Summer Vacation - The 3rd Adventure Challenge

Brett does not grow much facial hair, so the Monday before we left to go and see my grandparents, Brett sent out a challenge. It was the goatee challenge. He invited all of his brothers-in-law and his father to compete.

Brett got a couple day head start, and this is one day's growth.

Bring it on...

MOTORPAUSE - the post script

While I was blogging about Brett's new motorcycle, he went to bed. When I went in, this is what I found.

Brett was asleep and on my pillow was his latest "reading" material.

He had been reviewing his owner's manual when he fell asleep, and he neatly stacked his stuff on my pillow.

While I was brushing my teeth, I heard him mumbling. I went out this is the conversation that took place:

D: What?

B: Go ahead.

D: And do what?

B: Do whatever you need to do.

D: What are you going to do?

B: Watch for traffic.

At this point, Brett became semi-coherant, and realized that he was talking. He opened his eyes and looked at me.

D: Are you dreaming about your motorcycle?

B: (with a sheepish grin) Yeah!

Then I left, and he rolled over and went back to sleep.

This morning I talked to him about it, I wrote down the conversation so that I would not forget what was said. We had a good little laugh over it, however, he did not remember any of it.

Summer Vacation - The Latest and Almost Final Adventure

or maybe this should be titles:

MOTORPAUSE

thanks Papa for the term.

So, this story starts a few years ago. Brett went to visit his sister, and she had her own Harley in the garage. After the trip, he came home and said, "If my little sister can do it, so can I." The seed was planted.

Well, on July third, we went to the Honda shop here in town. Now, we drive Hondas. I have my Odyssey, and Brett has his Accord, but this is a different Honda shop. This one has motorcycles (now here in town, the "cycle" part is pronounced like the bicycle - so it is mo-tor-sicle).

Here is some of the gang looking at bikes.

Here is Claire putting her claim on one.

After hemming and hawing about it, Brett decided that he was going to go for it. He got online and studied the motorcycle manual. At the end of August he took his written test. He passed with flying colors. He had his permit, and he was going to get a bike.

Our neighbor rides Harleys, and I told him that Brett might need a few pointers because he was going to buy a motorcycle. He told me he had one for sale. We chatted about it for a few minutes and the neighbor said that he wouldn't make fun of Brett too much if he didn't get a Harley. That evening Brett got on it and tried it out. (He decided that he didn't want this particular bike, it shook a little too much for him, and it wasn't very comfortable.)

This is the neighbor's bike for sale. This picture was taken on August 20. I think it is still for sale.

Earlier that day, Brett had gone out and bought boots and gloves to wear. He was up in the cities for business, and he stopped at all of the Harley shops on the way home. He even bought a Harley Davidson shirt to wear.

On Saturday, the 21st, he went and got his helmet. He was registered to take a motorcycle training course, and he needed to have all of these things for the class.

Brett in his helmet (8/21).

Later this day, we tried to go to a Honda shop about an hour away to look at the selection of bikes they had there. Brett thought that if he got a quick lesson he would be able to ride it home. We had all of the back roads mapped out, since with his permit he was not allowed on the freeways. It is a good thing for us they closed an hour before we got there. I will tell you why.

We have a friend who rides, and he was looking to get a bike, too. He borrowed his father's bike the following Tuesday and gave Brett his first riding lesson. Brett had read the manuals, studied how to do everything, and thought he was ready. When he got on the bike, he realized that everything didn't quite work how he had envisioned it. Our friend was very good at teaching Brett the basics.

Brett having his first riding lesson.

Getting ready to leave the driveway - he actually left on the back of the bike while our friend drove it down the road to teach him away from all of the gawking onlookers - his family.

The lesson went well. Brett could go straight without any problems. However, when it came time to turn, the motorcycle ended up in the ditch. OOPS! Brett jumped off the bike when it was headed for the ditch, and then he ran over to it because the back tire was still spinning and kicking dirt up. He hit the switch to kill the motor and then he and our friend (who really does have a name - his name is Brett, but it is hard to tell a story when both people are named Brett) lifted it out of the ditch.

Well, on Thursday, 26 Aug., Brett had his first class in the Basic Rider's Course. He had five hours in the classroom. He relearned all of the book information. He had to go back on Saturday and Sunday to finish the driving part of the course. On Saturday and Sunday, he spent about ten hours total on the motorcycle learning all of the basics. At the end of the session he had passed his driving test, and he was able to go get his license.

Brett walking over to the motorcycles.

Brett was so ready to go and get his driver's license renewed and add his motorcycle endorsement (his expires on his birthday this year, and I think that is why he pushed through the process so fast), but he left early Monday morning for a business trip. While he was gone, he shopped online to see what motorcycles were out there. He requested some quotes and he was ready to make a deal when he got home.

On Wednesday he got back into town, and he went right over to renew his driver's license and add the motorcycle endorsement. Then he went to the Honda shop in town. He rode two different bikes around, and got really excited about one of them. He made an offer on a bike, but this his how he came home.

Brett with a sad pouty face because he doesn't have a bike.

He told the owner that he would have to sleep on it. All he could think about for 24 hours was "his" bike. We looked online that night at similar bike to check prices and availability, and realized that the price was pretty comparable to others out there. He decided that he would buy it for the negotiated price, however, he did get a couple more helmets and a riding jacket at cost.

So as of today:

Brett has a motorcycle.

It is his.

And he loves it.

This is his bike.

He was so excited to get it, and he had to go and show it off to some friends before he came home. He rode it down their road, went to the end of the culdesac, turned around and then parked it in front of their house. It was just a couple of seconds before our friends came out. Both of them ride motorcycles. Our friend was upstairs with the windows open, and he heard a motorcycle coming down his road. Since they get no traffic on their road, he figured it must be Brett. He watched him turn around, and then he came down and out.

Our friend sitting on Brett's bike.

Brett showing off his bike.

They welcomed him to the club. Brett was very excited. This couple has been cheering him on the whole way.

Eli got the first ride with his dad.

They're off.

Tonight he took all of the children and me for short rides around the block. It is so fun to watch Brett because he has been so giddy about this for the last couple of weeks - ever since he decided to really pull the trigger and do this.

Tonight, while everyone was getting rides, Claire and Eli had to get in on the action:

Claire on her motorcycle she got for Christmas.

Eli working Claire's motorcycle.

It has been FUN!

It is not the final adventure, because tomorrow night we have a campout, and Brett is going to ride with Brett (who also bought a bike this week), and I'm sure that will be at least one more adventure.

Summer Vacation - The 2nd Adventure

The next leg of our trip took up right by this place. It is a place that Brett wanted to attend when he was younger, and now both of my boys want to attend:

We walked all around the visitors' center at the Air Force Academy and they are super excited to go (sorry it's not Annapolis, dad).

Claire posing

Emily posing

My four children. (I think they all look thrilled to be getting their picture taken.)

Looking at the "ranks."

Outside with the mountains in the back ground.

The children with the huge "hill."

A quick story about our trip: We went to the gift shop and bought some souvenirs. Brett bought a wooden statue of a falcon to put in his home office (pictures to come). When we got to the car, Brett was reviewing the total of our purchase in his head, and it did not make sense to him that the total was just over the price of the statue, so he had me look at the receipt. Sure enough, the person at the register has spent so much time wrapping the statue so that it didn't break that she forgot to scan the price (it doesn't help that we had four children who continued top put stuff of the counter, and she had to keep track of all of that). Brett went back in and asked her to please scan another one so that he could pay for it. We laughed how we could have had a "free" statue that "exemplified the qualities sought in Air Force Academy cadets; courage, intelligence, love of the wild sky, ferocity in attack, but gentle in repose - and discipline," and to Brett - EXCELLENCE. That would have been too ironic.

So, we paid for our purchases and left - a few more hours in the car.

I looked back and saw this. I did make Caleb sit up, because that just did not look safe.

We arrived at my grandpa's house on Tuesday evening. We had dinner and visited with him. It was a very pleasant visit.

Here is my grandpa sending "mess up" vibes to Caleb. We had the children doing chores and we told them if they "messed up" they would have to do more.

On Wednesday we went over to my grandmother's house for lunch. One of my cousins and his family came over, too. We just visited and let the children play.

Here we are with GG.

My cousin & his family.

All of the second cousins.

These girls share a common interest - Taylor Swift music. They sang one of her songs for us.

Grandpa's automatic dish washers.

On Wednesday afternoon, we went for a drive to get some fresh produce in Palasade.

He took us to this cute little roadside stand. We had given him the head's up that we wanted to buy some peaches, so he had gone out the days previous and scouted out the best place to get them.

It was a very simple place, and everything looked delicious.

This was the orchard on the other side of the parking lot.

When we left, we went through a drive through some more orchards.

Here are apricots.

A neat looking building.

Peaches with the mesa in the background.

On our way home we stopped to visit the cemetery where my grandmother's remains are.

It is a very beautiful, peaceful place.

The marker on her vault.

The children in front of her vault.

Walking through, looking at, and honoring the veterans.

A gnarly tree on the site.

After the walk, we went to dinner at Red Lobster. YUMMY! Then the children got to participate in a karate class with their cousins.

Here they are doing some warm-ups.

After all of that, we went back to my grandpa's house. He and Claire were playing a game where one person would draw a "squiggle" and the other person would draw a "doodle" from the squiggle. This was one of Claire's favorite part of the trip.

Grandpa & Claire talking about the game.

It's grandpa's turn to draw a squiggle.

Claire finishing the doodle.

The visit was too short, however, it was fun to be able to reconnect with family.

Summer Vacation - The 1st Adventure

A picture narrative (with some, maybe too many, words):

With bags packed and the car loaded, we were on our way out of town.

The checklist was completed.

Were were ready to roll.

*The smiles you see above were not there two hours later when we were back in our driveway getting ready to "start" our journey AGAIN! Why were we back? I forgot my purse. In it was the cash for our trip (easy to get more), my phone (as hard as it would have been, I could have gone without it), and the thing that really mattered was my driver's license (which I would need later in the trip to get on the airplane). So, we had to come back home and get it. That set us back by two hours. Brett eventually did forgive me, and it was pretty smooth sailing.

We drove to Lincoln, Nebraska, and spent the night in a hotel. There was a pool and a continental breakfast. We arrived too late in the p.m. to use the pool when we got there, and Brett was too excited to get on the road in the a.m., so we ate breakfast and left.

Before we really got on the road we had to get gas.

We put the children to work removing the bugs that had their lives cut short by our van.

We settled in for the drive. (I guess I wasn't entertaining enough for Brett.)

Caleb enjoyed reading.

Claire - just being silly, however I think we were all feeling this way to be in the van again.

Emily playing games.

Just plug this boy in, and he is happy - music, games, t.v., movies - if it is electronic, Eli is its friend.

We arrived at my aunt an uncle's house around dinner time. My aunt had a casserole ready to go in the oven, so we were fed and entertained. My cousin came over with his family. It was fun getting reacquainted with them and meeting their youngest.

The CHILDREN enjoyed playing the candy bar game. Even though there was some healthy competition and tempers, it was all good in the end.

On Sunday we went to church with my aunt and uncle, and then the family came over again. Not only did all of the little cousins come over again, but my other cousin and her husband came for dinner and they spent the night.

Sunday evening we went to a park called Garden of the Gods. The were rock formations and the trails were beautiful.

We came across this guy playing the didgeridoo.

One of the formations.

My family after the trek around part of the park.

The silly girls.

This little guy loved to put his fingers in his ears and listen to himself.

Kissing Camels under the moon.

... and the sleeping arrangements.

Claire

Emily

Caleb

Eli

On Monday we went to an indoor park. There was mini-golfing, go-carts, laser tag, a kid's room, bumper cars, and an arcade.

Here we are waiting to play laser tag.

A couple of my goof balls doing the go-carts.

After the indoor park, we went home and grilled burgers and hot dogs. We left the children and went to a late night movie, Inception, with my cousin and his wife.

We had a wonderful visit with my family. It was great to get reacquainted and build the family bonds. We love you guys and appreciate all that you do for us.