Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Night, Alpe, flowers, and a Bridge.

 
Engelberg at night

 
Furnalpe

 
Some flowers

 
Chapel bridge in Luzern. It's a cool bridge with paintings inside, it caught fire a few years ago, but they restored most of back.
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Even more Engelberg - waterfalls and flowers

 

 

 

 
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More Bunny Farm

 

Megan and Connor loved playing with the Guinea Pigs, and put them all on the bench so they couldn't run away.

 

Megan loves her bunnies.

 

Good girl Mallory, stick your finger in the pigs nose!
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Bunny Farm

About a month ago we took the kids to the bunny farm down in Mission Viejo. Actually Megan had been bugging us to go for some time!

 

Connor on a horse!

 

Mallory too small to ride a horse, but not to small to sit in a fake car and tell her dad to go get her another snack!

 

Megan is allergic to horses, so check out all the clothes she is wearing - long sleeves, gloves, and long pants - it was about 90 degrees out, but at least she got to ride!
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Sunday, June 17, 2007

Alpine Slides!



Today had to be the most beautiful day since I've been here! Not just because Jenny was here, and not because the skies were clear, and I went to the top of the tallest peak in central Switzerland, but because I got to do all those things with her!

Today we went up the Brunni gondola where they have a little family park, with swings, trampolines, bounce houses, sand boxes, and an ALPINE SLIDE! It was tons of fun, as the video demonstrates - next time we come here we are bringing the kids!

Megan, Connor and Mallory, if you are reading this, then please know we love and miss you tons!
Love,
Mom and Dad!

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Some more from Engelberg

Engelberg, Switzerland sml


Here are some photos from Engelberg. I'll post more when I return - and have time to edit the photos to clean them up. These are just raw photos unedited and made smaller for email purposes. Let me know if you want me to send you any of these in the original sizes.

More Engelberg - WATERFALLS!



Here is a fantastic panorama of some of the waterfalls we encountered on our ride today. Working for a living is hard some times... It's hard for me to feel like this is work, when I get to be in such cool places - sorry for rubbing it in, and bragging about how cool my job is, but hey, I've never been here, and I don't know when I'll be back.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Engelberg, Switzerland



My job is too cool sometimes! Today I'm in Engelberg Switzerland, check out the panorama! It was raining all day, so it isn't too clear, regardless, I can't believe I'm here working...

Camping with Connor



We went camping with Aaron, Ethan and Isac, of course the kids got all dirty as soon as we arrived, but the worst part was the dirt slide - as you can tell.

Sunday, June 03, 2007

Trek 100 Charity Ride For Hope - MACC Fund

Yesterday - June 2nd was our 12th anniversary! It's the first anniversary I've missed since we got hitched. I think my wife will forgive me, as I spent the day riding a 100k (62 miles for you math geniuses out there), raising money to defeat childhood cancers.

The ride turned into 70 miles as we were diverted to a different road by a zealous group leader... I don't know the total of how many people participated in the ride, but I know that we helped raise over $1.5 million USD to support the MACC Fund. This was my first time riding more than 50 miles. I've ridden 50 miles before, but not too often - you see I'm a mountain biker, not a roadie, so this was difficult for me. I have to say, that I've never felt better after riding - something about doing this to support this cause energized me. I'm not saying I wasn't beat, I was, I just felt so good, it amazed me!

At mile marker 23 I was a little worried I wouldn't make it, since we went off course and tacked on an extra 8 miles, I wasn't sure I was going to have the legs to continue. But somehow I caught my 14th wind and was able to pull through, not to surprisingly the last 5 miles were the hardest, not because of hills, but because my legs hurt - I had been singing a song by my brother Wayne, who passed away from a childhood cancer Ewing's Sarcoma, it was aptly titled "Pinch the Cats Tail". My favorite line "Syrup in every square" referring to the way we Limburgs fill each square of a waffle with syrup. My other favorite reference in that song is "Formica mountain tops". I just kept singing that song in my head and it gave me some strength to continue - even though Wayne couldn't.

I crashed in my hotel room after the ride. Jenny and I had a good phone conversation, covering the immense amount of love we share, and how we both feel dependent on each other for loving support etc. It's amazing how a fatiguing ride makes one feel closer to those they love. I can't wait for my next long ride for a cause like this one. I'll post some photos when I return home.

Any way, if you read this blog, I hope you find ways to contribute to a cause that helps combat cancer.