Family Update 12/29/12

Well, here's the last family update for the year.  It has been a fun filled very packed week with Philly being on vacation.  Christmas eve was amazing this year, especially since it actually snowed and we were able to have a very white Christmas for once.  It seems like for the past several years its been in the 50's with no snow on Christmas day.  This year was nice and cold with wonderful fluffy white snow.  We had a fun family outing at the Unity holiday music performance which was a great chance to get the kids all dressed up in some cute Christmas clothes.  I know I'm biased but we have some really cute kids.

A little laughter goes a long way.

Some great smiles.

Melting Daddy's heart!

Christmas day was a lot of fun this year, Logan is starting to really get into it and Nyah was able to open her own gifts.  Seeing the looks on their faces is just priceless.  Philly and I were feeling a little guilty that we don't have a proper fireplace to hang the stockings from.  We had to tell Logan that we left the door unlocked for Santa since we don't have a chimney.  He believed us, this time.

The new bike studio decorated for the Holidays.

Tux checking out the tree.

Nyah trying to ride her new horses. The girl is awesome!

Logan excited with new watercolors.

Anticipation........

A new truck!

Nyah loved her new car.

My beautiful ladies, I'm so lucky.

You might have noticed I'm putting a lot of pictures in the family updates.  Since I dropped Facebook, this is now the family source for photos at the moment.  I may find a different way of doing it but for now this is actually a lot of fun.
Well, after the fun holiday parties Philly and the kids got a chance to play in the snow together.  We are loving the cold weather and the fact the snow is sticking around for once instead of melting right away.  

Snow sliding instead of sledding.

Proof that Logan can be a little angel when he wants to be.

This has been a really fun vacation so far, we even braved the crowds and headed to the Children's Museum of Denver.  It's such a great place and has something for everyone.  I'm a little nervous about when I have 3 little ones to take there by myself.  I'm sure I'll figure it out one way or another.

Our budding little artists ; )

It's a mad dash to fill the carts!

Well I think that brings us up to speed, its time to wind down a little and get ready for the new year.  It is a little hard to imagine that this year is already wrapping up.  It feels like just yesterday Nyah was born and now we are going to welcome another little life into the family.  Crazy how fast time flies, make sure to enjoy every second.  See you next year!

Cheers for now,

Aaron

Family Update 12/22/12

It's been such busy time I didn't even get to post last Saturday. We've had a great time so far this holiday season.  It started off with a whole lot of cooking and baking.  From Gingerbread cookie with butter cream frosting to Homemade Chili and cornbread.  The house has been smelling great lately, especially with a fresh cut tree in the living room.  In addition to the cooking we have had lots of activities to keep us moving.  Logan had his first Gymnastics "mini-meet", a great gathering for all the families to watch their little ones perform in front of everyone.  This was followed by a cold but very fun time watching the Olde Time parade in historic downtown Golden.  We also were able to enjoy the wonderful holiday sign along at the golden recreation center together as a family.  Unfortunately we have also all been battling the sniffles, coughs and associated health joys that come this time of year.  A big thanks to Grandpa Mo for a wonderful trip to the Children's Museum of Denver and the awesome gift of a family membership.  Logan and Nyah really enjoyed the afternoon with Grandpa Mo and we will really get great use out of the membership.  Thanks Mo!  
We were fortunate enough to finally get some snow and amazingly there is still a little bit left on the ground as I'm typing.  Logan made his first snow angel of the year.  Unfortunately the snow was too fluffy for snowman construction.  Here's a little visual sample of the past 2 weeks:

Gingerbread cookies fresh out of the oven!

The cornbread went crazy in the pan.

Perfect meal for a cold winter evening.

Time to sugar up before brushing our teeth ; )

My little cutie ready for some snow.

He had been talking about snow angels all morning, Love it!

Today is a great day because it means Philly is officially on break from work.  A much needed break I might add for the whole family.  As we head towards Christmas day and New Years it is always so important for us to slow down a little bit and enjoy each others company and reflect on the year we've had.  What a year its been too, lots of activity and news to share.
On that note, we recently sent out our family holiday cards.  Now this may seem like a random transition, which it is. (If you've read many of my posts you're likely used to it.)  Our holiday cards this year included a hidden message.  To us it is obvious, but for others it has taken a little time to realize the meaning.  I have put a picture below for reference:

Logan picked the snowman for the occasion.

Wait for it....

Wait for it.....

That's right, our third bundle of fun will be joining the party in July of next year!!

I think we really caught some people off guard with this surprise.  I was lucky enough to be on the phone with my mom when she actually figured out what the picture meant.  Lets just say she was so shocked I can't repeat the actual first words she used. : ) (Sorry mom but it was too funny not to mention)  After that initial reaction she was clearly happy about her extra little gift.  I know some people are ready for anything from us at this point.  After all we are the couple who said, "We'll never have kids".  Well we made those statements while we were young and foolish.  Once you have one kid it's hard to explain the absolute joy and wonder you experience every single day.  Even on the really hard days there is always at least some little tiny moment that melts your heart.  Now that we have number three on the way our family feels like it will finally be complete.  I was one of three kids and I personally feel like that is a good number.  We are only slightly outnumbered now.  As one of my best friends pointed out, "You're going from man to man defense to zone defense now."  It was an interesting way of looking at it.  
And for any of you out there who are saying, "Next comes a minivan".  Not so fast, I've already test fit 3 car-seats in the second row of my truck and they fit perfectly.  Now if for some crazy turn of events we end up with twins, then I guess I'll have to think hard about it.  No the twins reference doesn't mean anything, it's just kind of a running inside joke.

I think that pretty much sums up the past two weeks.  I'm hoping to get into a rhythm and actually post every Saturday morning.  But plans change with kids I guess.
Cheers for now,
Aaron

Family Update 12/8/12

What a week we have had!  Logan is doing great in gymnastics these days and is almost ready for the second level class.  He has come a long way in the past 8 weeks, from not even getting off the bleachers, to excelling at almost every skill.  Grandma Ellie has been taking him each week.  Next Saturday is his "Mini-Meet" so we should have some good pictures to post later.

Both kids are doing amazing in their music classes as well.  Nyah is getting more brave every class and loves cleaning up after each different activity.  

Nyah and her PomPom

Logan has been doing really well in his 2-4yr classes as well.  He is doing great with his sharing and has really begun to develop some rythym.  He is also getting more involved in the group activities.  It's crazy to see Logan as one of the biggest kids in class.  I'm not really sure where he gets his height from, but he's getting so tall.  I am so proud of both of them and how much they are growing and changing each day.  It seems like only yesterday Logan was barely speaking and Nyah was still just crawling.  They grow and change at such a fast rate.  

It's moments like this when I get to sit down and write that I can reflect on what has been happening.  All too often the daily routine is all I can think of.  I run my mental checklist everyday and check the calendar, do the laundry, dishes and so on. I think as parents (all parents) we are so worried about making sure the kids are in activities and giving them all the experiences possible.  We worry over whether or not they hit the "developmental milestones".  We try to ensure their success in the future by helping them become well rounded.  Early on, we worry about them not saying enough words by the time they are 18 months, only to realize that they don't stop talking by the time they hit three and a half.  As parents we worry a lot and usually about everything, even if we have absolutely no control over it.

In doing this we almost miss experiencing our own kids.  We might miss that sweet moment when brother and sister share a quiet moment playing nicely together.  Or we might miss the chaos resulting from turning a box of tissues into snow.

Tissues becoming "snow"

I think kids are teaching us the most important lesson of all, slow down and enjoy the little things.

That will do for now as breakfast needs to be made and we all need to get ready for the kids holiday party at Philly's work.  There we go running off again : )

Cheers for now,

Aaron

Busy Summer, But I'm still here

To anyone who has tried to follow my little experiment of a blog, I'm not done writing.  I'm just taking the summer off from writing to do more riding and get some reviews ready to post once the snow starts flying here in Colorado.  A sneak peak at what I'm working on includes:

A YouTube/.mov video on how to build a pump track.  

A whole posting about building the pump track in our back yard.

2 new bike reviews, the 2012 Transition Bandit and the 2012 Yeti DJ.

A review of our newly acquired WeeHoo iGo Pro.

Reviews of both the old and new Specialized Hotwalk kids balance bikes.

An update of my life with two kids.

I think that just about covers what I have either been working on or have plans to write before the end of December.  Now hopefully the kids will allow me to spend that much time with a keyboard.  Um yeah, we'll see about that.  

Cheers for now,
Aaron

Our passion of bikes

I count myself as one seriously lucky guy. Not only did I get to marry my best friend, who happens to be both beautiful and intelligent. I also married the best riding partner I've ever had. Mountain biking is a large part of who we are as a couple. Going back to the beginning of our relationship, it's always been at the core. I remember trying to impress Philly by talking up all the trail riding I had done over the years. Little did I know how foolish I was at that point. I was a decent BMX racer, but really knew almost nothing about mountain biking in Colorado. She was nice enough to introduce me to a new trail for our first ride together, a little trail called Dakota Ridge. Now up to this point in my life, I thought I had a concept of what mountain biking was. I was very wrong indeed. Dakota Ridge for those who are not from Colorado is a highly technical, rocky, rough and steep trail in parts. Perfect for putting inexperienced loud mouth mountain bikers in their place. After the first climb I thought I could be in trouble. During the ride Philly was nice enough to put up with my whining and complaining. Over the course of the ride I broke a pedal, cracked my helmet and received various scrapes, bumps and bruises. I was in love. I really had no idea what mountain biking was, nor did I really know who this amazing woman was who had just put me in my place. I was humbled to say the least. Luckily I was a far better mechanic than I was a rider, so she put up with me. Over time our relationship grew stronger and so did my riding abilities. I became her bike mechanic, we shared the same personal trainer, she even introduced me to sushi.

 Over the years I've become a better rider, due in large part to following Philly down some crazy terrain. Over the years we have ridden countless trails and even numerous miles on the road. Two things have always been the same, our passion for bikes and our passion for each other. The future is very bright for us and our riding, especially now that we have kids. We have the unique and special opportunity to share our joint passion with two of the most amazing kids. Logan is currently 3 years old and is already an amazing little rider. He rips around on his balance bike as though its second nature. Which in reality, I guess it might be. He has been on his balance bike since before he could sit on the seat. Being the gadget guy I am I took off the seat and zip tied a piece of pipe insulation to the top tube so he had something to sit on. In the early days we had to help him out a lot. We still have to help him a little bit, but it's mainly due to what he wants to ride. You see, Logan is not bound by the normal ideas of what is and is not rideable. He just sees possibilities everywhere. For example, we were at a park near our house he had ridden almost 2 miles to. There was your typical playground equipment with a slide and stairs, etc. Logan wanted to go up the stairs with his bike, so Philly and I looked at each other, shrugged and I helped him up the stairs. Logan's next step was to try and ride down the slide, why not right, he has no limits or fear at this point. So I got in position behind him and while he rode I slid down on my feet while holding him upright. He hasn't stopped exploring on his bike yet.

 So here I sit typing away while we are on vacation in Grand Junction Colorado. We have been riding everyday since we got here including Logan. The boy amazes me every time we go out. He has ridden half way up a trail called kestle run, ridden a trail called kids meal, pump tracks, dirt jumps (just over them, not really jumping yet) and anywhere else he can think of. Our passion of bikes is something very hard to describe, but hopefully it comes across a little bit here. The fact that we can share it with the next generation of riders is just that much sweeter.
Remember to keep the bike rubber side down.
Cheers for now!
Aaron

 Logan Heading up "Kestle Run"

Nyah checking out the old Yeti

 Editorial note: I wrote this while we were on vacation in Grand Junction in May, I had lost the post for a while and finally had a chance to finish editing it.

The Daddy Wagon

Well, I thought it was time to get back to this topic. I had joked previously that I had a fear of minivans. It's not really a fear, just a general dislike. I had originally thought of doing a clever comparison with a spreadsheet detailing mileage, cubic feet of space, vehicle capabilities etc. I even started to think of the finer points of the debate and strategized how to justify one or the other. Then I realized it doesn't matter one bit. You see, I realized that you are either in one camp or the other and nothing is going to change your mind. It's like politics or religion. If you are deep seated in your opinion you'll do one of two things. Either you'll agree with my opinion and like me even more or you'll disagree and hate me, never to read another post again. I also realized this is my blog and my opinion so there is no point justifying it. On that note, I'll move on to my opinion piece.

My "daddy wagon" as I like to sometimes call it is a, drumroll please, 2000 Lexus LX 470. If you are not familiar with this vehicle, I'll give you the highlights. This massive SUV weighs over 5400 pounds, has full time 4wd, not very good gas mileage and the ability to go where most minivans could not imagine. I feel totally confident in the fact that my kids are very safe in this thing. When the kids get older and want friends to come along there is a 3rd row of seats ready for them. There is a ridiculous amount of leather and some much loved heated front seats. There is both AC and heat all the way back to the 3rd row. We have actually already had 7 adults and one kid in a car seat in this thing and everyone was nice and comfy. I could keep going, but I think I made my point. I like it a lot and that is really all that matters. That is not true, my opinion is not the only one that matters. My wife loves this thing as well. She can even sit in the back seat in between the two kids and be comfortable. She feels safe in it and loves how it drives in the snow. Her opinion carries just as much weight as mine if not more.

Now I'm sure some people out there would call it excessive and it might be. However I could not be happier with the piece of mind it provides while driving in the snow with my two little kiddos nice and cozy in the back seat. I know minivans can come with AWD and a lot of the other things this truck has. But that is just it, when push comes to shove this thing is a truck. Big and tough ready for whatever I or mother nature can throw at it. The LX470 is basically a fancier version of the Toyota Landcruiser that is legendary around the world for being near unstoppable in even some of the most remote places.

So there you have it, a quick rundown of what I drive. I didn't give every little detail or capability, but I don't have a ton of time to write. Nor do I think people would have the attention span to hear me drone on about technical details. I'm just happy with one last simple fact. I will never own a minivan, period.

Cheers for now,
Aaron

The Geek Side

I am a geek. I have a degree in computers. I have more electronic devices than a reasonably sane person should have. I like to build my own computers and I'm a fan of PC's. Why am I telling you all this? Simple. I am becoming a fan of apple products.

It all started in October of 2010, I got my first apple product ever. An iPhone 4 in black. Big deal right, I'll never convert to apple. Well since that day I have found my iPhone to not only be completely addictive but also very useful. The camera is great and the ability to share photos with my wife throughout the day is super easy. I may even one day buy an iPad. Which brings me to the actual point of this whole post. I thought you could only use a full size keyboard on an iPad or a Mac. Well as luck would have it, the apple bluetooth keyboard works with my iPhone as well. Yup, I'm using the Blogger app right now as I write this post, on my iPhone using a full size keyboard and I'm loving life. Yes I am a total geek. But I'll take it another step further. You see I also have my iPhone in an Otterbox defender case, which is in the belt clip set up as an easel. I'll take the phone out and snap a picture just for kicks.

See, I'm a total geek. Sorry, I can't help myself. I just had to share my new found freedom.

I guess I should explain the freedom thing. Not too long ago I bought a shiny new laptop that I thought was the greatest thing since a 1TB hard drive. It was a nice enough HP with lots of RAM and a big hard drive. It worked really well for a little while. Well it has suffered the same fate as almost all other HP laptops from what I can tell. The battery is useless. Not more than about a week out of warranty the battery completely died. Emailed HP and "I'm sorry the product is no longer under warranty, we could sell you a new battery". I'm sure they could sell me a new battery. Anyway, I have been frustrated by the fact that I must have the thing plugged in anytime I want to use it. This is horribly inconvenient and in my opinion defeats the purpose of a laptop. So to end my rant, I now have portability in a full size keyboard. Let's be honest, it's way easier than typing on the little touch screen. Granted my screen is small and I don't have massive computing power on my phone. But when I just want to write without being tied to a power cord, I now have the perfect solution. I guess the next step is to move up to an iPad and have some real fun.

Cheers for now,
Aaron