Utah - Xterra National Championship

This last weekend, the four of us packed up and headed to Ogden, Utah for the Xterra National Championship.  Doug has gotten into Xterra triathlons in the last couple years, and this year he qualified for the national championship race. 

We'd been planning on going to this race for a few months, so when Doug injured himself a few weeks ago, we figured he'd be all healed up in time for the race and we'd still be good to go.  Unfortunately, his injuries did not seem to get much better in the last few weeks, but since we already had the trip planned, we decided to go anyway, and he'd just do the best he could with his injury.

We left Friday morning with the intent of making it to Ogden by three in the afternoon for a mandatory meeting for the racers.  We left ourselves plenty of time, and it ended up being a good thing since we had a few hiccups along the way. I think I mentioned last week that Drew got carsick on the way to Big Sky a couple weekends ago.  Well, he did it again and ended up throwing up in the car about an hour into our trip.  Luckily he seems to feel much better afterwards, and we can continue on, but it really is unfortunate.  I hate when my babies are sick, and I especially hate seeing them puke.  We made another quick stop in Idaho Falls for lunch, but had to hurry so we could still make it to Ogden on time.

Once we got to Ogden, we met my sister and her husband as he was competing in the race too.  All of us headed to the park where the mandatory meeting was held and the boys checked in for the race.  After the meeting, we checked into our hotel and decided to find some dinner.  We ate at a pizza joint that had some really great pizza!  It was delicious.  After dinner, we headed back to the hotel.  Our hotel was right in the downtown area of Ogden, so we went for a quick walk around to check things out, and then called it a night.  The boys had to be up early for the race, and the girls had lots of coordinating to do to get everyone to the race on time. I'm so thankful that my sister was there to help with the kids.  They love her and she's so good with them.  It really is a lifesaver for me!  I'm not sure I could have done it without her!

Saturday morning, we headed up to the reservoir where the swim portion of the race was held. It was a beautiful, but slightly chilly morning.  We wished the boys good luck and then watched as the swimmers started the race.  We waited for the boys to transition onto their bikes and then headed to Snowbasin ski resort where the bike to run transition and the finish was held.  We saw both of our guys transition from the bike to the run and then waited for them to finish.

Erick finished first and ended up doing really well.  He got fourth in his age division, just missing qualifying for the world championship in Maui by one place! Doug finished about five minutes after Erick, which was a super respectable time, especially considering his injury.  He gave it everything he had, and I couldn't have been more proud of him.  He's a stud!  I think he was happy with his performance, but is also looking forward to redeeming himself next year when he hopefully doesn't have an injury to contend with.

After the race, we got some lunch and then headed back into Ogden.  The boys showered, and then we headed out to explore the Harvest Moon festival that was held that evening in Ogden.  It was a cute little Fall festival that reminded me of the fun events that downtown Bozeman holds.  After exploring a bit, we walked to dinner, and then walked back to our hotel.  We fed Avery and then went back down to the Harvest Moon festival to catch the highlight video of the race that they were debuting that night.  The video was really neat.  Both Erick and Doug made the video, so that was really cool!

After the video, we had a quick drink at the Xterra after party and then headed back to the hotel to get the kids to bed.  They were such troopers all day Saturday.  I'm so proud of my littles.  I love them so much and think they are the best!

Sunday morning we took our time getting up and had some breakfast at the hotel.  Then we hit the road because we knew it would be a long trip home.  The drive went well, although we did have to stop twice to feed Avery, which made it longer than we were hoping for.  We grabbed a take and bake pizza and some sushi on our way into town and went home to unpack, eat, and get some much needed playing in for the kids before bed.

It was a fun weekend.  I love Utah, so I always enjoy a trip there.  It's beautiful and such a fun place to visit.  The race went well, and we had a fun family weekend.  It was nice to see my sister and her husband and I look forward to the next one!

Doug's obligatory driving photo!

On our way!

How I feel about my babies puking in the car. :(

Drew loving the ride!

 

Lunch in the car in Idaho Falls because it was too cold to eat at the park.

Avery's lunch.

Bears in the park. Drew loved them!

Sweet motorcycle helmet Drew found at a bike shop in Ogden.

Checking out downtown Ogden.

Playing piano.

 

The swim portion of the race.

The pro's starting the race.

The race helicopter.  Drew loved watching it all day!

Drew making a mess in the mud while we waited for the race to start.

 

Waiting for the swimmers to run up the ramp and into the bike transition.

Doug finished the swim in great time!

Erick was right behind him!

Checking out the bears in the Snowbasin Lodge.

Avery hanging out at the race!

Doug coming in on the bike and starting to transition to the run.

Drew was cheering like crazy as daddy transitioned to the run!

Getting a little bored of waiting!

He did a lot of rolling around in the grass.

Lost his shoes and his socks!

Erick at the finish!

Here comes Doug!

Pained but pushing through!

The boys after the race.

Drew was very interested in the rock climbing at the Harvest Moon festival.

 

Ogden is a pretty town!

Harvest Moon festival!

Checking out a band at the festival.

The highlight video!

 

Drew and dad watching the video!

Walking back to the hotel from the video.

Drew would only go if Erick held his hand.

Starbucks for the ride home!

The Tetons!

I showed Drew how to make a sock puppet.  He thought it was hilarious!

Beautiful!

Weekend Fun!

We had a great weekend this last weekend.  I just love Fall!  It's such a beautiful time of year, and we live in a truly spectacular place.  I'm always amazed by the beauty we are surrounded by.  We got a chance to enjoy some of that beauty, as well as spend some time hanging around town taking in the events of our community.

Friday night we went to the art walk.  If you've spent any time reading my blog, you know I love the art walk.  It's one of my very favorite events that Bozeman holds in the summer and early fall, and there's even a special winter one in December.  The shops downtown open their doors later than usual and invite artists from the area to display their work.  There's usually wine and appetizers as well.  It's a fun event and I just love spending the evening walking around downtown. 

We have found that the art walk is a little more challenging with two kids, but of course, that hasn't stopped us. Surprisingly, both the kids were excellent on Friday, and we were able to enjoy the entire evening with very little whining or crying or chasing down the sidewalk.  Both Doug and I were pleasantly surprised with how well they did.  It was a super fun night!

 

Saturday, we made a day trip to Big Sky to go for a hike.  We really love spending time in Big Sky, and we always have a good time when we go there.  Poor Drew must have gotten a little car sick on the winding roads up to the mountain because he puked in the car on the way there.  It was quite messy, and we were not overly prepared for such an event, so we scrambled to get it cleaned up, and probably lost one of Avery's blankets to the cause, but we managed to rally and continue on to our hike.

 

We started at Moonlight Basin ski area and did a hike called Ulery's Lake Loop.  It was beautiful and not too challenging of a hike.  The destination was a lake that had an amazing view of Lone Mountain as its backdrop.  So pretty!  The kids did great, and we even let Drew hike out the last little bit so he could feel like he did some hiking too.  It was a gorgeous day and a beautiful place to spend the afternoon.

 

 

 

 

Saturday night, we attempted to have dinner with friends. We were doing okay, and then Avery started screaming and we couldn't get her calmed down.  We ended up having to leave dinner early, which wasn't great.  We've never been forced to do that before, so it was kind of disappointing for us.  We always try to do as much as we can with these kids, and sometimes it backfires.  I'm sure Avery was over it for the day, and was super tired.  Unfortunately, that happens, and although it's likely a product of us trying to fit too much in, we'd rather have a few hiccups from pushing it too hard than not doing anything at all.  Luckily, our friends were very understanding.  They have a baby coming in November, so we may return the favor in the coming months when they have a new little one!

 

After our dinner disaster, we decided to go for a quick walk to get some fresh air and have every one cool off a little.  Drew rode his bike and we walked.  We didn't make it very far before Drew started to melt down, so we hurried home and put him to bed.  He insisted on sleeping in his Bobcat jersey, and as his dad says, when it's September and the boy requests to wear his jersey to bed, he wears his jersey to bed!  Haha!

 

 

Sunday, we started the day with a family run.  Then we got groceries and had lunch at home.  The kids went down for a nap and Doug went for a long bike ride.  He is participating in the Xterra National Championship this weekend, so he's trying to get some long bike rides and runs in before the race.  He's a little banged up and I think he will be glad to have all of this training over with! 

 

Overall, it was a great weekend.  We always try to pack the fun in when we're all together, and I think we accomplished that.  I'm excited for more fun Fall weekends to come!

Introducing Avery!

Avery Leigh was born June 21, 2015 (Father's Day!) weighing in at 6 lbs. 11 oz. and 19 inches long.  We loved her the moment we met her, and we're so happy that she's a part of our family!

Avery has been a good baby.  We've had a few struggles with her eating, but in the last couple weeks, things have seemed to turn around and she's a much happier, super smiley baby.  She's sleeping great too, which always helps a momma out!

Drew has been a great big brother.  I thought he might go through a jealous stage, but he has welcomed her with open arms from day one, and he truly loves her.  It's the sweetest thing to see your children interact.  Lots of times I will catch him talking to her, telling her about himself, asking her questions, or showing her his new favorite toy.  He's so thoughtful and kind, and I couldn't be more proud of the little boy he has become.

Drew it now a little over two and is about as fun as they come.  He makes me laugh every day with his little personality.  He's got some charisma I tell you!  He started talking really early and is already holding in depth conversations with us.  It's been so fun to have him be able to communicate and he's definitely a talker.  In fact, you might say he never shuts up! But boy, they say that kids just keep getting to be more and more fun as they age, and it's definitely true.  I love this stage we're in!

Life is great! We're busier than ever, but it's a fun busy and full of so much love. 

I'm Back!!

Well, it's been some time.  Quite a few things have changed around here, mainly the addition of a new family member!  Avery Leigh Neil was born June 21, 2015, and we are so excited to have her as a part of our little family!  She's about as sweet as they come, and Drew is more than pleased with being a big brother!

 

Since I've been gone, I've realized just how much I enjoyed blogging and what fun it was to look back on all that we have done.  It's a great way to keep an online "baby book" to document what's going on in our lives.  I miss having a place to share with all of you, and I miss being able to look back at all the fun we've had.

I can't do a daily post as my free time has all but diminished with two kids now, but I'm going to try to get back in the swing of things with at least one to two posts a week.  Mostly family related stuff as that's the majority of what I do all day every day, but I'll try to work some other stuff in too.  Bear with me, but even though it's a lot of work, I really think I will look back on this blog and be happy that I did it.

So, hello again! Thanks for coming around!