Twenty-Eight

I turned 28 years old this year and yes, I'm already forgetting exactly how old I am and yes, Reesa is always reminding me. The whole day was amazing thanks to the hard work of my sweet wife. Amongst recovery and taking care of Wendy she managed to execute an awesome day. It started with an activity I've been wanting to do for quite some time. As we are avid cyclists, I've been itching to go mountain biking. My previous experience has been limited to riding down from like Mt. Baldy or something in scouts on a bike that was too large and may have included a pretty traumatic wipeout. I've been a bit hesitant since that time. Paul Robertson has been riding on occasion and encouraging me to join him. I rented a bike from the local outdoors shop the day before and we set out early the next day. We went up Provo Canyon to an area called Big Springs (up South Fork). Lots of mountain biking consists of starting at the top (via car or lift) and then riding down.  I like the concept of the mountain bike genre "hike on a bike" where you travel the same routes when you hike, but on a bike. Of course this typically involves going UP as well as down the trail. But being a "roadie" I actually enjoy going uphill. Paul discovered this trail and it was the perfect intro. The trail was a "single track" with a loop. We started at the bottom and pedaled all the way to the top. I thought it was a blast and really enjoyed going up. After catching our breath at the top I became a bit on edge in anticipation of the descent. I had watched some tips on youtube the night before, so I was anxious to see if they would help. Let me just say that when we got to the bottom I was giddy. It was ridiculously fun. The run was just long enough that towards the bottom I was relying more on my instincts and less on my brakes (which was actually suggested in a video). We were so quick up and down that we had time to spare and went back up part way and rode back down "laughing all the way."

Here was one of the beautiful meadows we rode through.

Paul, so manly.

When I got home, I found my two girls sleeping. I changed and slipped back into bed for a power nap. I was awoken to a traditional Birthday Parade. Something new this year was a little snuggle time with Wendy. 

Wendy was a big help opening presents. She held my Cliff bars for me. 

A highlight gift was a new pair of lace-up navy Vans. As you can see below, it was about time to retire the old pair. 

No birthday would be happy without Happy Cakes.

No Birthday would be happy without In-N-Out.

The Robertsons and Whipples joined us for the evening activites.

Reesa made a delicious Orange Citrus Bundt cake. It was amazing. Perfect for a warm summer night.