Homestake Cyclocross-Sept. 29, 2012

 Mark has been competing in some cyclocross races lately.  If you don't know what cyclocross is, then you are one of millions!!  It is a cross country bike competition basically, where you bike on trails, but there can be all kinds of hazards in your way, so you might have to run holding your bike up a steep steep incline or run down holding it or get off and push the bike.  This particular race started at night.  It was beautiful up on Homestake Pass!  It was at a cross country ski area.

Pre-riding the trail

Pizza and breadsticks!  A great pre-race meal!

We think that might be Mark, but didn't want to blind anyone too terribly with the flash on the camera!

Moon rising

Big 2

Bryce turned 2 on September 8th, 2012 and we went to Billings to celebrate with Great Grandpa Ruben, Great Grandma Helen, Uncle Charlie, Grandma Denise, and Grandpa Jay.  Mark and I went to the temple and the kids got to hang out with everyone else.  It was a beautiful day!  Bryce was able to pick out his own new shoes and once we put them on his feet, he wouldn't even take them off again for us to buy them, so he wore them out of the store.  He really liked them!

Tiger-rific Cake!!!

Rylie, Bryce, and Rori outside of the Billings Temple.  This is prior to the new shoes.

Opening presents!

Bryce got his own plate of pancakes for breakfast and was using the fork and knife pretty well for a 2 year old!

Hanging out at the home improvement expo!  Cool hard hat!!!

Coming home from Glacier Park

On the way home from Glacier Park, we decided to stop off and explore.  We went on a nature trail near a lake and read all of the sign posts describing things that had been in the area.  Then we went on a hike up to a waterfall.  Mark's boss had suggested it to him.  It wasn't a wide trail and Mark traversed the 3 miles, sometimes hauling Bryce and the jogging stroller up and over rocks and hard terrain!  The girls made it the whole way up and back!  The view was worth it.  The photos don't capture and actual greens and blues of the lake and the forest.  It was beautiful.

Can you see the teeny tiny kayakers?

Glacier Park-2012-pt 2

Throwing rocks into the lake.  Actually I think some of them are trying to skip the rocks.  Endless supply also helps.

Bryce can't miss out on throwing rocks too!

Bryce really wanted to be in the picture as you can see from above and below.

Beautiful background-good pic, Rylie

Abbey Road, not so much but you can't see the forest for the trees!

Waterfall

If there is a giant fallen tree, we must walk on it!

Awesome roots!

View from Going to the Sun Road

Very windy, but we tried to hike it.  We did see a marmot on the way though.

Mark went and hiked up the trail where you have to clip yourself onto the side of the mountain.

Our makeshift baby backpack

So, a big horn sheep came through the parking lot at Logan's Pass.  An older  Asian woman was walking through and was oblivious to the huge ram going right by her. 

Kalispell/Glacier Park-2012 pt 1

Over Labor Day weekend this year, we traveled to Kalispell and Glacier Park. We stayed in Kalispell and Mark participated in a mountain bike race on Saturday morning. We left that morning and drove through the beautiful Seeley Lake area to get there.

Bryce, Rylie, and Rori hanging out in one chair watching the ipod while waiting for Dad to finish racing

Mark coming through the high grass

The finish line was at the top of the hill.  You can see Mark finishing!

Following the race, we drove into Kalispell and checked into our motel and went swimming for a little while.  Sunday morning, we went to church and then left for Glacier Park.

Third grade, here she comes

Cute Rylie

Everyone else wanted to join the picture

At Radley for the first day

York 38 Special 2012

Once again, Mark rode the York 38 Special.  It took him 2 hours and 43 minutes and he place 6th out of 204 competitors.  We usually go up and watch him finish, then hit the York Bar for some delicious York burgers.  Okay, so the kids have pretzels, but Mark and I enjoy the burgers!!!  The kids just like to eat our York peppermint patties.