The Rydeen's

LIVESTRONG is an understatement

2010-06-29T13:22:00.001-07:00

Thank the heavens above I finished, and can live to tell about it.

Last year sometime as I sat plotting my comeback to the land of triathlons, or anything physical for that matter, I choose just 3 events. I decided that one had to benefit cancer research in someway, shape or form. I choose Onionman Triathlon (Olympic distance), Troika (half Ironman distance) and the biggie Seattle's Livestrong Century ride or Challenge as they bill it.

This post is for those of you who helped donate to my modest goal of $500. Let me just thank you all again, THANKS!

So I will attempt to recall, replay or relive this event for you all I will do my best to keep is short and simple, while sharing my highs, lows and many of the mistakes I made along the way. There are a lack of pictures which I will explain later on. Please bare with me as we begin the journey to the Seattle's 2010 LIVESTRONG 110 mile ride....

Leading up to the LS ride I was able to get in a handful of training rides. With a couple 3, 4, and 5 hour rides under my belt I felt relatively comfortable with the endeavor before me. Mistake number one, while most people train a bit more for these types of adventures, I still tend to go with the minimalist approach, why don't I ever learn? While I was viewing this ride as a training ride, I would be lying if I wasn't secretly holding myself responsible for going FASTER then any of my previous IM 112 mile rides. Mistake number two, this was a Century RIDE not a Century RACE, apparently there is a big-big difference. So with a goal, my husband, girls, and old blue I made it to Seattle on Saturday, the day before D-Day. My week leading up to LS was full of travel for work and lack of rest but will not and cannot blame any part of this for what is to come...(I blame Mother F!@#$ Nature who is one mean and petty b---ch).

The forecast for Seattle "ride" morning called for partly cloudy skies with a slight chance of rain. Really a slight chance of rain? This is Seattle and I am to buy this load of crap? Yup I did. After all it sounded so perfect, not too hot, not too cold, a win win in my book. Just to be safe I decided to wear my half pants, arm warmers and my wind breaker bike gear. Oh, can't forget the sunglasses, so I wore those too. I left the hotel room around 5:45 to make it the 15 blocks to the starting line.

See it doesn't look so bad, does it?

After hearing all the little pep talks, and accounts they sounded the gun (I think) all I heard was in 3 - 2 - 1 Go!

We headed through downtown Seattle, feeling our legs out, and each other, getting into our grove. Here is where you could separated the die hards, with the leisurely riders. I fell in the the first group, albeit barely, and only because I had to be done, showered and on the road back home by 5 p.m. no time to for leisure.

Around mile 10 we started to feel the light pitter patter of drizzle, nothing serious or concerning, in fact is was a little nice. The morning temp was perfect for riding and even went a little on the "getting warm" side. Damn it I jinxed myself. At this point I found a pretty good group of riders to hang on too, so I was feeling pretty good. WHAM! Bump = bye bye areo bottle. What? Crap. Stop. Pick Up areo bottle. Refasten areo bottle. Begin again. Now I found another group of riders, still feeling pretty good but wishing I had still been with the first group, because well they were further ahead. Oh well. Shift gears to go uphill. Chink Chink. Crap. Chain came off. Stop. Fix chain. Find a shrub to wipe the excess grease from my hands off with. Begin again.

At this point what was once the pitter patter of drizzle, became a holy mother hold on for dear life and find a boat soon, rain. What the...? I am still thinking it's OK it's only rain how long can this last? Really, I had that thought, stupid huh? Again I remind myself that this is Seattle and what else should I have expected?

Along the course there were signs indicating that we were on the right path and to keep going. Well apparently the second group of riders I was tagging along with all had the same idea and forgot to include the straggler who attached herself to their caravan in on the idea. So at mile 20 Power stop the whole train pulled off, so I followed. Then I found out that they all wanted a pit stop! Well knowing that I have a deadline to meet (and warm shower) I asked the rider at the end if I wanted to keep going do I continue on straight ahead? His response "Yes". Idiot.

So I continued on...and on...and on...and on...5 miles later I thought, "Where are all the riders at?". Well yup you guessed it, I was going the wrong way. So with my navigational tail tucked between my legs I turned around and again now 10 miles later I am back with the LS riders.

I am one for a challenge, but the cards are starting to stack against me, lost equipment (aero bottle), mechanical issues (chain came off), inept navigation (got lost), and now a torrential downpour. Ya I would say this is a challenge.

Having all the challenges pretty much taken care of in the first 50 miles of the ride, I am thinking that it really can't get worse and to enjoy the ride and the reason for it. I kept telling myself that even though I wanted to quit at this point that I had the opportunity TO keep going, not to get too deep here, but I began thinking of those that have lost their battle to cancer and how hard the battle was fought, and how they may have wanted to quit so many times but held out until the battle was ultimately lost. Dad, I kept riding for you.

Gurgle..gurgle...gurgle...Hunger started setting in, and I reached for some of my food, only to find out that my hands no longer operated. I couldn't grip my gears, wipe my nose, or scratch my butt if I wanted to. The feeling was gone in both hands and I still had 35 more miles to go. I did stop at a Power stop at mile 65 where they had food ready for you to inhale. I ate as if I was new to the concept of eating. Imagine holding two sticks in your hands and trying to pickup food with those sticks. Well that is what I looked like. The medical folks started cutting up the space blankets and tucking the pieces in my bike jersey. Body started shaking (it was oh so cold now), but 2 PB&J sandwiches later I was off.

This was my last attempt to take a picture. While this was at mile 40 or 50 the picture was to be of the group of riders I was with, however upon not being able to feel my fingers you end up getting a blurry picture of my bento box (I think).

So another 65 miles later and I arrived to the very beautiful downtown Seattle. Now I say beautiful because I realized that in just a few short miles I can officially say that I completed the LS Seattle Century Ride. All that was left was to make it to the Space Needle, past the bums napping under the bridge, past the drivers who didn't really care that you were on a bike and that they could crush you, past all of my doubts and troubles along the way. Any illusions I had prior to this ride were shattered, bagged and thrown away. While I still had to stop at every intersection with a red light, uphill, to make it there (Lance you need to work on that), I never once lost sight of the big picture. Ya I was miserable, but I am the lucky one.

Would I do one of these rides every single day of my life to have my Dad back, hell ya no question.

Thanks for reading, supporting and donating.

LIVESTRONG.

LIVESTRONG!

2010-06-04T12:20:00.000-07:00

I want to Thank EVERYONE who donated to the LIVESTRONG Challenge I will be participating in, on June 20th. I was able to raise over my goal. For everyone who knows someone fighting this ugly disease, or knows someone who has lost the battle to this disease, or is currently fighting this disease, I ride not only for my Dad but for you as well.

Dad,

I love you.

I will miss you.

I will honor you.

I will take care of Mom.

I am proud to be your daughter.

You are finally cancer Free. Watch over me and my family. I will see you in time.

Livestrong Seattle Challenge - Century Ride 2010

2010-05-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

I am documenting this to the blogosphere simply for my benefit as I am pretty darn sure that I am the only one who even remembers that there IS a Rydeen Blog. So why bother in the first place to put this out there? Well, because of the accountability that comes with just knowing that the challenge has been accepted and in my case fast approaching.

On June 19-20, the LIVESTRONG Challenge takes place at the foot of the Space Needle. This venue will host the LIVESTRONG Village, where there will be an expo of local, national, and non-profit vendors. In the spirit LIVESTRONG's mission to inspire and empower people affected by cancer, I will be joining a couple of my closest friends on a 100 mile bike ride, in honor of my Dad Rob, who died almost 2 years ago from Leukemia.

The goal: 100 miles, climbing elevation 3,930 feet, raise money for cancer research, and remember my Dad and the couragous and all out fight he gave cancer.

If you would like to donate to this cause please feel free to go to this link:
http://seattle2010.livestrong.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=330114&supid=275714704

Where does the money go? LIVESTRONG endeavors to be the best possible stewards of the outstanding financial commitments made by its donors and partners and to leverage those funds in the global fight against cancer.

We gratefully thank our donors on behalf of the people served through your generosity.

Making a donation—at any level—can be a complex and difficult decision. For that reason, we are as transparent as possible about how we have been, and will continue to be, good stewards of your gifts.

Since our inception, we have raised $325 million dollars for the fight against cancer, and 81 percent of those funds have gone directly to support our programs and services for survivors.

2009
In 2009 we had functional expenses totaling $37,147, 929, and 81 percent of every dollar raised went directly to fund programmatic expenses (see chart below).

Happy Birthday Taylor - We Love You!

2009-07-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

Our Taylor is turning 14 years old today. Taylor is such a strong, independent, sweet, fun, and exciting "teenager". She has brought oh much to our lives, that we could not for one moment think of a time without our Taylor. She is such a beautiful girl both inside and out, here is to many, many, many more fun and interesting years!

All our love, forever and always,

Mom and Dad.

Memorial Day + Sun + Friends = Lake!

2009-05-26T09:02:00.000-07:00

I am going to try real hard to stay diligent on my blogging this summer. After all I think that my Mom, Brother and Sister-n-Law still look at it from time to time.

This past weekend was Memorial

Weekend. Spokane is typically not known for it's beautiful, warm and sunny Memorial Days So what a treat to have sun and 80's all weekend long!

The topper was being able to head to

the lake and stay with some friends at their beautiful "cabins" for the weekend. Cabins doesn't do these homes justice as there was everything we could possibly need or want ready at our disposal!

They call me Ryann....

Reaganne proving she doesn't need someone else baiting her hook:

Taylor ended up with the prize:

So we had a weekend of kids playing in frrrreeeezzzing water (I remember the days when that was possible), fishing, crawdad catching, tubing, etc. The kids even got to try to wake board for the first time in their lives. Reaganne was the first to show the girls how it was done. She didn't really want to get in the cold water to show them but have to give props to her, none of the adults were about to do it. She is one tough beautiful 10 year old girl.

The girls tubing (and NOT wanting to get wet)

Wake boarding. I am not sure but I am betting that kids feel the same thing we feel, but have a much slower receptive nerves. I mean how else do you explain getting in water that is 56 degrees without a wetsuit? Then add some wind and waves. Seriously? I was cold watching from the boat.

Before hitting the water....literally

Here is Taylor after getting in the balmy water for the first time:

And giving it a shot:

And Ryann giving it a go as well (poor thing couldn't feel her fingers):

We had such a great time. Thank you Leen family for having us up to your place. It was great company and accommodations. The boys lit it up. Jill we deserve a Twigs night. :)

This weekend couldn't pass without thanking each and every Service man and woman both past and present for serving our country. My heart aches for the families that have lost a loved one for any reason, let alone to war. I pray every night that our Troops make it home safe and sound. Cody we are so PROUD of you. We miss you and think of you every single day. Be safe over there.

Cody and "Shaggy" the dog.

Change of Plans

2009-04-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

So the original plan was to load up the truck, take the kids and head to Denver to visit family for Spring Break '09. Well, as you may not know Denver received the most snow last week then they had all winter long. I can't seem to win. So we changed plans. Instead of heading to the winter wonderland we decided to have a "stay" vacation (stolen term from in the Motherhood).

So what do we do now? Well we decided to head to Silver Mountain and spend the weekend playing. But I have to say that we did not get everything out of this little trip as we could. While I enjoyed the water park, we never once put on our skis and headed down some runs. Oh wait I am boycotting the snow, so no sweat off my back.

We stayed in one of the loft rooms. This room was fantastic and one that I have decided to retire in as someone cleans everyday, and c'mon who wouldn't like that? We went and played in the water park for several hours. Mike and I were stunned at some of the things we saw out there. Ryann was the only brave one to try the wave/surf machine, and I was very proud of her for that (she gets that from me...).

Taylor was so tempted but like her mother we worried that "something or things" might come off during the wipe out that was certain to occur. I did see a older gentleman who without a doubt was/is a surfer. He showed up all of the kids out there. I also saw a kid slam his head on the side which just sealed the deal for me...nope not happening. Taylor was content to float around the lazy river over and over. So after swimming we headed back to the room and made dinner, followed by a mean game of Cranium where we laughed all the way through.

The next day we were suppose to take the Gondola up to the top enjoy lunch and then head home, however, Ryann came down with something similar to the flu, again. She was running a fever and was trying to put on a brave face and go along with whatever, but we as parents couldn't stand to see her feeling so crummy. So Mike opted to take Ryann home (as he wasn't feeling top notch either), and I took the girls to Cd'A for lunch. No one wanted to head down to the lake so the day ended here.

I have decided that after this weekend I am going to start training once again. For what I am not sure, but I do know that putting on a swimsuit in the beginning of Spring after not putting forth any real effort to keep in shape was really and eye opener. I cannot for the life of me understand WHY places like this only serve fried greasy food. Do they not see all the bodies out there? I do and did. Enough said.

New computer, new toys...

2009-02-22T19:28:00.000-08:00

So after giving up on our old desktop, we had to bite the bullet and buy a new one. For some reason we couldn't see telling our daughter that she couldn't write her report because we were too cheap to replace our broken down relic. So we are the proud owners of a new Apple computer. We love it. Of course we are learning some of the cool tricks and toys that the Apple has. Here we are playing with the photo booth. There are some more meaningful posts to come, but just to get me out here on our blog again I am choosing to share some of the tender moments we have had lately.

Mike...take me to your leader...

Just playing. I am with the gangsta.

Now for a sketch:

Here is the comic book photo:

Not sure:

Our baby is growing up...

2008-12-03T08:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Ryann!

Today our youngest child is turning 11 years old. I can remember back when she was born. Our little bundle of joy came into the world a whopping 9 lbs 10 oz and at 22” she was not a dainty. I remember looking at her and thinking that both of our daughters looked identical at birth. Well for anyone who has not only seen our daughters but met them in person will know that the drugs that they were giving me (she was induced) were probably clouding my memory, because they are two completely different people, from their looks to their personalities. And both are loved beyond measure.

Ryann, you are such a loving, caring and independent child. You can always make me laugh, and brighten my day. I love watching you grow from my little stinker to the young “lady” that you are. Your personality is such a blessing, and gift (thank goodness you got my looks and your dad’s personality! wink wink). You are such a wonderful contribution to this world, and I have no doubt that you will make a difference and impact so many people. You, your brother and sister are our greatest accomplishments!

I can’t wait to see what you will do next. I look forward to each and every day. Your father and I are very proud to be your parents and call you our daughter.

Thank you and have a Wonderful Birthday!

He was injured real bad...

2008-11-10T14:55:00.000-08:00

Worth a thousand words....

2008-11-06T16:37:00.000-08:00

What's wrong with this picture?

Ironman Florida 2008.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

Booooo haaaaaa

It's starts with carving the pumpkins (5 days prior). We always choose some designs that will really set our pumpkins apart. This really isn't the case we just like to try our pumpkin carving skills out from time to time.

Here are the girls working their carving skills:

I cheated. I went straight to the power tools...who said carving a pumpkin is hard? When you have tools like this at your disposal?

Taylor before:

And after:

Ryann before:

and after:

The girls have already picked out their costumes and were eager to get in them. Ryann got a pretty good run through at her classroom party. Needless to say her costume was a hit, both kids and adults alike got a good kick out of it. The one thing that you cannot say about Ryann is that that kid doesn't have a sense of humor.

Now to the classroom party. All the kids looked great, can you find Ryann?

Here...does this help?

Ok, here is Ryann getting all setup. But you have to tilt your head to the left...

Enjoying those "little" things in life....

Halloween Night:

Taylor with friend "McCheesy"

Taylor, well she was "satisfied" with her costume. Girls her age are really stuck between a rock and a hard place. Kids want to dress "older" and parents, well... don't want them too. It's rather difficult to find a middle ground. Who said raising teenagers was hard?

All in all the girls had a good time. The candy was checked and only a few pieces thrown away (isn't that just sad?). The girls know that they are on candy "budget". While I would like to think that they would throw that devilish chocolate and sugar in the garbage and opt for grapes, oranges or fruit of any kind (and not fruit snacks).

The real truth to the matter is, that one day (or two or three) a year they get a little more room to enjoy all the festivities. While I may not like the short costumes or the sugar highs it is all part of being a kid. Who knows in a few years trick or treating might not be something that is safe for kiddos to do at any level at all. So in the mean time we will let them live it up.

Hope you all had a sweet day!

Yup...it's fall

2008-10-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago we had the idea to head up to Greenbluff to participate in some fall festivities. While up at Greenbluff we thought that we would pick out our pumpkins, get some apples and enjoy some fresh air and rack up some precious "family time".

While I am not one to balk at family time, I will say this, on a normal day Greenbluff is a beautiful way to spend time with family. The kids can participate in some out of the norm activities, we as parents can spend time with our kids, and to top things off get some really delicious fresh fruits and vegetables. Win, Win, Win.

It was a crazy day. So many people, so many kids, parents yelling at their kids, kids crying because they wanted another this or that (and actually none of the crying came from either of our daughters). The fresh fruits and vegetables were no match to Mike's Zips (hamburgers). So when it came time to actually go and pick out our pumpkins, we headed toward the pumpkin "patch". As we were walking we took a look at the line. Picture something you might see at Disneyland. Mike looked at me...I looked at Mike...the kids looked at both of us...and then we turned and walked to our car.

Ahhhh....precious family time, Rydeen style.

Something to be proud of...

2008-10-20T22:55:00.000-07:00

Cody,

Just want to tell you again how proud of you I am. Even though at times you may feel as if we do not support your choice, I do and always will.

Love,
Dad

I've seen some big snakes but this one takes the cake!

2008-10-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

I received this video of this snake that was found in Houston (they claim after Ike but I have no proof of that). The camera pans the length of the snake. I am so thankful that we don't have these in Spokane!

Surprise!

2008-10-10T18:17:00.000-07:00

As the two of you readers may know, Cody has been away for sometime now to prepare for his deployment to Iraq. We have had very little communication with Cody during this time. So last night I was asking Mike if he had heard from Cody and we were "discussing" the fact that we hope that he was doing fine (we know/knew that he was, he's a tough kid), if he was getting along alright, getting well trained, yadda yadda yadda. Well 2 hours later, Mike and I received quite a surprise. In walked Cody and Kayela! I immediately asked Mike if he knew and his response was "No".

Boys will be boys (Father and Son have no problems having a good time when around each other).

Cody has been doing well he told us. Getting lots of plans for the future out there for us to soak in, etc. He informed us that he is no longer in the Calvary Scout Unit (thank goodness), now he is in a pure infantry unit (oh great, panic sets back in). Kayela looks great and is busy with school and wedding plans (their formal wedding ceremony will be next year). She is handling Cody and his choice of careers very well. I am in awe of her strength.

We were quite happy to see them both, even if for just a short visit. In 9 days Cody will be off to Kuwait and eventually Iraq. As always keep him (and Kayela) in your thoughts and prayers for a safe return home.

Recap on the one and only VP Debate...courtesy of SNL

2008-10-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

4 1/2 weeks and counting. Mute the playlist....enjoy!

Silly girl riding her bike...and falling

2008-10-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

Happy 13th Birthday Kellen!

2008-09-30T17:01:00.000-07:00

You're the big 13 today! Enjoy your "teenage" years Lil Man!

We love and miss you! Hope that you have a wonderful day!

Being Perfect

2008-09-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

Being perfect isn't about winning or placing in your age group, winning is about being able to hold your head up and look your family and friends in the eye and know that you gave it your all.

Mute the play list if you would like to hear a great half time speech about being perfect.

Go Red...or Black...Oh Heck Name The Team Already!

2008-09-22T16:56:00.001-07:00

Ok, so Ryann is back into Soccer this fall. She plays for Rivercity league, and depending on the color of her jersey, they are either called "Black" or "Red". Pretty clever really...not. But anyway, she is having a blast and has decided that Goalie her sweet spot, mainly because I think that she doesn't want to run (a girl after my own heart these days).

Last game was tied! It was a nail biter and I have to say that even though I show up less then alert I leave with my HR up as if I was running 5 min. miles...which if you don't know already, that would be a miracle.

I love watching her out there, encouraging her team mates, working hard and the best thing of all loving it.

Should be a fun road to November!

2008-09-15T14:06:00.001-07:00

Don't forget to mute my playlist...in true texting style I LMAO!

Stand Up To Cancer

2008-09-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

Update:

As a result to the Stand up to Cancer concert over

$100,000,000.00

was raised to finding the cure to cancer!

________________________________

Check this out!

Watch: September 5, 2008 - 8PM ET/PT

http://su2c.standup2cancer.org/

The Constellation is a tribute space to honor anyone who has received a cancer diagnosis.

For a donation of $1 or more, you can add a star to the Constellation in the name of someone you love: a family member, a co-worker, a friend.

We invite you to search the Constellation and become a part of something big!

Make a donation of $1 or more to launch a personalized star in honor of someone who has been diagnosed with cancer.

This is where the end of cancer begins...

Canyon Marine White River Rafting Experience

2008-08-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

Last week I took the girls on a road trip to Denver Colorado (still there as a matter of fact). We took this road trip because I had to be there for work and to be there for my Mom. The road trip went fairly well. I did get road drunk pretty good both days. This could have been to my NoDoz and Coffee diet. Staying awake was at times pretty tricky but we managed. I didn't get a single picture of the trip down because...well...I was driving a truck while hauling a UHaul trailer.

The fun part (and the reason for this post) was because during the week, I was to take part in a "team building" activity. The activity that was decided on was to go white water rafting down the Arkansas River. This was only to be a 2-2.5 hour trip. There were 7 of us plus our guide. It started out by choosing who was to be in front (the biggest guys) followed by the next two and then the next two. Well since we had an odd number of folks our guide decided that I would ride in back with him in the spot he deemed the "buckin' bronco", sure sounds fun.

Here it actually looks like we are heading right toward the rocks, which in retrospect we probably were and why Gregg said "this sucks". Of course I didn't want to hear that from our guide but I kindof agreed with him. We were not yet all in synch and it did pretty much suck. I was going above and beyond because I was sitting right next to the "teacher" and didn't want to come off as a slacker, not too mention I had to prove myself for all women. I must have impressed him because at one point along the way he told eveyrone else in the raft to keep paddeling except for me! Ahh the hard work payed off.

We hit according to our guide class 3, 4 and 5 rapids. This was a lot of fun. Usually when I have gone rafting it has been for way too long with the majority of the folks well...a bit loopy. So to actually go and keep going was a great relief.

After awhile we finally got in sync and were all paddling forward at the same time.

Now I know why he called it the bucking bronco spot. It was so much fun sitting in the back. Usually I am in the front or middle. In the back you get to see everything (all the chaos) AND get the best ride.

There was one time where my side of the raft almost went swimming (at the class 5 rapids). I grabbed for and held on to a coworker and lunged for and held on to the other side of the boat and Gregg (our guide) grabbed on to me, it was a team effort and we all managed to stay in the raft! Our guide almost lost his voice yelling at our motley crew, Forward, Back, STOP, Back Left One, One more, BACKUP BACKUP. By the way he is probably the only man that I would allow to yell at me like that only because, well, he was trying to keep us all alive, so I was a bit more forgiving.

For anyone who ever ventures to Colorado and if you ever want to go rafting and take in some breath taking views you should check out Canyon Marine Whitewater rafting http://www.canyonmarine.com/ our guide was Gregg and he was great . It is a family owned business and the guide was out of this world. We all worked together as a team so in respect to the team building experience, well I would say it was a success.

What a View...Good Choice

2008-08-04T16:37:00.000-07:00

Kingston - Thompson Pass

My brother and I took a trip for my dad this weekend to Thompson Pass. This is a beautiful drive (once you get off the freeway) and will forever be a memory I will call upon from time to time.

Here is Dean

Ok, at some point during this drive, I just started taking shots...

I am just going to show you the pictures because really there is not much to say. This was a trip that we needed to do, wanted to do, didn't want to do, had to do...well you get the point. This is about an 85-90 mile drive and of course along the way I was thinking about what a beautiful bike ride it would be on my Cervelo (one way...)

I saw this as we were getting ready to head back home. I thought that it was awfully poetic. You're welcome!

Updated Remembering My Dad - Love you!

2008-07-21T17:28:00.001-07:00

Dad,

I love you.

I will miss you.

I will remember you.

I will honor you.

I will take care of Mom.

I am proud to be your daughter.

You are finally cancer free. Watch over me and my family. I will see you in time.

Love,

Boo

My brother sent out an update to those close to my dad. I have decided to post that here, since he explains it all. Thanks Dean, I couldn't do it.

Rob Update:

Hello everyone. Well, as most of you have already heard, my dad’s battle with cancer is finally over. He passed on Friday morning at 1am. He’s out of the hospital for good, and I’m 100% sure that he is ecstatic about that. Even knowing how hard this entire ordeal was on him. It was very difficult to tell him “go, you don’t have to fight it anymore, we’ll be ok.” As my mom’s last update mentioned, dad had been approved for a trial drug (chemo) and we were all very excited about that, because we were running out of options. So he started the drug and everything seemed to be going pretty well with the exception that this drug seemed to be harder on him than any of the others in the past. But he kept going and persevered. He started the drug on Friday and I went up to see him on Monday and he was doing pretty well. He was tired and sore, but in good spirits. On Wednesday, he started having trouble breathing and was extremely tired. Late Wednesday night, he seems to have taken a turn for the worst. Thursday morning mom got the call that we needed to come up to the hospital because dad was not doing well, so I picked mom up and we went up. When we got there you could immediately tell that something was wrong because his room seemed to have about 100 people in it, and they were all moving quickly. We got there at about 9am and the ICU doctor who was treating dad, was asking him questions like, “what year is it” “what city are you in” and “who is this man standing next to you(it was me)”. Dad was never able to really answer the questions about what year it was or what city it was, but he did get my name right although it took about a minute and a half (ok he called me Otis Thudpucker first but that doesn’t count). They treated dad in his room for the next three hours but he wasn’t improving so they decided to move him down to the M-ICU where he would have more folks looking after him. They moved him down at about 12:30 Thursday afternoon. They were going to sedate him and put a breathing tube in to see if they could help his breathing. Right before they did, he was able to talk to mom for a few minutes, and then he looked up to me, told me he loved me and then told me to “Take care of her”. I promised him I would and that I would see him later. We were then asked to leave the room and we were lead outside to the waiting room where we ended up sitting for the next six hours. During this time we got a few updates from the doc’s and those were mainly “we are doing everything we possibly can, but he is not responding very well”. Kelli and Denise arrived around 6 o’clock and we were finally able to go back and see him but not before the doc’s gave us all an update saying that basically he is minute to minute and really could pass at any time. We then headed into the room and I will be honest, seeing your dad in that state, with breathing tubes, dialysis, EKG’s, etc. etc. was probably one of the hardest things I’ve dealt with in my life. We had a pretty candid conversation with the doctors and the consensus was that even if the doc’s were able to pull dad out of this massive infection, that had caused this, he would be looking at probably 2 months of rehab before any new treatment could be done. Given how aggressive dad’s leukemia was, in two months his cancer would have been back, and given that we were pretty much out of options anyway, the bone marrow transplant (which was his only hope for a long term “cure”) would have had to have been put off anyway, never mind the fact that the bone marrow transplant is extremely traumatic in and of itself. There would be no way he could do it. My biggest fear was that he would somehow (thanks to the truly heroic actions of the M-ICU staff) pull through and open his eyes to see us all and he would continue to try and fight even though there really would have been no hope at that point. It would have been for us had we told the doc’s to resuscitate him so we told them not to. We all said our goodbyes, making sure that he knew we were ok which was likely the second hardest thing I’ve done. We stayed in the room most of the rest of the night until the doctors told us he was as stable as he could be and that we should get some rest. They promised to call us if something happened, so we all headed home.

After being home about an hour, and seconds after my head hit the pillow my phone rang. It was Kelli telling me that the hospital had called and that we should get back up there because his heart was not doing well. I know we were all out the door within minutes of getting the call but we didn’t make it back to the hospital before he had passed. I know for a fact that my dad did this on purpose. He didn’t want us to have to watch him go, because he knew how hard it would have been on us.

So, again, dad is finally cancer free. I know you were all praying for him and we all know it and appreciate it more than you know. I would ask that you keep up the prayers for my mom. This has obviously been pretty hard on Kelli, me and of course the rest of our family but mom and dad were married almost 40 years. The cancer was hardest on my dad but only slightly less so on mom. As I mentioned above everyone on the 11th floor loved my dad. One of the oncology doctors who came by to see my mom and I in the waiting room told us that he thought my dad was one of the strongest and positive people he had ever met. Dad went through fully 3 inductions and the doctors were constantly amazed at not only his strength, but his ability to be positive and maintain a sense of humor though out. So keep up the prayers for mom and if you have a moment during the day, give her a call to let her know she isn’t alone. It is fine for me and Kelli to say it but she needs to know that there are others out there, far far away who also care and are thinking about her. I know that Kelli and I will do everything we can to help but it will take more than just the two of us to even begin try to and fill the void left by the great man my dad was.

I know that I will think about him all the time. I already do. I know that he lives on in my sense of humor, and the way I try and be as good a dad as he was to my children.

Thanks again for your support. I’m pretty sure Kelli will be sending out another email shortly with info on the party we are going to have for dad (because he didn’t want anyone moping around at a funeral for him).

Sorry for the rambling nature of this, tried to keep it as concise as I could.

Much love all,

-Dean (& Kelli)

me at super camp!

2008-07-17T22:59:00.000-07:00

OMG!!! supercamp is sssoo AMAZING!!! i had so much fun and if you couldnt guess this is taylor!!!! I met so many new pple!!! we took pics and these r some of my favorites!! they r amazing if you want to see ALL of them go to http://www.quantumlearner.com/ they r amazing!! i luv super camp!! and if uncle dean if you are lookin at this try to get kellen comin! he would luv it 2!!! ok ttyl

Need Washing?

2008-07-16T08:08:00.001-07:00

This was an email that I received from my mom this morning. Rather then send it to everyone in my address book, I decided that this is post worthy. I certainly needed to be reminded to let go and run through the rain...here are some "older" photos too!

Need Washing:

A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Target. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Target.

We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in 'Mom let's run through the rain,' she said. 'What?' Mom asked.

'Lets run through the rain!' She repeated.

'No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit,' Mom replied.

This young child waited about another minute and repeated: 'Mom, let's run through the rain.

''We'll get soaked if we do,' Mom said.

'No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning,' the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.

This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?

'Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!'

The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain..

We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes.

Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

'Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If GOD let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing,' Mom said.

Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.

And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories...So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE THE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE RAIN.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them. Take the time to live!!! Keep in touch with your friends, you never know when you'll need each other -- and don't forget to run in the rain!

My dad's battle continues....Update

2008-07-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

All,
My mom has been sending out updates about my dad, so I have decided to post these here as well. There is a long story that goes along with my dad's battle with cancer, that starts about 5 years ago. Without going into the history I will just post the update, because that is more important.

Well Hello Everyone….

It has been awhile I know, just haven’t had anything good to report. I am going to start off by telling you last week was probably the worst week since diagnosis last December. His last biopsy showed that Rob was definitely NOT in remission and in fact, leukemia was back stronger than ever. We were also told that we were on the verge of having no more options…..THAT WAS SOMETHING I DID NOT WANT TO HEAR. But as I have mentioned before, we have a wonderful doctor, and he is not ready to give up on Rob and was going to contact the one of the drug companies that is doing a trial study for AML patients with a new drug. He had told us about the study, but Rob did not qualify for the trial study due to some of his other health issues, mainly his heart. Well to condense this, Dr. Myint felt that this new drug could be helpful to Rob so the drug company was contacted. One big problem was that since this is basically an “experimental” drug neither our insurance nor Medicare would pay for the cost…..trust me BIG deal. The cost of the drug is somewhere between $45,000-$50,000. We don’t have that just laying around!! So the drug company was asked by UCH to make a compassionate user donation of the drug for Rob’s treatment. They started the ball rolling on that Monday….well by Thursday afternoon we still had not received approval. Dr. Myint worked his magic by calling a vice president of the drug company that he knows and has a “good relationship” with and Friday morning we were given approval at absolutely no cost to us. HALLEUIA!!!! Rob started on this new drug, Clofarabine, Friday afternoon and it goes for 5 days. Today is his last dose. They are administering it with a combination of another drug, and from what I have read on this, they have experienced good results. Rob has in the past appeared to breeze through his chemo treatments. This one has been different. It is really kicking his butt and he is experiencing some of the side effects that he has escaped in the past. I take this as a good sign…..I know he probably wants to throttle me when I tell him that I am glad because maybe it means it is really working. Well, they do labs on Rob daily, and when he started last Friday, his leukemic cell count in the blood was 6000 or so, as of yesterday, the doctor said the count in his blood was .500! Everyone is thrilled with this and doctors are VERY encouraged. We now are hoping that this drug is wiping out the leukemia in his bone marrow also. We think he will be having another bone marrow biopsy next Friday – that will be day 14 after initial administration of drug. They may want to wait until day 21….we are not absolutely sure. All in all, we are very encouraged. With this drug also, we’ve been told that WHEN Rob goes into remission the wait time until the Bone Marrow Transplant can be done is shorter. They have not located a suitable donor as yet, and it is my understanding that if a donor cannot be found, Rob will probably have to have a stem cell (birth cord) transplant. Good results have been achieved with this also. I will let everyone know how things will be proceeding when I know more and can share more information with you all.

I apologize for not getting something out to you all sooner, but trust me, I was in no shape last week. This week, we are hopeful again and I really want to believe that this drug is going to put Rob into remission and the transplant will be done soon. One of the worst things for Rob through all this, is that again hospital has become home. He has been in for over a month so far again and I think with the transplant looming close, it will an even longer stay for him. I know he wants to come home and believe me I want him to come home too. I just want him well.

Please everyone, as I say each and every time, please keep the prayers coming I just know that they are working. I wish I could put into words just how much your thoughts and prayers mean to both of us.

I hope all is well with you and your loved ones. Our thoughts, believe me, are with you all too.

Love to all,

Linda

Dad, I love you and miss more then words can say. - Boo

Tay's is away at Camp...

2008-07-09T20:56:00.000-07:00

I am adding to this post, because quite honestly my daughter is not here to protest and because she is wearing a gorgeous smile...

Here she is at camp doing her signature Peace pose:

Taylor was playing on the camera and found some cool options:

I miss you sweetie!

The boys are back in town...

2008-07-09T20:47:00.001-07:00

This is a quick post because I only have a couple pictures to share...plus the guys will probably not be happy when they see that I document and published these photos!

Mike's friend from high school (and best man in our wedding) came into town from Phoenix, where I should say that it is a bit chilly at a whopping 107 degrees (at 7 a.m.). A "fishing" trip was plannned. However here's how it all went down in the man cave...

Brian came into town on Saturday afternoon. Needless to say it was a late night Saturday with a guys jamming in the basement. I will say that they had a great time (I think)!

Brian on guitar:

Sean on Drums:

Todd on vocals:

enjoy!

Happy Independence Day 2008

2008-07-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

We had an absolutely fun and relaxing fourth of July weekend. We spent most of our time up at the Lake with some friends and the sun. While Thursday the 3rd was HOT the evening cooled down nicely and were able to top the night off with an outdoor movie. I had brought a projector up there and Cody provided the movie for us all to enjoy. I will admit for as much work as I put into setting up the movie I was a little disappointed when I looked around and found that I was the ONLY one actually watching the movie! Most of the kids were at the fire pit making and eating s'mores. Mike and the "guys" were on the deck chit chatting, Lorna was doing mom duty and picking up here and there, and then there was, alone watching Kung Fu Panda. Oh well...

Friday was much much cooler. In fact I was a little disappointed at how much cooler it was, but at least we were not melting. Laura and Kellie came out with Chopper early in the afternoon. Laura and I planned on an open water swim workout, and in fact I think that we did a nice little aerobic open water swim. It was perfect, no wetsuits required. We finished the day sitting on the dock gabbing and fending off the kids multiple requests to take them out on the jet ski's (that's what Dad's are for). They settled for swimming, sun bathing and fishing. Good memories to have.

Kellie and Taylor "posing"

Tay fishing:

Todd went to Montana and picked up a Fireworks spread that would put Riverfront Park to shame. For those that may not know Todd, well he is a big kid. Fourth of July is his big holiday. It would be the equivalent of a kid coming down on Christmas morning and seeing all the gifts. He was giddy. It was incredible. Todd even picked up a special firework display just for me (and he even had me light it). It was called the Ironman! It was spectacular (kind of like my finish--not) the other folks on the lake were all hootin' and hollering when it was done. Thanks Todd.

Ryann holding her pet "Bait"

Here's hoping that everyone enjoyed the long weekend!

Mr. & Mrs. Cody Rydeen-Robertson

2008-06-27T12:03:00.001-07:00

It's official. Cody and Kayela, his girlfriend of 2 years, got married on Monday June 23rd.

It was a very small gathering which consisted of His Dad, myself, his Mom Missy, his step father Bobby, sisters Taylor, Ryann, Kira, Grandmother Sherry, Grandparents Rod & Mary, Kayela's parents and grandmother.

The ceremony took place at the Spokane Court House at 5 p.m. They were married by Judge Cooney Jr.*

You can watch their wedding below:

All the parents:

Bobby, Missy, Cody & Kaylea

Mike, Cody, Kayela & Kelli

Kayela's Mom and Dad

The sisters:

The Grandparents:

Cody leaves for Iraq in August. The kids plan on big production of a wedding (in comparison to the first one) when he returns in October 2009. I believe that Kayela is busy with those preparations as we speak.

Kayela is a beautiful and bright young lady. She is currently paying her way through college, and I am very happy to report that I honestly believe that Kayela will keep Cody in check (and vice versa). I do wish the newlyweds much success and a long and happy life together. Although we all know first hand how trying marriage can be, we also know how rewarding and fulfilling it is as well.

Mike and mom Sherry (Mike was amusing me I believe)

The kids are currently living with Cody's Mom and step father until Cody leaves. I am pretty sure that when he returns from duty that they will be setting up house here in Spokane. Of course this is all subject to change but for right now that sounds like the plan.

They honeymooned in Disneyland.

Taylor posing (had to take the shot):

With regards to Cody's deployment to Iraq, we are positive that he will return a full blown man. We know in our heart of hearts that while he will be working hard and seeing things we cannot even begin to imagine that he will keep all of us close to his heart and mind. We love and will miss him terribly. Please keep Kayela in your prayers as well, as it could not be easy to say goodbye to your new husband for war. I will do my best to keep you all up to date on Cody.

Coeur d' Alene Ironman 2008 #1986

2008-06-26T16:25:00.000-07:00

Video courtesy of Rachel Kenoyer!

I am going to do my best to try and capture all the memorable aspects of Ironman 2008. While my mind and body still seem to be in a bit of a blur, with a few minor aches and pains lingering about, I can say that it was a successful year (in a sense).

The festivities began on Thursday with my first shot at swimming the course in our balmy Lake Coeur d' Alene, with a temp of around 55 degrees. What made this even better was the company that I got to swim with ...albeit at a distance. I swear once these ladies hit the water they grew gills and went flying! I couldn't catch a foot as I was trying my best to breath.

Before our swim:

Heading down to the water:

Both Phaedra and Jessi continually made me laugh to where I forgot about what was coming...temporally of course. Pretty sure that this wasn't their plan but is sure helped. I mean check out these hot chicks dancing! They were turning heads right and left.

(Sorry ladies I didn't ask before I posted this video, hope that you all got a laugh and are not upset?)

The swim course as it ended up was not marked all the way out so it was a short swim but a good chance to get in the water and get used to the cold. After the swim...off to work.

Friday I took a vacation day, headed down to a breakfast put on by Mulitsports and chatted with some old faces and new, then grabbed my gear to head out for another swim. This time the course was marked all the way and I ended up doing one full loop. I have no idea how long it took me because I did not wear my watch. The last thing that I wanted to do was push myself just days before the Big Event. It went well, the water was really cold for about 5 minutes then either I got used to it, or became numb all over and couldn't tell anymore.

Now, to pick up my packet registration. I will say this, I have told this story since so bare with me if I told you. I put a lot of time and effort into training for this race, in fact so did my family. Many weekends missed so that I could ride the course, or shorted dinners so that I could go run. Granted I could have done a much better job in the training department, but I could have done a lot worse as well. With that being said you can imagine my dismay when changing to go register I over heard a woman asking her friend if she was going to do the "real" ironman, you know the one in Kona? The "real" ironman" I said? She said, "Yes, you know the one everyone trains for"? What the hell? I swear I bit my tongue in half...and walked away, feeling miffed and deflated. Really? Do people not consider this a real ironman? Am I not swimming 2.4 miles, am I not riding my bike over a very hilly and technical 112 miles, and am I not ending with running a marathon of 26.2 miles? All within a cut off time of 17 hours? Again what the hell.

So back to the day. I register get my swag bag and head back home. Mike is had to go back to Hawaii for work so he isn't going to be home until late Friday night so I decide to take the kids with me to the Athlete dinner. They were bored to tears. I like to do all of the activities planned as a reward for my time and effort that I put into this enormous adventure. I met some great ladies who I hope to be able to train with next year as they are smokin' fast and hilarious to boot. So we head home singing in the car, and just enjoying the warm weather that finally appeared.

Saturday! Mike got home late Friday night, and woke me up so that we could talk about his trip, the race and the kids. I finally make it back to sleep just in time to wake up for the day. Now, it's the day before the big race and what?...what's wrong with my throat? It's killing me. I think that all is ok it's just allergies...WRONG! That is right I caught a !@#$% cold! I shove the Tylenol cold down like it's candy and begin praying that it will go away. My day does not get any better. I got all my gear ready the night before and checked and double checked it all before I head down to the Ironman Village to check in my bike and transition bags. I find a parking spot (not easy to do) and start to head to the village when I realize that I forgot to put my race number on my bike. Well you can't check in your bike without your number, so I have to head all the way back home to get this. Mike is awesome and agrees to meet me by the freeway so that I don't have drive all the way back home. Ok back to the village, check in my gear, check into the hotel and head home to grab the family. We order food for dinner which I swear that they must have flown in as it took an hour (for delivery). Oh well stay in the moment as tomorrow is going to be tough.

Race day morning! Ouch, my throat is still killing me and I sound like a female truck driver (no offense to any female truck drivers, just shooting for an easy description). The morning is beautiful and NOT cold. I pack myself into the all too flattering wetsuit and wait the cannon.

Swim (2.4 miles) - The water ended up being 59.9 degrees with a strong current (in the wrong direction). I ended up going a little over 2 minutes slower than last year. This is not a great way to start. Note to self: get into a master swim class.

Ride (112 miles) - I am going on perceived effort here. I feel good. I am staying in groups and passing folks. After the first loop I begin to feel a bit tired. Not sure if going that fast at first was a good idea. There were some pretty good head winds which I think make going up hill, well, difficult. Since I am not a freak of nature this slowed me down. I ended up going close to 30 minutes faster than last year. Note to self: practice hills more.

Run (26.2 miles) - I use the term run very loosely, as I did not get one solid mile run in. My feet, my throat, my legs, my arms, were all revolting against my body and my mind was starting to take their side. That is ok, enjoy the moment....well sort of. I was on pace to exceed my time last year by a substantial margin and as the miles ticked away so did that margin. Laura, bless her, met me right about Mile 25.5 or so and ran me home. She encouraged me to keep going and to dig deep. In fact if I could have tripped her I would have but I had no energy to move closer to her. I am so profoundly grateful to Laura for doing this. Thank you Thank you. I ended up looking somewhat strong although I felt like a weak crapling.

Again Mike the announcer did not say the six words that I kept playing in my head during all of my training sessions...Kelli Rydeen you are an Ironman! What not again. Why can't he say this for me? He can't possibly have a secret vendetta against me, can he? Oh well the third times a charm, right?

To my friends and family thank you for tracking me all day. I couldn't see you or hear you but I most certainly Felt you along the way. You were all there in spirit! Rachel, thank you so much for all your partner training runs! You always sucked it up and went the distance with me even though you didn't have too! I couldn't have done some of those runs without your help.

Mike, my love, thank you. You put up with so much while I get ready for this race every year. You train equally as hard helping me with the kids, dinner, laundry etc. Like I said, I love having a wife! I know you said I should do it again next year, but if you don't keep me from signing up I will kill you in your sleep! I love and appreciate you so much!

Kids, I hope that you take away from this that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. You all were my inspiration and I love you more then words can say.

Matt and ATH - Thank you so much. You were instrumental in my participation this year! I am incredibly thankful for your contribution. I wish that I could have had a better showing.

Thank you to Tri-Fusion for the signs in my yard and for the mega phone. Your words of encouragement along the course kept me going in more ways then one. I am so appreciative for each and every one of you that thought enough of me to yell for me.

A note is worth a thousand words, here is my niece who fell asleep waiting for me to finish the race. She lives in Denver and was keeping an eye on me via the world wide web. Sorry Rylee, I will try to be quicker next time!

Here is to 2010!

Before the IRONMAN by: Ryann Rydeen

2008-06-20T23:02:00.000-07:00

Well, today(sat. 20,08) I was being very nice for my mom and i gave her 4 very special things. frist I gave her a 20 mins of the best massage's in the entire world! Then i gave a very beautiful looking bologna with dijon (sorry if its spelled wrong I'm not the best speller in the world) then with the dijon musterd i put IRONMAN on the plate with this crab stuff. Then i got her this bowl of milk with one of her favorite cereals(again sorry if its spelled wrong).Then i gave her some yogurt with crasisns(sorry again). So i think that is the way to treat an IRONMAN so go try it out or your IRONMAN.

Ironman Cd'A Course - Mothers Day Ride

2008-06-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

All,
Just thought that I would put some pictures up. A few weeks ago I took Ryann's camera out on to the course to take some snapshots of the terrain and the course its self, these were taken on my Mothers Day ride. The reason for this is because a co-worker of mine (who is doing Ironman Florida) has some friends and family coming up to do Coeur d'Alene from Florida. Now Florida is not know for being "hilly" so I wanted to give them an idea of what to expect.

This first true hill out in Hayden, ID is in my book the hardest (above)

After awhile they do start to look alike

It is a beautiful course though...

Also, because we had such a long and hard winter (record snow fall year) we really have had no Spring for training and quite honestly I anticipate having no Summer if things keep going at this rate. Today our forecast calls for a high of 55 degrees, with snow expected above 4,000 feet (btw part of the IM bike course comes close to that height- I have heard). Yes folks that's right its June and our high is in my book Freezing! The lake in which 2,000+ of my closest friends will be swimming in in just 16 days is today a whopping 52 degrees! Ouch!

This is the beach were we started last year. The only difference is that this year there is NO beach.

Here is another view of the "beach"

Under the water there are about 10 huge cement steps where people sun bath on or sit on. The water in this picture shows how the water level is about 8-10' higher than normal.

Here are the steps leading down to the beach...again under water.

All these factors considered, I am still doing the race, I am very apprehensive about my time, and I'm pretty sure that I am a big baby about the conditions, but I am a warm weather gal! My goal this year will simply be to survive Ironman Coeur d' Alene 2008. I wish everyone out of the water safe and warm. Good luck to all.

Onion Man Triathlon #2

2008-06-03T16:28:00.001-07:00

Well as many of you may know I have committed to doing the Coeur d'Alene Ironman again this year. As of today only 19 days to go!

As a result I do a couple smaller distance triathlons in preparation for the big dance. Now I won't bore you with the details but in short the OM tri is fun local triathlon held in Walla Walla, and is about a 2-3 hour drive from my house.

It is a 1.5 km swim

(Who says wetsuits aren't HOT?)

40 km bike

and 10 km run.

This year instead of going down by myself I was fortunate enough to have two friends tag a long. Laura (who also did this race) and Rachel (whom I signed up for her first sprint tri this summer with out her knowing - she's gotta love me right?). Rachel wanted to come and keep me company and see what this whole triathlon business was all about. Unfortunately I did not put on a good show for her.

Here is Rachel doing her Crossword puzzles...she looks happy huh?

Laura (after a little run)

Now I am not a particularly fast triathlete, in fact I have been told that I will never be podium bound (unless the entire field of my age group ends up getting sick and can not finish). I am the turtle in a race with a bunch of hares. I may be slow, somewhat steady and eventually I will finish. I have come to grips with this fact. My family has REALLY come to grips with this as they are usually standing around waiting for my rear end to finally finish....but I digress...

This year I experienced my very first panic attack in the water. This has NEVER happened to me and quite frankly I don't think that I can stand to have it happen again. The swim was a two loop (1/2 mile each) loop. The first loop was done only by means of breast stroke and back stroke. Yes folks picture a mob of swimmers thrashing about and then me...alone in the back doing the backstroke.

Here is the mob:

Very ego shattering. I love to swim and this just sent me crashing down. But I managed to actually swim the second loop, make it to the bike, run and finish a whole 13+ minutes SLOWER than last year.

For some one who uses these races as test to how my training has been going and where I am at physically this is not a good sign. But as people keep telling get the bad race out of the way leaving room to kick butt in Ironman. I will remember to bring my shell!

One good thing that came from this race, was that I got to see someone that I met at the Ironman training camp I went to last year and have become pen pals with Robyn Poulson. Robyn is an fantastic triathlete and FAST. I think that she had finished lunch and showered before I was out of the water! Robin loved seeing you!

Vegas Baby!

2008-06-03T16:05:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of my job is that from time to time I get to travel...and bring my husband with me. Granted these are very far and few in between but none the less we were able to get away for a few days to Sin City.

Our view from our room at the Hard Rock Hotel:

Day

and Night

We had to get one picture of us together...no I am not pregnant!

Now before I get to far into this post let me just say this...the Sin part is completely lost on us. Nothing like being in bed before midnight to make us feel...well...old. I actually took a picture of the clock. Yes it says 11:02 PM!

We did do a few more things in Vegas this time other than gamble. Not to say that we didn't do any of that, but obviously since you haven't heard our retirement happy dance, it's safe to say that neither of us hit the mother load.

We went to see the shark reef at one of the hotels (I can't remember the actual name), rode the roller coaster on NY, NY, had lunch at the Eiffel Tower, Dinner at some over priced steak house (I can't even remember the name of the restaurant) and saw a show (Blue Man - Mike's request), oh ya and gambled. We even saw Dana White (but Mike refused to let me get a picture of him and Dana)...and btw Dana White is the owner or something or other for the UFC.

What a blast we had. We were down there for just a few days and were ready to get home. But it was nice get away for us. And just so everyone knows, I did no training while I was there!

Ryann's blog to Grandpa

2008-05-31T19:33:00.000-07:00

Well, grandpa I wanted this to be a secret but I have to tell. i have this thing that i made for you from when i had free time. When i was in class, when i was finished my fingerprints page i decide to make something that would make you feel better. I went around asking people in my class if they would sign a big piece of paper. all of them so far have signed it and all of them wrote a note for you and the are very very sweet some well all of them don't know what your going though but one of my dear friends mom has cancer and it is very hard for her. she never shows shes depressed but we all know she dying inside.

Well grandpa that's the secret but i also have a another secret but that you will have to wait tell August.

Side Note from Kelli: This was 100% completely composed by Ryann, I have taken no liberties whatsoever. This was also completely her idea! I can't tell you enough as a parent how proud moments like this make me. They are keepers!

Mothers Day 2008

2008-05-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

Mothers Day 2008

This year for Mothers Day Mike's Grandmother and sisters came over from Deer Lodge, MT, and Seattle. This was a great day being able to see everyone and all the nieces and nephews that we don't get to see often enough. We spent some time up at Mikes mom's house in Elk where she cooked a feast and I ate like I always manage to do when we are up there. Sherry puts on a spread like no one else and I swear I leave there 10 lbs heavier, but I love it!

The kids all have a blast getting together and playing. There Was Tami and her Husband Erik, and their kids Dakota, Madison and Jack. Then there was Becky and her husband Scott and kids, Olivia and Braden.

My sisters-n-laws are fabulous parents and women, and I love getting together with them and just gabbing. Miss you guys! And Tam I would have more pictures of you...but either you turned stealth on me and I could never find you, or I just suck?

Cousin Maddy with Taylor and Ryann

After we left Sherry's Mike had made plans for our family to go out to Coeur d' Alene to spend the night at the Lake Coeur d'Alene Resort. What a treat. We had a blast! We went down and had some dessert, then went back to our room where we all donned our robes and preceded to do our fashion poses. We laughed so hard that I almost pee'd my pants! One thing about Mike is that he can always make a fun time for us.

Now...for our poses, this is where I almost wet myself:

Not sure what pose we are all striking, but one thing is for sure, we all march to a different beat

The girls were being so sweet, they even let me get a picture without any whining!

The next day we went swimming, and had some pizza for lunch. Then Mike took the girls home and I had a date with my Cervelo. I rode one loop of the Ironman course then headed home. This is my longest ride to date. It was raining and windy so it was kicking my butt. I made 89 miles before I called Mike and had him come and rescue me. I only had 6 miles to go but my legs had had enough. My knight in shinning armor saved his damsel once again. I am so lucky that he puts up with all my crazy wild hairs and still manages to support me along the way.

Had to get a snapshot of Mike and his girls

Bloomsday 2008

2008-05-09T15:41:00.000-07:00

Well I don't have any pictures of this event, darn it. But thought that I would just share a line or two about Spokane's Annual Road Race.

First let me start by say that Spring finally made an appearance. It was a beautiful day and we couldn't have asked for anything better.

This was Ryann's first Bloomsday and Taylor's second. This year they ran Bloomsday (7+ miles) with a friend Kellie, that they have known their whole lives and who is quite an accomplished runner in her own right. It worked out great becuase her father (Mike's partner) Shawn was at a bow competion, and her mom Laura was off doing a little Triahtlon in California (Wildflower), by little I am being totatlly sarcastic!

However this event was for participation only and NOT for setting PR's.

Here are the stats:

Taylor Paige Rydeen

Finish Time: 2:07:15
Overall Place: 26,098 out of 42,697
Ran with a pace of 17:03 per mile
The average pace for 12-year-olds was 15:44
Statistics are not available for participants under the age of 13.

Ryann Marie Rydeen

Finish Time: 2:07:26
Overall Place: 26,181 out of 42,697
Ran with a pace of 17:04 per mile
The average pace for 10-year-olds was 17:16
Statistics are not available for participants under the age of 13.

Kelli Kathleen Rydeen

Finish Time: 1:07:55
Overall Place: 4,787 out of 42,697
Ran with a pace of 9:06 per mile
The average pace for 35-year-olds was 14:50
Placed 87th among people the same age
Placed 1,673rd among people from Spokane, WA
Placed 3,527th among people from the State of Washington
Placed 1st among people with the same last name
Placed 1,323rd among females
Placed 37th out of 417 among 35-year-old females

Soccer for Ryann

2008-05-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

Ryann has been a swimmer for the past 5 years. This year she had decided that she no longer wanted to swim but wanted to try other sports. She couldn't quite figure out what sports she wanted to try most, so she narrowed it down to basketball and soccer. Well Soccer was the next season to have spots opening up for new players so we agreed that she would try soccer.

Ryann LOVES it. She is playing on the Blue Flames and when wearing their yellow uniforms the Golden Flames. She likes playing "defender"...not so much running involved.

She plays on a team of girls who have all played for a few years and fits in for the most part. She is still a bit gun shy of the ball and fears the pain that is associated with being hit in the face.

Ryann would love to do a soccer camp this summer and if she keeps going on about it we will certainly look into it for her. At least this summer it could potentially be warmer?

It's Track Season

2008-05-09T14:37:00.000-07:00

Taylor has decided to give all school sports a try. It started out with Cross Country, which she enjoyed, followed by Volleyball, which she loved, next it was Basketball, which she could do without and ends with Track.

Now Taylor I think views these sports more as social outings rather than competitions, which is very strange because it appears that both Mike and I are competitive individuals (go figure huh). So the fact that Taylor doesn't want to cream the field is a bit strange. Not that we expect her to but because we want her to want to do well...we sound like stage moms here. But nonetheless Taylor gives it a go. We are very proud of her for following through on all these sports. We love to see her smile when she is done, however she refuses to go into details with us about how she felt during the different events.

One of Tay's events is the long jump, I think that she enjoys this one more than others.

Here Tay is running toward the high jump:

At this meet is was FREEZING! Just in the 40's and Taylor had had enough of just being in shorts (can't say I blame her) so she packed on the sweats that might as well have been a parachute. Also, the day after this meet I developed Strep Throat. I blame it on our lousy spring...or lack there of.

Guess this event:

All in all Taylor is a good athlete (when she wants to be). I love that she is trying everything no matter what. I hope that maybe one day we can be running buddies!

Ok and before I end this, here is Taylor with her braces!

Denver Visit

2008-05-09T13:46:00.001-07:00

Ok, Ok...remember I said that I was not going to commit to regularly postings...well I think that I anticipated that life takes it's fair share of twists and turns, which would prevent me from keeping up on my "blogging". I will try and recap as best that I can the past two months.

I will go back to April...

Well as many of you know (or maybe don't know), my dad has had his share of health issues. These are fairly recent health issues that go back just the last five years or so. My dad has successfully battled and won not one, not two not three but FOUR bouts with Cancer. The most recent victory was when in January of this year he was diagnosed with Leukemia. The kicker of this one was that the doctors believed that his past chemotherapy treatments were the "cause" of his Leukemia. Hows that for grins and giggles.

Well my dad is constantly surprising us with his strength and humor (not too mention his good looks) during his treatments. I want to add a side note here that I have come to the realization that when I feel overwhelmed or want to complain about something, I think to my dad and want to kick myself in the butt for being so weak. How can I complain when my dad has taken on so much, and without a single complaint! Both my parents have shone me what it means to be brave, strong and positive through challenging times.

So, back to my Denver trip...now that my dad is "officially" in remission for his Leukemia, it's time to address an issue that was a major concern at the time but had to be placed on the back burner until is chemo was done. My dad now has to deal with his heart. It was discussed that as soon as his cancer was in remission that my dad would most likely (well defiantly) have to undergo open heart surgery to replace is aortic valve which was not doing it's job...hence my trip.

I was there when my dad came out of surgery (with flying colors). He was hooked up to so many tubes and machines that it was really overwhelming. I am certainly glad that he could not see what we were seeing. It is a very frightening experience to see my dad in such conditions. But the doctors were so pleased with how well my dad did during surgery that it was somewhat comforting. I will have you know that before dad went in he wanted to make sure that I brought my camera and documents everything. I teased him saying that if I was taking pictures that I was going to blog about it and he didn't see to mind.

Here is a not so graphic picture of my parents...together. We were finally able to go back and see my dad.

Here we are waiting...and waiting...and waiting for my dad to come out of surgery.

The girls were doing so well, I mean after all how much fun is a hospital waiting area...not much! Here Ryann and I are feeling a bit stir crazy...we are a good looking pair huh?

Well this picture is for two reasons, one because Taylor has a beautiful smile on, and two this is a good "before" her braces picture.Here are some pictures after we got the news that my dad came out of surgery. We are bit teary but they are finally "happy" tears.

Here is the last picture of this blog. When I saw my dad for the first time on this trip it was a rather frightening event, however when I left he was doing wonderfully. Here he is before he embarked on his inaugural walk with his pig valve:

Ryann's Ride

2008-04-03T16:12:00.001-07:00

Just a quick post. One of Ryann's best friends has one of those little motorcycles...you know like the ones that look like they would break in two if an average size adult sat upon it? Well anyway, she had a blast "testing" it out.

Ryann is my goof ball...here is proof!

Taylor's Spring Break...

2008-03-31T15:36:00.000-07:00

Some of you have heard the story and others...well haven't, and for good reason. But for those of you who know why Taylor's spring break is going to be, well let's just say uneventful, I thought that I would share some pictures of how Taylor's spring break is beginning.

Yes, asleep on the floor of my office...

She does look pretty cute. But boy can she snore. :)

Now for the painful part...she must READ!!! AHHHHHH

Taylor is going to have to come to work with me for the next 5 days. While this will certainly be painful for her, let's not loose sight of how painful it might be for me. I love my daughter with all my heart, and she is really a good kid, she is just learning (albeit the hard way) of the consequences of her actions.

Cody's first "blog"

2008-03-30T18:55:00.000-07:00

Gotta love this family. Simple as that, my Madre seems to have us so elegantly designed in her opening set for a New York Times best seller about the beauty of dis-function in a happy family. I'm sure it wont be long until this simple little blog grows into something much larger, where she will have a fan base biting at their fingernails for the next update. Until then, here is the latest in my life.

Just returned from all of my Army training, and am now a deployable asset to the military as a Cavalry scout. Possibility of deployment in August, but looks more like I will be able to get some schooling out of the way first. I'm currently engaged to the a wonderful young lady named Kayela, the date yet still disputed is set to be sometime this fall/winter.

Well that is pretty much it, God bless everyone and please start saving for wedding gifts. Just kidding... but seriously.

Ok, since I was unable to go to Cody's military graduation (which upset me greatly) I do not have any of him in uniform. I am using one of his Sr. Pictures.

Ryann's first "blog"

2008-03-30T18:23:00.000-07:00

Let me get something straight the blog sounds like a green blob. Ok now about me i love my toes a lot, and i have lots of friends, and i like to type about myself a lot. But back to the blog, before my mom has an heart attack. I don't like to have a blog, but if you check in weekly i will give you help on our hip lingo. one word right now is "luv" which stands love. another is "srry" which stands for sorry. one of my favorite games is poododger on addictinggames.com. bye see you next week for help on hip lingo.

luv, Ry Ry

Ryann choose this picture (above), which doesn't suprise me at all. She thought that this was the first funny one in the bunch. So since again I am the "mom" I chose the one below because she is smiling...somewhat.

Taylor's first "blog"

2008-03-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

Srry 'bout tht, tht is my mom!! she is sometimes really really weird!! but im not!! lol im the most angelic person in this family!! no joke i never do anything wrong!! I can do almost anything!!! All the people in my family listen to me if i say jump they say how high! The blog my mom wrote is kinda weird but tht is the way she rolls!!! She is kinda annoyoing like tht but i love her (well i have to) jkjk

-lots of luv taylor!!!!

Of course this is the picture that Taylor choose (above) but since I am the "mom" I wanted to show you one where she is actually smiling...she wants me to remove it...but I'm not, because that's how I roll.

The "blog" My thoughts...

2008-03-30T18:01:00.001-07:00

Ok, so for the past few months I have been addicted to reading blogs of people I know. Each time I happen to gaze over everyone's "latest" posts I think to myself, "Wow, if only I thought that my family was interesting enough"...then low and behold my kids do something that I think my family would find so entertaining (seeing how it happened to me and NOT them). I mean we are certainly not the type that has only sugar sprinkling from the heavens.

So I weighed the pros and the cons of having a blog. Who would read it? Who would mock it? Who would be entertained by it? So with all these questions circling around in my head I decided to just bite the bullet and run with it. Of course I can not promise to maintain our "family" blog with any consistency mind you, but I will try and keep you (my family and close friends) up to date on the latest shenanigans of the Rydeen's. I also promise to keep my posts as honest and real as possible. While I would love to only post how wonderful and loving my family is (of course) I know that all of you that know us well will see right through that charade. I will post all the good with the bad. After all you know us best. So sit back relax and enjoy!