Andy’s main girl is getting new tires. After 4,000+ miles, she needs them.
Christmas Cards!
Our Christmas cards have arrived…
…and it is Christmas Card preparation time!
Now, I just need those stamps I ordered to arrive.
Cub Scout Hike
John and his Cub Scout Den hiked through Rock Bridge State Park today to meet a requirement for the Webelos Walkabout Adventure. John actually earned this while at Cub Scout camp this past summer, so he was helping the other boys. In total, they hiked three miles and had fun doing it. If John is any indication, all the boys will be tired tonight. Great job, boys!
Goal!
I met my goal of 1,000 cycling miles for 2017 today!
To get that last 20 miles and to celebrate, Andy and I took a ride to Cooper’s Landing for a quick drink.
It was a gorgeous day for cycling and a great 25-mile ride. Special thanks to Andy and the women of the CycleX Women’s Ride for encouraging me along the way and keeping me spinning! Now to figure out a realistic goal for next year…
Crazy Elf
Our crazy Elf on the Shelf, Chippy, returned over the weekend. So far, he has hidden in a lot of our glassware. On his second day back, he hid under a beer glass that Andy and I got from the Missouri Beer Festival.
Now, Chippy is in our Norton wine decanter and Melty is in one of our Norton glasses! I guess that means no Norton wine for us today…
Separate Spins
Andy and I took separate spins today. With the time change, it is harder to get in a night ride together. He took his road bike out for about 15 miles. The moon was beautiful during the late afternoon and Andy captured it in the background of his picture.
I took my trail bike out for some trail hopping (three different trails for 16 miles). I am now only 20 miles away from breaking my mileage goal for the year. I see a ride in my very near future. Here I come 1,000 miles!
I Miss You, Mom
We put up our Christmas tree yesterday and I just was not really in the spirit this time. This is my favorite holiday of the year and I love decorating the tree, but it took every ounce of strength I could muster to pull myself off the couch and get it up and decorated. Even the excitement from the kids did not help.
The truth is that I miss you, Mom.
I could actually hear you complaining about the clear lights. “Christmas trees are supposed to have colored lights! Did I not teach you anything?!?”
I could hear you saying, “Thank God that tree is fake. I hate vacuuming up pine needles.”
I hung the ornaments that you made from plastic canvas for Andy and I along the bottom of the tree even though we do not have cats anymore. You once told me they were indestructible and that is pretty much true. Those ornaments spent a lot of time off the tree in our cat days.
I hung my baby ornament that you actually had to replace. Metal rusts when it gets wet. It really rusts when an eight-year old puts it in a glass of Coke because she is performing an experiment and wants to see if it will fizz, causing the metal to come off. I can hear the exasperation in your voice now, “Erica, that isn’t going to work and you wasted a Coke!” You were right. It didn’t work. You were wrong though too. I didn’t waste a Coke. I drank it, but I was eight and it was Coke. I know now that is disgusting, but not then.
I hung our wedding ornament that you gave Andy and I for our first Christmas as a married couple. The original was broken back in the cat days when the cats took the tree down on a crazy run through the house. I remember calling you to say that it was broken. You laughed hysterically at my story. Hysterically. So much so that you almost couldn’t breathe for ten minutes. Then, you quietly sent me the $15 to replace it even though I didn’t need the money to replace it.
I hung the two reindeer ornaments made by your Mom. I remember you saying, “I always thought these were dumb when my mom first made them. Now, I would give about anything for her to make another set.”
I cried tonight while Andy and Laura hugged me tight. I know it will get easier, but I miss you, Mom. I miss you.