I’m so proud of how hard my team is working! We can’t wait for competition!
He said
After having an amazing Thanksgiving long weekend all together at the trailer last weekend, we were back into this week, knowing that would be the last time we’d be up at Auburn enjoying camping until next year’s season. We always approach this time with apprehension and reflection. We don’t want the season to end, but sadly it has to. But, the flip side of that is six months of memories we have there every chance we get. Granted, we didn’t get near as much time there this year as we’d have liked, but the reality is there is never enough time. We did manage to have some pretty great memories there this year!
In line with that, is also the realization that I am also approaching the end of the outdoor biking season. I have already had to add a lot more layers to body to stay warm. My hope will continue to be to get at least one day of every month where the weather allows me to get at least one ride outside. This year the only month that I missed so far was a particularly winter-crappy-weather February which didn’t help that it is the shortest month too. I’ve already crossed off October, so the hope is to get November and December too which would give me 11 of the 12 months.
This week because I was still on vacation until Thursday I was able to get my rides, and able to do longer runs around the TVP which given the change of season and scenery was an absolute delight. Even though, it’s a lot of the same sections of the trail, it looks drastically different almost each and every day. Adding up all the rides I did between here and the trailer in my week off I managed to get 212 kms on the bike which was an average of about 30km per day. I was really happy with that.
Being off this week also meant I got to be more involved with Emelia’s day-to-day which was great. I was able to pick up for her from school which I love the time seeing how her day went. But I also had time to go watch her Cheer practices as they ready for Competition season. In either case I often find myself amazed at this lady growing up before my eyes—who still is the little toddler in my mind. She’s developed this amazing sense of humour but also carries her mother’s ability to put others feelings at the forefront. By no means do I want her to grow up any faster, but is it ever amazing to see the human she is!
With my vacation coming to an end it meant a weekend spent at work, which left Danielle to tend to the last little tidbits to do at the trailer. Little things, but a list of them that required her to head up there this weekend while I was at the store. It wasn’t the funnest of weekends but it had to happen. While we may be coming to terms with the end of the camping and soon enough, the biking season, it doesn’t mean we have to like it. And it means we’ll probably start the countdown to next year!
She said
This week was a bittersweet weekend. We had our last official weekend for us as a family at the trailer, but this weekend was the real last weekend the trailer park was open. John had to work all weekend so I headed up solo to wrap up the last of the clean out and prep before we close of the trailer fully. After a bit of back and forth we decided to take an easier route and had the trailer winterized by the trailer park so we could easily pull the trailer to winter storage at the end of the month.
Saturday morning I got up and headed to Auburn to get things deep cleaned and packed up. I was able to enjoy a quiet pace prepping things for the winter. The weather was terrible but I still got a chance to touch base with some other seasonal and say our good-byes. On the drive up you could see how fast everything is changing and we are moving away from summer, fall and soon to be the winter. The colours were stunning and I wanted to take it all in. We are again forever grateful we found this peaceful place to spend our summers. I wanted to take in as much as I could this past summer with Emelia knowing everything will change for her next summer. I know the days of her being able to come up with me at a drop of a hat are gone, next summer she will have a summer job and at 16 she will be home more than she will be at the trailer with us.
With the seasons changing we are fully moving into the fall which means full on competition prep season for Emelia. Emelia has shifted her focus again to honing her skills and building on level up skills. She had a semi-private lesson again this week with her coach but this time with one of her closest friends from cheer, Flo. The girls absolutely adore each other and really build each other up. They had a great time and pulled of some amazing tucks. Today was another clinic for Emelia this time with a tumbling coach that the gym brought in. She doesn’t really need these clinics as they are about technique which she has clean, she just needs more time on the floor to get her confidence up even more.
Today I was able to watch cheer a few times, once was her clinic and one was a big chunk of her training session with her team. It was great to see her back stunting and the team is finally getting more of the stunts. It has been a rough few weeks of injuries for her teammates so we hope the rest of the team can stay healthy and that the three that are hurt right now can keep getting stronger so they are back to training soon. Cheer is such a hard sport, more than most people know. These kids are tough athletes! They are all working so hard to get ready for their first competition that is only 6 weeks away!