Happy 6th Birthday, my little preemie miracle

Wow, little man, you are six years old today. Where has the time gone. I'm sure I say that every year, but every year, I look at you, and I am truly in awe of what and amazing little boy you are. But of course, first I'll remember the day you born. That was such a scary day. Truly. You never moved a whole lot as a baby but it was getting to be less and less. I didn't know if I should worry or not, but as we had an ultrasound scheduled, I figured my mind would be put at ease. How wrong I was!! We got to the ultrasound and it started out normal enough, but pretty soon, the tech student was getting the tech to come and check things out, and that tech wanted the senior tech, and of course that tech wanted a doctor, and then that doctor wanted a second opinion. I mean really, we knew something wasn't right, but we also knew there was a heart beat because they kept checking that as well. We were trying to stay composed, but inside freaking out. I suddenly just felt like we'd be meeting you that day. And, once the doctor came to talk to us, and give us our choices, that's when we knew we would. We had two options. We could continue the pregnancy, and you would die, or we could take our chances, and deliver you, and you still might die, or you might end up with all sorts of problems, but really, we wanted to take that chance, to give you a chance in this world. Normally, with a preemie, they try and give the mom steroid shots to help the lungs out of the baby, but there wasn't even time for that. You had to come out, and you had to come out now. It was scary. So scary. I remember so many things about that day. But mostly that I wanted you to have a chance at life with us and in this world.

You were born weighing 830grams (just 1lb 13oz) and you were 28weeks, 5 days. You were small for your gestation, and you were overloaded with fluid. I remember being in the operating room, and seeing a whole team of doctors and nurses there waiting for you. We bumped a bunch of other births, because you needed help and you needed it now. They intubated you right away and soon you were whisked off to the NICU. Your dad got them to stop and let me see you. And then you were off getting the help you needed. I had to wait for my legs to get their feeling back before I could come see you. In the meantime, we were inundated with visits from doctors and specialists, quizzing out everything to try and figure why you had developed hydrops. Despite all the testing and questions, no answer was ever found. Life continued to get a bit worse for you, every day. The regular ventilator wasn't working for you, so they moved you to the oscillating ventilator, then you were maxed out on it, and nitric oxide was added. You were on drugs for pain, blood pressure, heart problems and even a drug to keep you paralyzed so you wouldn't move. It was scary. There were so many lines going into you. You needed blood transfusions. And then, your heart stopped, not just a slow down, like a brady, a full on code blue. Your bowel had perforated and your poor little body, just couldn't handle it. Lucky for us, a bit of CPR and some emergency surgery, and your heart started once again. Scary, I tell ya!! After that, your journey in the NICU became a fairly typical one. There were always risks of infection, and they were testing your blood quite often for that. And slowly you grew. Line by line, tube by tube, machine by machine was slowly removed as the medicines had done their work, and you started doing what the machines had been doing for you. At six weeks old, you moved from a level three NICU to a Special Care Nursery. It was a huge accomplishment for you and meant you were one step closer to coming home. Four more weeks, and we finally got to take you home. I remember the silence. How quiet our house seemed compared to all the noise and machines at the hospital. Sadly, you were back in the hospital two weeks later as your ROP had gotten so bad, it needed to be operated on immediately. Since then though, we've had you home.

Over the years, it's been such a pleasure to watch you grow and change. To see you sit for the first time, and rollover, and crawl, and walk, and talk. Most of these milestones took a bit longer, but you were on your own timeline and we were happy with that. But let's just talk about five. You were great as a five-year-old. We watched you finish your second year of preschool. We watched you take swimming and finally, after several tries, passed sunfish, and then flew through crocodile, and now you are working on the final preschool level of whale. We saw you complete your first two kids of steel triathlons, including an open water triathlon. We watched you run your second Mother's Day race raising money for NICU along the way training for that. You've also been in a gross motor group working on different skills for physiotherapy. You spent the summer learning your letters and practising various fine motor activities. And then you started kindergarten.

We put a lot of thought and research into where to send you for school, knowing we could always change our minds if things didn't work out. We toured schools, we chatted with parents, therapists, and weighed out the pros and cons. In the end we settled on a French Immersion school. And it is just an amazing little school. It's Catholic, so you are getting some spirituality that we have not been very good at providing to you. Your teacher is incredible. Mme Trish. With 16 boys in your class, it sure is busy!! Msr Nathan is helping now, and I think that has helped a lot!! And wow, the French. It's crazy!! You are just soaking it up. It's actually quite fun to see.

Chapter books have become fun as well. We started with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, moved on to Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, James and the Giant Peach, the original Peter Pan, and are just now starting Harry Potter. We've read some really cute French books as well, but these are shorter stories. Your favourites are Cocorico and Bonjour Docteur. Even you brother loves those ones. And you are starting to recognize words and it's so exciting to see!! Reading is so fun, and I sure hope you enjoy reading!!

Sebastian, you are an amazing little boy. I love your passion for life. I love your willingness to try new things, even though sometimes those things can be a challenge for you. You wow'd your physio group with your amazing climbing this year. And I try and find time to work on letters and such with you since I know it is a huge challenge for you. Some favourite foods: tacos, mayo cheese pickle sandwiches, nutella toast, pancakes, quesadillas, pizza buns, Clif bars, groovy strips, BearPaws. You have a weakness for cookies and chips!! Oh, and you love popcorn. And let's not forget all the time you spend outside exploring in our yard, on snowshoes, building obstacle courses, playing in the sandbox, the playhouse, you truly have an incredible imagination!!

Next up, your school is starting a running club. This is perfect timing as you are going to be running for the third time in the Mother's Day Run. The race always raises money for the NICU units in Calgary, and buys equipment for those units. Equipment that will help future babies get the same sort of amazing care you did while in hospital. (Hello reader, please consider donating to his run by clicking this link for the Sports Chek Mother's Day Run). You've also been doing gymnastics this year, and are learning cartwheels and working hard on the bars as well. These skills work well for your Cirque inspired dances you and your brother do to the music of Ovo.

Oh, and I should mention your brother. You have been an incredible big brother. Sully is very lucky to have someone that looks out for him, plays with him, and shares with him. Of course you have your moments, but that's true of all siblings. And you are always so excited whenever you get to see any of your relatives, but especially your grandmas!! It's a treat to see you dressing up, and using your imagination, Harry Potter, Captain Hook, Public Safety, Firefighter, and now you long for a Spiderman costume (just a tough time of year to ask for such a thing my little man!!

Today, as I watched you be the special helper for the Mad Scientist, I just loved the wonder and excitement both you and your brother had, as you got to learn about how science can be almost like magic!! And let's not forget your cake. You asked for Harry Potter, and you got it!! I love you, my little super trooper!

Sebastian, I wish you another year full of wonder and excitement. Thank you for making me smile every day. Thanks for the incredible things you say.
Thanks for the incredible things you do (like your amazing squeezey hugs). It is such a treat to be your mom!! Keep on smiling and being the incredible boy that you are!!

Love, Mom

My dear Sullivan,

Wow, today you turn three years old. I can’t believe that you have already been with us for three years!! You are such an incredible little boy and I am so lucky to be your mom. Every day, I am truly grateful to have you and love you so very much. The last year has been an incredible one for you my little buddy!!

You accomplished a lot this year. Your biggest skill is your attempts at communication. You have taken your time to talk, but boy oh boy do you work hard to express your thoughts. We are working hard with you on sounds and letters, in an effort to understand the things you tell us. 

Your favourite thing to say is “apple pie” and also “timmy’s”.

You spent the summer on your run bike and towards the end of the summer were getting much braver than I am ready for!! You realized downhills are fun and get a lot more glide now and you aren’t really afraid to go fast (yikes!!). You love going to the playground, but have a love/hate relationship with slides. Some days you are brave but other days, you just aren’t so sure!!

I am pretty sure you are part fish. You breezed through Duck, and Sea Turtle and this week you start Sea Otter. This will be the first time you have lessons without mom or dad. It will be interesting to see how you listen. However, you love the water, and the songs from lessons, so I think you will be just fine. 

You love playing trains, watching trains etc. And this year, you got an extra special train and firetruck that your grandpa made for you, and the moment that gift was opened, it was something you instantly wanted to play with.

You love helping in the kitchen. Anytime I go to bake anything, you are grabbing a chair and pushing it into the kitchen so you can help. You will grab all sorts of ingredients like baking soda, baking powder and any spice I ask you to. You love measuring, mixing, pouring, stirring, whisking etc. It is incredible to see the passion you have in the kitchen. It’s a lot like your dad actually (who is amazing in the kitchen and loves to cook!!). We have made pumpkin bread, cookies, cakes and all sorts of other baked goods. You are still a bit afraid of the stove, so you aren’t as keen to help with that sort of cooking. So, you can only imagine your excitement when you got the play kitchen from Grandma!! It was pretty cute watching you and your brother go to town with that kitchen.

Sully, it has truly been an honour to get to know you. You are an amazing little guy and really, I am thankful every day to have you in my life. You make me smile. You make me laugh. I love the way you drop everything and come running when I shout, “extra kiss and hug” before I go to work. I love you my little prince. Keep on being curious and excited about life.

Love, Mom

My swimming superstars!!

Ever since I became a mom, I knew that swimming was a skill I felt very important that my children have. I wanted them to be comfortable in the water and able to fend for themselves. Well, it's still a work in progress, but both boys, most certainly love the water and any opportunity they get to go swimming is scooped up faster than you can imagine. Lessons however, have been another matter.

Let's start with the youngest. Sully is definitely part fish. He has to be. He loves water so much, and isn't afraid to try anything. He jumps in, he goes under the water, he does his floats, he even loves the songs (Tiny Turtle Tim being his favourite of course). He also loves just playing in the water. He breezed through starfish, bored even as it was all babies and he wasn't even so interested in listening, but he has grown up since then... he also breezed through duck. And I know you probably can't fail those, but really, he did well. Next up was Sea Turtle, and times have changed and Sea Turtle is now a  parented class (used to be a sort of half parents, half not). Well, today was the last day, and once again, he just flew through the whole class. Every week, doing better than the last, including today, where he whizzed through it all, including the slide that half the kids freaked out over. And, the lazy river. So now, he is an aspiring Sea Otter (a new level added, so perhaps this will be the telling level on just how fishlike he is).

Sebastian, on the other hand, lessons haven't been his strongest suit. To start with, he has absolutely zero body fat, so the first round of Starfish, he shivered and was purple the whole class. We took Starfish a second time just cause he was too young for duck (and you know, he was the first born, so you are totally on top of everything haha). He did fine in the classes, and moved on to duck, again, all was fine. Then, enter Sea Turtle, he tried, but no success, so he tried again, still no... he wouldn't put his head in the water. Finally the third class, he figured that out, and we had success. Keep in mind, this is the class where you have to start in the class with your child, and gradually as the weeks go on, parents no longer have to be in the water. Salamander came along, and he was in and out of that class on the first try!! And then came Sunfish. It's a demanding class, where they want a lot out of the kids. So, he tried, and tried, and tried, and finally after three rounds at one facility, where the last round had at least 4 different teachers (can you say new teacher every week???), we decided to try a new facility. Enter Vecova. The pool is actually warm!! So, this time, we tried Sunfish, little Sebastian was not shivering the whole class the way he was at Cardel. And, the same teacher was there every week!! Well, he was still not successful, but really improved and his confidence in the water was much greater. We registered him again at Vecova, and this time, at the halfway point, it was still not looking positive (they send home a little note about the likelihood of passing, and his said likely not). We practiced with him at least once or twice a week outside of classes, and he worked so hard to do everything that was asked of him. Keep in mind he does have DCD and as a result, multiple step, multi limb activities can be tough for him to master. But, with a lot of hard work, he got through Sunfish. Jeremy sent me a text and I literally had tears in my eyes. He earned that one. It was a lot of effort on his part and it really was a huge accomplishment. So now, he can go into crocodile. I'm so glad he got through Sunfish, if no other reason, than it shows him, that hard work really does get results. Plus, he'll age out of the preschool lessons soon, so it really was his last chance to get through Sunfish!!

So great job my little ones, you did amazing!! Best of luck in your next lessons!!

Always grateful!!

I am so grateful for so many things in my life, that I just felt compelled to share some of them.

I am so grateful for my husband. He is fantastic. He is the best dad to our little boys, who are so lucky to have him around most days for rides to school and swimming lessons. He works only part-time so that he can be there for all those important things going on with them!!

I am grateful to Sebastian. He came into this world, barely clinging to life, and fought very hard to stay here. Today he is in kindergarten and just amazes me every day with his witty comments, his zest for life and his amazing abilities at climbing and gymnastics. He's curious about everything and soaking up french like a sponge!!

I am grateful to Sullivan. He's such a little cutie. He has such an incredible passion for cooking. We just finished making pumpkin breads actually. He will bring out all the ingredients, and just loves pouring and mixing and all things baking. He is lots of fun, and he's words are now exploding, so he gets to be more fun every day!!

I am grateful to my dog. Cronos. He makes me feel loved every night when I get home from my shifts. I just wish his silly tail would heal itself. He somehow injured it, and it's been bleeding and as I'm sure you can imagine, it's not the easiest thing to clean up... but he is on the mend... I hope...

I am grateful for my extended family. I am so lucky to have the family I do. Most especially parents and siblings, but more than that, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins. Yeah, I'm lucky!! I wouldn't trade them for anything. So many great memories, and many more to come!!

I am grateful for the friends and coworkers I have. There are so many people in my life that I feel honoured just to have their conversation and company. People who make me laugh, and offer philosophical discussion. Friends who help me out when I'm stuck (especially when it comes to a work shift I couldn't get off!!). Friends who run with me. Friends who walk for coffees. Friends who climb, and do triathlons. Friends who simply are there with a phone call or a funny status or tweet.

I am grateful to live where I do. I am lucky to be Canadian. I don't take that for granted. I know there are countries out there, where you can't speak your mind. I know there are places where people struggle for basic necessities and basic rights, and I am lucky I am, where I am. There are plenty of military out there that leave their families to go off and help other countries to get the same freedoms I have, and some of them are lost in the conflict. My heart goes out to them and their families!! Especially at this time of year, when families are missing those loved ones!!

I am grateful for my health. There are so many people suffering from all sorts of illness and disease. I am so lucky that to this point, I have been relatively healthy. I will try and use my health to benefit those around me (can you say, Ride to Conquer Cancer?? Please, sponsor me!! I have a long way to go yet!! You know you want to... tax receipt... quick before the year ends!!)

I am grateful for so much more, but those are the big ones, and the ones I will focus on today. Because really, family and friends are where it's at!!

Join the 2012 ride...

Since today is Gear Up day, and the whole point is to try and find some people who might want to ride, I thought I would repost about the ride back in June. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to email, comment or text and I'll help you out and fill you in. The ride is truly incredible. It's worth the time and effort training and fundraising. You won't regret it!! It's beautiful, it's fun, it's epic. And best of all, you are surrounded by so many incredibly, like-minded people who have all taken the time and effort to do something big. Put all that energy into one place, and it really is incredible what can be accomplished. The research that is being funded is putting Alberta on the front page. The projects are incredible, and every dollar donated gets matched usually two times over, so the impact is huge. And the projects funded are varied and support a variety of different cancers. I mean, we all know someone who has been affected, and many of us know several people. Some lose their battles, but with the research going on, maybe soon, we won't lose anyone else to this horrible disease. So come, be part of something incredible!! Register today and you get free arm warmers!! But, want to know what it's like? Here was my recap from June...

The 2011 Alberta Ride to Conquer Cancer

So this past weekend, I set out on a brand new journey. A new adventure. Something big. Something awesome. And something that, up until the day before, I wasn't entirely sure I was going to do. Fundraising is always a challenge, and the ride to conquer cancer was no exception. For me, coming off of Mother's Day, where we always put in a good effort to raise funds, since we know that the Mother's Day Run supports NICU and since that cause is obviously very near and dear to us, it was tough coming away from that, and turning around and basically asking all those same amazing people who supported us in that, to turn around and support the ride to conquer cancer as well. And really, things were not looking so good... with one night to go, I had $1000 left to raise... and since we aren't really in a position to afford that, it was tough deciding to go ahead or not. In the end, after getting a couple more donations, I went for it. I wanted to honour the donations I had already received and devised a plan to raise the rest, through a combination of a 50/50 draw and bottle drive.

So, then it was time to pack... hmmmm... deciding the night before a 200km ride, is not always the smartest move. I was scrambling trying to get everything together. Where was my platypus pack? Found the bag, found the backpack, found the tube, couldn't find the end piece... I remember Sebastian playing with it. It could be anywhere. Well, eventually found that, but then couldn't find my riding sandals (yes, my clip shoes are keen sandals... they are AWESOME!!). Well, Jeremy saved the day on the sandals, and I should also point out, that he was out in the garage working on my bike. Tuning it up, cleaning it up, making sure the gears shifted nicely and the brakes worked properly. He too, was signed up to ride, but hadn't raised any money, so him riding wasn't even a consideration that day. The work he put into my bike though, really meant a lot. He also offered up his bike. He has a nice Argon tri bike, but I just felt I'd be more comfortable on my mountain bike, so went with what I knew. Might not have been the fastest choice, but it was the choice I made!!

Went to bed with the alarm set for 0500hrs... did I mention I only work nightshifts? This was a VERY early morning for me, and the boys as well. We put my bike on the car, packed my bag, and off we went, headed for Spruce Meadows. It seemed a bit surreal, but there I was, getting ready to embark on a journey more epic than anything I had ever done before. To date, my longest ride has been 50km. So, the idea that over the next two days I'd go 200km seemed just a bit unbelievable. Yet, I knew I could. I never really doubted I had it in me... well, there was one point, but I will get to that in a bit. So I have to check in, since this was a last minute decision, I hadn't done that yet. Which is also the point where I hand over my credit card number and hope I might actually raise something in the next two months!! From there my gear was checked in, then it was time for a snack. Ran into my cousins and my uncle and chatted a bit, they didn't realize I was actually riding. The ride was important to them as another uncle had died from brain cancer and as they were quite close, it was especially hard to watch him suffer and ultimately lose his fight. Then, before I knew it, it was time to line up and get ready.

There were bikes as far as the eyes could see. I mean, when you have 2280 riders, you pretty much have 2280 bikes (except for a couple tandem bikes), and even an eliptical bike. And then there was every kind of bike for the rest of them. Road bikes, mountain bikes, tri bikes, mountain bikes with aero bars (Jeremy found this particularly amusing). And the riders came in all shapes and sizes. There were young people, old people, tall people, short people, thin people, fat people. Literally, every conceivable possible rider was there. Some had barely biked a day in their lives. Others were seasoned athletes for whom this was a mere training ride. It was really an incredible group. And when you realize that collectively, we had raised over 8 million dollars, that is powerful. That kind of money can do a lot of good in the world of research. And it's because of all those funds that everyone was there. And then there were the bikes with yellow flags on them. Each of those riders were cancer survivors. Having already battled a brutal disease, they were out here showing that cancer couldn't beat them, and taking on a huge challenge at the same time!!

There were a few speakers and of course by the end of it, I was in tears. Thank goodness I was in sunglasses. Jeremy was super emotional too (understandable since he lost his dad to cancer). It made the ride matter, it made doing this important. There are so many fundraisers out there, collecting for so many things, and all of them do matter. But today, this one really mattered. And for every person that has ever been diagnosed with cancer, and for every person that will be diagnosed, this mattered. This group of people went out of their way to try and help fight this disease. To honour the memories of those lost, to celebrate those fighting, and to try and make sure that nobody else will suffer in the future. So to everyone who took the time to donate and help me get to the starting line, thank you. Every donation mattered. Because together, with all the other donations, the money raised really will have an impact. An epic impact!! It's putting Alberta on the front stage of cancer research!!

And then we were off. I was a bit nervous on the count of my sandals and the fact that I don't have a lot of experience with clip shoes on a bike, and with so many bikes, it took a bit to get everyone going at a pace that is condusive to balancing while in clip shoes. I managed however and all was good. It was very emotional starting the ride, being part of something so much bigger!! Very soon, I settled into my ride and just kept riding. And then came the first hill, and there were people who stopped and walked their bikes up. I'm happy to report I made it to the top. And so the ride continued. With lots of hills. Soon, I approached the first pitstop in Okotoks. I was impressed I had made it that far. Grabbed myself some gatorade and a bagel with peanut butter and was on my way. Next pitstop came along and I got to snack on fruit cremes and munchies... yum!! Lunch was the third pitstop and now more than 60km was done. Chatted a bit with my uncle in Longview and then I was off again. The day was filled with lots and lots of hills and the last two legs were super windy. It was a tough ride, but it was good. I decided against the last pitstop as it was about half a kilometre off the highway and didn't really feel the need to stop, just wanted to get to the camp!! By now my butt was rather tired and not really too happy with my decision to bike so far all in one day. However, I finished and arrived at camp in the mid afternoon. Best thing ever? Having a chocolate covered cherry in your bag to eat at camp... yup, it was sooooo tasty!!

Camp was interesting. Hundreds of tents lined up in rows. Portable showers. Food. Drinks. Shops (Sugoi and gear for the race). Massage tent. Medical tent. Yoga tent. Racked my bike upon arriving and grabbed my gear. The whole thing was so well organized!! Had a shower, the shower felt so good, and the water was even hot. Who knew there were mobile showers like that!! Dinner was nice. Chatted with my uncle and cousins, and ran into a friend from work. It was nice running into her as she had given me all sorts of hints and tips for the ride. And for her the ride was especially meaningful as her dad had died just a few months earlier from cancer.

I wandered around, checking things out, filling up my platypus pack, and eventually headed towards my tent. Met my tentmate who was from BC and super nice. We chatted for a bit, and soon it was off to sleep. For being in a tent, on a foamie on a definitely not flat piece of land, I slept surprisingly well. Sadly however, I woke up to rain. This was not part of the plan. It took awhile to will myself out of my sleeping bag. The rain was depressing me to no end. I did not want to ride in the rain.

So, packed everything up, dropped my gear at the trucks, and headed off, wearing slightly different clothing from the day before. I kept my Sugoi compression tights on, along with my Sugoi bike shorts (you'll notice a trend here hahaha). Then I put on a long sleeved tech shirt, with my new Ride to Conquer Cancer jersey (also made by Sugoi), over top, and finally my Sugoi all weather jacket. At the last moment, I added another light jacket underneath, as it was really quite chilly. I had my helmet on, and away I went in search of something to help my feet (remember? bike sandals?? not so ideal in that weather!!). At the 2012 sign up tent they had garbage bags they were handing out, so I took one and made pseudo booties by wrapping my feet in the bag and taping them up. I also turned my bike gloves into mitts by wrapping part of the garbage bags around them and taping them (yeah, it was that chilly). I went out to my bike, and then had to clean out my sandals underneath so they'd be able to click in (since they were covered in mud). Yup, it was challenging, and hadn't even started riding yet. And I was absolutely dreading putting my sore butt down on that seat. Lucky for me, it was not nearly as painful as I was imagining it would be.

And off I went. It was raining, it was windy, it was cold. And, it was uphill. I had opted to skip breakfast as I didn't feel like standing in line in the rain, so I popped a GU gel and off I went. It was tough. And it was really cold and windy. rain was coming up under my sunglasses somehow, still trying to figure that one out!! The first pitstop was a welcome site. I grabbed a bagel and a banana. Stood there freezing while I ate it, then got back on the bike. Bikers were dropping like flies. Sweep vehicles went past, loaded with new bikes every time. It was tough to watch, and tempting to give up. At the second pitstop, they were asking who wanted to be swept. I made myself new booties with mylar blanket pieces so my feet would stay warmer, and headed out after some cookies and munchies. The hills going into Longview were tough, so stopping there would have been easy!! And then, the hills leaving Longview were tough. Fortunately, the next stop would be lunch, so I pushed onwards, even though it had started brutally raining again. At some moments, between the wind and the rain, even breathing wasn't so easy!! By the time I got to Turner Valley, the rain had subsided again, so lunch was pleasant enough. Ate and headed out. This time, it was the wind. Biking straight into the wind. Are you kidding me? First all the rain and cold, and now a strong head wind?? It was tough. And still some hills, let's not forget. By the end of this leg however, things were improving, the pitstop was in sight, and then, my chain falls off. Instant panic. I'm in clip shoes, and about to fall off my bike. Thankfully, I was able to get my one foot unclipped and then steady myself before falling. Phew!! Flipped my bike over, put the chain back on, and biked the 250m to the pitstop (yup, I was that close when it fell off). Got my final snacks and at this point knew I'd make it.

In chatting with a sweeper, there were 300 bikers who didn't even start on day 2, and they were picking up bikers 4 at a time from the course. And a bunch of others stopped at the pitstops. She even said good athlete type bikers couldn't take it. Lots of hypothermia that day!!

The last stretch was good. The beginning part was still tough, but let me tell you, once I hit 22X, I was a whole new rider. I had a renewed sense of energy, a new passion. And I pushed. I pushed hard. I got up to 65kilometers an hour even at one point. I just road and road my little heart out. And I thought about why I was there. Why I had just put myselft through 2 grueling days of biking 200+km (cause it's actually longer than 200km by the way, hahaha). I thought about my grandpa, and how I had seen him going through radiation at Foothills, back in the 1980s. I thought about Jeremy's dad, and how quickly cancer took over his body. And how hard it's been on Jeremy not having his dad, his go-to guy. I thought about my uncle, who was actually my godfather even. I went out and saw him in the summer before he passed away, trying hard to fight, but the cancer was winning. I thought about some of the kids I've seen at Ronald Mcdonald House, in the midst of chemo with no hair, trying to just be regular kids, probably not really understanding the battle they are facing. Cancer is horrible and takes away people we love, well before we should ever have to lose them. This ride gets people trying to do something about that. The funds raised go towards research. I truly hope one of the research projects leads to a cure, or at the very least, more effective, less destructive treatments. And the spinoffs. Some of the drugs go on to help with other diseases that just don't get the funds and attention that cancer does. So what this epic ride does, has an epic impact on the world of cancer resarch and treatment. It will make a difference.

As Spruce Meadows got closer, I was full of emotion. I was happy, I was sad. I was missing people that matter. People that should have had more time here. My heart was heavy for all those left to survive without their loved ones. It was very emotional, but in a good and healthy way. I am, so far, blessed with good health. I have a responsibility, to use that health to make a difference to those that aren't so lucky. It's important to take the time and be passionate about these causes, because they really do matter. I could hear the end. All the cheering, the announcer. It was incredible. I rounded the corner and the sides of the finish were lined with people cheering. The Canada flag (and several other flags), were all flapping in the distance. It was amazing. It was the perfect ending to two days of pushing myself to new limits. I rode through the end with tears streaming down my face. I saw my boys. I was so excited for them to be there and share in that moment. It really was epic.

Thank you so much to every single person who donated to this ride. Thank you for your kind words. Thank you for your support! Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for helping me reach my goal. Without each and every one of you, it would not have been possible. I am eternally grateful!!

So I'm signed up to do this again next year. And so is my husband. I want to keep trying to help and to make a difference. It's important. And maybe, just maybe, I'll have inspired someone else to join us. It's not easy. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Fundraising is tough. Training is tough. Heck, the ride itself is tough, but it's amazingly well supported and worth every moment. So take these words, and be inspired. Come bike with us, and if that's not something you can do, then support us. Because it's that support that makes it possible for us to do this, and truly, it's the ultimate example of how much bigger we are, when we all work together for a common goal. So, if you want, feel free to donate to the 2012 ride!! 2012 link here!! You get a tax receipt... you know you wanna...

And it would be especially nice if you donated to Jeremy, because he didn't get the chance to ride this year, and I think really, he needs to do this, for his dad!! So here's the link to his page... Jeremy's Epic Ride

A Family Picture, with everyone looking and everyone smiling!!

I feel so fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world. Banff is just a stone's throw from Calgary, and so we end up there a lot. I love it!! The last time we went, we did a bit of touring just to remind ourselves just how pretty it is. And, somehow, we managed to get this shot, and for that I am grateful!!

3 Valley Gap

So, on the way home from Penticton, we had a day to spare. We left Penticton after getting me signed up for Ironman 2012. We knew it was a long drive, and so we headed off. We stopped in Kelowna for a Starbucks (being married to a Barista has its' advantages!!), and after this, all three boys were asleep. At some point, Sully's cup fell upside down onto his lap and it slowly leaked all over his shorts and his carseat. They were soaked. And, Sebastian had to pee. We were planning to stop in Revelstoke but turns out it was going to have to be sooner. I knew 3 Valley Gap was coming up, and that was it. We pulled in, Jeremy grumpy, Sullivan grumpy, Sebastian grumpy (sensing a theme here??), and so I took Sebastian to the bathroom, while Jeremy changed Sully. Then, we had to deal with the carseat, so I took both boys in to play at the train table while Jeremy figured things out at the car. I was tired and really didn't want to go any further. Jeremy eventually finds us, and I suggest that maybe, just maybe we spend the night? He reluctantly agrees and we check in.

It was fantastic. It was awesome. I mean seriously, I have two little boys, they love trains, and there is a roundhouse full of trains. See where I'm going with this? We checked into our room, and headed off for the roundhouse. It was great!! Truly. My boys were ringing bells, and getting on and off train cars, engines, buses, really, they were in absolute heaven. Then we went for dinner. As Jeremy point, this is a place my mom and brother would love. All those comfort foods you'd expect: fish and chips, beef dip, veal cutlets, steak sandwich, poutine, really, not the healthiest maybe, but certainly tasty!! Sebastian is eating and says, "I just love eating dead fish". I couldn't help but laugh!!

After dinner, Jeremy went to relax, and I took the boys down to the lake. We checked out the water, checked out the helicopter, watched the boat leave, and then played on the playground. They had so much fun. It was such a great little stop and I am so glad we did!!

Now, going to sleep was not quite so pleasant... Sully, our normally amazing little sleeper, was terrible!! Fortunately he eventually went to sleep, but yikes that took a while!! The next morning, we had breakfast and went back to the roundhouse and ghost town. It was great. We explored the mine shaft, the antique cars, the covered bridge, and once again, were back in the roundhouse checking out the various train cars and engines, including a small train that was built by the family that owns and runs 3 Valley Gap, the Ghost Town and Roundhouse.

I'm sure there are many people out there who have pondered a visit, but always thought, oh, maybe next time. Well, we loved the place. Truly. The staff at the resort were so friendly and nice. The food was excellent. The grounds are beautifully maintained and so pretty with all types of flowers along the various walking paths and bridges. The scenery is stunning, with a lake, beautiful mountain back drop, train tracks and tunnel nearby and let's just say, the echo in the valley when the train blew it's whistle was amazing!! There are tons of things to do as well, with only one night, we concentrated just on the Ghost Town and Roundhouse, and truly, we just scratched the surface of those, since, for the most part, it was about letting the boys explore. The family has acquired many different buildings, cars, and traincars over the years, making it a truly historic museum. They have captured life in the area in the early years when the railway was just being built, and routes still being found. There is even a ghost car, all decorated in a Halloween type theme. Aside from there however, there are boats to rent, or boat rides to take, and helicopter rides as well. As well, there is an indoor pool with a gorgeous ship painting along the wall. We never got a chance to try the pool, only because we didn't have a lot of time. Oh, and there are a few special rooms as well, one with a 360 view, another made of rock. Truly, this is a magical place.

Will we stay there again? Definitely!! And next time, we'll probably stay at least two nights. It's relaxing, it's beautiful and it's fun. Sebastian has already asked us several times when we are going back... next year, little buddy, next year!!