MIA - but with a few good excuses...

Okay, so we've been missing in action for the entire summer. I think this long update will give you a reasonable explanation as to what we've been up to. It's been a busy time in the Baier household.

Keith spent a lot of time eating pie.....
just kidding. You'll see what he's been up to in a minute.

We spent a fantastic weekend camping at Mt. Rainier in July with our good friends Todd, Janel, Brooke and Trent.

Elise, Luke, Brooke and Trent all waiting patiently for ice cream up at Paradise on Mt. Rainier.

After ice cream we had a little snowball fight.

Luke learned to ride his bike without training wheels!!

The kids went scuba diving at the Seattle Aquarium.

Actually, Grandpa David took the kids to the Aquarium - no scuba diving was involved. We saw lots of amazing animals and they each got brave enough to touch a sea star and sea anemone.

We spent a great August weekend down at Mason Lake with our good friends the Olsons. Luke loved the boat and even got brave enough to go tubing. He's growing up so fast!

Elise enjoyed the boat too, but that only happened after she made peace with keeping her life vest on.

Grandma Sylvia came and visited in August. She watched the kids while I was in training for my new job. I'm working from home, which is fantastic. I now work as a teacher liaison with families who are home schooling their children. It's been quite an adjustment, but having the opportunity to stay home with the kids is worth it!

We spent a great Labor Day weekend in Chelan with Uncle John, Aunt Lissa, Mason, Audrey, Liam, Papa, Amma and Aunt Lindsey. We even had a lovely dinner at a local winery. The kids all enjoyed rolling down the huge grassy hill and playing on the tractor. The adults all enjoyed a peaceful dinner and some delicious wine.

There was a nice little carnival in Chelan as well. We went on a train ride and then.....

the kids jumped their little hearts out in the jumpy houses. It's a wonder no one was knocked out! Watch the video to see for yourself.

Luke started soccer again this fall...and so did Elise. They both love it and are having a great time. I think Elise especially loves wearing the uniform and her sparkly silver tennis shoes.

Luke started a new preschool this year and loves it. At the end of the first week we were pulling out of the parking lot and he yelled, "I love school!" How great is that?!? He has made a lot of new friends and has the most amazing teacher. It's truly a great experience and we're so happy for him. This is a photo of our field trip to a farm in Redmond.

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Now we'll discuss what Keith has been doing......
As most of you know, Keith loves mountain biking. In the summer there are weekly "mountain" bike races south of SeaTac airport. There aren't any mountains, but there is a huge wooded area that they use for races. He trained all summer long for a big race up by Sun Mountain Lodge last weekend.
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On Saturday Luke had a bike rodeo. There were big bumps, jumps, a balance beam, some sand, and a little ride through the forest. Luke rode around the course at least 8 times. When he was finished he had the rosiest cheeks and the biggest smile.

Racing through the forest.

Then on Sunday....the big races.
Luke's race was 3 miles long and he did fantastic. He met a friend along the way, Johnny. Thankfully Johnny and Luke buddied up because Johnny got a flat tire and Keith was able to help him out. The boys ended up finishing dead last due to the flat tire, oh yes, and Luke lost his shoe inside a cattle guard......who knows how that happened. When the boys crossed the finish line everyone else had left, so they thought they had gotten first place! Why not?!? We celebrated their "big win" and had a little photo shoot for them.

The big winners!

Now for the really exciting news....

Keith trained all summer long and did fantastic during his race. In fact....

he won 1st place for his age division! We are all so proud of him! WAY TO GO KEITH!!

Elise even had a great time. I don't think she will be standing on the sidelines next fall...I'm sure she'll be racing too. I guess that means I need to get back into biking.

So there you have it. If you've read all of this long post, you will now understand why we've been MIA. We promise to do a better job of updating the blog, sharing our exciting adventures more frequently. We love you all!!