AT THE RIGHT PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME

WE WENT TO VISIT DAVY'S SISTER, JULIE AND HER FAMILY, IN WEST VIRGINIA LAST WEEKEND. IT IS ONLY 3 HOURS AWAY, BUT CAN TURN INTO LONGER WITH TRAFFIC....WHICH IT DID. 5 1/2 HOURS LATER WE WERE AT THE WEED FAMILY'S FRONT DOOR. THE WHOLE WEEKEND WAS SUPER FUN. THANKS JULIE AND MATT FOR BEING SUCH GREAT HOSTS !!! WE WENT ON A BEAUTIFUL BIKE RIDE WITH THE WHOLE BUNCH. MATT HAD CAROLINE HOOKED ON THE BACK OF HIS BIKE WITH ONE OF THOSE TAG-A-LONG BIKES...HER PEDALS KEPT FALLING OFF SO SHE HAD IT EASY, JUST CRUISIN' BEHIND HER DAD. JULIE HAD GAVIN IN A BIKE SEAT ON HER BIKE. DAVY HAD SAM AND OLLIE IN THE CHARIOT BEHIND HIS BIKE, AND I HAD MY FAT BUTT AND MUFFIN TOPS HANGING OFF THE BACK OF MINE...SO NEEDLESS TO SAY WE ALL WERE HAULING A BIG LOAD.

THE BEGINNING OF OUR BEAUTIFUL BIKE RIDE THROUGH WEST VIRGINIA COUNTRY SIDE WAS NOT SO FUN...(.YES, WE DID SING THE JOHN DENVER SONG, "COUNTRY ROAD" A FEW TIMES) OUR LITTLE MAN WAS SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS. HE HATED BEING STRAPPED IN. HE'D FINALLY CALM DOWN, BUT THEN SAM (ONLY 1 YEAR OLD) WOULD TAKE HIS TEETHING RING OR OTHER TOY HE WAS HOLDING AND THE CRYING WOULD START ALL OVER AGAIN. HE FINALLY FELL ASLEEP AND THE RIDE BECAME FUN AGAIN. I WISH WE WOULD HAVE TAKEN A PIC OF HIM ASLEEP, BUT WE WERE TO SCARED HE'S WAKE UP IF WE STOPPED AND GOT THE CAMERA OUT OF THE CHARIOT. SO HERE'S AN ANGRY FACE PICTURE INSTEAD. CHECK OUT SAM, TOTALLY CONTENT EVEN WITH A CRAZY, CRYING BAY NEXT TO HIM.

ON OUR WAY BACK, DAVY PULLED OFF THE TRAIL AND SUGGESTED WE GO DOWN TO THE RIVER TO CHECK IT OUT. THE BABIES WERE BOTH FAST ASLEEP, SO WE THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO STOP. THE PLACE DAVY DECIDED TO PULL OFF LED DOWN TO THE RIVER WHERE THERE WAS THE PERFECT ROPE SWING JUST WAITING FOR US!! IT REALLY WAS THE RIGHT PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME. WE TOTALLY NEEDED TO COOL OFF. THE REST OF OUR BIKING GANG STOPPED, THEN THE BABIES WOKE UP (LUCKILY CHEERFUL) AND OF TO THE RIVER WE WENT.
DAVY WENT FIRST TO MAKE SURE IT WAS DEEP ENOUGH AND THEN I WENT. THE WATER WAS SOOOO WARM, IT FELT LIKE LAKE POWELL WATER TEMPERATURES IN AUGUST. DAVY WENT AGAIN AND DID A BACK FLIP, I WAS IN THE WATER SO I DIDN'T GET A PIC OF IT. THE 2ND TIME I WENT, MY HEAVY BOTTOM HALF, WAS A LITTLE TOO MUCH FOR MY WIMPY ARMS AND I GRACEFULLY DRAGGED MYSELF THROUGH THE WATER. IT WAS SO FUN! I FORGET HOW THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE, LIKE A COOL DIP IN A RIVER ON A GORGEOUS BIKE RIDE, MAKES YOU LOVE LIFE AND ALL THOSE LITTLE MOMENTS AND LOVED ONES THAT ARE A PART OF IT.