tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71553154146618253992024-03-06T00:33:45.729-08:00pulsipher, A. D.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.comBlogger193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-49806087981391704862015-07-24T20:14:00.000-07:002015-07-25T10:45:32.587-07:00Family Bike Tour along the C&O Canal TrailWe've been home several weeks now from our trip, and it's given me a lot of time to reflect on the experience. It was an amazing adventure full of adventure, excitement, adversity, despair, and hard work. It certainly didn't go exactly according to plan, but ultimately it was a wonderful trip and I'm so grateful for the experience. I cannot wait to go on our next trip.<br />
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Many of you may have been following our journey on instagram and facebook. There was just so much to document, that I wanted to wrap it up in a narrative to get a deeper depiction of what happened.<br />
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To recap - the plan was to do a four day, three night bike tour along the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/choh/index.htm">C&O Canal Trail</a>. We started our trip in Hancock Maryland and planned to bike along the trail all the way to my sister-in-law's house in Silver Spring, Maryland. Based on <a href="http://pulsipherad.blogspot.com/2013/07/bike-tourcamping-extravaganza.html">our previous tour</a> - we wanted to cover about 30 miles each day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHU40Ye0E5-lRezIc1dsXQwIQ00CJMZ8puBFV1jzFY3Vzo1RRAT13idNEpwn3wQsc7HT3fmMFEzPcaFdOFFwJ-O1J7raYszVoX6iL7Vz_Jqo3QZhHyCsoHrYoJOKlB0WF2MVwgRDrEAFQ/s1600/IMG_7595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHU40Ye0E5-lRezIc1dsXQwIQ00CJMZ8puBFV1jzFY3Vzo1RRAT13idNEpwn3wQsc7HT3fmMFEzPcaFdOFFwJ-O1J7raYszVoX6iL7Vz_Jqo3QZhHyCsoHrYoJOKlB0WF2MVwgRDrEAFQ/s640/IMG_7595.JPG" width="640" /></a> <i>Our group in the parking lot of <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/americas-best-value-inn-hancock?hrid=ml17kRcYSio_XbCLCtuw3w&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link">America's Best Value Inn.</a> Five Adults. Six kids aged 10 years to 10 months. Heavy bikes. My favorite part is George with the "spirit fingers"</i></div>
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Prior to the trip, I had done (what I considered) exhaustive research on the trail. I interviewed internet strangers, stalked people on instagram through hashtag searches, and pestered a couple of co-workers who had biked the trail. I thought we were prepared for the conditions. In some ways yes... but in others not quite.</div>
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<i><b>Day One.</b></i></div>
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<i> Ashley expertly handling the singletrack on day 1.</i></div>
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For whatever reason - I was under the impression that the trail was mostly a dirt path, or crushed gravel, similar to what we had encountered in our travels in Michigan and Illinois. In some stretches it was, but more often than not it was, what would be considered by most bicyclists "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_track_%28mountain_biking%29">singletrack</a>." Mind, it wasn't just one dirt trail, but more often than not it was two parallel dirt paths each about a foot and a half wide. This was ok for some in our party, but a couple of us were pulling trailers too wide to fit in the ruts so it slowed us down a bit.</div>
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<i>Spirits high on day 1. With 6 kids, rest stops and potty breaks are a frequent occurence.</i></div>
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About nine miles in, on our very first day - my sweet niece Lane, the ringleader of the children who also completed our 2013 (119 miles!) as an eight year old, suffered a knee injury. It was devastating to Lane, and everyone else. Lane and her mother had to prematurely end the trip. The whole situation was so depressing for so many reasons, and obviously took the wind out of our sails substantially. The entire episode of getting Lane to safety, back tracking, making alternate plans, took about 4 hours. From that point on, many of us needed to adapt and work harder than we may have previously thought.</div>
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With very heavy hearts... we carried on. Not exactly sure how far we'd get the first night, the stop also interrupted our planned meal stops. It was warm, and humid, meaning we were drinking a lot of water. One of the nice things about the C&O is that in most parts, water is pretty abundant.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBgP-2eSRIHGPG3xL_ZEESd5WgZn62qwW3PjNzhc5MqdVqNEgkcqzASHm597bQtiOrZmvDoyrwNEoOIfZhAR6Rz5zUZbBhNCQNNtCxJKC0RFPOjECRrgDNfEvVXZgZChXQ_IEnpZv-Wcr/s1600/IMG_4292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBgP-2eSRIHGPG3xL_ZEESd5WgZn62qwW3PjNzhc5MqdVqNEgkcqzASHm597bQtiOrZmvDoyrwNEoOIfZhAR6Rz5zUZbBhNCQNNtCxJKC0RFPOjECRrgDNfEvVXZgZChXQ_IEnpZv-Wcr/s640/IMG_4292.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<i>Earning our water. Ed with his racoon "NightKill" who decided he wanted to join his fellow racoon brethren and now permanently resides on the C&O</i></div>
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But you do have to earn the water. Wells and pumps are at most camp spots and are located about every 5-7 miles along the path. The wells are treated with iodine so the water does come out looking a bit brown, but the taste is certainly tolerable. It's cold, so it's got that going for it. We brought a lot of electrolyte tablets and powders which I'm not sure worked or not, nor did they really mask the taste. But, I'd probably buy them again.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-pB6_kPtzeS6EvYXXPgHuJ81-n6qXnEi20V2PTs7qQeuKblJY-GzTDBIKdwgNOFuTUMd4KV4Y43-zee7qKFj60fmS3vlaLLvUefrXKQGfWhrgNOx9NBgiUcLwiZaMVzzcGFlMyM8tJj6/s1600/IMG_7602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-pB6_kPtzeS6EvYXXPgHuJ81-n6qXnEi20V2PTs7qQeuKblJY-GzTDBIKdwgNOFuTUMd4KV4Y43-zee7qKFj60fmS3vlaLLvUefrXKQGfWhrgNOx9NBgiUcLwiZaMVzzcGFlMyM8tJj6/s640/IMG_7602.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i> Beautiful vistas abound - this water feature is called a "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weir">weir.</a>"</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRanVCRs1a9I_fqUQdw-NbEe7U97S41Rk6P2gPk3HrQnSk0Brx8Dl85O5w3jIPZP0ZRVTpulP9S74Lx1trJwWq-ZUd6szDoDd9mWRGYzWLPIwnT-P0mVLzRk6ACqxnyHuPWgIFQjR_OJUs/s1600/IMG_3974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRanVCRs1a9I_fqUQdw-NbEe7U97S41Rk6P2gPk3HrQnSk0Brx8Dl85O5w3jIPZP0ZRVTpulP9S74Lx1trJwWq-ZUd6szDoDd9mWRGYzWLPIwnT-P0mVLzRk6ACqxnyHuPWgIFQjR_OJUs/s640/IMG_3974.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i> the littlest bike-tourer this side of the Mason Dixon line. Jim was an absolute angel on the trip. You can bike tour with small children!</i></div>
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We had planned to get an early lunch/late dinner in Williamsport - and then bike another five miles to our camp spot. As fate and flexibility dictated, we ended up camping about 2 miles shy of Williamsport. I biked into town and got dinner (pizza, salad, diet pepsi (no coke!) and felt like an absolute hero when I pulled into camp!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYCLVuPX7SM9d0Q4dkPgmO_SpBgnovbZ-Z2cizk5OtV1VjEXo6YqWpnqyiOhNhh8HUxVaT4yeFM19Y6XXKK0EZxA-5fYTnBVBrA8BVlxjnNjatSvjIr9Y8o22D147KSMoQaExosvtZ4Jg/s1600/IMG_7604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYCLVuPX7SM9d0Q4dkPgmO_SpBgnovbZ-Z2cizk5OtV1VjEXo6YqWpnqyiOhNhh8HUxVaT4yeFM19Y6XXKK0EZxA-5fYTnBVBrA8BVlxjnNjatSvjIr9Y8o22D147KSMoQaExosvtZ4Jg/s640/IMG_7604.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>after a long first day, roasting marshmallows took the edge off (while the adults enjoyed a swig or two of some diet beverages). </i></div>
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<b>Day 2.</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmKjKJHkHjdykoKKpvta8u6pibXDFDee0QJRMEh_1e1CMuNGuqLohg-rDjD_nbjTzbXeL_CBGzJq3n0gP9vYrBW6SjA28huCDVwzStQhGeayLX6Cn-Y9rLsG9lcGozqmbVlSkubfmndFi/s1600/IMG_4314.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKmKjKJHkHjdykoKKpvta8u6pibXDFDee0QJRMEh_1e1CMuNGuqLohg-rDjD_nbjTzbXeL_CBGzJq3n0gP9vYrBW6SjA28huCDVwzStQhGeayLX6Cn-Y9rLsG9lcGozqmbVlSkubfmndFi/s640/IMG_4314.JPG" width="480" /></a> </div>
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<i>the first of many frogs/toads found on the trip. Jim Gaffigan absolutely nailed it when he said that "for kids, cousins are like celebrities"</i></div>
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After a decent night's sleep - spirits were pretty good as we made our way into town. We decided to treat ourselves to a McDonalds breakfast, (one of our <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQGdHqE124RfR1aZQftTDMCfN6Hul9fRxFVEJuZgeai0zK1dLjOd5CyGg7SvO_nonTPSlaCiUaFroU-ey7kjM0i3Cc2YJqgFVA-BeUjbrRykK3csvzJQnq58OCzz6yLjO4TAxexCxL3OG/s1600/IMG_6759.jpg">favorite</a> family bike touring traditions). It was awesome. We took over an entire wing of the the restaurant and several spaces in the parking lot. Immediately we set up shop, charging phones, filling up water bottles, and filling up the kids so that we could get some decent mileage under our belt.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3pjjs8iWc4xka15fB20a8ZZbo6-kVunBs6X_hKtMNuNlRpjBKBrMnDhqLt5A9r4BXX_b8Z6X8cC2APRNHPiaxJ7wExqMFxzPQtC3gru9HU17SuuNKqe4_kYsGUeErxJoQOu6dQ5dSEe2/s1600/IMG_4004.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3pjjs8iWc4xka15fB20a8ZZbo6-kVunBs6X_hKtMNuNlRpjBKBrMnDhqLt5A9r4BXX_b8Z6X8cC2APRNHPiaxJ7wExqMFxzPQtC3gru9HU17SuuNKqe4_kYsGUeErxJoQOu6dQ5dSEe2/s640/IMG_4004.JPG" width="640" /></a> <i>Ashley with a head full of steam as we came into Williamsport</i></div>
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As luck would have it, our visit to McDonalds coincided with the local branch also having a corporate visit. All hands were on deck there, and nothing went unnoticed. Not in a bad way, there were just people everywhere. At one point, I overheard this amusing exchange:</div>
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Employee - "I think there's a homeless person in the bathroom"</div>
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Manager - "Really?"</div>
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Employee - "Yes. (gestures to our bikes outside) - there's her cart"</div>
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While we were wrapping up, a sweet old man came up to us and said, "I just think it's so wonderful what you guys are doing. Traveling with these young kids. We saw you guys come into town and I knew it was you on bikes when you came into the store."</div>
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It was really sweet - and honestly, those kind words serve as an additional fuel source as doubt and other negative thoughts creep into your mind when things get hard and you ask yourself why you are doing this.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zkJKcehPSvzWXf41g4X7lqG7QCi6NPwSsRBS3JNNdITYX0DbP8QCfisLr8G8of7WyQ8nfmF4hNxEt9fRkTog1TnInyj0pttcNU5S7Sp44fo6iDv3mDo4wy-g3E9IDV9QN6Y3tp7vTXBm/s1600/IMG_7608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zkJKcehPSvzWXf41g4X7lqG7QCi6NPwSsRBS3JNNdITYX0DbP8QCfisLr8G8of7WyQ8nfmF4hNxEt9fRkTog1TnInyj0pttcNU5S7Sp44fo6iDv3mDo4wy-g3E9IDV9QN6Y3tp7vTXBm/s640/IMG_7608.JPG" width="640" /></a> <i>Pit stop. The kids found a miniscule frog and captured him in an old salad container. Poor guy. Only kept him through one stretch and let him go the next stop</i></div>
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<i> </i>We continued on and I thought that we had overcome our "Everest." Little did I know how a slight change in weather could add a whole different obstacle to our journey.</div>
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Let me say, that prior to this we had encountered "some" mud on the trail and while it did slow you down occasionally, it never was a real obstacle. But then, the heavens opened up and dumped on us and the trail.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSILL7pNsyTmkT2bjhLAfztU1WGiIp4qUtjpkcVslLj477Une5t-qHLb2AGLHNypf2VG77rDb2ze7b44ZcphgoUiQR01xK7EY0oWRMuGFLxIlrPRBearXdqYjPXDi39wLhLG0F3XCyAKmt/s1600/IMG_4324.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSILL7pNsyTmkT2bjhLAfztU1WGiIp4qUtjpkcVslLj477Une5t-qHLb2AGLHNypf2VG77rDb2ze7b44ZcphgoUiQR01xK7EY0oWRMuGFLxIlrPRBearXdqYjPXDi39wLhLG0F3XCyAKmt/s640/IMG_4324.JPG" width="480" /></a> </div>
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<i>Ed weathered the storm with a paper thin poncho and a beach towel</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6IWiYvtpoBzVMTNApgalmxDEKMlUc-pFWYMmnCM0EGJ5BzVna091o9wWCId2BvaNSmhYrkymQLvv536u7JkbPixyepN-uA0MW-Mis4FyeAUmkWImv5hVF6aWkuAdxkl2VXQuUhGMV8kO/s1600/IMG_4093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6IWiYvtpoBzVMTNApgalmxDEKMlUc-pFWYMmnCM0EGJ5BzVna091o9wWCId2BvaNSmhYrkymQLvv536u7JkbPixyepN-uA0MW-Mis4FyeAUmkWImv5hVF6aWkuAdxkl2VXQuUhGMV8kO/s640/IMG_4093.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Jim stayed the most dry of all of us - in his little penthouse/trailer - except for his poor feet. Due to our elaborate trailer set up it caused his feet to peek out which normally is fine, until it gets really muddy. REALLY. MUDDY.</i></div>
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After the storm had passed, we plodded a couple of more miles and made it to Sheperdstown, West Virginia. Upon the recommendation of some fellow bike tourers, we headed for the <a href="http://www.bluemoonshepherdstown.com/">Blue Moon Cafe</a>. I don't remember what I had, probably a burger. But between Lane's accident, plodding through <a href="http://www.tarpits.org/">La Brea Tar Pit </a>-esque mud, being cold/hungry/dirty tired, being behind schedule, and then getting "shushed" by some nasty old hag in the restaurant (sorry, wound is still fresh) because of our kids - I was really in the depths of despair.</div>
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We audibled yet again, and decided to stay in a motel as opposed to getting back on the bikes and trying to get to the nearest campsite. I'll tell you, being flexible is the name of the game with family bike touring. The motel ended up being a wise decision on several fronts. They let us bring ALL of our bike stuff inside, which was nice. We got clean, and it was also right next to a dairy queen - so a blizzard sure helped morale after that day.</div>
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As luck would have it, it also stormed all night the second night. Big time thunderstorm and lighting. As we cuddled in our artificially cool room, Ashley and I couldn't help but shudder at the thought of being in the tent while we were attacked by that storm. Could have been the tipping point.</div>
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<b>Day 3.</b> </div>
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<i>Ashley and Ed gearing up for day three after a pretty decadent all you can eat continental breakfast</i></div>
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At this point in the trip, I think it's safe to say that my line of thought was much like Wesley as he and Buttercup were in the midst of the fire swamp. We had just discovered and survived the flame spud and lightning sand - painfully unaware of the rodent of unusual size I was about to encounter. But before the ROUS's...</div>
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<b>WILD RASPBERRIES!!!</b> </div>
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<i>My nephew Henry, "Don't mind if I do..."</i> </div>
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<i> My niece Charlotte, obviously pleased with her haul</i></div>
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Due to the rain - we just so happened to notice a road going parallel to the trail. We audibled yet again, consulted our iphones, and decided to take the the side roads for a little bit to avoid some mud. Seemed harmless enough.<i> </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyV7nSgMblbSOgSW4S2Fja5ogcie-VKRlWm1Dbj3T6nqBiKS2QuDnOVbxil0a_wewT5yXU3_roK_jwVG6I4-v0vbwbSMDgcDPOrxkDVvf_kHLQSnmzyKau2rgl3hhJt-xy7JyeZfVn5G8w/s1600/IMG_4034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyV7nSgMblbSOgSW4S2Fja5ogcie-VKRlWm1Dbj3T6nqBiKS2QuDnOVbxil0a_wewT5yXU3_roK_jwVG6I4-v0vbwbSMDgcDPOrxkDVvf_kHLQSnmzyKau2rgl3hhJt-xy7JyeZfVn5G8w/s640/IMG_4034.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>George took this picture. Just as we were approaching <a href="http://www.nps.gov/anti/index.htm">Antietam</a>.</i></div>
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The side road started off amazing. Beautiful vistas. Pastoral. Green. Just lovely. Then the hills came. Like an unstoppable rebel force. As I look back on my video and photo footage there are notable voids in the documentation when we encountered hills. No one really feels like documenting the struggle while you are in the middle of it. Suffice it to say - they were big. Not to mention, we were all hauling gear, kids, and their gear. I no longer have any sympathy for anyone who complains about hills until they try to pull it off (and we did) with kids. Suck it up.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWrPfl5itU_n6ja_-3H77EVGcj818hmWnfoecD1WNCeaZpD1UyUx3SqsykjtmnzJVSFujAoFZJGBlfJb3gC6ITU2TuPwRWcl-PkzbmO2DG-LYcfAhtZKqftRo0pGoIYfHRvqU6RGzrQek/s1600/IMG_4216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWrPfl5itU_n6ja_-3H77EVGcj818hmWnfoecD1WNCeaZpD1UyUx3SqsykjtmnzJVSFujAoFZJGBlfJb3gC6ITU2TuPwRWcl-PkzbmO2DG-LYcfAhtZKqftRo0pGoIYfHRvqU6RGzrQek/s640/IMG_4216.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<i>Right after taking this picture - the proverbial ROUS lept out from the woods and pounced on me</i><br />
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After our brief foray into hill climbing with loaded family touring bikes, we decided to face the music (mud) and picked back up with the trail. There was this large gravel pit. The kids immediately ran to conquer it and I thought to myself, "this is a great picture, better grab the nice camera."</div>
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I go through my belongings. Gone. No where to be seen.</div>
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To continue the Princess Bride analogy, I think at this point I've wrestled the ROUS and now I'm arguing with Prince Humperdink about making a life in the Fire Swamp, but I digress...</div>
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Obviously I'm heartsick, and frustrated. At the time we bought it, it was an expensive camera. It had some nice pictures on it, but just the stupidity of losing it and the financial and personal loss, combined with all of our other hardships just immediately came into my mind. I was so disappointed.</div>
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I said a prayer, unloaded my bike, and went to climb back up the hill we had just conquered to go look for my camera. After praying, I did feel at peace like I would find it. I felt optimistic. I also felt good because I had taken all of my stuff off my bike so I felt like Lance Armstrong on my bike... with or without PED's - you make the call.</div>
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Long story short, I didn't find my camera (then, spoiler alert!) and came back to the group empty handed.</div>
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We got back on the trail.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3Ltwo9U65G2CsQ9Rkq2R8Tnq7D-P6DotIE_19dK361kp3TjxKMwx9gKBvsnuWPCp2hwj9mmfmAdjobOtavys3fFWj0-T7VUiqmLievPz9bsGlli3sS1nlPhZ93OvtsWSz8sHCUXpObgH/s1600/IMG_4060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3Ltwo9U65G2CsQ9Rkq2R8Tnq7D-P6DotIE_19dK361kp3TjxKMwx9gKBvsnuWPCp2hwj9mmfmAdjobOtavys3fFWj0-T7VUiqmLievPz9bsGlli3sS1nlPhZ93OvtsWSz8sHCUXpObgH/s640/IMG_4060.JPG" width="640" /></a> <i>Ed and Jim - super happy little guys</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGbMb8U7WA2SS3SGoDtYAk2y14Aya9spiF3Aiiht4zNIwvvF-c1MSxUKy913sC_5YdmGzOSJLxPnGHMV7RvVH9L2YXHDjjR2N_5OY-ycxVKaXQ-ukSHMzbzk3gy9Xu8BAsTBp7vfU4HlD/s1600/IMG_4330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGbMb8U7WA2SS3SGoDtYAk2y14Aya9spiF3Aiiht4zNIwvvF-c1MSxUKy913sC_5YdmGzOSJLxPnGHMV7RvVH9L2YXHDjjR2N_5OY-ycxVKaXQ-ukSHMzbzk3gy9Xu8BAsTBp7vfU4HlD/s640/IMG_4330.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<i>After our lunch stop in Brunswick. I'm smiling because I had just slammed a Red Bull and a Snickers</i></div>
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Can I just say (yes, you can say whatever you want David this is your blog) that everyone who we've told about this trip has marveled that we took our children on a trip of this magnitude. In retrospect, and omitting an unforeseeable injury - the children really were the least of our concerns. They were all so good. They were happy. They were with their favorite people in the world (not their parents, their cousins), they were outside, they were happy! Consoling or "babying" our children was not really part of this trip. Honestly, the adults needed more support and soothing than the children. We worked together flawlessly and I'm super grateful for that.</div>
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Teamwork was the name of the game. I can't imagine doing this trip without the group we did. Everyone played a crucial part. The third day, post lunch ride was rough. The sun and come out along with the humidity, and had turned the previous night's rain on the trail into some pretty thick mud. We had about 7 miles after lunch to get to our ideal campsite, and those were some intense miles.</div>
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We employed a similar tactic the third night as we did the first night. The group split up, and this time Ashley got to be the dinner-hero.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2rYr6m_z6kjVtI7Mmt45RFmgfHkhNtWryhN0TEmY3RrmVRqpjex_0ddKDhtOlVhvBMr9uztJdW1v4JVjYWMQHdrScR8wXm0EIallwzzsU45SEctxAyjc_zRhaoTKOyAEiP4z2XzuNojf/s1600/IMG_4332.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2rYr6m_z6kjVtI7Mmt45RFmgfHkhNtWryhN0TEmY3RrmVRqpjex_0ddKDhtOlVhvBMr9uztJdW1v4JVjYWMQHdrScR8wXm0EIallwzzsU45SEctxAyjc_zRhaoTKOyAEiP4z2XzuNojf/s640/IMG_4332.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Ashley, coming through in the clutch. Long live front baskets and inner-tube bungees.</i> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuK9ncLHbNFv-w_ZJUBZ1NnAVwvIIxzyn0RL9kWv4ajh8kBqXldPMVefXfKEfRfPQ0kaRndycnm96XAoF3MKbHitBrGg7y9xshFCxJIX5_XlFLYJ5tQfQ3TZZsHJqLJ7gFv70wXzz3eHy/s1600/IMG_4263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuK9ncLHbNFv-w_ZJUBZ1NnAVwvIIxzyn0RL9kWv4ajh8kBqXldPMVefXfKEfRfPQ0kaRndycnm96XAoF3MKbHitBrGg7y9xshFCxJIX5_XlFLYJ5tQfQ3TZZsHJqLJ7gFv70wXzz3eHy/s640/IMG_4263.JPG" width="640" /></a> <i>Having dinner while we set up camp. We actually shared this campsite with two other groups. It wasn't too bad, though I would've preferred to be alone. The pizza was devoured in a locust-like manner.</i></div>
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With bellies full of pizza, the festivities of our last night camping continued as Aunt Rachel led the kids in some sparkler-fun. Rachel was a total trip-saver, and we were so lucky to have her on the trip. When Lane and Serena had to bow out, Rachel took up the reigns and was a huge help. Very grateful for her.<i> </i></div>
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All the adults also got to enjoy a little dip in the Potomac. We also enjoyed a beautiful sunset. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYx7kkVDP97aisX7m_Oo_4ZnZwEGlcKNKU4X_059TI9Q4S1tNc5W8WGuJvk5yUw5Hra1imo2nCwTzV27KFh5cOVbjlq3ajx4XOqmSpysx0tXKsXcy86qW2ABPLVanbUjspDpQfAiQ5yIE/s1600/IMG_4341.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYx7kkVDP97aisX7m_Oo_4ZnZwEGlcKNKU4X_059TI9Q4S1tNc5W8WGuJvk5yUw5Hra1imo2nCwTzV27KFh5cOVbjlq3ajx4XOqmSpysx0tXKsXcy86qW2ABPLVanbUjspDpQfAiQ5yIE/s640/IMG_4341.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Ashley and Jim enjoying the sunset. Jim also enjoying what I can only hope was not poison ivy. I had a nasty run in with it that came to bear a couple of days later.</i></div>
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Back to the kids for a minute. There was a lot of wildlife discovery, which the kids loved immensely. None more so than George and his penchant for amphibians. I'm not sure which I felt worse for, the animals he found or George as he was forced to prematurely say goodbye. He loved this frog so much he kissed it. He kissed the frog. For the life of me I cannot imagine what compelled him to do such a thing. I can only attribute it to Ashley's genes. I wanted nothing to do with it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn96KWSNFN_h0g__400gGvG79mPmJhJMEUxCCbYjThrk87oX0pX4K_3FeoOuTU6oe_TWPP9GyItWhigTRx8fiXtpCuXuFjojApFkaqGtJdKsnsZPclISVtFw-WN6Gq-nG7ahjzB9ldARMJ/s1600/IMG_4352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn96KWSNFN_h0g__400gGvG79mPmJhJMEUxCCbYjThrk87oX0pX4K_3FeoOuTU6oe_TWPP9GyItWhigTRx8fiXtpCuXuFjojApFkaqGtJdKsnsZPclISVtFw-WN6Gq-nG7ahjzB9ldARMJ/s640/IMG_4352.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b>Day 4.</b><br />
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At about 5 in the morning, it started to rain. It rained pretty solidly for the next three hours or so. We waited for the rain to let up a bit before we packed up camp. Eventually, we just had to wait for a slight decrease in the intensity of rain because it didn't feel like it was going to let up.<b> </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimGaMr6lf1w8IaSem8NpF9wTH7AHuHRxYcAhZboVAzqcxl50YfRZ92CPvfANuNpxX4avxPVVq6o-Bx3kn4du-zLw8-V2-ydgsob7TpH-vV-9Xi3H5TB-aULL4MMWgw0YanAgEraAE1BA5/s1600/IMG_4358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimGaMr6lf1w8IaSem8NpF9wTH7AHuHRxYcAhZboVAzqcxl50YfRZ92CPvfANuNpxX4avxPVVq6o-Bx3kn4du-zLw8-V2-ydgsob7TpH-vV-9Xi3H5TB-aULL4MMWgw0YanAgEraAE1BA5/s640/IMG_4358.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>The kids helped us the most by being in good moods, overall pleasant, and not fighting too much with each other. They weren't particularly helpful when it came to breaking camp. :)</i></div>
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We were faced with another big decision. Having just survived the mud (just barely), the thought of doing our longest day (mileage wise) on fresh mud seemed like too much for us. We made another game time decision, and opted for a reduction in mileage along county roads. We planned an alternate course and felt good about not having to battle the mud, or the miles.<i> </i> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EnKULLkwyIcDnA0r7-6-5Q-cSrR9jmQSegsnf5PXZ9nZ3izySTuld6NgH8RvF27wPIxq33IkpK_l5BFRNYnJUYFCRLrUaWrI7MDPz14PnsInYUwnFtsbkTZWRpFEL6uZgwOVpwIku-if/s1600/IMG_4359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EnKULLkwyIcDnA0r7-6-5Q-cSrR9jmQSegsnf5PXZ9nZ3izySTuld6NgH8RvF27wPIxq33IkpK_l5BFRNYnJUYFCRLrUaWrI7MDPz14PnsInYUwnFtsbkTZWRpFEL6uZgwOVpwIku-if/s640/IMG_4359.JPG" width="640" /></a> <i>Ashley and Jim feeling really good about our decision to abandon the trail.</i></div>
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We bike for a couple of miles, and said sayonara to the the C&O. As we left the trail, we were immediately reminded of what the terrain was like away from the river. Hilly. So hilly. It was never-ending. The roads that our route took us on weren't exactly ideal either. We were climbing some pretty big hills, with loaded bikes, with small children, with cars going 40 mph right next to us. They were low-volume roads, but did not have paved shoulders, so we were forced to share the road. Not ideal.</div>
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For the better part of the morning, we made a valiant effort at the topography and the traffic. But in the end, our nerves, and our legs got the best of us. We threw in the towel. We called in the rescue wagon. Serena came and picked up the kids, most of our gear, and Ashley and Rachel. Chris and I forged ahead.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXDYyZlfCS7FKJGwAwyk1DMthfM7bSLjjURNmGCa9V_4kfiJfClNYJ-zxgMBCiU4_pkSWo2-5S1p4JyaYwH85vQ_cMtvl7mNwPonQ8p7oayxLf1dMVwECARgUeI44MqFkJZreyJqBQmaq/s1600/edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXDYyZlfCS7FKJGwAwyk1DMthfM7bSLjjURNmGCa9V_4kfiJfClNYJ-zxgMBCiU4_pkSWo2-5S1p4JyaYwH85vQ_cMtvl7mNwPonQ8p7oayxLf1dMVwECARgUeI44MqFkJZreyJqBQmaq/s640/edit.jpg" width="640" /></a> <i>We took refuge in a rich person's driveway. Waiting for our rescue.</i></div>
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After our group split up, it was just Chris and I to finish the trip. We had about 25-30 miles to go. Without the stress of worrying about our little ones on the busy roads, Chris and I made some really good time. It was a lot easier climbing the hills without pulling our gear, which made the descents a lot of fun. Stay tuned for some excellent GoPro footage.</div>
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Chris and I had one last pit stop - a little BBQ to grease the wheels and get us home. We cranked out the last 19 miles and joined up with the rest of the family.</div>
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Thinking back on this trip, there are a lot of things to dwell on. I could be tempted to focus on what went wrong, but when I think deeper about it what impresses me the most is how our group worked together. Everyone was really positive the entire time. We supported each other and cheered each other on. I'm proud of us for not giving up. For not giving into negativity and pessimism. We were rewarded with a very memorable experience that makes us a closer, stronger-knit family.</div>
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I loved this trip and can't wait to do another one. Two other quick things to mention, in conclusion.</div>
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I will be doing a more technical write up of logistics, planning, and gear, posted on <a href="http://www.kidsbikesdads.blogspot.com/">my other blog</a>.</div>
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I will also be putting together a movie compiled from the video footage I took during the trip. That will be circulated as well. </div>
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Ending on a good note - and part of the reason for the delay on posting this blog, was that my camera was found! A lovely person found it on the side of the road, noticed that there were pictures of a family doing a bike tour, and turned it into the rangers station. The first time I called they hadn't heard anything about a camera. But I found the local ranger station, and after a few voice mails and follow up calls - I was able to get the good news. I'm very grateful for that person. It also reminded me of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uan9DWR2n0Q">this video from Casey Niestat</a>. </div>
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-77916628140566638872013-07-07T19:50:00.002-07:002013-07-08T06:37:06.462-07:00Bike Tour/Camping ExtravaganzaJust over a week ago we returned from my "dream vacation." Shortly after getting into bikes and realizing what they were capable of, I have wanted to do a bike tour. When Ashley and I were sans child, we embarked on an <a href="http://www.pulsipherad.blogspot.com/2008/08/los-angeles-to-san-diego-by-bicycle.html">ambitious 165 mile trip</a> from Los Angeles to San Diego with our best friends the Nelsons.<br />
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It was a great trip, but it taught us a lot about touring and reminded me of how much we didn't know about bike touring.<br />
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Fast forward four years, two children later... and I still have the itch to do a multi-day family bike tour. I've read several books on bike touring with small children, and countless blogs on the matter - so I felt relatively prepared for our ambitious endeavor.<br />
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The plan was simple. Our family was to team up with Ashley's sister's family, the <a href="http://www.lanecherry.blogspot.com/">Cherrys</a> and <a href="http://goo.gl/maps/Vkf2L">bike 110 miles</a> in Northern Michigan and see what kind of adventure we could get up to. Four adults, five children under 9, what did the future have in store for us?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzd8wWYiE-_PWp2ujQrb8OCZNNnpXmXW-J5te5JglTg2o3YuLkZl07vlN5pW9jSrk-8MtKGHuliTTaM31dIJtF9Dt2jxDy0wXKGdbqQ4gZd3NyZDFSQmNC2FFZh9c6VwW5goy7H2Q8vDPL/s1600/IMG_6711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzd8wWYiE-_PWp2ujQrb8OCZNNnpXmXW-J5te5JglTg2o3YuLkZl07vlN5pW9jSrk-8MtKGHuliTTaM31dIJtF9Dt2jxDy0wXKGdbqQ4gZd3NyZDFSQmNC2FFZh9c6VwW5goy7H2Q8vDPL/s400/IMG_6711.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here we are pre-tour. Leaving from the comfortable yet smarmy Econo Lodge in Gaylord Michigan. A variety of cargo mounting and child carrying options are on display here, most notably 8 year old Lane who biked the entire 119 mile trip...</div>
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We quickly made our way through the "Alpine Village" of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaylord,_Michigan">Gaylord Michigan</a> to pick up the <a href="http://www.eyeonmichigan.com/trails/mackinawgaylord/">Gaylord-Cheboygan Trail</a> which would serve as the backbone of our trip. Looking to get a little local intel the night before, I inquired about the existence of said trail from our server at Bob Evan's. I was a little worried when he referenced it as the "snowmobile trail" with some level of confusion as to why we'd be riding our bikes on it.</div>
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I had looked at the trail on Google Earth countless times and read a few old blogs about people's experience with the trail, but to be honest it was still a complete shot in the dark and it could've turned out to be a total nightmare of a route...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAl-j_hKZyguHhyphenhyphenKfc5x9-ce_bjm0xH66BJn_HolO58twrgA7qSr6MbVq2Oi5xea9r8QeDcZzDIa28M6sRkmpWDoB4wtn8cOt1THl8pHxxLaQgoyu_-13nBtoNbKVjmGDBVYZrZ74aqZpU/s1600/IMG_0566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAl-j_hKZyguHhyphenhyphenKfc5x9-ce_bjm0xH66BJn_HolO58twrgA7qSr6MbVq2Oi5xea9r8QeDcZzDIa28M6sRkmpWDoB4wtn8cOt1THl8pHxxLaQgoyu_-13nBtoNbKVjmGDBVYZrZ74aqZpU/s400/IMG_0566.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It turned out to be completely amazing. From a technical standpoint, I believe the surface is called "crushed granite." A very hard, compacted dirt trail with a light sprinkling of gravel on top. The gravel was a little loose at the entry points, but overall it made for a wonderful riding surface. Most of the time the trail was cutting through the woods, and afforded all sorts of wildlife sighting and shady resting points.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4WhpVW6xOmoDMfF8Yi7Cy7xLotrY_kf9CQ-ksQTDj2HfAQS8dtdzfaRQGwHo9KjmHL_xHFzKCMZa5x803iBdueTWQSqmmGYAdab0NLVaFTv5sXlX58Q4crwpm8B_7M9wQgNVyjyhbzR0/s1600/IMG_1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4WhpVW6xOmoDMfF8Yi7Cy7xLotrY_kf9CQ-ksQTDj2HfAQS8dtdzfaRQGwHo9KjmHL_xHFzKCMZa5x803iBdueTWQSqmmGYAdab0NLVaFTv5sXlX58Q4crwpm8B_7M9wQgNVyjyhbzR0/s400/IMG_1945.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The first day was almost all downhill which Ashley noticed immediately, but was completely beyond me. The downhill trek made for quick times and an inflated sense of pride and the kind of distance we could normally carry under such heavily laden bicycles.</div>
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We took plenty of pit stops and there were a few small towns encouraged timely snacking and drink replenishment. Wolverine, Michigan was one such spot.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zKcy7YXbCsooBwLxCjjdfCodXiB3VlTqlObzcKO-ptU1FjYOz5g6614J9mqJBG-F8D9WF04gy17EjcWs92kXCbxWtwOUAFTa0joQW8DlFAmtZUd6IlGcpqQGU0m5lzQ1u2eIZU6X_ZP3/s1600/IMG_0569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0zKcy7YXbCsooBwLxCjjdfCodXiB3VlTqlObzcKO-ptU1FjYOz5g6614J9mqJBG-F8D9WF04gy17EjcWs92kXCbxWtwOUAFTa0joQW8DlFAmtZUd6IlGcpqQGU0m5lzQ1u2eIZU6X_ZP3/s400/IMG_0569.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Here the group recharges with some fresh gatorades and snacks while Ed naps in the back of the Xtracycle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUZaDHJDEG8GhzobMaJW5u73HcA6-wWPze3nT73b1opioIl39lbTTrLfvegg-mRtnfHVE3QTg5TrB0U4dJOF4qWV_uqri852jDy_SmBwUYdiLrJQbNSkBEgTxMBx8rTVme5MpFgKvDIE8/s1600/IMG_1949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUZaDHJDEG8GhzobMaJW5u73HcA6-wWPze3nT73b1opioIl39lbTTrLfvegg-mRtnfHVE3QTg5TrB0U4dJOF4qWV_uqri852jDy_SmBwUYdiLrJQbNSkBEgTxMBx8rTVme5MpFgKvDIE8/s400/IMG_1949.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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As we pulled into our campsite on the first night, I was really feeling proud of myself for our good luck and how beautiful our campsite was. I had made all the reservations on the Michigan DNR website, which allows you to look at the campground map and choose your sites accordingly. Without any foreknowledge, I just picked the sites that appeared to be the closest to the lake and in good proximity to the bathrooms.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-s_QCRBXGGuzm6VmNhPG8EDZX6TjSBr2stfMHN0kB2b-gpUABPbQlLhJtSLaJrKjGR4IKtCPfENOM2uloXW-vkIu0e7TUz-1sMZvf8GlYdFsMHIDlsknkaN0lczHSe8g9DUUC0KzSHUTc/s1600/IMG_0570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-s_QCRBXGGuzm6VmNhPG8EDZX6TjSBr2stfMHN0kB2b-gpUABPbQlLhJtSLaJrKjGR4IKtCPfENOM2uloXW-vkIu0e7TUz-1sMZvf8GlYdFsMHIDlsknkaN0lczHSe8g9DUUC0KzSHUTc/s400/IMG_0570.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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All the bikes at our first night's camp - <a href="http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=439&type=SPRK">Burt Lake State Park</a> in Indian River, Michigan.</div>
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Few things feel better after a full, hot day on a big heavy bike than a dip in a lake and a hot shower. Our campground provided both.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrvidOobzoXoUhe8JXQb-tDHyAHiOCEVttHWERnRAovidv-il6kxtTuuARfepMoCTqPAAbdpf0dGA8fS6lsVTgX3aoQgZSIHy1NPC8ndRnyJ4qPSAyxR9t3LNRgutK7lafT9ztRt2ZKQ1/s1600/IMG_6739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrvidOobzoXoUhe8JXQb-tDHyAHiOCEVttHWERnRAovidv-il6kxtTuuARfepMoCTqPAAbdpf0dGA8fS6lsVTgX3aoQgZSIHy1NPC8ndRnyJ4qPSAyxR9t3LNRgutK7lafT9ztRt2ZKQ1/s400/IMG_6739.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Matching Farmer Tans.</div>
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The kids loved the lake - obviously.</div>
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The other component of the tour that we decided to skip out on was packing all our meals. We did lunch (mostly) on the road, and ate breakfast and dinner in town, or rather - had people bring it to us. Wiser, more experienced family bike tourers might know that once you are in camp camp relaxing and clean, the last thing you want to do is get everyone back on the bikes to get dinner. When we were heading into town the last thing we wanted to do was curtail our momentum for a dinner break. Catch 22.</div>
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Delivery to the rescue!</div>
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Fortunately we found a place that delivered to the campground. The heavens had parted. What a treat to have nice, warm pizza brought to you while you set up camp! Some hard core-types might take issue with this. To them I say - why are you reading our blog - scram.</div>
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Some more highlights. From the first night.</div>
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Ed photo-bombing George's attempt to push Ashley into the Lake - backstory, Ashley is notoriously reticent to commit to the "full plunge" but told the kids they could push her in. Great mom/aunt.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgiJj0SZniDw2Bi1jPceZ2t8WycOlbfIBQyvY0SxSsK9EoZi25reNB9BExTcYYUIM8IbMknq5qP3gdmGNP5IcFN_YEE0Jgq-r52K-EZMgUlpZbjQp_4abRUavMOltvOxNdyQS3OXmO0wqF/s1600/IMG_1957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgiJj0SZniDw2Bi1jPceZ2t8WycOlbfIBQyvY0SxSsK9EoZi25reNB9BExTcYYUIM8IbMknq5qP3gdmGNP5IcFN_YEE0Jgq-r52K-EZMgUlpZbjQp_4abRUavMOltvOxNdyQS3OXmO0wqF/s400/IMG_1957.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Not too shabby Michigan, I like the vibe you are putting out.</div>
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Our little "angels" sleeping</div>
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There were tons of unknowns on this trip - one of the biggest being "how will the boys sleep?" We have a nice, but cozy three man tent. Prior to this trip, Ed had camped once and the boys had never slept in such close confines. I was sure it was going to be armageddon once night fell. But, after the initial wrestle of getting them to sleep, both guys slept like champions, tossing and turning as expected but not waking up once during the middle of the night, each night. We really scored big time in that regard. I think we may need a tent upgrade for size, but other than that we were all engines go.</div>
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Our second day started off on a high note, as any day should after you slam a "Mac & Donald's" (as George says it) breakfast.</div>
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Here we are in the McD's parking lot. I must admit, one of the amazing things about this trip was the sense of pride and accomplishment that came from being a part of this massive, impossible to ignore, family-bike spectacle.</div>
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The second day of riding was more scenic than the first - giving us a great view of small tourist towns and lakes to the east of us all day. Made for some wonderful "break time" where Ashley most likely stepped into poison ivy.</div>
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Me, the boys, and the rig - the Xtracycle. A modern marvel.</div>
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Our first campsite was very close to the trail, but that was not the case the second night. The second day was much hotter, and two plus days of riding had caught up with us. We were getting mobbed by mosquitos, tired, hot, and wanted to get to our campsite.</div>
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Fortunately, our campsite again was close to the water - though it wasn't exactly sandy beaches. More of a swamp. Not the stinky malaria ridden kind. Maybe more of a "marsh" might be accurate.</div>
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Our campsite was on Duncan Bay, of Lake Huron. It was unlike anything I've ever seen. The entire thing was incredibly shallow, no more than a foot and a half deep as far as you could see. The result is really warm waters, and the largest child pool you could possibly imagine.</div>
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Fun for the kids, not quite as refreshing as the first day. Here George and I are about 100 feet out and I'm still only in 5 in deep water.</div>
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Safety First Ed, Safety First.</div>
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Ashley has never met a Kayak trip she wasn't interested in testing out. The campground had some for rentals and the gals took the kids out on a pleasure cruise. I walked through the bay.</div>
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I should mention that prior to this, every single blog I had read about family bike touring and camping - the family's always encounter a "why are we doing this/let's go back/the trip's over" moment. Foolishly, I thought we weren't going to get to that point. Though, starving, being eaten alive by mosquitos drove us close.</div>
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The second night George and my nephew Henry were fooling around by the campfire. They were chasing each other and Henry ran away from George, without looking, right up to the edge of the fire pit. It was horrifying, and he was in a lot of pain. After a very confusing, stressful hour or so, we got Henry into town (thank you smart phones, taxis) to the ER. At that point, we weren't sure if the tour would go on. Henry's health was obviously the priority.</div>
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We ordered out again, from the same chain (BC Pizza), this time opting for their sandwiches. The sandwiches, by and large were unsatisfying if not atrocities to the sandwich genre, we got thousands of mosquito bites, and tucked in for an early night.</div>
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The news the next day was good. Henry had only a few 1st degree burns, and one 2nd degree burn on his arm. If properly bandaged and kept clean, the doctors said we could finish the tour. After some medication for the pain - Henry was feeling up to it so we all decided to continue on, though our spirits were slightly crestfallen after a hellish latter half of the second day.</div>
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The third day started off well with some freshening up, and a hearty breakfast at Bob's Big Boy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA459ypFmiE7UdY279oXsKBTf8vM4ZQt1Evtnad1_f5fCR347J7jPa8akeBmxaRkdb0BDL96LxVF1S6nM42CcNld76tLXpoEf6ZFwynrG5IjUvMA2jAsEYnrU3ZmYHj3XFahUhSHLzcGHM/s1600/IMG_6763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA459ypFmiE7UdY279oXsKBTf8vM4ZQt1Evtnad1_f5fCR347J7jPa8akeBmxaRkdb0BDL96LxVF1S6nM42CcNld76tLXpoEf6ZFwynrG5IjUvMA2jAsEYnrU3ZmYHj3XFahUhSHLzcGHM/s400/IMG_6763.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Ashley spotted a turtle - the kids were so excited. Other animals we saw included: fox, deer, snake, hawk, squirrel, chipmunk - and I had a duel with a raccoon that was totally not afraid of me until I threw my hatchet at it "Who else want's some of Devo?" I was so mad that the dumb racoon wasn't cowering in my sight and I was half sure that I was going to get rabies and also furious that I was up in the middle of the night and getting eaten by mosquitos. All the pent up aggression came out in a furious throw of the hatchet. David 1. Racoon 0. </div>
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The third night we found ourselves back in the friendly confines of Burt Lake State Park. This time, we planned ahead and ate in town. I will say this about our eating during the trip - we ate decadently. It was glorious. Food tastes so good when you are starving and you've been biking all day. After playing in the lake, and showering we just narrowly avoided a torrential downpour.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjim7IP0lpRShU2cyv1khpkhQu8a5hoH6SVAYGG2BcKVTWJ-V_gkg7RJifLyCbYkRWTUOK-59lhHROnJcMMvQWmNr27dbUBzt7420gyU0WB5EQMQmX97v7LvOjTw_d54bDqMoUs_93IZMCU/s1600/IMG_0620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjim7IP0lpRShU2cyv1khpkhQu8a5hoH6SVAYGG2BcKVTWJ-V_gkg7RJifLyCbYkRWTUOK-59lhHROnJcMMvQWmNr27dbUBzt7420gyU0WB5EQMQmX97v7LvOjTw_d54bDqMoUs_93IZMCU/s400/IMG_0620.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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Because we had no where to go, we just waited out the storm by the showers. We were tracking the storm that soaked our campsite to the bone - and saw another, massive storm just a few miles out. Rather than risk the most miserable night's sleep possible, we high-tailed it for a local motel that was honestly more rustic than our tents.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_yXGWu4Nnv5cgY_q6rLFUbHrcj1eKPkZ4rFBQJiuryvss0wgQCnzQvYSXZwLwpryeGAVsVME4xEEwRJtn5VxRV1igCoTmZncWnWQUnhFLuVUaxlzb6YKYxoAdH0vKtbzOb1c5kdPBv2l/s1600/IMG_1966.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_yXGWu4Nnv5cgY_q6rLFUbHrcj1eKPkZ4rFBQJiuryvss0wgQCnzQvYSXZwLwpryeGAVsVME4xEEwRJtn5VxRV1igCoTmZncWnWQUnhFLuVUaxlzb6YKYxoAdH0vKtbzOb1c5kdPBv2l/s400/IMG_1966.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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I don't recall if you remember this factoid, but Ashley was the only one keen enough to sense that we were going downhill entirely the first day. Since our route was a simple up and back, that meant that our entire fourth day, the last day... was all up hill. It was a long slog. The solution, lots of stops, lots of snacks, and get in a low gear and just crank it out. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguKOt6dmb7NXgrw9d2Lby6r6b7bOpp9wAJ6fKaTun7ofn8vDri0o4T68EUimIT-oJYsbcDxGq_azcDvMvWPTsfQS1ati0ELhufoeYlxPYyWR5LzaxXoLr60TCrsvVl4QrpTWANDsjEcwmb/s1600/IMG_1978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguKOt6dmb7NXgrw9d2Lby6r6b7bOpp9wAJ6fKaTun7ofn8vDri0o4T68EUimIT-oJYsbcDxGq_azcDvMvWPTsfQS1ati0ELhufoeYlxPYyWR5LzaxXoLr60TCrsvVl4QrpTWANDsjEcwmb/s400/IMG_1978.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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As we neared completion, spirits began to soar. We really had accomplished something.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1rUPCcefUQUFmm9WHxQu9ncMf0kjiZVaS869bVh7db_7iGJebjsuXFrazH5_oVX7C4E3NL8VuXYG9pgoqj-cTZz7Gp6U59SUFVyNDE5fkNufl7wBgEnqrwqv5POr-Fl9WTcsBsbNBkGN/s1600/IMG_1982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1rUPCcefUQUFmm9WHxQu9ncMf0kjiZVaS869bVh7db_7iGJebjsuXFrazH5_oVX7C4E3NL8VuXYG9pgoqj-cTZz7Gp6U59SUFVyNDE5fkNufl7wBgEnqrwqv5POr-Fl9WTcsBsbNBkGN/s400/IMG_1982.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This was what most of our view was like. So scenic. Not like many bike paths I've ridden where you are in sketchy neighborhoods or in an industrial wasteland. We had amazing views and allowed for a lot of time of appreciating the outdoors and this beautiful world we live in. I am so grateful for that.</div>
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Ashley shows her key to rounding out a grueling bike tour - fresh "dietas".</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGR05l0eYrFY4ff56NyXL82tLW_eX-qZnTM72PjkxR9VdhtdQitD8FHFbr1TljIvkDp0NPw1nrXqqOJO0dyOvUE3-yDF-il42j-EsHsSNb7QTS-yCR9X5PNxD46vxgc5p8CKIhuE1O0qAv/s1600/IMG_1988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGR05l0eYrFY4ff56NyXL82tLW_eX-qZnTM72PjkxR9VdhtdQitD8FHFbr1TljIvkDp0NPw1nrXqqOJO0dyOvUE3-yDF-il42j-EsHsSNb7QTS-yCR9X5PNxD46vxgc5p8CKIhuE1O0qAv/s400/IMG_1988.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I think this picture sums it up perfectly.</div>
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All in all there are some things I would do differently, but not much. On my other bike blog (long neglected) I'm planning on getting into some more of the nitty gritty technical stuff that I've been thinking about (gear, planning, etc.)</div>
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All in all, this was the trip of a lifetime and I hope that it is at least an annual event for our family. I would do it again in a heartbeat.</div>
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-54161845780132358132012-08-13T20:27:00.001-07:002012-08-13T20:27:04.095-07:00Camping and a BirthdayThis past weekend we took a stab at two-child camping. While George is a <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1qdUno2qd9F3iafmw1Gd5DG3fUJzNfAPfXt7fpGcSxwUpD5GtdRedFnDkKBh-WBi3mvJap3HccfdiCXzdk1RBibRR7Atg_WjuiVzLkpK3UXMBkCf_fOL8BEVbmHXx_pdFE075GFMEJrx/s1600-h/DSCF1682.JPG">seasoned camper</a> (he's been camping since he was probably 5 months old), Ed has never been. Adding to this, we only have a (albeit roomy) three-man tent. I guess on paper George and Ed technically make up one person, but in reality they both require the space of 1.75 full grown men, meaning that we now need at least a six-man tent for the four of us.<br />
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We headed north to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin with some friends from the ward. Four couples, each with two children ranging between three months and three years. If memory serves... George was the oldest. It is so much fun to have friends who are in the same boat as you, and see other parents deal with the same issues you do (e.g. defiance, picky eating, timeouts, potty-training, etc). Most parts of camping were a total success, though Ed could've been a better sleeper between the hours of 3-5 am. We still have some kinks to work out but all in all we had a great time.<br />
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Without further ado - the pictures:<br />
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Ashley and Ed. Ed is a seriously <strike>needy </strike> sweet little guy. It amazes us to think of him at George's age. There are many similarities between him and George, but mostly differences. It is a lot of fun to see them develop and become little people. </div>
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One thing that worries us is George's lack of personality. It always seems like we are trying to goad him into acting silly/like a little boy. We are very worried about our "little wall flower" as we like to call him ; ). </div>
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Ed likes to be held. Unless of course, I'm holding him around Ashley. Then he ducks and dives for her. Ed loves to be held, except when he doesn't. Then he hates it. Confused? So are we. </div>
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George is growing up into a little boy. He is a loyal and caring older brother. One of my favorite recent stories involves George at the playground. George had befriended an older boy (as he frequently does) and they were playing super-heroes. They spotted Ed who was crawling around happily. The other boy said, "let's shoot that evil baby." George, struck with a brief moment of crisis/peer pressure looked at the boy - then ducked down and hugged Ed and leaned over to protect him and said, "no, he's my brother!" It was so sweet, and I was so proud of George. As an older brother, I hope George follows the most important rule of older brothers, "Under no circumstances can you ever allow any one to pick on your younger brother. Except you."</div>
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Ed was much more efficient than <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KCeqjOlMyeJjYnIf09llDrnNuyc10bbx4Ht000ZKEcWZy-tt8cLdl0PSe_uGcwnVuoKOebTBcTp93YZGT0Z_846L2flS_Ufx3pB5ivzhOqoMC9bPCJajovGKPH1utbbOlXzHNTUf1b-l/s1600-h/IMG_1018.JPG">George when it came to eating cake</a>. George tepidly leaned in, frequently coming up for praise/clapping between half bites. Ed took both of his hands and manhandled that cake, licking his fingers clean. I was very proud. If I wasn't concerned with morbid obesity, I would encourage Ed to use his talents to become a competitive eater (parallel universe dream of mine).</div>
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Cliff Edward Pulsipher - clearly inherited the dominant "Potter" Cake-Affinity gene.</div>
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We love this little guy so much. We feel very fortunate that he has an older brother that loves him terribly. Despite a preference for being held as opposed to playing on the ground, he has proven to be a pretty low-maintenance baby. Keep up the good work Ed, we love you.</div>
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I'm sure many of you parents can agree - watching your children grow up is amazing, but also sad. It is sad to see them evolve out of phases that you love so much. Sad to see their bodies change from soft doughy chubbiness into lean, musclely molds of toddler. Good bye to your first year of life Ed. May you have many many more and I hope that we can say good bye to them every year with you. With that in mind, I present the following:</div>
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Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-4530158662560617852012-04-30T16:02:00.000-07:002012-04-30T17:50:08.995-07:00pt III: respiteWe came to Colorado Springs with heavy hearts, compounded by the anxiety of myriad unknowns. Quickly though we were wrapped up in love by our family. Ashley and I are both very fortunate to have an extensive network of parents and siblings that love us and our boys. This was affirmed to us through out our time in the Springs.<br />
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One of the first events that allowed both our families to get together was George's birthday. Ashley's sister Amie and all her kids came, as well as my sister Blythe, her family, and my brother Eli and his family. Not to mention both our parents. It was a cousin, aunt, uncle, grandparent smorgasbord.<br />
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It was great to have so many familiar faces around for George's birthday party. He loved being the center of attention and getting lots of playtime with cousins.</div>
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George loves the happy birthday song. Though I'm afraid that he's convinced that his name is a permanent fixture in the song and cannot be used for other people.</div>
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George got outfitted by stylist for the stars and all of my children, Aunt Blythe. </div>
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George got some much needed/welcomed help opening his presents from his cousin Jada.</div>
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Life settled down a little bit after his birthday party, and we discovered another love of George's, dirt. </div>
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Coal miner - nope, just dirt enthusiast. </div>
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Of course it helps to get some new trucks that play oh-so-well in the aforementioned dirt. </div>
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Any time George came in looking like a depression era field hand I knew he had been in the dirt for at least 13 seconds. It didn't take long for him to work his magic. </div>
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Ed continues to grow, almost exponentially. He seems to be much chubbier than George. He is very happy most of the time (as long as he's being held).</div>
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Easter came - and Ed and George really loved getting to spend the day hunting with the cousins in Grandma & Grandpa Potter's backyard. The eggs were abundant and so was the unsupervised consumption of chocolate.</div>
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Ashley's sister Amie is a fantastic photographer. She did the bulk of our wedding photos because we got married in a blizzard and our photographer punked out big time. I love this picture of George.</div>
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Ed is a happy guy and its really easy to make him smile. George was much more of a "poker face". Which coincidentally was his favorite song when he was born.</div>
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Just look at these friggin guys. We are lucky parents.</div>
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Easter was a grand success though it was difficult staying one step ahead of George in terms of moderating his candy intake. He is very sneaky - this is a firsthand account from Grandma Potter.</div>
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Grandma - George, do you like candy?</div>
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George - Yes, I hide it in my room.</div>
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We've also started George on his big boy bike. It's a harder transition from his little scootbike because he's just so skilled at it. It's like asking a grand pianist to take up another instrument.</div>
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In summation, we have had a great stay in "the Springs." As some of you may know I was offered a job in Chicago and will be moving out there this week to start and find a place for us to live.</div>
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Stay tuned for more pictures and adventures of Ed, George, Ashley and David.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-57409998176510828102012-04-30T14:08:00.000-07:002012-04-30T14:08:18.527-07:00pt II: escape<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In early January our neighbor Tyler came over to our house with a fiendish look in his eye. I could tell something was up but I wasn't sure which direction his mischief was going. He then asks us, "How would you like to go to Atlantis?"</div>
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I was a little, dumbfounded. I wasn't sure if Atlantis was a new seafood restaurant in Bozeman, or if he actually meant the legendary lost city. Turns out both of my assumptions were wrong, he meant the paradisiacal resort of <a href="http://www.atlantis.com/">Atlantis</a>.</div>
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My response was... "uhh... is this a joke?" Tyler's wife Chelsy finally intervened and said something to the effect of, "Tyler quit goofing around and tell them what's going on."</div>
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Tyler then goes on to explain that because of his incredible sales acumen, he was awarded with not one but TWO, all expenses paid trips (for two) to the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas and they were inviting us to come with them. We really couldn't grasp what was going on, the enormity/generosity of it all. Prior to this we were kind of down in the dumps and I must say that having this trip on the horizon was a huge blessing.</div>
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We had an amazing time with our friends and neighbors, the Barnwells. We basked in the sun, buffets, and gluttony/extravagance of it all. Here are a few of the highlights. Not pictured are highlights from clubbing, and yacht admiring.</div>
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This is at the entryway to the resort. Ashley was totally decked out in resort gear the entire time and looked like she was a well-seasoned resort hopper. </div>
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Alas, Ashley's cover was blown by her husband who drank about 5 glasses of chocolate milk a morning and four pieces of coffee cake. Violating the first rule of resort living, "act like you've been here before." ;)</div>
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One day we left the island and went to downtown Nassau. The Bahamas are a part of the Commonwealth of the United Kingdom. They had just finished celebrating the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's inauguration. God Save the Queen!</div>
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Chelsy and Ashley are serious shoppers, so "it was a mighty duel" to dissuade them from buying these creepy dolls to bring home as souvenirs. </div>
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We then went to the market and bought mostly a bunch of knick knacks. The best part about these places are the vendors. Their sales pitches are hilarious, "slow day special", "I made these myself", and our favorite, "come here, lean closer, closer, don't tell anyone, how much do you want to spend on this?" Ashley is a <b>world class</b> barterer and should not be trifled with. </div>
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Spring break for a lot of Florida University Students. We thought about joining the booze cruise but wanted to be in bed by 7:30 ; ).</div>
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Chelsy and Ashley on the little boat that took us back to the Atlantis resort.</div>
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As Tyler and Chelsy's <strike>guests</strike> freeloaders, we were treated to free dinner every night. It was amazing. I would guess that that perk alone allowed us to gain approximately 10lbs.</div>
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Ashley got these rad shoes (pictured above) that added approximately 4 inches to her height, bringing her within an inch or so of me. I loved it. She looked so beautiful the whole time and there's just something about a tall, beautiful woman. ; ). Show stopper.</div>
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The resort was basically on par in terms of lavishness with a premier Los Vegas Casino/Hotel. No expense was spared. The aquariums, water rides, beaches and other amenities were top notch and we really felt like we were in a dreamland.</div>
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Us and the Barnwells having our last breakfast before we departed. We were truly blessed to have the Barnwells as neighbors, not just because we were their vacation stowaways, but because it was so fun to have friends right next door that we could have bonfires with, parties, dinner, and watch garbage tv together. We will miss living next to them so much.</div>
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This sums up our Bahamanian adventure. Next up will be a post about our live in Colorado Springs.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-63342697216707175022012-04-26T12:54:00.003-07:002012-04-26T12:54:59.310-07:00and we're back. pt I: exodusHi friends and family. We've heard from a few folks who've lamented the drop in posts. I (David) take full credit for the lapse but plan to catch you up to speed on everything that's been going on in the past few months.<br />
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Unfortunately, the recap starts with some unfortunate news (don't worry it all ends well). In early February I lost my job. It was a first for me, and it was devastating. It sent me into a tailspin of sorts and the only way we pulled out was through the love, generosity and support of our friends and family.<br />
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Almost immediately, our friends rallied around us. The unfortunate timing continued in that it was also around George's birthday. We decided the best thing to do for our family was to leave Bozeman and go to Colorado Springs to be with Ashley's parents while we weathered the storm. We had a lot of help packing and moving, and threw a bunch of parties.<br />
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The parties were bittersweet because in such a short time we had developed relationships with people that are so dear to our hearts. Bozeman is an amazing place, and me, Ashley, George and Ed were absolutely showered with love.<br />
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Here are some pictures from the parties (yes multiple, I think we had like three or four, no joke).<br />
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Ashley and her friend Ruth talking about which Rush Limbaugh novel moved them the most.</div>
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Here's Ashley and a fewof her "gal pals" (her words, not mine... ok they are mine)</div>
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George is j u s t starting to get into super heroes. He found this batman mask and we were getting a pretty convincing "Where is she?" out of him ala Christian Bale</div>
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One of the many things we loved about Bozeman was that the people there were so family oriented. It is such a relief to be in a place where people have tons of kids, understand kids, and love them. George and Ed had so many friends - it was a great place to have a family.</div>
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Here's me goofing around with some of my friends. Even though Scott (to my left) looks like he doesn't like me, I'm pretty sure he did. All of my facial hair aspirations where lived out vicariously through Scott.</div>
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Our friends had kids within the same week that we had George. It is so fun to think of people having babies the exact same time as you. These little trouble makers were all born within a couple of days of each other and were getting ready to eat their cake (Neely, George, Abram)</div>
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Here are the kids showing how old they are. Neely and Abram both displaying the different "3" techniques, George not quite mastering it yet. Note to self, practice this with your child before you take pictures of him and can't remember if this was his third or fifth birthday.</div>
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What George lacks in finger dexterity he makes up with hearty candle-blowing out capabilities. He can definitely carry his own weight in any candle situation.</div>
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Ashley looking particularly beautiful with some of her dearest friends. We love these people so much.</div>
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By the time this party came around I was pretty tired of "friend pictures" so I got a little goofy.</div>
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So even though our heart ached to leave Bozeman and we still have wholes in our heart about the whole matter - life continues to march on. Before you feel too badly about this episode, I'd like to alert you to the fact that the next installment in this series will be about our <b>free</b> trip to the Bahamas.</div>
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-53549089176167927962012-02-04T09:10:00.000-08:002012-02-06T11:02:00.889-08:00bros<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Well it's a new year and we're off to a slow start in the blog department. It's not for lack of adventure and fun - we've had plenty of that. We've had pretty much plenty of everything, except for snow. Much to my chagrin.</div>
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The boys continue to delight us, and... in other times, push us to the brink of sanity. What has been an absolute, and unexpected joy is to see their relationship developing independent of our own. They show a mutal admiration and love for each other that is so sweet.</div>
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Happy 2012, albeit a month late. </div>
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Getting ready for Ed's blessing at church.</div>
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George telling a hilarious story about a time he tricked mom into buying him a car.</div>
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Ed frequently looks at us, amidst a George hug, with a look in his eye that says, "I'm enjoying this but I know how quickly things can get out of control, you are in control right?"</div>
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George can be a huge ham sometimes, whereas Ed is a literal ham. I have no idea where either of them get this. Must be from a distant relative somewhere.</div>
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Boys playing with Ed's jungle gym, a frequent meet up spot.</div>
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We love seeing George and Ed's relationship develop. </div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-38326788402494101652011-12-29T20:19:00.000-08:002011-12-29T20:20:31.300-08:00a sledding we will go<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On Christmas Eve, we went up to Hyalite Reservoir to go sledding. We had so much fun. Not that we are hermits, but one of the things we love about Montana is the population density and lack thereof. Not a lot of competition for resources. On many occasions, we've found ourselves thinking "If we were somewhere else, this place would be packed."</div>
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We had the entire hill to ourselves, not that we were in danger of running into other people in National Forest, but still. We kept going and going until we ran ourselves ragged. George had so much fun.</div>
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We kept Ed bundled tight, while Ashley wore my coat, hoisted by the baby bjorn. Eventually he got tired of our shenanigans and spent the rest of the morning snoozing in the car.<br />
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Here's a good shot of Ashley and the boys getting ready for another run. Even though the sun wasn't out all the way, there was no wind and the temperature was perfect. We all over-heated. We were much better repaired for the snow this time, compared to last time when we got our tree.<br />
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I experimented with the automatic timer - taking multiple shots. I wanted to get us in action, so... scroll down through the next few pictures of us enjoying the slopes.<br />
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A successful day in the books. We had such a fun time that we're planning on going up again this Saturday. Anyone is welcome to join us, just as long as you are serious about having fun.<br />
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-26722795799242429452011-12-03T20:37:00.001-08:002012-02-04T09:13:26.757-08:00a (tree) hunting we will go...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On Saturday we observed the old time tradition of chopping down a Christmas Tree. You can't argue with the economics ($5), and the family fun. And yes, it has its <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/18/business/energy-environment/18tree.html">environmental benefits</a> as well. We went up to Hyalite Reservoir and had so much fun. </div>
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It had snowed quite a bit up in the mountain. The scenery was breathtaking.<br />
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Ice Fishing - Ashley's new passion. It combines several of her few favorite things. Sitting. In the cold. No but seriously here are some ice fishing enthusiasts on the reservoir as its frozen over. So beautiful.<br />
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We threw Ed in the pack and snuggled him up real cozy like. Because the sun was out the temperature was very tolerable. We had great weather on a spectacular day.<br />
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I took George. The snow was close to knee deep in some places making it pretty tough for George to head in by himself.<br />
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I blazed a trail after scouting a few potential candidates. Ashley lugged Ed in and stopped to model for me. Ed snoozed the entire time. Makes me wonder what interesting places my parents took me when I was little, that I just snoozed all the way through.<br />
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We went deeper into the woods and found a few candidates. George was an excellent helper and was having a ton of fun.<br />
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Like a responsible dad, I forgot George's gloves but because of the drawstring feature on mine, they work perfect for a toddler. By some milagro I had packed two pair for myself so we got really lucky in that regard.<br />
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Trudging through knee deep snow, with a (close to) 40 lb toddler, and a christmas tree is a serious workout. I highly recommend it. Everyone had so. much. fun.<br />
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George and I pause to catch our breath and lug our beauty the rest of the way out. Are you jealous yet of our wholesome family fun? I cannot emphasize enough how beautiful it was, and how happy we all were. We didn't have to hunt for very long, and even though we had some initial buyers remorse at our tree (as we saw hordes of childless tree cutters and their Rockefeller Square quality trees), now that its up in our house we love it and I couldn't be prouder.</div>
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Poor Ed, forced into adventures he didn't sign up for. He didn't wake up until the tree was on top of the car. Come to think of it, we should've got a picture of that.</div>
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I obviously should've dressed George better, put him in some pretty cruddy jeans that got soaked. As the picture illustrates, we stripped him down after the tree hunting and was a lot more happy. He loves our tree and was smiling about it all day.</div>
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Just in case the pictures weren't enough, we recorded some video of the adventure. Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season.</div>
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/33089141?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe>
Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-14998461924179175782011-11-12T21:28:00.001-08:002011-11-12T21:28:03.183-08:00we. love. montana.<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="366" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/32023584?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="650"></iframe>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-44221374943185489852011-11-01T20:19:00.000-07:002011-11-01T20:19:45.495-07:00we are not dead, we are very much alive...You'll have to excuse the dysfunctional layout of this post. For some reason the pictures are mounting all weird. But that's not as important is relaying the fact to you, dear reader, that despite our absence from the blog world, in fact yes we are alive and doing well. October was an insanely busy month with nary a dull moment, as you are about to see.
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George very much loves wolfing his food down, especially when it is pizza, maccaroni & cheese, or depending on his mood, anything. He also has a deep appreciation for chocolate milk. Ed is growing so quickly, and was 25% heavier than George on his 2 month check in. His weight has led to such nicknames as "Fatso", "Porky", "Lumpkins" and "Poopsie."<br />
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At the end of September we reunited with our best friends, "Los Nelson." We met them up in a small resort town in the northwest part of Montana called Whitefish. It is a cute town, and we rented a condo with lake-front access. It was heavenly.<br />
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We also made a trip with our friends Andy & Lisa, out to Yellowstone National Park. George got to see Old Faithful for the second time.<br />
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Ed also got to see Old Faithful. He was super-impressed.</div>
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Here's the whole fam damily (as my mom used to say). </div>
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Ed is starting to smile a lot. He loves when we talk to him, particularly in high voices. Its the kind of thing that you do because your child responds to it and it is so fun to see him respond, but asked to make the same toned-voice in public, you wouldn't do it for a million dollars.</div>
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In early October we went out to Colorado Springs for Ashley's brother's wedding. It was a great time, despite the entire family dealing with a particularly caustic brand of 24-stomach flu, including the groom. Here's George palling around with his cousins Clayton and Henry.</div>
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The Potter girls... lucky is the man who marries these women. Going quick, 3/4 are already spoken for.</div>
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George jumped for joy at the temple... it was just about 5 years ago that Ashley and I were married here, when George was just a twinkle in our eye. Thankfully Aunt Blythe watched George and Ed while we attended the ceremony.</div>
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While in the Springs, we attended the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, or as Ashley calls it, "the world's largest zoo." Just kidding, she doesn't call it that. But it is a great zoo and all the cousins enjoyed it. George hanging out with "Paka," Charlotte and Lucy.</div>
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Ashley and her sister Serena.</div>
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See how I'm "coaxing" the giraffe to eat the lettuce, I do this with George as well and find it particularly effective.</div>
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The day before Ashley's birthday, I got in an accident. Minor damage, but... the real sweet side of this whole transaction was that it allowed me to purchase one of these bad boys.</div>
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An <a href="http://www.xtracycle.com/">xtracycle</a>, every bike nerd's dream when they want to do nearly anything humanly possible by bike.</div>
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Ed is particularly excited about the transaction as when its fully outfitted, I'll be able to transport George and Ed simultaneously on the back. I cannot wait!</div>
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Summer is gone and replaced by a beautiful fall. Ashley and the boys have taken advantage of the season.</div>
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And with fall comes another Halloween. We feel so much pressure to deliver. But fortunately for me, I married a truly visionary, genius mind in Ashley who always comes up with the best ideas for costumes. This year George was Howard Hughes-Bomber Pilot-<a href="http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/65/65_images/65upmuntz.jpg">Charles Muntz</a> and Ed was Troy Polamalu as if he had been traded to the Denver Broncos.</div>
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The Great Aviator.</div>
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Ed got tons of attention. Lots of fun trick-or-treating along Main Street.</div>
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Here's the whole family in its glory. It is really starting to get chilly now and the brief three day fall has now given way to winter. We are bracing for impact, but looking forward to the holidays, sledding, soups and warm bread, and everything else that the Montana winter has to offer.</div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-63185432740403785522011-09-28T08:37:00.000-07:002011-09-28T08:53:20.803-07:00happy 30th ashleyToday is Ashley's 30th birthday, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGQ3AzvRG8s">not her 29th, not her 31st</a>... her 30th. As such it is completely monumental for so many reasons.<br />
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I was reading census data the other day (gripping, I know) and it was reiterated to me that Ashley is likely going to live longer than me. Maybe even much longer than me. Women just live longer than men. With that information, I was reminded of how hard I need to work to be worthy of this wonderful woman, so that when I die she doesn't replace me with some money-bags and burn all our pictures.<br />
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Just kidding. Ashley would never do that. Ashley is loyal, loving, fun and adventurous. 30 is the new 20. She is a fantastic woman and I'm so glad that she is my wife. Every day I laugh with her. That is one of her greatest gifts to me. Now if I can only find one of those fireman calendars... then that will be my greatest gift to her.<br />
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Happy Birthday Ashley, may you have 50, 60 more of these (with me, not Mr. Money Bags). Also, here's a note from George:<br />
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-28147004750221992782011-09-13T20:28:00.000-07:002011-09-13T20:28:17.238-07:00summer's end... fall is upon us<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As much as it pains me to admit it - summer appears to be winding down. I will be the first to admit, I was very skeptical of this so called "summer" that Bozeman/Montana was supposed to have. After a soul-decimating Spring, I had convinced myself that all of these Bozemanites had deluded themselves into thinking that the summer up here was so lovely, that it made the rest of the year worth it. I was sure of this... but alas... summer eventually did come and it was glorious. We got to do so much, and next summer holds even more adventure in store as Ashley won't be pregnant, so we can do all sorts of things that we were a little less apt to do with a babe in the belly.</div>
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Ed is here and is a great addition to our family. We enjoyed a visit from Ashley's parents to help with the transition, and were the benefactors of many lovely gifts and cards. Thank you everyone!</div>
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Here's George doing his Harry Potter impersonation up at Hyalite reservoir. Had a great time "fishing" with cheetohs and hiking with baby brother.<br />
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Ed's getting more alert, and is on an "ounce a day" weight gain plan. We are supplementing breast milk with <a href="http://www.musclemilk.com/">muscle milk</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GIQSV6/ref=asc_df_B000GIQSV61704092?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B000GIQSV6">gold standard whey</a>. He has consistently gained an ounce a day for three weeks running. Ed's gonna be a beefcake so help me...<br />
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Here is the little man after his first bath. Opening his eyes and looking around "shifty eyed" like he's suspicious of everyone around him. Rightfully so Ed.. rightfully so...<br />
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Coupla suckers...<br />
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Story time... note Ed's attention. Loves snuggling with his very gentle yet enthusiastic brother. </div>
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A couple of weekends ago we went to a cabin down Idaho-way, near Ashton. We had a view of the Tetons, and there was ample room for lounging and the kids to get into all kinds of outdoor adventures. I love living here - and I love that George (and Ed soon enough) get to spend so much time outside. Ed was a big hit with the kiddos. As you can see he was certainly not starved for attention.</div>
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We rotated cooking meals, and when we started to get pekish, we'd simply send George up and inquire as to how much longer we had to wait for our meals to be served to us, so as to avoid looking like a bunch of low class clowns. Kidding of course. It was so much fun to be around good friends and especially for George to be with his best friend Abram and his crush Ruby.</div>
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I love this shot because it completely captures George's post-Orange Julius drunkeness, if he were an adult he'd be singing old military songs and would reek of scotch.<br />
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A short hike from the cabin was a lovely little lake that we had all to ourselves except for when the Lord of the Flies children came up on their convoy of 4 wheelers. I swear the supervising child was no older than 9 and there were like 30 of them. Kind of creep. Here George and Abram practice safety skills before boarding the canoes.<br />
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<br />George and I on our way down to the lake.<br />
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Mom and the boys enjoy a few chuckles as we wait our turn for the canoes.<br />
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Ashley and the boys on our very sea worthy vessel. We liked it so much I think we are definitely considering a canoe purchase for next summer. NOW are you interested in coming up to visit?<br />
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By the end of the trip, George was exhausted. Minutes from leaving he got very philosophical, pondering the world from the perspective of a dog, Tao - or "Towel" as George calls him.<br />
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The trip was a perfect capstone to our summer... We've still got a few weeks of good weather, and we're going to make the most of it. Hope you all had a great Labor Day and summer in general.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7oU2MmgPxmEF95csF206rfK-Me0Y0eCwyu2imPLr_riLArxfNq6bO4ZdDkGzLRhvAaMOoP1LBjFBiEi4WYhPz_hsKgzTZhqD04wDof_i5ymut5WYTqiJx80luicnYDP733Bd403Le1kFi/s1600/IMG_4496.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-63345657309556280502011-08-22T11:15:00.000-07:002011-08-22T11:15:07.613-07:00cliff edward pulsipherFriday, August 12 was an exciting day to say the least. We were making our final preparations for our second child. Ashley's c-section was scheduled for Monday, August 15 so we figured that we had one last weekend to cross all the t's and dot all the lower case j's. Ashley wanted to do something special for George - so they went to the <a href="http://www.newwest.net/images/articles/IMG_9130.jpg">Bozeman Beach</a>. It's basically a local pond/cesspool that doubles as a leisure spot for Bozemanites in the summer time. While at the beach with George, Ashley started to get contractions and feel a little ill. She decided to head home, assuming the contractions would pass.<br />
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By the time she got home, it was about noon and she gave me and her sister Serena a call. As luck would have it - I had gone in to work early that day, looking to get a jump start on the weekend and head up with George to the ward campout. I got home about 12:30, and Ashley was starting to have some seriously regular contractions. Every four minutes. One minute long. She called Labor & Delivery and they told her to come in. I was sure that the contractions would subside, and that we'd go home in an hour or two. With our little guy being breach, I figured he wouldn't be putting much pressure on Ashley and so we had plenty of time.<br />
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When we got to the hospital, they gave Ashley a quick exam and told her that she was dilated to a six, and that if he were head down it'd likely be an 8. This little guy was coming today! They quickly made preparations, and told us that Ashley would be having a c-section. By now it was about 1:30 pm. In about an hour, our second child would be born.<br />
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They whisked Ashley away - and I got dolled up in a blue man outfit. Ashley was as cool as a cucumber and all of the staff remarked at how calm she was. When I walked in to the operating room, or (OR as people in the know call it, thank you Grey's Anatomy), Ashley was on the table and ready to go. I sat down next to Ashley with a partition between us and where all the excitement was happening. After about ten minutes, one of the doctor's tapped me on the shoulder and I stood up to see the doctors pulling our little man out of the incision. By the time I was looking, everything had come out except his head. With a few tugs, he was out, looking tiny, and a charming pink/grey color. It took him a few seconds to start crying and those were obviously the longest seconds of our life.<br />
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After the operation, I escorted our little guy to the nursery where they checked him and patted his back a little until he could get all the junk out of his lungs. Ashley was getting adjusted to her room and being cared for by the nurses. The staff at the hospital were absolutely spectacular, and I would recommend anyone having a baby to do it up in Bozeman, without hesitation.<br />
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Our little man was born at 2:35 pm, weighing in at a bantam 7.1 lbs and 21 inches. We named him Cliff Edward Pulsipher, after his maternal grandfather. We are planning on calling him Ed/Eddie but it's all still up in the air.<br />
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Here are the action shots of our little guy's journey to earth.<br />
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Ed - getting worked on by the nursery staff.<br />
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We compared Ed's hair to George's as a newborn and its totally <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUgvaq-YZkWxYJFVt7N6Qyx2ku3q97nYh-CCFTYuxCFj4JVXGbmAHo9vFLixDqTIwinCdEAO66BYg8Ny_xtZjeWd7IIRUvdc48C-AvA1wbuMuR7i5XWxFEhGgJDrh3lbKj5NdOHi9HoEFS/s1600-h/IMG_0386.JPG">identical</a>.<br />
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Ed's sharpee-esque feet. So soft and fun to touch.<br />
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Little guy face on. Ready to brave the cruel world.<br />
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Here he is, snoozing away in his nursery bed/cart. The nursery had an elaborate wrist/ankle band checking system that ensured we weren't getting a switched baby. It is kind of horrifying to think about how this system evolved, and why it was necessary.<br />
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So far George is being a great older brother. He loves holding Ed and loves to put his hand "soft" on Ed's face. <br />
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Ashley and her two boys. What a beautiful mom/woman.<br />
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George showing his softer side.<br />
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Me and the boys in the hospital bed. Our stay was pretty comfy, though a little tight at times.<br />
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The look on George's face says it all. Actually, I think he was equally excited about the fresh round of ritz crackers we just gave him. Tough to tell.<br />
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Me & Ed.<br />
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More Ed feet. They truly are a site to behold. I think they are tiny, Ashley thinks they are big for a man of Ed's size.<br />
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Compare/Contrast. George nestled into Ed's hospital bed. Can't believe that George was every a tiny baby now.<br />
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Catching up on some z's with Ed. He's already shown quite an affinity for napping on one's chest. Hard to beat that feeling.<br />
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Here is Ed in his Going Home outfit. Looking like a dapper fellow.<br />
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Close up.<br />
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The Pulsipher family, now a family of four on our exit of the hospital. It was a nice stay, but we were ready to leave.<br />
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Packing the kiddos in the CRV. Suddenly feeling a little cramped in there.<br />
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Ed at home in his swing. <br />
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You may have seen some of these already on Facebook, but hopefully you enjoyed the repetition. Ed is doing a good job of packing on the ounces (at at rate of 1 oz. a day) and keeping us all company with plenty of snuggles to go around.<br />
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If you play your cards right, you can get here in time to enjoy some quality Ed snuggles for yourself.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-33636518102159607332011-08-10T21:44:00.000-07:002011-08-10T21:44:07.676-07:00can't get away from the summertime blues...Well, you can if you come to Montana! Our repeated pleas for you to come up and visit us has largely fallen on deaf ears, so that's it! No more invites!<br />
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Ok ok... I give in. Of course you are welcome any time. We are madly trying to get ready for baby #2, but in the mean time have been having one heck of a summer.<br />
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We've been eating outside a lot. The evenings are spectacular and made even easier by our CRV-insta picnic tables. Our neighbors have a CRV so they pop theirs out and its a regular block party. Lots of fun. <br />
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We've been telling George that unless he steps his game up, he'll never get into an Ivy league school. Late night cram sessions are a common occurrence in this household.<br />
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The irony is not lost on me - George and I reading a book titled "Just Me and My Mom." Nice book and all... but the mom is dressed like a victorian vampire and it makes you wonder what era these creatures live in. <br />
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Another night, another craving for Ashley. She usually eats about three of these "pregnant" size rice crispy treats a night. j/k. <br />
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George is a great example of safety. He insists on wearing his helmet, every chance he can get. <br />
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Those idiots at the marketing department at Gap (sorry Blythe!) really blew it when they didn't snatch George up to be their next model. Look at this freaking kid for pete's sake. Tell me you don't want to buy that outfit... and our child! <br />
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George continues to be a source of joy in our lives. We feel very lucky to have him and so excited for his little brother to come next week. Stay tuned for that announcement. <br />
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We hope you are all having a wonderful summer.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-52720312789449053352011-07-31T20:18:00.000-07:002011-07-31T20:18:22.035-07:00quick trip up to fairy lakeSaturday we went for a quick day trip up to Fairy Lake about an hour northwest of Bozeman. We had heard it was pretty spectacular but we honestly couldn't have imagined what we encountered. Unfortunately, that sentiment is a double edged sword.<br />
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George was very excited to go on a hike. He was so excited, he started fabricating "sightings" to ensure us he was excited about the trip up. I think he "saw" three owls (I haven't the heart to break the whole "nocturnal" thing to him), airplanes (C'mon George, do you think we were born yesterday), and horses (flat out lie). George was really feeling the good vibes and wanted to ensure that we all had a good trip up, I think it was a little role reversal personally. George pacifying the parents with faux-sightings! So cute. <br />
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The drive was pretty smooth, but the last 7 miles are over a pretty bumpy, steep at times, dirt road. I was thankful we were in a 4wd with a little bit of clearance. There were a few climes where we were in first gear, cranking it up the hill. Pretty intense. On our way out we pitied some folks on their way in, in... older looking sedans. Tough road ahead.<br />
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Once we got to the parking lot we saw a sign that said "Fairy Lake, .5 miles." We couldn't see the lake from where we were, so we honestly had no idea what to expect. Within a few minutes... this is what we saw:<br />
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</a></div>It was absolutely breathtaking. We made our way down to the Lake... and honestly couldn't commit to a place to set up camp without walking around the entire lake (it's pretty small, probably took us about a half an hour).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpGlNTyNZqGb82lHbIXLbpY4y2cfrw_A73r7SAOQjfIDUofKJm7yz0qmDYJvbNVzc8Y8kw9hbqBvoDEpnn5_stWBQPqlCShase-J2_AB75wsaoyLPlY8Tv2FrVoVNgG9YCmDwLUug51MN/s1600/IMG_4041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpGlNTyNZqGb82lHbIXLbpY4y2cfrw_A73r7SAOQjfIDUofKJm7yz0qmDYJvbNVzc8Y8kw9hbqBvoDEpnn5_stWBQPqlCShase-J2_AB75wsaoyLPlY8Tv2FrVoVNgG9YCmDwLUug51MN/s400/IMG_4041.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7Om3CHPlJFkIMbBSXJzPuP6_XKwRXJHFPvWp6BSNc3PcUf83lS0PXc_ljhkDwAV0uNwq0rVWtkfinj3uUem38AFOEW0566GgIaOLac31IKyOPZQF2YGqo4zfLUVTpFcYkIsDObYiV1R-/s1600/IMG_4040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7Om3CHPlJFkIMbBSXJzPuP6_XKwRXJHFPvWp6BSNc3PcUf83lS0PXc_ljhkDwAV0uNwq0rVWtkfinj3uUem38AFOEW0566GgIaOLac31IKyOPZQF2YGqo4zfLUVTpFcYkIsDObYiV1R-/s400/IMG_4040.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
George walked the entire time, and couldn't resist popping in a few times to test out the water. It was chilly, but honestly I've felt colder water. It wasn't too bad. It was very warm day, and even at 7,000 ft I would guess that it was still in the mid 70's up there.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBbOAcwxqxcEFgoHNbeswhqfYZ_WLEzewJPC0aNUxXll6qJqE1jeLFC8K74CAqh6u5xKw1Kq7zjMPBs-OoBgPx1YSpZWCEeJbPs__s9uvrwV7bHL-rXUbOjgwOMPCbNKJyZZdF2HDq1Cm/s1600/IMG_4047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBbOAcwxqxcEFgoHNbeswhqfYZ_WLEzewJPC0aNUxXll6qJqE1jeLFC8K74CAqh6u5xKw1Kq7zjMPBs-OoBgPx1YSpZWCEeJbPs__s9uvrwV7bHL-rXUbOjgwOMPCbNKJyZZdF2HDq1Cm/s400/IMG_4047.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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There weren't too many people around, and I was wishing that it was even a little more private so we could be as loud as we want without fear of looking stupid or scaring people who were fishing from the banks. We even saw a couple floating in the middle on innertubes. Pretty sweet. To escape the heat we finally found a good place to take a dip. Ashley went in first... and with little cajoling took the entire plunge. Completely submerged. This is no small feat as the water was very chilly. As I've said a million times, Ashley loves adventures.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjOdYoHWljGxRmxMVKf7uQ1lOW6zD4vIE64oSYbvyd1Rnj6bFHh4SZss_lI_lNLTqY9WQFvMcl7aNDrHbXxXSYS0eAp6KsZ0_BK69Jo2MD-B_CSU3lTOhtm3tu837FDods1VW8G72_fsd/s1600/IMG_4060.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9o64MRO5BIemB8OlCpUrFKGx2DbAJSGxoS7s6PLED93xthWhsSbagqT_zKsFSVEEwd6D82qKc57ttLybhjmgW7ANpyG0EY7C3hUgB1yzya3eQBMz1r1UyCkQLfgTQIE2-cJ-75DJ2gmb0/s1600/IMG_4056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9o64MRO5BIemB8OlCpUrFKGx2DbAJSGxoS7s6PLED93xthWhsSbagqT_zKsFSVEEwd6D82qKc57ttLybhjmgW7ANpyG0EY7C3hUgB1yzya3eQBMz1r1UyCkQLfgTQIE2-cJ-75DJ2gmb0/s400/IMG_4056.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After Ashley went in, I took a plunge myself. It felt so good. Honestly we could've stayed until nightfall... if it weren't for one important thing I've neglected from this tale. If you don't want the story spoiled... just stop reading now and imagine this heavenly place all to yourself.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9o64MRO5BIemB8OlCpUrFKGx2DbAJSGxoS7s6PLED93xthWhsSbagqT_zKsFSVEEwd6D82qKc57ttLybhjmgW7ANpyG0EY7C3hUgB1yzya3eQBMz1r1UyCkQLfgTQIE2-cJ-75DJ2gmb0/s1600/IMG_4056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjOdYoHWljGxRmxMVKf7uQ1lOW6zD4vIE64oSYbvyd1Rnj6bFHh4SZss_lI_lNLTqY9WQFvMcl7aNDrHbXxXSYS0eAp6KsZ0_BK69Jo2MD-B_CSU3lTOhtm3tu837FDods1VW8G72_fsd/s1600/IMG_4060.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjOdYoHWljGxRmxMVKf7uQ1lOW6zD4vIE64oSYbvyd1Rnj6bFHh4SZss_lI_lNLTqY9WQFvMcl7aNDrHbXxXSYS0eAp6KsZ0_BK69Jo2MD-B_CSU3lTOhtm3tu837FDods1VW8G72_fsd/s400/IMG_4060.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Ok, for those of you that want the real scoop on Fairy Lake - here's the deal... It's gorgeous, I swear there has been no photoshop-funny business going on to enhance blues and greens. The water is as clear as advertised!<br />
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But there are flies out there. Serious. Flies. Huge, mammoth, man-eating flies. By some miracle they weren't too interested in George's deliciously smooth skin, but they loved my ashy-pale bicyclists legs, and Ashley's too. The flies honestly prohibited a prolonged enjoyment of this place. I don't know if simple bug spray would work on these guys, or what the deal was. But honestly, towards the end I was about to have a nervous breakdown. Ashley can corroborate this part of the story. I was about one more fly bite away from having a <a href="http://www.thesportsbank.net/core/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/what_about_bob_1991_685x385.jpg">Dr. Leo Marvin</a> breakdown.<br />
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So... we might go back next summer, armed with fly swatters and bug spray. I'll probably need about that much time to cool down. Other than that, it was a very fun adventure and absolutely gorgeous.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-42185574937975706852011-07-22T07:30:00.000-07:002011-07-22T07:56:00.203-07:00camping/raftingLast weekend we went for an excellent adventure with our friends the Christensens. We combined a night of camping with a full day on the Gallatin River.<br />
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I don't mean to rub it in... but the summer up here really has been glorious. We are getting to do all of the things we dreamed about doing. The weather has been phenomenal and the long days make for absolutely spectacular weekends/sunsets.<br />
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We headed down towards Yellowstone and camped in Gallatin National forest. Free camping right by the Taylor Fork River. Spectacular.<br />
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Here are some pictures and light commentary. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4YqRXSvL0PPgO92uTjfwQn-jpvG66-DE4ye3eYaoRthpRdPpERjKDyOscXtyWDeqNNWgv6tbBYPq0tNccXalVDVpydg01qcQE_1OHReTmuBUcKVDMT6sQX50SYaWOnDBJNBTkuwu4vhK5/s1600/IMG_4001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4YqRXSvL0PPgO92uTjfwQn-jpvG66-DE4ye3eYaoRthpRdPpERjKDyOscXtyWDeqNNWgv6tbBYPq0tNccXalVDVpydg01qcQE_1OHReTmuBUcKVDMT6sQX50SYaWOnDBJNBTkuwu4vhK5/s400/IMG_4001.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Scott and Ashley enjoying the scenery. The river was flowing a little quick so we had to be on alert with the little ones running around, but the setting was just so perfect. Once you settle on the fact that car camping is the only way you'll be camping for the next foreseeable future, there are just so many great places that you can go. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRD4fF9KPNtoxnJylS_mVabN5Nxv6fmZYB34eEZFvy-2DZ-jL1visgOfIdoBcuzEXoExOFTrRT5hQx0_J36GltQUaZjiId-8-JEjx0-WJJoN-LpDuvuO-Ixpv2R95zb9qRIJMhur6XxG9S/s1600/IMG_3993.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRD4fF9KPNtoxnJylS_mVabN5Nxv6fmZYB34eEZFvy-2DZ-jL1visgOfIdoBcuzEXoExOFTrRT5hQx0_J36GltQUaZjiId-8-JEjx0-WJJoN-LpDuvuO-Ixpv2R95zb9qRIJMhur6XxG9S/s400/IMG_3993.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Here's another view of the campground as we got set up with the Christensens. We miss our friends in LA dearly and nothing can replace them, but we've also been blessed with great friends here in Bozeman.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QdHO0AJshcdNh4uZIWvo1X9XCdtnEbl9d9KEiA-1tUJe7cOwKXm0SP0F9c2HHLYrHXv_injs4SI9c02DmBKfGt-ryicBDGPm40c17LLSduf_MnOhsXLVTrGCbQSjF8vHjrl2T0YJWIfq/s1600/268836_1847504950014_1312403790_31620216_6247168_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09pC5XyV00Pz2wHI9LL3MaK-P10ejlEYqW9YiEIpfCwa5AK3X3QhpZQQIMLwqepfSm5qiDBu0lizkec_Z-AcpL-7Tr8iKRy4Y-pIFpMgZpubwDO7XSBBrzogXcA6Zsy3Bg-2Ycqd0HO4S/s1600/IMG_3999.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09pC5XyV00Pz2wHI9LL3MaK-P10ejlEYqW9YiEIpfCwa5AK3X3QhpZQQIMLwqepfSm5qiDBu0lizkec_Z-AcpL-7Tr8iKRy4Y-pIFpMgZpubwDO7XSBBrzogXcA6Zsy3Bg-2Ycqd0HO4S/s400/IMG_3999.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QdHO0AJshcdNh4uZIWvo1X9XCdtnEbl9d9KEiA-1tUJe7cOwKXm0SP0F9c2HHLYrHXv_injs4SI9c02DmBKfGt-ryicBDGPm40c17LLSduf_MnOhsXLVTrGCbQSjF8vHjrl2T0YJWIfq/s1600/268836_1847504950014_1312403790_31620216_6247168_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QdHO0AJshcdNh4uZIWvo1X9XCdtnEbl9d9KEiA-1tUJe7cOwKXm0SP0F9c2HHLYrHXv_injs4SI9c02DmBKfGt-ryicBDGPm40c17LLSduf_MnOhsXLVTrGCbQSjF8vHjrl2T0YJWIfq/s1600/268836_1847504950014_1312403790_31620216_6247168_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>Ashley and our skipper, Scott - ponder the best way to attack the Gallatin River the next morning.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6YI7gjlFRGAM-v3gmVCLRrL5ZOYRHVDAORMZBJe3-ndVEfrYvIrCKaUduLsstD2WDt5mVqfWxcgZyuKCcbcLudiX-g5sNKTKXKJgyGNUjGNgVf7AEL1gp2VnyPenJ5evUvAy9H91kpl9/s1600/269467_1847494709758_1312403790_31620196_1027057_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6YI7gjlFRGAM-v3gmVCLRrL5ZOYRHVDAORMZBJe3-ndVEfrYvIrCKaUduLsstD2WDt5mVqfWxcgZyuKCcbcLudiX-g5sNKTKXKJgyGNUjGNgVf7AEL1gp2VnyPenJ5evUvAy9H91kpl9/s400/269467_1847494709758_1312403790_31620196_1027057_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>George - sometimes has issues with other kids his age. Frenemies is the best way to describe it. Not with Abram. George loves Abram... he thinks he is hilarious. Here is a picture that Celia took of the two little guys yucking it up.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiB0gpNMUsHcbO0EVHLtq9xEz3TXbUNvi284xMJjqn65gttRFCMHz4KEpPMYxmx9pxGtRtel4bFoqnIABmJ-Ow3YDyFhg87-c4_n5uMlq1q0G5lq2IFV1F3sJriFjqIsclJrvixh3rAqlV/s1600/IMG_3996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiB0gpNMUsHcbO0EVHLtq9xEz3TXbUNvi284xMJjqn65gttRFCMHz4KEpPMYxmx9pxGtRtel4bFoqnIABmJ-Ow3YDyFhg87-c4_n5uMlq1q0G5lq2IFV1F3sJriFjqIsclJrvixh3rAqlV/s400/IMG_3996.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In addition to the the busy river next to our campsite, there was also a very calm streamlet right next to us as well. The kiddos loved playing in it. I think some people might be reticent to take their kids camping. If you give up on the notion of getting an "awesome" night's sleep, camping with kids can be a lot of fun. We have been camping with George since he was about 5 months old.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RTNFiIcLLtANqeyI0sBBbHJmUcrEkVA1zCyMa7Gh194ngFFNwDipfA1BSxkDQQfRU9UvCwSKTGDFG9dLAMwUzpLTIbMF3iXiHk6k4ftj-B60HLT8NdwnZd1dJ3HdpLzY2qq5-93JLhbT/s1600/IMG_4005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RTNFiIcLLtANqeyI0sBBbHJmUcrEkVA1zCyMa7Gh194ngFFNwDipfA1BSxkDQQfRU9UvCwSKTGDFG9dLAMwUzpLTIbMF3iXiHk6k4ftj-B60HLT8NdwnZd1dJ3HdpLzY2qq5-93JLhbT/s400/IMG_4005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Here we are all gathering around... singing a few lines of "Michael rode the boat ashore."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERYotaDPhJZe8MPqMibBNySc8kf6AOfSuTSHUK-rpGgTYR9-vXkajLWgZZcvYmsUUphHeGWjX_VV4R5IGEl5gmw9S0d391wJL1SoqN7TkK12rWntYr6gMuRuZ6npCqN9c0RtjRDPLsYYe/s1600/IMG_4002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERYotaDPhJZe8MPqMibBNySc8kf6AOfSuTSHUK-rpGgTYR9-vXkajLWgZZcvYmsUUphHeGWjX_VV4R5IGEl5gmw9S0d391wJL1SoqN7TkK12rWntYr6gMuRuZ6npCqN9c0RtjRDPLsYYe/s400/IMG_4002.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The Christensen's treated us to some home made, deep dish, brick-oven, coleman-warmed personal pan pizzas. We made flapjacks for breakfast topped off with Ashley's delicious buttermilk syrup. Camping in style!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4YqRXSvL0PPgO92uTjfwQn-jpvG66-DE4ye3eYaoRthpRdPpERjKDyOscXtyWDeqNNWgv6tbBYPq0tNccXalVDVpydg01qcQE_1OHReTmuBUcKVDMT6sQX50SYaWOnDBJNBTkuwu4vhK5/s1600/IMG_4001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IHRPs1_VEeWfHU2kK56ZqNjzC7JoZfbiZuAQJfn3pjjJvh2-pmjDUWdOxoXCbcHUYutmubccyaUSdQjB-R_JkEpX-0Kd5Xj4Qw3MXbDNrcsqkXq0uwsx5an-Mggga9ia0RtV8Go4Ob8W/s1600/IMG_4006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IHRPs1_VEeWfHU2kK56ZqNjzC7JoZfbiZuAQJfn3pjjJvh2-pmjDUWdOxoXCbcHUYutmubccyaUSdQjB-R_JkEpX-0Kd5Xj4Qw3MXbDNrcsqkXq0uwsx5an-Mggga9ia0RtV8Go4Ob8W/s400/IMG_4006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Celia & Scott are great camping companions. Family camping can be so fun if you go with people who totally know what they are doing... not that we are imbeciles, but after a few anecdotes about grizzly bears Ashley was definitely considering moving the tent a little closer to their tent.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpPwdOjdwUJNC2fr9ZqHZCtGoTx77jffbcoYfQ0YqyyAGa1RrAj7PTKnaa-Sz8ZF88oYpO75l6LFMYRzYNHYVqVk9c7zvsUtZ8G0l-sJq23d5g3ch3HVXUXqSnoae5c2maEuwjZm5o-av/s1600/IMG_4007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpPwdOjdwUJNC2fr9ZqHZCtGoTx77jffbcoYfQ0YqyyAGa1RrAj7PTKnaa-Sz8ZF88oYpO75l6LFMYRzYNHYVqVk9c7zvsUtZ8G0l-sJq23d5g3ch3HVXUXqSnoae5c2maEuwjZm5o-av/s400/IMG_4007.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>We scoured for wood to burn, and Ashley was amazed at my camouflage techniques. Can you spot me?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptFePMfYpItwJ8qQzwxaEZwWyKEZZH0djFFgfh5EpSJBDiIu5Ylh5O3nskCtI-cfCIguvY1uEWYFBnMhWe0kEQd8wo7M7lu57vkFo_gp3HUtzWmTCPFNbjBtDytLZuW6HSMYahHOa_PfA/s1600/IMG_4010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptFePMfYpItwJ8qQzwxaEZwWyKEZZH0djFFgfh5EpSJBDiIu5Ylh5O3nskCtI-cfCIguvY1uEWYFBnMhWe0kEQd8wo7M7lu57vkFo_gp3HUtzWmTCPFNbjBtDytLZuW6HSMYahHOa_PfA/s400/IMG_4010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>A lovely fire was topped with smores in the Rocky Mountains.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AZyPxQQ_9YCsUOiQNP-8nBW6as1DVQYIwMM99lTA4zHJI2V-VgZrY5Quc9W4RhDvJS9MtUmkg08noKaP3qpr1mOMgUxv-byNlXWaP5Ip5IlDDMZ4R54LBT61L7OuMrx8hKML3MJJulHc/s1600/IMG_4019.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1AZyPxQQ_9YCsUOiQNP-8nBW6as1DVQYIwMM99lTA4zHJI2V-VgZrY5Quc9W4RhDvJS9MtUmkg08noKaP3qpr1mOMgUxv-byNlXWaP5Ip5IlDDMZ4R54LBT61L7OuMrx8hKML3MJJulHc/s400/IMG_4019.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Family picture. Pulsiphers, 2011. Still waiting on a winning name for baby #2. From some angles Ashley is deceptively pregnant.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrkaxCc-13jw7KNu3BwGPiSxKMUAp_RFGtRDB056SWwbTcakPrz8ZJISzp1HmV4FjIsV2KrEhNrT07uqyCJo1KqdYYeg9Bk8rCUKWkfJiNZc-ar4T4x_9DVEbqKyiVmlm5OFnFHf9LTW7/s1600/IMG_4020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMrkaxCc-13jw7KNu3BwGPiSxKMUAp_RFGtRDB056SWwbTcakPrz8ZJISzp1HmV4FjIsV2KrEhNrT07uqyCJo1KqdYYeg9Bk8rCUKWkfJiNZc-ar4T4x_9DVEbqKyiVmlm5OFnFHf9LTW7/s400/IMG_4020.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Picture of our campsite in the morning. Much to our relief, there were no grizzly sitings. I tend to be a worrier about these kinds of things, but if you follow all of the rules (keeping a clean camp, storing all smelly things inside the car) you really are doing about as much as you can. Scott brought a can of bear spray, but after a few stories about its misuse I wasn't sure which I was more alarmed by, the potential for a bear encounter or the likelihood that the bear spray would end up being used on myself, somehow.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QdHO0AJshcdNh4uZIWvo1X9XCdtnEbl9d9KEiA-1tUJe7cOwKXm0SP0F9c2HHLYrHXv_injs4SI9c02DmBKfGt-ryicBDGPm40c17LLSduf_MnOhsXLVTrGCbQSjF8vHjrl2T0YJWIfq/s1600/268836_1847504950014_1312403790_31620216_6247168_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QdHO0AJshcdNh4uZIWvo1X9XCdtnEbl9d9KEiA-1tUJe7cOwKXm0SP0F9c2HHLYrHXv_injs4SI9c02DmBKfGt-ryicBDGPm40c17LLSduf_MnOhsXLVTrGCbQSjF8vHjrl2T0YJWIfq/s400/268836_1847504950014_1312403790_31620216_6247168_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The Pulsipher family all together on their first rafting expedition. We had previously braved the Madison river on inner tubes, but this time we were on the Gallatin river in an actual, sea-worthy vessel. Scott is a very skilled raftsman and I tried to do my best to impress the group with my mastery of nautical terms via <i>Whale Wars.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjP4cJee8lcq2V-iaqwHeXU3zeTxLdv4DPPsJSlCgIcIBJjthrfPrcW-7SflS2bwHgAIHl3_LkxD1EkfuvNW7gGa1M6MazCasy-6vmTGAOGr_z77gzDdolCJSWOciZiEJ8HRwusHvXZC-D/s1600/282462_1847499029866_1312403790_31620203_1028466_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjP4cJee8lcq2V-iaqwHeXU3zeTxLdv4DPPsJSlCgIcIBJjthrfPrcW-7SflS2bwHgAIHl3_LkxD1EkfuvNW7gGa1M6MazCasy-6vmTGAOGr_z77gzDdolCJSWOciZiEJ8HRwusHvXZC-D/s400/282462_1847499029866_1312403790_31620203_1028466_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>George enjoyed rafting so much, that he wore himself right out. Towards the end of the trip we had another Montana highlight, our first moose sighting. It was so cool. <br />
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I was very proud of Ashley pulling all of this adventure off while 8 months pregnant. We may have discovered another secret to car-camping. The inflatable mattress. It makes a significant difference in your comfort level. I used to... scoff at the notion. But really, if you aren't "light backpacking" and hiking/biking into your campsite, you might as well go all out. Portable satellite dishes, inflatable swimming pools, <a href="http://www.problemsolvers.com/product.asp?pcode=819&cm_mmc=Tagged-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&cm_lm=&mr%3AreferralID=NA&mr%3AtrackingCode=NA&mid=&jb=&u=&l=&j=&e=&r=frooglefeed&p=819">coco lattes</a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=foot+spa&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=5386645321686026527&sa=X&ei=o4kpTrE5hsqIAsu41bAC&ved=0CGEQ8gIwAQ">foot spas</a>, and every other comfort you can squeeze into your car - all fair game I say ; ).<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QdHO0AJshcdNh4uZIWvo1X9XCdtnEbl9d9KEiA-1tUJe7cOwKXm0SP0F9c2HHLYrHXv_injs4SI9c02DmBKfGt-ryicBDGPm40c17LLSduf_MnOhsXLVTrGCbQSjF8vHjrl2T0YJWIfq/s1600/268836_1847504950014_1312403790_31620216_6247168_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-86763612731124109752011-07-04T14:21:00.000-07:002011-07-04T14:21:38.888-07:00it's boots and straps and cowboy hatsSaturday Night we went to the Livingston Rodeo. Livingston is the next town over (east) from Bozeman. We haven't spent any time there, but cruising through it the other night confirmed to us that we'll need to go back. The downtown area looked really cute and the main boulevard is right by the train tracks, so that is a huge bonus for George.<br />
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Livingston puts on a bona fide rodeo. As you can tell by the clientele in the picture below, there was no fooling around. We tried to blend George in with his cowboy hat. Though the crocs might have been a tipoff that we weren't exactly seasoned rodeo goers.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevl1cKMs7fE4IGF4tPX6hzPw3hyIFYI1OBarkAwoILLxORaaWlPU3K8CDy6b-0zOUlRP9RpT4e-6dgaI8f-D-x4hWSYCh11oKH1pPQg7hF7RC0oKSPyljFMAqpeaf_gKnzTNQKTs6Q9Rv/s1600/IMG_3916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevl1cKMs7fE4IGF4tPX6hzPw3hyIFYI1OBarkAwoILLxORaaWlPU3K8CDy6b-0zOUlRP9RpT4e-6dgaI8f-D-x4hWSYCh11oKH1pPQg7hF7RC0oKSPyljFMAqpeaf_gKnzTNQKTs6Q9Rv/s400/IMG_3916.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The rodeo kept George's attention pretty much through out the duration of the night. It went over three hours, and George didn't squirm or have a need do to any prolonged sprinting. Our general admission seats weren't exactly the best, but the action was good for a toddler audience.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3U3AhPsb9fQJnq4npLJfqjCxNKxwLFDltZSjILRS6rZysbjUYirg1y7mCxSrJL3sdoVF9ZZ34PsrvL2b16biK_RyVt3t9v2jdvGHnpFWLa2NaLeXpIAFxRW1A2V-jVpuq9iqg8I3Ng9t/s1600/IMG_3941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr3U3AhPsb9fQJnq4npLJfqjCxNKxwLFDltZSjILRS6rZysbjUYirg1y7mCxSrJL3sdoVF9ZZ34PsrvL2b16biK_RyVt3t9v2jdvGHnpFWLa2NaLeXpIAFxRW1A2V-jVpuq9iqg8I3Ng9t/s400/IMG_3941.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
There was all kinds of things going on at that rodeo. First off - let me say that if you are easily offended the rodeo might not be the best place to go. We had the unfortunate experience of falling into many of the demographics that served as the butt of the announcers jokes.<br />
<ul><li>Californians</li>
<li>People who voted for Obama</li>
<li>Democrats</li>
<li>Utah</li>
<li>Bill / Hillary sympathizers.</li>
</ul>I'm sure if they found out we were wearing chacos and drove a CR-V to the show we would've been put in their volunteer rodeo-clown program.<br />
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Most of the people in the audience were laughing pretty hard at the Obama jabs... makes me wonder what the left-leaning equivalent of the rodeo could be, any ideas?<br />
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The sight seeing/people watching was fantastic. Check out this zoro dude in front of us.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4kl551a1JT-ENN_h5esH5gEtd8Pq6QXQoxaZmuqcfdf9g7aiZSWonZXtTz6APpFR9xIHCrmNeM5koc2Ep1o3PZCiXRhMRYqRmTEAKLzD6PabMCYI5Jdm4oUQfdc1WiDYAG_JinIMA8bT/s1600/IMG_3935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4kl551a1JT-ENN_h5esH5gEtd8Pq6QXQoxaZmuqcfdf9g7aiZSWonZXtTz6APpFR9xIHCrmNeM5koc2Ep1o3PZCiXRhMRYqRmTEAKLzD6PabMCYI5Jdm4oUQfdc1WiDYAG_JinIMA8bT/s400/IMG_3935.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Another key factor that may have contributed to George's enthusiasm for the rodeo, could have been his introduction to cotton candy. Do you think he liked it?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMXO1uKVIyF_d5izvlo18idi2hr1xlFEPWvhta5jH5SrHpfoMTuQKOmez-u7HeWTJV0tM-pOo7D5Jh6Aq55kVZkirTeNem9iTCxMnLsEpPJ04IK09L7cKKMy7zm4pxZfYCYg25L3xtXWH/s1600/IMG_3921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMXO1uKVIyF_d5izvlo18idi2hr1xlFEPWvhta5jH5SrHpfoMTuQKOmez-u7HeWTJV0tM-pOo7D5Jh6Aq55kVZkirTeNem9iTCxMnLsEpPJ04IK09L7cKKMy7zm4pxZfYCYg25L3xtXWH/s400/IMG_3921.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Methinks that's a yes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6MYAh_4AMe4twYWOBIPAEs_Jjk5sCn69mBjqxl_V-jSRtEdhkVpCkN4Zuu6GKZfRC1h7JMFNjLz0uvkDQof5UsTf4sUOgY3WPC1DQThHuhaCLPlhnOrNv9vuOzamug0LB4ZhIlcpT4WPz/s1600/IMG_3927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6MYAh_4AMe4twYWOBIPAEs_Jjk5sCn69mBjqxl_V-jSRtEdhkVpCkN4Zuu6GKZfRC1h7JMFNjLz0uvkDQof5UsTf4sUOgY3WPC1DQThHuhaCLPlhnOrNv9vuOzamug0LB4ZhIlcpT4WPz/s400/IMG_3927.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Despite the... questionable comedic repertoire/color commentary of the announcers, it was still really really cool to see a completely new (to us) athletic competition. The crowning event of the rodeo is the bull riding. It is so fun to see the cowboys try to ride the HUGE bulls. George loved every second of it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzI26fx4GfT09RgQ4KDaShinvSlEdC_3p02T6dBOT4C5wuRRz0vAbdkk_Iogthf0kY-wNJ2OnXxl0HSP0N2mz4fqhFlD9KX5Kg1JPVemKgwWHL0tTfC_AKx0-8womJ60p3ERnNBtBG6QyQ/s1600/IMG_3946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzI26fx4GfT09RgQ4KDaShinvSlEdC_3p02T6dBOT4C5wuRRz0vAbdkk_Iogthf0kY-wNJ2OnXxl0HSP0N2mz4fqhFlD9KX5Kg1JPVemKgwWHL0tTfC_AKx0-8womJ60p3ERnNBtBG6QyQ/s400/IMG_3946.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Here's an action shot of the first event of the night, bare-backed bronco ridin'.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqFQblBItCcUzk-TvC14NbwYoX95DxLAZvIe_JODrIEI-xT0EtyEu8wSgdQEks5uhIkQ9GEmQ_eDrFafNc3gzpY7fwnwzxxjjVjGxuYe-PQibZF3z4ZYodHa647YkX1kjfgSpHRVWZ2bG/s1600/IMG_3938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqFQblBItCcUzk-TvC14NbwYoX95DxLAZvIe_JODrIEI-xT0EtyEu8wSgdQEks5uhIkQ9GEmQ_eDrFafNc3gzpY7fwnwzxxjjVjGxuYe-PQibZF3z4ZYodHa647YkX1kjfgSpHRVWZ2bG/s400/IMG_3938.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
As with most events in our family, George looked the coolest. I'm sometimes jealous that George looks about 10,000 times cooler than me every time we're in public. Ok, not really jealous, but I wish I looked as natural at the rodeo as he did. I think he was even laughing at the bill & hillary jokes. What a chameleon!<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-mv6EDz6L-s9Ca8K-z8HpG2bjBMAD3LDxqg8XbpxZXYjCiipu-rMDF3wIbyqsZZzmuB-AnGMWNf30BWFM3lbLOAdyBKjObY6kmoIxgICshwR_eKVpn3EUbAEUIfjafgp3zXWipAX6QqKJ/s1600/IMG_3948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-mv6EDz6L-s9Ca8K-z8HpG2bjBMAD3LDxqg8XbpxZXYjCiipu-rMDF3wIbyqsZZzmuB-AnGMWNf30BWFM3lbLOAdyBKjObY6kmoIxgICshwR_eKVpn3EUbAEUIfjafgp3zXWipAX6QqKJ/s400/IMG_3948.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><br />
All in all it was a great night. George loved it so much that in his half-sleep state, he proclaimed "Bulls!" as we put his pajamas on. A ringing endorsement from the coolest member of our family. We hope you are all having a great holiday weekend.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-50433621791775300702011-07-01T06:34:00.000-07:002011-07-01T06:44:18.827-07:00softerthan a lullabye......rocky mountain high!<br />
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Last week Ashley, George and I got back from a two week extravaganza in Colorado. We were all over the state visiting our family. We love going back to Colorado to visit our parents, grandparents, nieces/nephews, aunts/uncles, brothers/sisters and cousins. It can be a tricky feat to balance all of that in one vacation schedule - but we pulled it off decently this last go around. I had to work here and there throughout our stay so that made scheduling tricky. Between "the Springs" and the Mountains we had a great stay and were so happy that George got to spend so much time with grandparents and cousins.<br />
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</a></div>Here's Ashley, George and Grandma Potter in the front garden. One of the Saturdays, we spent the entire day outside, mowing the lawn, pulling weeds, and watering the flowers.<br />
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George is really getting into the "cheese" phase with picture taking. This is his cheese face. I love it. <br />
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We also discovered a new treasure trove source of toys for George... garage sales. We picked up a few toys that George immediately glued himself to. He stayed outside and played on the porch, undisturbed for nearly an hour. <br />
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George got lots of cousin time. It was cousin Scarlett's birthday so we went out to a Japanese restaurant and.... I'd love to say that George's palate is distinguished enough to appreciate Japanese food at this time, but he was more interested in the fish tank than the cuisine. Here's George with my sister Blythe's kids (left to right), Duncan, Abigail, Finn & Scarlett. <br />
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After city time we retreated to the mountains to meet up with my parents and my brother Ian and his family. Here is George with his cousin Serena. They were completely riveted by a documentary on the French and Indian War. Our little history buffs! <br />
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Grandma Pulsipher has some serious wooden train tracks. The transportation planner in me got a little carried away. <br />
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Look at this masterpiece. Have you ever seen its equal? <br />
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We also got a lot of trampoline time in. George is really good on the tramp, and one of his better abilities is to fully commit to a jump whether or not he has control of his body. <br />
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I like the mid-air shots... he was battling a little bit of a cough, we think he might have some sort of Colorado-induced allergies. It seems like every time we go back home, he starts to get a runny nose and other maladies. <br />
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I wanted to include this picture because its equal parts despair/cute. <br />
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On the trampoline, in the Rocky Mountains with cousin Serena, Uncle Ian, Grandma, and cousin Eva. Pretty much the best place for a kid to jump on the tramp, in the world. <br />
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Our trip was a great success and it made us feel the pull of wanting to live near our family and friends who love us and George so much. We hope you are all having a wonderful summer full of adventure.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-71007357776784317842011-06-07T19:59:00.000-07:002011-06-07T19:59:14.086-07:00father/son campout.Last weekend George and I went on the Bozeman Stake's annual Father Son camp out. Ever since I was old enough to think about being a father, I have wanted to do this. I was <b>so </b>excited to take George camping. George has been camping 4-5 times now, but every time is a new adventure because he's older, and capable of so much more. Our campsite was out in <a href="http://goo.gl/maps/rSPC">Greycliff</a>, right off of the Madison River.<br />
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Ashley warned me several times to keep an eye on George... and I heeded her counsel. Though I will admit that more than once I temporarily lost track of him while he was under the supervision of one of 20 older kids who were very nice to play with him. George had fun from the get go. First things first, setting up the tent. We went out with our neighbors, Jackson (pictured) and his dad Tyler.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUXRyTt-E0_pbHHr9k-TaizFRL3Ti-kWDOYzMYbM9AiQkVAIYeJu2GJ4oKZVOeG5azQ2NKO4CX7pQxEVg_OR0w1q98ElKpLWptvCoeaPOUtb-H5u9RVNV58L47JXqebewj4xfxtDiouw8/s1600/IMG_3748.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUXRyTt-E0_pbHHr9k-TaizFRL3Ti-kWDOYzMYbM9AiQkVAIYeJu2GJ4oKZVOeG5azQ2NKO4CX7pQxEVg_OR0w1q98ElKpLWptvCoeaPOUtb-H5u9RVNV58L47JXqebewj4xfxtDiouw8/s400/IMG_3748.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Ok, George's pose here reminds me of a famous album cover, or a famous poster. It is some sort of mo-town record or something. Will someone please end my suffering and tell me what pose this is reminiscent of. I know I've seen this before somewhere. Help me!<br />
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George loved the tent... loved wrestling around and jumping on the sleeping bags. It was supposed to be cold that night so I put his "Cars" sleeping back inside of Ashley's sleeping bag. It seemed to be a pretty good system for keeping him warm.<br />
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This is Ashley's favorite shot from the weekend. He was certainly putting on a show. When he's in his element, he does all kind of silly things. Making stinkfaces is one of his fortes.<br />
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I like this pose because it reminds me of a <a href="http://www.homesanctuary.com/.a/6a00d8341cc30c53ef012875ab908c970c-800wi">famous photograph</a> with disputed origins.<br />
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</a></div>At night we had a campfire and George was hamming it up as usual. This is his "cheese" face. For dinner we had hot dog, chips, delicious ginger ale and smores for dessert. The night time festivities included some fun poems, stories, a campfire, and the older kids played a few rounds of capture the flag. George didn't seem too interested. <br />
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George was however, extremely interested in throwing stuff off the bridge. Him and Jackson probably dropped a metric ton worth of debris, rocks, and driftwood into the river.<br />
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George relentlessly scoured the area for things he could drop into the river.<br />
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One of the few pictures of me and George at the camp out. You'll see what I mean shortly.<br />
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By the time George's sugar rush and raw excitement wore off, it was about 11pm. He woke up around six due to the light, and birds. So that put him about 4-5 hours short of a typical night's sleep. Still, you don't really go camping to get a good night's sleep. George only woke up once and was easily pacified, fell right back asleep.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhDMF4EkoIfmwL8TtaZrFEoFZtDgto6_e6TkxqEiJsQLuaSqa4tWJUq6ZqqAntt3nczk67iB7BpwG3APcY4VM9fQqILD3Uyy5ES7hFTMm6Jb4Dq8ab7mEnyFoZU93f9oAHhfqhcKv8GNf/s1600/sleepy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhDMF4EkoIfmwL8TtaZrFEoFZtDgto6_e6TkxqEiJsQLuaSqa4tWJUq6ZqqAntt3nczk67iB7BpwG3APcY4VM9fQqILD3Uyy5ES7hFTMm6Jb4Dq8ab7mEnyFoZU93f9oAHhfqhcKv8GNf/s400/sleepy.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
In the morning we had all the muffins, juice, and sugary cereal a boy could ask for. George plowed through about 1.5, huge costco muffins.<br />
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Here's the man, up close, contemplating his next move. The whole time I kept asking, "George, are you having fun camping?" He would often reply, "camping... fun!" Warmed my heart after a chilly chilly night.<br />
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As promised, the picture of me looking like an idiot. I don't know what's going on in the front there...<br />
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Afterwards George watched the father son tug-o-war. He wasn't much help.<br />
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Over all the campout was a great experience, I can't wait to go again. I think you have to keep your expectations low when it comes to sleep, but other than that it was great. Due to the lack of sleep, George was a little bit of a basketcase the next day and had a serious melt down. But after that, he busted out a personal record, 5 hour nap and after that he was pretty much good to go.<br />
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Hopefully we can sneak in a few family camping trips before #2 comes in August.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-86584010304103458792011-05-30T11:59:00.000-07:002011-05-30T11:59:07.775-07:00a camping we will go...Forest Service cabins are sprinkled throughout Montana. Most of these were built during the New Deal and were places for members of the Forest Service to live while in the field. Now they are places for us common folk to rent out (year round) to rough it a little bit and enjoy the outdoors.<br />
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Several weekends ago a group of friends rented one out for an evening. Fortunately the weather cooperated and we had an amazing time. Here are some of the highlights.<br />
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First things first, we had to ford a river. Fortunately, there was a nice bridge that made the crossing quite convenient.<br />
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George spent all day out in the sun and was starting to get a serious base coat for his summer tan. He and mom celebrated a successful crossing of the river.<br />
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We had to "hike" in about a 1/4 of mile from where we parked to where the cabin was. I carried some of our gear on my back pack. I look like a big nerd, I realize this.<br />
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Ashley, Chelsy and Abby. Apparently, if your name doesn't end in "y" you weren't invited to the cabin. (I had to go by "Davey"... j/k).<br />
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Yes, I was the founder of the fire. There is something still so fun about creating a fire, even if you are using one of those coleman fire wands... or whatever they are called. We were seriously roughing it.<br />
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Tyler made the 1/4 mile trip back and forth between the cabin and vehicles to truck some of the gear in, and he was very dismayed that he had to bring his motorcycle up. The boys each took turns riding with Tyler. George was in serious heaven.<br />
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Here's a shot of the cabin. About 20 yards behind it was a babbling brook. To the left were the firewood sheds and storage units. The inside of the cabin had two rooms with three, two bunk beds each. There was a kitchen with a fire stove, and a main room with a wood burning stove. If some people were comfortable sleeping on the ground with sleeping pads, I don't see why you couldn't sleep 20+ people in there with relative ease.<br />
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Ashley and I pause for a moment to reflect on fine big sky living. Just prior to this we saw a small herd of big horn sheep. Very very cool.<br />
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A family photo that started off as a joke and ended up looking pretty nice aside from George's tongue acrobatics.<br />
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George & Jackson had so much fun with ample room to explore and play. It is such a nice feeling to be able to let your boys wander and explore. I feel like it must be overload for their little brains.<br />
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Although Tyler and I are posing for this shot, I can assure you that the awe our sons had for us was very real. It was fun being able to chop wood for the fire outside and inside. It awakened the deep urge in me to revisit my high school vocational dream of being a lumberjack.<br />
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George hangs out by the campfire, we had a delicious meal of hot dogs, beans, sausage, cheese, crackers, and smores. Hot dogs really do taste 1000 times better when cooked over a fire.<br />
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Here we are with our next door neighbors and friends, the Barnwells. We totally hit the neighbor lottery when moving to Bozeman. Our experience would be completely different if we didn't live next door to them.<br />
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I must confess, there is a hidden agenda to many of our posts about the Montana adventures we get up to... we're trying to sell you on the excitement that awaits you if you come to visit. Want to rent that fire service cabin with us? C'mon up!<br />
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We hope you are all having a splendid Memorial Day weekend...Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-16209738957756982172011-05-18T20:19:00.000-07:002011-05-18T20:23:52.243-07:00yellowstone, revistedSeveral weekends ago we went to Yellowstone National Park with our friends the <a href="http://christensenboomerang.blogspot.com/">Christiansens</a>. Really, if you are planning on going to "the Park" as Scott (Christiansen) calls it, there's no better person to go with. He works for the <a href="http://www.greateryellowstone.org/">Greater Yellowstone Coalition</a>, and is literally a walking encyclopedia Britannica of Yellowstone ecology/wildlife knowledge. He's like... that encyclopedia <a href="http://jimcofer.com/personal/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/66004833_a4b113a9c3_o.jpg">britannica kid</a> but with a cooler haircut.<br />
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We all piled up in the Christiansen's swagger wagon and headed for the park. Of course, before we really hit the road we needed to make a pit stop for diet cokes and miniature cowboy hats.<br />
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We saw so many buffalo and elk it wasn't even worth taking a picture of them. They were everywhere. We also saw antelope, coyote, deer... and something very cool which you'll see at the end.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBUQbxmhMomNjKdnEJO0Fx72lsKrv3ASL6egWYhjUUx02QvqHFU27bGgBnZVDHGHe9fn4jxbwt2PKn-uqvp7V8_D5IcrbqH-yL0IsXYuVanEpGQNZogwdCEHMShA8tGwhuPCzk_BKj8_T/s1600/IMG_3670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBUQbxmhMomNjKdnEJO0Fx72lsKrv3ASL6egWYhjUUx02QvqHFU27bGgBnZVDHGHe9fn4jxbwt2PKn-uqvp7V8_D5IcrbqH-yL0IsXYuVanEpGQNZogwdCEHMShA8tGwhuPCzk_BKj8_T/s400/IMG_3670.jpg" width="266" /></a></div> Here we are under the Roosevelt Arch. Yellowstone was the first National Park in the world, and it does have a special feel like few places in the United States, that I've been to. It is very difficult to resist the beauty and grandeur of the place.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPKk6Mh70j7WCUy67g5nAL_4FJgDSwJkNPV89EXWepyU4zFYLuz9AD_J7w0R89E4gs-GXXbginVfAORygVTIKJLqRMyZbC54C2Cqa1XN5i3Vv6J87iyBJG2NJVfDaRXmsJX_2Fnyh61_Z/s1600/IMG_3674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPKk6Mh70j7WCUy67g5nAL_4FJgDSwJkNPV89EXWepyU4zFYLuz9AD_J7w0R89E4gs-GXXbginVfAORygVTIKJLqRMyZbC54C2Cqa1XN5i3Vv6J87iyBJG2NJVfDaRXmsJX_2Fnyh61_Z/s400/IMG_3674.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>Here's a better shot of the fam. Ashley looks so beautiful, and she's knocking on 7 months pregnant. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVqAQCtLLdQ4yDXmtzwnP3QJf0kMXPfoyhM9a4ODgC6uiv7F6vwTs_78W9hOO5i36qbRvJPQx_LfKooIP9tPuSr4-lEgoE4eXUeC1AC4LioZcnPXkuH-iIfhX3n9W-N6dtO9bygD4mOBt_/s1600/IMG_3677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVqAQCtLLdQ4yDXmtzwnP3QJf0kMXPfoyhM9a4ODgC6uiv7F6vwTs_78W9hOO5i36qbRvJPQx_LfKooIP9tPuSr4-lEgoE4eXUeC1AC4LioZcnPXkuH-iIfhX3n9W-N6dtO9bygD4mOBt_/s400/IMG_3677.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> Here's Scott trying to explain the intricacies of geothermal activity to George (with Abram's curly locks in the foreground). I was afraid that maybe it was a little over his head, but George seemed to take in all in. I cannot emphasize enough how much fun it was to go with the Christiansens... we had such a fun time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNH_hSr8EAvDFBOe4ujRkhNeqHRgnnET6vv8XOTZHu2-iBiY_8y0erF8EeB8usPS9Yj7T33KV8Bo4dulTCmXDobcVFB8RIoz7xF2QYUJKwUDKQNojuj1krWG-dP87sBr6h1AvSvw7DWcl/s1600/IMG_3683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNH_hSr8EAvDFBOe4ujRkhNeqHRgnnET6vv8XOTZHu2-iBiY_8y0erF8EeB8usPS9Yj7T33KV8Bo4dulTCmXDobcVFB8RIoz7xF2QYUJKwUDKQNojuj1krWG-dP87sBr6h1AvSvw7DWcl/s400/IMG_3683.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> Ashley, modeling the mineral deposits. I can't really remember anything else about these.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzh3K-VOBqakIgdixDKpFTYCT9Pu_5hwIbBBZLh2Zdm83PyZlIxix9c1QHbPlngq5py5lNUbJHkKs-K3eD6Q9Zs__qMOw-lqGA06MCcSiz1PFfMiUoVPY1aQuvOpJ1ZZVkAXCcTHNf3H8/s1600/IMG_3698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzh3K-VOBqakIgdixDKpFTYCT9Pu_5hwIbBBZLh2Zdm83PyZlIxix9c1QHbPlngq5py5lNUbJHkKs-K3eD6Q9Zs__qMOw-lqGA06MCcSiz1PFfMiUoVPY1aQuvOpJ1ZZVkAXCcTHNf3H8/s400/IMG_3698.jpg" width="266" /></a></div> I had to take about 15 pictures of George before I could get a cute one of him smiling. Despite running his hand along the wooden rails and filling his hands with splinters, he was still in pretty good spirits.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnez9rhgEDskZ92VP3qpzu4WXrNesi6WeM1ILJprQAdBhIJubD5bwelCU9BzSscZINMo6Xe9J_sK2rXOvnKBjJj1J07u9VG7X5SPbJWpS2SKVHoxLFZmDlb_W500b3AUJayttvW_hu058/s1600/IMG_3703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRnez9rhgEDskZ92VP3qpzu4WXrNesi6WeM1ILJprQAdBhIJubD5bwelCU9BzSscZINMo6Xe9J_sK2rXOvnKBjJj1J07u9VG7X5SPbJWpS2SKVHoxLFZmDlb_W500b3AUJayttvW_hu058/s400/IMG_3703.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> Here's me and George... this was one of the few pictures of me and George. Even though my glasses make me look like an idiot, I wanted some documentation that I was actually at the park. This is also one of my last pictures with a mustache... it has now gone away for the next forseeable future.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQg-2S5PbfzrO1ef-QReHD_O6TSw8jvLb4G6517ux1OXc9Hrm1N-1-pdy0-B1fL0_jdiyRdAUM_5JTtucTvFyLefQTqaqbhDvtn44KqDxU4mvU46uCoByWDwhRUZDMpni9kIxWgFr1eRRZ/s1600/IMG_3704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQg-2S5PbfzrO1ef-QReHD_O6TSw8jvLb4G6517ux1OXc9Hrm1N-1-pdy0-B1fL0_jdiyRdAUM_5JTtucTvFyLefQTqaqbhDvtn44KqDxU4mvU46uCoByWDwhRUZDMpni9kIxWgFr1eRRZ/s400/IMG_3704.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> George and his good friend Abram worked really hard at the park. So hard, that they fell asleep and were totally exhausted. They laugh and entertain each other so well. They are really great friends and it is so fun to watch them play together.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNm5f9IVZ6zaT1bbqmRVrFsY7t6TBSCWNPkjkpEGRg8JhZRe09OMfyWdhhMJcFBxDLbZ5D1ISLwrxrJoU9l7IsM6CRv5yl5z21dqqAjCXzp2Gw8i5t8ao5snPAPkBV-FkbanYB-TW5s21B/s1600/IMG_3707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNm5f9IVZ6zaT1bbqmRVrFsY7t6TBSCWNPkjkpEGRg8JhZRe09OMfyWdhhMJcFBxDLbZ5D1ISLwrxrJoU9l7IsM6CRv5yl5z21dqqAjCXzp2Gw8i5t8ao5snPAPkBV-FkbanYB-TW5s21B/s400/IMG_3707.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Just as we were leaving... we saw one of the crown jewel's of the park. Nature/wildlife enthusiasts! No... if you scan just past them, you can see a grizzly bear. Yellowstone tip - if you see a bunch of people with their cameras out... you'll probably see something cool.<br />
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We have yet to see a wolf and moose, but we were so jazzed to see the grizzly. We love being close to <i>the park</i> and hopefully we can continue to see incredible things. If any of you want to come up... we'd love to show you around!Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-17183903195855750312011-05-09T19:31:00.000-07:002011-05-09T19:31:23.277-07:00in another life...A life that didn't involve health risks, or the risk of alienating my wife with the constant threat of heart failure and obesity, I'd be a competitive eater. I think I'm really good at eating fast.<br />
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In the mean time, like every good parent - I'm training my child to accomplish all of my unfulfilled dreams.<br />
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<object height="336" width="597"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=23509640&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00adef&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=23509640&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00adef&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="597" height="336"></embed></object>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-59658598457577259472011-05-05T21:51:00.000-07:002011-05-05T21:51:32.932-07:00wedding feverOur good friend <a href="http://sheblogssheblogs.blogspot.com/2011/04/shes-got-wedding-fevera-little-bit-late.html">Alison did a post last week</a> in the midst of Kate and Will's wedding euphoria, wherein she asked others to share their wedding stories & pictures. We thought it was a great idea so I dusted off some of our <i>old </i>wedding photos to share with y'all.<br />
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In case you don't know the story... we got married amidst one of the great blizzards of recent Colorado history. We even had to move our date up a day to beat the storm. In true fashion, we showed mother nature who's boss and did not let her stop us from our destiny.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__Sbn8VbZ6WPmiTvi484RZPNywx0vhhzZ0_D40ssR9OUCy0YK4NotQA3vUgwAZAJx99hqt6q0SR8tT7uzPnJQraiQX7QWeLRqMXtbQYWc8vNPxEgb8FxJxdvV77Shtvw_q4DrxOk0w9f-/s1600/ashley+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__Sbn8VbZ6WPmiTvi484RZPNywx0vhhzZ0_D40ssR9OUCy0YK4NotQA3vUgwAZAJx99hqt6q0SR8tT7uzPnJQraiQX7QWeLRqMXtbQYWc8vNPxEgb8FxJxdvV77Shtvw_q4DrxOk0w9f-/s320/ashley+001.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ashley on the way to the Denver LDS Temple</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUgbN_VhdLC3J3y1dqW6qGDXI3S7KTYUUTomtyUGJbbpOC2051PTXXDbtIRZPHnBIQXP9BT9erjM0XxVrWTIH5IOy6PIvR3rVymjgc-1gUaJTNyb13pmbyFxO0dVPWa3nFjXrj_m04HBe/s1600/DSCF0089_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__v_bWkhhPid8RFsCEEYyriWFU5H-cQQq8_3_S4YOlWo1_hs2ru6b9VU-E-IOqupgtgCvgHaeTotHmCB6vssyGLh4oYJmk16Mx9348SGGSdC8539rJiiM6-2qwCfLNxn5tdWO344zAb8g/s1600/IMG_4108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__v_bWkhhPid8RFsCEEYyriWFU5H-cQQq8_3_S4YOlWo1_hs2ru6b9VU-E-IOqupgtgCvgHaeTotHmCB6vssyGLh4oYJmk16Mx9348SGGSdC8539rJiiM6-2qwCfLNxn5tdWO344zAb8g/s320/IMG_4108.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Me, reflecting on our white knuckle, two hour drive from the mountains to Denver.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEK0I2jIW6_rj9LSf1m2hOrje5DGD74i1wEdo_BMWIq2N_8PWCyIjAWteLcxcfrr2Hhc8AHlUpAq7keIy7n9cBTyk0toL1xUDPe2IpjIjkMnbpfqXF3aokBg0lGF2RsGYGEeLXIM57500q/s1600/IMG_4109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEK0I2jIW6_rj9LSf1m2hOrje5DGD74i1wEdo_BMWIq2N_8PWCyIjAWteLcxcfrr2Hhc8AHlUpAq7keIy7n9cBTyk0toL1xUDPe2IpjIjkMnbpfqXF3aokBg0lGF2RsGYGEeLXIM57500q/s320/IMG_4109.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">My dad, reliving the mayhem that transpired. We were inches away from a severe car wreck. Mother nature, car wreck... nothing could stop us.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBH2_fcvdqeus7y_7RyciwYAokNtB2niKjVugEoTc6RDqVbVbTH3vDNPHASqEWVw4tDUymw6eQ2E0uAemRQ58SMkR60ABjoAmgVfw5EqdLGjpAGrdJ5bsxNNJbn_RKQiDhOQCSs8NNzlU4/s1600/IMG_4116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBH2_fcvdqeus7y_7RyciwYAokNtB2niKjVugEoTc6RDqVbVbTH3vDNPHASqEWVw4tDUymw6eQ2E0uAemRQ58SMkR60ABjoAmgVfw5EqdLGjpAGrdJ5bsxNNJbn_RKQiDhOQCSs8NNzlU4/s320/IMG_4116.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fastforward an hour and a half later... we emerge from the Temple legally married!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The rest of these are a bunch of us kissing and posing in front of the Temple. Did I mention there was a blizzard? See for yourself.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13ZqSodLHp-shT7b9QQEHDKqH5UsuPjzc-rGxfMmfz1zZ3uft5y2Gu9NGjqFeks1xSo2YQahukqRW6AIr6RZ9dBcL_ukxPknEroWh6IptnHjDtu0NxKQyqe165ssTxqD9Fq62wObJ7o_d/s1600/IMG_4200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13ZqSodLHp-shT7b9QQEHDKqH5UsuPjzc-rGxfMmfz1zZ3uft5y2Gu9NGjqFeks1xSo2YQahukqRW6AIr6RZ9dBcL_ukxPknEroWh6IptnHjDtu0NxKQyqe165ssTxqD9Fq62wObJ7o_d/s320/IMG_4200.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2voknbB0SnpfNXvFcxRz-YUHl9wx8OlUuQ05_lbPbBgKLM4ptYYCz8Kq_R0X30BIMTHk3xeFZ21rh8Mi4DjHiiixIJkAIsGDIXYh-vHR3vxMkvplAq_nB8a6goiLR_IYyliVSuKzusWo/s1600/IMG_4219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2voknbB0SnpfNXvFcxRz-YUHl9wx8OlUuQ05_lbPbBgKLM4ptYYCz8Kq_R0X30BIMTHk3xeFZ21rh8Mi4DjHiiixIJkAIsGDIXYh-vHR3vxMkvplAq_nB8a6goiLR_IYyliVSuKzusWo/s320/IMG_4219.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">My first test as a husband. Do not drop your bride on her wedding day. What's funny about this picture is that this was also a fulfillment of one of Ashley's initial misgivings about my husband CV. When we met, I was suffering from a pretty big back problem and she remarked to her mother, "I'm worried that if I marry David he won't be able to hold/lift our children." I passed with flying colors - Hiyo!!</div><br />
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Lessons learned:<br />
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1. Marry a beautiful Colorado girl<br />
2. Trust your dad to drive you your wedding, his years of experience behind the wheel will serve you well.<br />
3. Consider the ramifications of a winter wedding carefully<br />
<br />
Anyone else want to join the wedding nostalgia train? Post your links in the comment section.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7155315414661825399.post-31621717635770920412011-04-30T16:00:00.000-07:002011-04-30T16:00:46.420-07:00shave and a haircut...WARNING. These images are not for the faint of heart. George's hair was getting pretty shabby... and... like his dad and MANY Pulsipher men before him... went the way of the buzz cut. He looks so friggin cute.<br />
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The pictures will do the rest of the talking...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq45pb8YW3GZ8leyfJ5lsM9aNYHVl5sGVRabj63eWEnG_qA5y8qKwtslx8WL4tRAKFk3DM2yyOR_qPA5twJ2dSgR2iXxbiIQ3B0UKtTl_a-HRrmJWEchCVbMuSs9VnvUSza1djIHzCm0VL/s1600/IMG_3653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq45pb8YW3GZ8leyfJ5lsM9aNYHVl5sGVRabj63eWEnG_qA5y8qKwtslx8WL4tRAKFk3DM2yyOR_qPA5twJ2dSgR2iXxbiIQ3B0UKtTl_a-HRrmJWEchCVbMuSs9VnvUSza1djIHzCm0VL/s320/IMG_3653.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh927YVjFisZk48-Ys2nrWtRyp7g_cO1QKxE9g3m5wZT2jCm1Etr-zX9IgIE3srLI0exTGePD2DJnFaWbxSGoLgp0P88zk0f8VXUiyZQdDhcgiKSWsSAbkKUo5dRMlziDFUlCdvlaaeoVrN/s1600/IMG_3654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh927YVjFisZk48-Ys2nrWtRyp7g_cO1QKxE9g3m5wZT2jCm1Etr-zX9IgIE3srLI0exTGePD2DJnFaWbxSGoLgp0P88zk0f8VXUiyZQdDhcgiKSWsSAbkKUo5dRMlziDFUlCdvlaaeoVrN/s320/IMG_3654.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I love my little man.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229294148152802149noreply@blogger.com7