And we're back!

Welcome to our blog! It was so great for me (Jackie) to realize how many people enjoyed reading my Climate Ride blog. It helped me to feel connected to my family even though some are far away and we don't get to see each other very option. Dave's family told us that they enjoyed the blog because they got to hear about what Dave was up to (considering that he rode with me on 90% of the training rides!). So, I've decided to let the blogger in me re-emerge.

What have we been up to since Climate Ride? Well, here's a summary:

- The day after I got back from Washington, D.C. we went apple picking with Brianne, Danielle, Erin, Dana, and Blake at the South 47 Farm in Woodinville. The group enjoys pumpkin picking at the farm, and they know how much I love to be outside, so we got together for my birthday celebration. Dave had just purchased his fancy new camera, so he was going crazy taking pictures. As a consequence, he is in all of 2 photos! He also took about a zillion very silly pictures of me...






- We returned to South 47 for pumpkin picking in October. Our friends Shon and Joelle brought their new son Aiden along. Aiden loves the color orange and we all enjoyed spending time with him on his first field trip! Jeff also brought his adorable kids Megan and Graham - it was so fun to watch them search for the perfect pumpkins! Heather and Dave had a competition for most enthusiastic photographer!






- Shon and Joelle hosted a Halloween party at their home. Aiden was an adorable giraffe and then an astronaut. Dave went as a viking and I went as my World of Warcraft character (a game Dave loves and I am incapable of playing). I'm a blood elf, though it's unfortunate I couldn't find any elf ears. It was still fun.



- Dave and I both got hurt at soccer this month. He injured his leg and needs to go back to the doctor to check for further issues. He was limping around for more than a eek and in a lot of pain. I was hit in the eye with a ball. I visited my eye doctor and a retinal specialist. They said I will be fine, though I've been exclusively wearing my glasses until my eye feels better. I've also had some exciting bruising to cover with eye makeup!

- Dave, his dad, and his brother cooked a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner. My dad, Cathy, and I joined Dave's family for the holiday and we had a wonderful time. Everyone got along very well, and it was a lot of fun for me to enjoy Dave's cooking and see him in action! They had a regular battle plan for tackling dinner, with notes for what to do in 5 minute increments. There was a 23 pound turkey, 20 pounds of mashed potatoes, and 3 kinds of stuffing. Needless to say, Dave and I have plenty of leftovers that we are thoroughly enjoying.

- Yesterday we went to the cabin with Dave's family. It was raining, so that limited our activity, but we still had a great time. It was a beautiful ride up north and the lake was gorgeous. We walked to a neighbor's place and used their rope swing and zip line. It will be really fun to visit again, maybe next summer.

- Today Dave will be enjoying his Grandma's birthday party. I think later tonight we might check out the Christmas tree lighting here in Kirkland. Tomorrow we will be visiting with my mom, Len, Ryan, and Josh.

I think that's it for now. We're looking forward to the holidays and lots of activities! Love to all our friends and family!