Rails to Trails Ride

It was a beautiful day! It was very breezy and cool but perfect for a bike ride. It was very clear and some leaves were starting to change. I put Haley's hood up under her helmet to try and keep the air off of her ears. It was evident from her smiles and chattering that she enjoyed the ride. Anytime we'd stop, she'd kick her feet to let us know she wanted to keep moving. Two of my sisters and niece joined us for the ride. We managed to get in 10-12 miles before Nathaniel got tired. (Not too bad for a 7 yr. old!)


Daddy and Haley


Chatting along at a leisurely pace...


Loving the color in this one.













Haley did very well on this ride since she is getting stronger and sitting up so much better. I knew it'd be a long ride though, so I wrapped a fleece throw around the front bar on Haley's bike seat and secured it with a quick release strap. It was perfect for when Haley needed a little rest. She'd lay her head down and look off to the side.


Haley taking a milk break along the way...


Nathaniel resting along a tree beside the stream.


A few shots of the beautiful scenery along the way...

This stream flowed beside the trail for most of the ride adding to the country atmosphere surrounding us. So peaceful and serene...

At the end of the ride we all enjoyed ice cream, especially Haley, even in the cool, breezy outdoors. Nathaniel ended up finishing his in the truck because he was too cold.

This is definitely on my things to do again next year, maybe spring and fall. There is no traffic to worry about with the kids. Most importantly, it is something we can do as a family that Haley can participate in and enjoy. Our interests have always been in the outdoors and with Haley's diagnosis, we were unsure of the effects on that part of life. Fortunately, Haley loves the outdoors too and as she makes progress, it's nice to know we'll be able to find ways to still enjoy some of those things.

I can remember back to this time three years ago... It was a cool fall day and Nathaniel was playing in his sandbox with Jim. Haley was in her swing and I looked out the window at Nathaniel in his sandbox and was overcome with emotion. If Haley had not been born with 4p- , she'd have been sitting right there playing alongside Nathaniel. I felt as though we were all being cheated. That was part of the grieving process. It's an ongoing process but it does get easier over time.

Now, 3 years later, I can say we are probably better people than if Haley had not been born with 4p-. Yes, life is more stressful and there is little time for all the things we used to do... Yet, just to be able to do something together and see Haley get excited and enjoy it with us means the world... To see Nathaniel get excited for Haley and love her so much makes me very proud!

We stopped in at Jim's parents on the way back from the ride. Apparently Nathaniel was not as tired as he led us to believe. He played outside and I decided to work on some photography skills since Haley was being entertained.

My most favorite... This captures his genuinely sweet nature.