A New Era

This past weekend, we officially turned over a new leaf for our little family.  Bicycles.  We started the whole journey on Siennalee's 4th birthday when she got her very first Trek bike, a little pink and white number complete with training wheels and ribbons - and a girly basket, of course.  But let me back up.

Once upon a time, Bachelor Jason had way too much money on his hands and bought one of the nicest bikes on the whole dang planet.  A Trek.  And it was spanky.  Fast-forward to Bachelor Jason meeting and falling in love with Nearly-Spinster Jessica, and the Trek story takes a dark turn.  Newlywed Jason moves up to Oregon to attend the University of Oregon's MBA program and, unbeknownst to him, settles down smack in the middle of Bicycle Theft Capital, USA.  On the first day of school, the Trek is discovered - in the apartment complex's not-so-secure bicycle barn - totally stripped.  Undeterred, Jason re-outfits the bike and spends the next two years faithfully riding - through rain and, well, rain - to classes.  Then, at the end of the MBA program, very close to graduation, the bike - in its spanky entirety - disappears.  And that, my friends, is how the small Eugene Kantola clan donated way too much money to the Eugene Bicycle Theft Madness.

Fast forward to happier times, as Jason has moved his little clan to Klamath Falls, Oregon.  Hike and bike trails abound.  Work is a tantalizing 5.5 miles away.  Bicycle dreams once again began dancing in his head.  And so we ventured to Medford, to pay a visit to Rogue Valley Cycle Sports.  There we outfitted both Jason and Jessica with road bikes, also adding a small trailer bike for the Sweetheart who cannot yet ride so well on her own (and also keep up with us).

We took the bikes out the very next day for their maiden voyage.  And it was heaven.  We rode down a good portion of the paved part of the OC&E Trail that runs though Klamath Falls (fantastic bike and hike route!).  Siennalee did wonderfully on her little trailer bike which we attached to my bike.  She pedaled faithfully and kept up a steady stream of chatter as we passed fields and cows and many birds out enjoying the evening bugs.  I told Jason it was the most I've enjoyed exercise since playing volleyball in high school.

It was a little nerve-wracking to get back on the "horse" - and by "horse" I mean super light road bike with 45 pounds of excited and unbalanced Sweetheart trailing behind.

My goodness we're cute.

I just love my Sweetheart's little face here.  She's making me laugh as I'm riding.

Of course, since we learned the hard lesson of living in Eugene - that sometimes, sometimes people may feel entitled to a bicycle that is not their own - our bicycles are now our roommates in our sweet little townhouse.  Jason did a great job clearing out our downstairs hall closet (aka, the Garage) and while we're still quite cozy, we are also quite content.  New eras are good.  Life is good.