, I found a way to surprise him with a mountain bike date.
I went with an attitude to work hard and not complain about anything and have fun. Sometimes it was easier than others.
We went toward Alpine to Lambert Park, hoping it would be a good enough beginner course for me. It had been 10 years since I'd been mountain biking. It was pretty challenging and there was lots of tricky stuff, but it was fun to be in the trees and we enjoyed being together. I know I got a good work out, but I'm sure Brian didn't. It was a very successful date.
And I'm happy to report that all my many bruises are finally starting to fade.
Around 5pm, before Brian arrived home from work, I wrangled up the kids and brought them over to her house to babysit. I then borrowed her mountain bike and rode home.
When Brian pulled into the driveway 10 minutes later I was sitting there with two bikes and a cooler full of picnic food. Brian looked confused and I asked him if he would take me mountain biking.
Mountain biking is Brian's favorite past time. When we were dating he got me a good deal on a bike and we went a few times together. I would complain about the uphills and usually end up walking. Then one time after we were married I crashed pretty hard on a downhill. Then I started walking on the downhills as well as the uphills....hmmm...I was just hiking with a bike at my side - not so fun. Our second year of marriage our mountain bikes were stolen. We were eventually able to replace Brian's bike, but with one kid after another, I didn't really see a need to replace mine.
Over the last couple of years, Brian has really made mountain biking (his form of exercise) more of a priority. He has entered many races, sometimes two per week. He has done really well and he loves it. Of course, he always wants me to come with him. And I say, "How? I have a bunch of kids to take care of and no bike."
So, knowing how important it is to him, I found a way to surprise him with a mountain bike date.
I went with an attitude to work hard and not complain about anything and have fun. Sometimes it was easier than others.
We went toward Alpine to Lambert Park, hoping it would be a good enough beginner course for me. It had been 10 years since I'd been mountain biking. It was pretty challenging and there was lots of tricky stuff, but it was fun to be in the trees and we enjoyed being together. I know I got a good work out, but I'm sure Brian didn't. It was a very successful date.
And I'm happy to report that all my many bruises are finally starting to fade.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Blue Ribbon Race Day
I finally got my first win in a big race!
Here's the context:
There are a couple of different race series I've been competing in. One, the Weekly Race Series (WRS), is relatively low-key, less expensive, and a lot of people use it to train for the other: the Intermountain Cup race series (the I-Cup - don't laugh at the abbreviation).
The WRS events are every Wednesday night during the summer, alternating between a course at Sundance and a course at Soldier Hollow. Racers are divided into the following skill categories, in ascending order: Beginner B, Beginner A, Sport B, Sport A, Expert B and Expert A. I have worked my way up from Beginner A to Sport B, and came within one race of finishing in the top three in cumulative points for the season in Sport B last year in the WRS (so that includes a couple of first place finishes and other times in the top 3).
 |
Weekly race at Sundance, Summer 2011
|
The WRS doesn't award podium prizes or announce winners every week, but it does keep track of individual scores for the season. The rewards are great, however: Every race participant gets his/her name in the prize drawing at every race, and you go home with bike gear, tools, clothing - I even won a bike for Tara last year!
The I-Cup is much more competitive and has many more categories of racers (all the way up to professional riders), dividing men and women and age groups into three or four different categories each. I race in the Beginner Men age 30-39 group in the I-Cup, and I don't do very many of them because they're more expensive, usually farther away, and take at least half a Saturday at a time.
I have also raced twice - once in 2011, once so far in 2012 - in a Utah State Championship Series race. I got third place the first time, but didn't make the top 10 this year. I might try another of their races in June this year (Round Valley, Park City).
 |
USCS race at Lambert Park, April 2011
|
 |
Levi was happy for me when I got home & showed him my ribbon.
|
This is my second full season of racing. Last year I joined the race team with the local bike shop, Mad Dog Cycles, for the benefits of team support and camaraderie. The I-Cup series is a big deal to the team, because the series tracks team points for the season and awards "The Cup" at the end of the season to the winning team.
 |
We won the Cup in 2011
|
The more often you win, the more notoriety you achieve for the shop, and the easier it is to get team sponsors. Higher finishes for racers in each category are worth more team points (duh). Last year I made it to five I-Cup races, usually finishing in the top 5 or 6, and I was ecstatic to finally make it onto the podium with a 3rd place finish in the grand finale race of the year at Snow Basin (Ogden Canyon).
 |
"Basin Bash" I-Cup race, Aug. 2011
|
This year, my first I-Cup appearance was a week ago at Sundance, the fourth (and, arguably, toughest up to this point) I-Cup race of the season.
 |
| Mad Dog Team at Sundance Spin, showing off our new 4Life-sponsored kits (Seth & Caleb arrived a few minutes after the photo was taken) |
I let someone pass me in the final downhill, not realizing he was in my category, so I reeled him in on the steep uphill climb, passing him as we neared the finish line. He battled back and, in a final sprint, he managed to pass me again a few feet before we crossed the finish. I thought we were battling for 5th or 6th place, but it turns out he got 1st and I got 2nd - my best I-Cup finish yet! If only I had known earlier in the race that I was leading, I might have pushed harder earlier and been able to hold the lead. I started liking my chances for the upcoming races.
 |
| 2nd place at "Sundance Spin," May 2012. If you look closely, you can see I'm lopsided - I only shaved half my face & head. |
Yesterday (Saturday) was the I-Cup at Soldier Hollow - the 10th annual "Hammerfest." The turnout in my category was low, with only a handful of us at the starting line, which is a little disappointing, but I felt like it was my race to lose. I didn't push too hard off the start, conserving some energy for the challenges I knew were coming. I did push just hard enough to ensure a lead going into the single track (narrow trail only wide enough for one rider at a time). The
weather was perfect, the venue was beautiful, and I was excited to make
a good impression on video - I had borrowed my friend's helmet cam.
 |
| Beautiful day at Soldier Hollow. Caleb, Seth, teammate Chris Broderick. |
In fact, I turned to look behind me several times during the race, which I never do, but this time I thought it might help give context to the recording. Good thing I looked, because I spotted a guy gaining on me in one of the climbs, and he looked dead-set on catching me. I pushed as hard as I could the rest of the race - and it was a blast! I felt strong on the climbs, and I flew down the descents. Still, going into the last set of switch-backs leading to the last steep hill before the finish, I looked over my shoulder and saw that same blue jersey closing in on me. This gave me the motivation I needed to dig deep again into my energy reserves to make it over that climb, down the other side, around the last couple of turns and across the finish line... in first place (by a little more than a minute)!
So, with an exciting race, a beautiful day, and a first-place finish, I was sure I would have a great video to share. And I would have, except my memory card was only big enough to capture the first eight minutes of a course that took me 1:05:06 to complete. :-( The card fills up right before we get back into the steeper, more varied terrain and more dramatic passing, descending, interacting with others on the course, etc. Well, it is what it is, and chances are you couldn't stand to watch more than eight minutes, anyway. Here, give it a whirl:
None of my competitors stuck around for the podium ceremony. I can't say I blame them - we were done racing before noon, but didn't leave the venue until at least two hours later! But I look a little silly standing atop the podium with nobody else around me. Congratulations, Brian! You beat... nobody.
 |
It's lonely at the top.
|
Even Seth, who had his best finish ever at third place (!), had to go back to work in the afternoon so he couldn't stay to claim his prize.
 |
| Seth raced a strong race in spite of the fact that he couldn't use his left thumb to shift gears and had to cover a gash on his right arm - both results of crashing in last week's race - and his bike has a rear shock and front wheel that need to be rebuilt or replaced. Very impressive! |
It would have been awesome to be on that podium together. Hopefully we can both land in the top three again sometime soon.
 |
Our nephew Caleb, Seth & me at the finish line.
|
 |
| Racing has been a fun way to introduce 14-y.o. Caleb to mountain biking. He fell in love with it at last year's biathlon (he's a crack shot on the firing range) and has continued with the WRS, joining the Mad Dog team and adding some I-Cup events to his race regimen this season. |
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Father's blessings
I'd just like to express how grateful I am for a willing and worthy priesthood holder in my home. It was wonderful and beautiful today to watch him patiently explain to the kids about the priesthood and ask them if they would like a father's blessing. I always looked forward to getting a father's blessing at the beginning of each school year, and I'm glad that we are continuing that tradition. I was also very eager for a priesthood blessing as we get ready for this new baby. Thank you Brian for the tender, thoughtful, and loving experience you helped your family have today.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
A Day at the Races
Last weekend we followed Brian up to Soldier Hollow in Midway, UT to watch him race in an I-Cup mountain biking race. These races are something he is just getting into, but mountain biking is his hobby, so its fun for him to have another outlet to ride.
I was nervous about this day outing just because I wasn't sure how the kids would behave, especially since they went to bed really late the night before and we woke them up really early to drive up the canyon. Plus, I am one who is very adamant about naptime - that's what my day revolves around.
I was just so pleased with how it all turned out. The kids did great! I didn't even have to use my secret weapons (iPod and bottle). I packed a huge picnic lunch, so we were set with food and we had such an enjoyable time playing at the playground and cheering for Daddy - he actually got 4th place in his division! We explored Midway a little bit, took in the beauty of the countryside and watched a big storm move across the valley from atop Veterans Hill.
I am glad to know that we can do it! We can have fun as a family, go on adventures, and actually survive. But it seems like every time we reach this point of freedom - freedom from schedules and crying and whining - we have a new baby. Then we are tied down for another period of time. I guess we better enjoy this summer of freedom!
I was nervous about this day outing just because I wasn't sure how the kids would behave, especially since they went to bed really late the night before and we woke them up really early to drive up the canyon. Plus, I am one who is very adamant about naptime - that's what my day revolves around.
I was just so pleased with how it all turned out. The kids did great! I didn't even have to use my secret weapons (iPod and bottle). I packed a huge picnic lunch, so we were set with food and we had such an enjoyable time playing at the playground and cheering for Daddy - he actually got 4th place in his division! We explored Midway a little bit, took in the beauty of the countryside and watched a big storm move across the valley from atop Veterans Hill.
I am glad to know that we can do it! We can have fun as a family, go on adventures, and actually survive. But it seems like every time we reach this point of freedom - freedom from schedules and crying and whining - we have a new baby. Then we are tied down for another period of time. I guess we better enjoy this summer of freedom!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The rumor is Brian loves Mountain Biking
Brian has been doing a lot of mountain biking lately. It is the one sport he can enjoy without his back or knees or shoulders hurting him too much. I'm glad he has a hobby he likes and is good at. This summer he's even ridden in a few bike races - which is a fun and new challenge for him. Many of the races are on Wednesday night - (and now you can figure out why I'm not enrolled in another summer school class).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)