One Chapter Closes...

I'm sad....


An era has ended....


My very first road bike is no longer with me....


When I first got her I was SO excited.  I just loved her.  She introduced me to the wonderful world on road riding.


I learned to ride with clipless pedals on her, trained for my very first triathlon on her and rode well over 1,000 miles on her.


So now she has gone to live with someone else. BUT I know she is going to a great home...someone in just the same place now as I was a year ago.  Just getting her feet wet in the sport of triathlon.  Michelle...I know you are going to love her just as much as I have.  Enjoy her...she really is a great bike :-)

Part 3 - Last, Last, Lucky Last

If you are still with me after the last 2 posts I know you are either related to me or very tolerant...probably both. So at last, we get to the one who was first.  Who broke us in as parents and broke ground for the 2 others that came after her.  The one who taught us that sleepless nights were worth the loss of every brain cell and that nothing could be more wonderful then adding that extra person to our little family.

Ciara......



Sensitive, creative, intelligent, witty.  She has a remarkable memory and knows more trivia then anyone else I've met.  I have made a mental note to never play trivial pursuit with her....EVER.  She is loyal and kind and despite the fact that she loathes confrontation she is willing to stick her neck out if its the right thing to do.  I have never had to worry about peer pressure with her...she is so responsible that she sometimes tells me that my behaviour is inappropriate.  Did I mention bossy?  Well...just a little :-)



Ciara is uniquely selfless....she is always the first to give up her seat , her icecream, her place in line for someone else.  She is a nurturer, a carer...if she could just stand the sight of blood she would make a great doctor.




She taught Matt and I how to be parents.  How to be more than a married couple.  She taught us how to be a family.  In so many ways she is the link that holds the family together.  She is the bridge between this generation and the next.  If she is the future, then the future looks bright :-)

Part 2 - The Littlest Melville

Even when he is a strapping 6 foot tall, 20 year old adult, he will still be the littlest Melville. Always. That is the fate of the youngest isn't it. Once the baby, always the baby. I know that from first hand experience.


The youngest holds a special place because they are the last. There will be no more...at least not from this baby momma!


Jack....



 He is a hugger. What more could you ask for from the baby of the family. Any visitor to our house that ends up staying in the guest bedroom will be well acquainted with the 6:00am "tap,tap,tap" at the bedroom door. He likes to come in, say good morning and maybe give them a good morning cuddle.




He is affectionate, kind and a real cutie. And how can you NOT love those freckles. I think maybe he was born with freckles! He has a good sense of other people's emotions and seems to always know just the right thing to say. That will serve him well later in life I'm sure.


He has always been easy going and compliant. I'm not sure if he has ever had a temper tantrum. When Jack was born we KNEW that our family was complete. The last missing link of our chain. And he fit in perfectly. ( ..and yes, that is underwear that Max is holding up in the picture...don't ask!!)




So he maybe the little one now but one day he won't be so little...but he'll always be the baby :-)

Part 1 - Starting in the Middle

Now if you are not related to me,  I advise you to skip the next 3 posts.  Yes...I am being self indulgent but its my blog and I can do whatever I want. 
I often posts pics here about what our family has been doing and the places we've been going.  But for a lot of my relatives who rarely, if ever get to actually see us in the flesh, the details are fleeting and scant and they feel like they are missing out on getting to know their little nieces/ nephews/ cousins.  So I'm going to devote the next 3 posts to my kids. 

If you are a middle child you will know just how tough it is to be one.  Too old for some things and too young for others.  You rarely get anything first, but you never get spoiled like the baby of the family.  You never get to be the boss when Mum and Dad aren't home but you are almost always held responsible when something goes wrong.  Being the middle child is tough so you'll be pleased to know that I am throwing convention out the door and starting in the middle.


Max....



He is athletic, tenacious and is always asking questions.  His friend Aaron says that he would make a great FBI agent.  He makes friends easily and is able to find common ground with just about anyone.  Thanks to Max we have met some awesome people who have become great friends.

 

He is always able to find something to keep himself busy...building a go cart, making a bow and arrow. You can usually find Max at the end of a trail of wood chips and bent nails.  

He is a "fly by the seat of your pants" kind of person.  He rarely reads assembly instructions preferring to figure things out for himself.  He has a wicked sense of humor and shares my competitive spirit. 




He is the family dare devil.  He is always up for a new challenge and has the ability to really push himself way out of his comfort zone. Rollercoasters, black diamond runs on his snowboard, kneeboarding, learning to shoot a shotgun....there is nothing that he will not try.   I'm not sure where that comes from but its definitely NOT from me.

After we had our first child, Matt and I were certain that we had this parenting thing down.  But Max was sent to teach us a thing or two.....and he continues to teach us something new every day.  He is a joy and a challenge...and I wouldn't have it any other way :-)

CDA Youth Tri

Some pictures from the Coeur d'Alene Youth Tri last weekend.  {Thanks to my awesome photog friend Michelle for some of the great action shots}



This is the second time they have done this race and they really love it. Their friends were racing too which makes it all so much more fun. Aaron is obviously showing us his game face in this picture!




The swim, bike and run distances vary between the various age groups and distances get progressively longer as the kids get older.  Having done it before the kids were all a lot more comfortable with how far they would have to race.  They knew the course and where the bike and run turn arounds would be so they were a lot more confident this time compared to the first time they did this race.



Max got to wear my Team Blaze kit...(this was part of my birthday gift to him as he has been coveting it since I got it.) And yes...I know....apparently I have the physique of a 10 year old boy since he fits into it quite comfortably.

Max in transition....



....and heading out onto the bike




Ciara was a little nervous before the swim start...but as soon as she hit the water she said her nerves disappeared. 



These kids could all give me some tips on running by the look of it. They make it look easy. Here is Ciara sprinting to the finish.



These pictures do not do the conditions justice.  The water was CHOPPY.  The kids all did an amazing job swimming in some pretty decent sized waves. This picture makes me smile...Max offering Jack some motivational and inspiring words no doubt.



Jack made a friend on the run...he does not appear to have an ounce of competitiveness in him and so was happy to jog along with his new friend to the finish line.



All in all it was such a fun morning.  The kids all got a medal, a t-shirt and had a complete blast.  They'll definitely be back at it next year.