Ryan learned how to: ride a bike (with training wheels); play soccer; scale a climbing wall and the ABCs.

Molly learned how to: run; climb; say kitty and that screaming is funny.

Peter learned that: a year of working out can help hit the softball farther, that letting his wife take over the garage with 1/2 finished projects is not as bad as originally anticipated and making new connections with fellow believers has been worthwhile. (written by me about him)

I learned that: playing in the water is still fun; how-to use an orbital sander and my meal swapper group has been a HUGE blessing for without which I wonder if I would have cooked all summer!

Bikes are like an icon for all of childhood. Bikes bring transportation, fun exercise and empowerment to a kid. I think riding a bike is a big deal. I can clearly remember the rush of the pavement beneath my tenuous bike wheels as I learned to fly across the world on my blue banana seat two wheeler. Peter rode his bike everywhere all the time as a kid – even in the winter!

It is official. Ryan is a big-kid. Well a kid-kid at least (he still has training wheels). He rides his bike around our long driveway and turnout. He has gone on two long bike rides which in tale traveling around the block or to the park. Our neighbor James is a bike enthusiast and spend a whole day working on Ryan’s Spiderman bike (from Target) to enhance its performance! I don’t know too many kids that have their first bike’s chain greased, brakes aligned and spokes adjusted.

It has been so fun to watch Ryan’s determination as he pedals around. Very cool.