a new adventure

I have run in many a road race over the years…5k, 10k, 12k, 1/2 marathons, and even a full 26.2.  And thankful to say, I haven't suffered many injuries.  So I'm not sure if it's boredom or the need for a new challenge, but a few years back I heard about "America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride" and thought it sounded like fun.  So this year, I convinced my dear old dad and my good friend Cristen that we should sign up and do it.  A 72 mile road bike ride, around Lake Tahoe, with over 4,000 feet of elevation climbing, all while at mountain elevation!  Sure, why not?  

Good thing we live in a hilly place, because we all decided our training left us plenty prepared for this ride.  And the gorgeous scenery and interesting people we met along the way sure did help keep us entertained.  We had a blast!  And I highly recommend it to anyone, whether you are looking to change up your exercise routine or just out for a new challenge.  

A huge thanks to Eddy, for taking on the kiddos for all those times I was out on my training rides.  And thanks to Eddy and my mom for watching the kids the day of the ride.  We were out riding for 6 1/2 hours, so it was definitely an all day adventure.  

sunrise over Emerald Bay…on our drive down to the start line in South Lake.  Yes, we were up THAT early for this ride!

The only minor hiccup in this event, was my back tube of my bike tire blew a flat as I was pumping it up the  night before the race.  So Eddy and my dad helped me change the tire (as yes, it takes 3 of us -- well, the 2 of them at least) and as they were inflating the new tube the whole tire blew!  Argh!  So here it is, 9:30 pm and no bike shops are open.  And the ride started at 7 am, so no bike shops would be open then either.  My only hope was there would be a bike repair stand at the start….and alas, there was!  He replaced the tire and tube, all in about 5 mins flat.  And we were off!!  

Thanks Mr. Bike Repair man!!!

ready to start this party, glorious background view of the MontBleu Casino parking lot

at the starting line.  "Let's do this daddy-o!"  (it was about 34 degrees, and that is quite chilly on a bike!  our fingers were numb for the first hour or so)

Emerald Bay

look who came down the road from the cabin to cheer us on!  The ride went right past our cabin….and the kids had a blast cheering on all the riders

love the view from the North Shore

dorks

lunch stop

We did it!  And celebrated with a beer, in the parking lot.  Classy!

all cleaned up, tired, but happy!

Wonder what our next adventure will bring...

Memorial Day (part 2)

The final part of our weekend together was just some good ol' hangout time.  The Seattle crew slept at Nanny & Dzia Dzia's for the final 2 nights of the weekend, so we went down to them on Sunday and took a walk through the woods, played at the playground, and went swimming at their pool.  All that fun was followed by a delicious family dinner, and then Ryan spent the night with his cousins at Nanny & Dzia Dzia's while we took Kaitlyn home with us.  Man our house was quiet the next morning!

It was such a great family weekend -- thanks for making the trip Derek & Kim!  Can't wait to see you guys again soon.  

Uncle Derek launching Ryan on the rope swing

the walk in the woods continues, with exploring the local teepee

Kaitlyn always manages to grab the best view

I didn't take one photo at the pool, probably because it was an all hands on deck adventure…with all 4 kiddos swimming their hearts out! 

And then back at Nanny & Dzia Dzia's house...

a little girl hammock time

while the boys built masterpieces with Uncle Derek's old legos

one last cousin bed time, story time

Memorial Day weekend

We had such a wonderful long weekend this year for Memorial Day….as Derek, Kim and the kids came down from Seattle for a visit.  Every time our kids see each other, it just keeps getting more and more fun.  They have such a wonderful friendship, and Connor and Ryan spent the entire first evening running around our backyard making up games to pull each other on the various cars and bikes we have in the yard.  They ran themselves silly.  Kaitlyn worshipped her older cousin Elena, who definitely enjoyed holding K's hand and helping her do "big girl" things.  It was so precious! 

And of course, we managed to pack in a ton of fun with the activities this weekend.  I think we were all exhausted by the end!

On Friday, we all went to Fairyland in Oakland -- per Nanny's request.  It has become a tradition for Connor & Elena, when they fly in that's their first stop, and this time Ryan and Kaitlyn got to join in the fun.  

Ryan & Kaitlyn's first puppet show…Jack & the Beanstalk (that's them, sitting side by side in the 2nd row)

always a crowd pleaser -- the super fast Dragon Slide

After Fairyland, everyone came back to our house for dinner and hang out time.  And the Seattle Kuzaks all spent the night (don't mind the paint splotch on the wall -- we're trying to pick a color to spice up our kitchen and family room!)

the kids table

unplanned matching PJs!

bedtime stories with Nanny

 On Saturday, we made the trek out to the coast to pick up fresh Oysters at the Hog Island Oyster Farm, and then drove a bit further north to Dillon Beach to enjoy the day.  It was gorgeous.

a quick stop at the French Cheese Factory for some picnic items before heading to the coast

we just had to sample a few of the oysters before we bought some

love these kiddos!

 Dillon Beach was a great spot…the kids loved exploring the sand dunes, and although windy and cool, we all managed to get plenty of sun.  We bought 50 oysters to share….that was a LOT!  They were tasty, and even better was that my dad and Derek were the ones who shucked them all.  Thanks for the hard work guys!

Derek, the oyster pro

shucking is hard work I tell ya

Connor teaching Kaitlyn the fine art of building a sand castle

Elena, who LOVES sand, teaching Kaitlyn the fine art of rolling your body in the sand 

a great spot for a picnic 

Dzia Dzia showing the kids what is actually inside that oyster shell 

 On our drive home, as if we hadn't tired ourselves out enough yet, we stopped at the Larson Family Winery in Sonoma for a quick wine tasting.  The place was way more crowded than the last time any of us had been, but we managed to have some fun (they have a huge garden that the kids can run and play in) and taste some wine anyway.  

always great to have these 2 in town

soccer

Ryan has been playing on a soccer "team" every Monday for the last 7 weeks.  It's a perfect intro to the sport.  They spend the first 15 minutes doing drills, running, practicing kicking the ball, etc.  And then they kick a ball into the goal, and then they get rid of all but one ball, the kids put on red or blue jerseys, and they "scrimmage".  It's hilarious.  And in true Ryan fashion, he has been cautious, and nervous, and timid for the first few minutes of each practice.  But by game time, he is right in there, and a complete shock to me he goes after that ball and has actually managed to score a goal each week -- not that they keep score at all.  His favorite part, the stamp he gets on his hand at the end.  Ha!

Normally I spend this 30 minutes encouraging Ryan to get in the game while simultaneously chasing Kaitlyn at the nearby playground.  But a few weeks back Eddy had the day off and we all went together.  So I managed to take a few photos…

While Ryan is running his heart out, this is what happens on the sidelines...

a post practice rest break for Ryan (who really does NOT love the camera these days)

this girl LOVES this sea horse at this playground