fall bike ride

Last week was a very busy one for us. Terry was teaching at a camp here in town for the weekend and so he had that preparation in addition too his other normal responsibilities. It was a very busy week. We were very glad when Sunday rolled around and he was all done. He decided to push nap time back and go on a bike ride in town. 

We rode down to Culvers for lunch as a special treat. It was so beautiful out that we ate outside, which is actually the best place for four noisy kids to be. Noah wrapped his arm around Ezra and daddy and Samuel thought he should do that to Evie. Evie, however, was not so sure...

Nope. She definitely did not want his arm around her. "Get off!"

"Come one Evie, it's not that big a deal. Let him put his arm around you. He loves you!" 

Grrrrrrr. 

Laughter at her reaction only further bothered her. She's seven going on 17. 

We haven't been able to do any hiking like we did last year but at least we got on the bike path. 

It was beautiful out. 80 degrees! It felt extra nice after all my belly aching about the frost killing my plants.  Plus it was fun riding through all the crunchy leaves.

We rode about five mile down the bike path to Roosevelt Park and stopped there to adjust my seat since it was tipping back. Not a comfortable way to ride.

I know I said I wouldn't make a habit of taking selfies so I must have lied. I took another one because I wanted all of us in the picture (and I didn't want to ask the inebriated men lying nearby to take our picture).  

From that point we turned around and rode back home. It's always amazing going down the bike path with the creek because you're going downhill and don't have to hardly peddle. It's a little more work when we had to go uphill. And poor little Evie. She has no gears so her legs were pumping the entire time. She said she was so ready to get off her bike. 

When we got to M Hill we took the little creekside path that skirts the bottom of the hill. First we had to power up the hill. Go Terry! He was pulling two little boys! 

And off go the boys. Evie wiped out on this path once last year apparently so she wanted to stay in the back and go slow. 

I yelled out, thinking of my friend Denise, "It's so beautiful!" because she always says that while biking. Plus, it was true.

 The boys waited for us. Pretty trees.

Just passed McDonald's. Nearly there, nearly there... 

At first the littles thought sitting together was great fun. After we turned around, they turned on each other. I was yelling at them a lot. "Samuel stop that!" "Ezra stop hitting him!" "Stop pouring out your water!" Boys.  

We had a great time. We rode TWELVE MILES! Yeah, I definitely felt bad for Evie after I figured out how far we went.