Big Bike Weekend #3 - October 12, 2019

The last three weekends, we have been blessed with great weather in Northeast Ohio. And we know we have to take advantage of it while we can. Actually Kevin and I weren't planning to be in town this weekend. I had planned for us to visit my family in Southwest Ohio...but I changed our plans on Thursday when I wasn't feeling well. I didn't want to take my chances with a long weekend down there because we have another big weekend planned next week. By Saturday morning I was feeling fine! Thanks to my hubby and Kevin for going on a couple new bike/walk adventures so I wouldn't be sad that I missed seeing my family. 

Saturday - I wanted to take Kevin on another evening bike ride since he enjoyed it so much and we could see some of the halloween lights. So we went around the corner to the local bike shop and got some lights for his bike. We decided to bike/walk with Kevin to the family friendly Halloween Extravaganza on the riverfront, about 2 miles from our house. Unfortunately, Jon was delayed getting home because the clutch cable broke in his yellow car. I'm grateful that he was able to easily pull into a parking lot not far from our house and I was able to pick him up. He was a trooper and we continued with the plan when he got home. We bundled up with hats and winter vests to stay warm outside since it would be about 50 degrees in the evening. Just as we arrived they were packing up the Halloween Extravaganza...the costume contest had already been judged, the halloween blowups were deflating, and the food trucks were pulling away...which we were planning to eat at. All the other restaurants were busy with an hour wait so we settled on the cozy bar at the hotel. They had food and some music entertainment. It was an enjoyable night. But the best part was Kevin riding his bike home in the dark under the full moon...I tell you he loves it...smiling and making happy sounds the whole way home.

Full Moon

Here's a video of Kevin on his bike ride home. It's not a great video because I didn't hold the camera correctly and I'm walking alongside him...but it captures the happy sounds and happy smile.

See the box ready to put away the blowup

Sunday - Another 4 mile bike/walk on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. We started at Lock 39 Trailhead on Rockside Road in Independence. We bike/walked north 2 miles passing West Canal Road and turning around at the Aqueduct (4.02 miles, 1 hour and 29 minutes). It was a gorgeous day!

I had to take a photo of the movie theater in the background.A couple years ago, this is the theater that Kevin first started going to see movies while they were showing old Disney movies...and now he's biking.So many good changes in this kid over the last few years. 

Aqueduct

There were two of these bridges to ride over...twice.
It's hard to tell from the pictures but it was a bit of a hill up an down. 

My niece was in Cincinnati today at the Out of the Darkness Fundraiser Walk in honor of her friend Becka. We dedicated our walk to her today since we couldn't be with my niece to support her and her friends and family. "I'm not givin' up, No not me, Even when nobody else believes, I'm not goin' down that easily, So don't give up on me" -Andy Grammer

Kevin's 15th Birthday Weekend - October 6, 2019

Kevin's always happy to see the "You say it's your birthday" singing dog. A favorite birthday gift from several years ago!

Kevin had lots of fun activities to do for his birthday weekend! We started it off on Friday with Grandma at Holden Arboretum (see previous post for pictures). On Saturday, we spent the beautiful fall day together with Jon...since he was going to the Steelers game in Pittsburgh on Sunday. We started the day at the farmers market. Then we traveled with Kevin's bike to another section of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. 

We biked/walked the Towpath Trail in New Franklin at the Vanderhoof Trailhead 2.3 miles to the Franklin Trailhead and back. My watch tracked it as 4.71 miles and it took us about 1 hour and 40 minutes. I love this new family activity for us! 

On the way home, we made a quick stop to see
the Barberton mums at Lake Anna

It's always a good time and a good place to celebrate at Sarah's Vineyard in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park!

Sunday Birthday! After church, our friend Kristen joined us at Water Works Park where Kevin had a 3 mile birthday ride! This has quickly become a new favorite place to bike/walk. Then we took an afternoon break and Kevin requested to watch Little Mermaid movie...even though the Steelers game was on TV. We gladly paused it when the entire G Family FaceTimed us to wish Kevin a happy birthday! 

Kevin attended our church's LifeTeen program on his birthday too. I provided dinner for the group on this night so that we could share Kevin's favorite treat, smoothies from Smoothie King. Kevin's favorite is Apple Kiwi Green. Kevin was funny...I packed him some cucumbers & hummus and added in some of his snack balls (energy bites) but skipped the apples because he was going to get a smoothie. But he kept requesting APPLE on his Talker because he always gets apple with his snack balls LOL. And then someone had one of the green smoothies later in the night...he gave a look like 'what are you doing that's my smoothie!' He knows what he can have and not have...he didn't have a problem with the other colored smoothies that the kids were having. I guess he's like a typical teenager boy...it's all about the food. 

It was a big birthday weekend and long day. When we got home from LifeTeen, I was easily able to talk Kevin into going upstairs to watch Wheel of Fortune in my bedroom before going to bed. I got the best snuggles and smiles. He may be 15 years old but he still likes to snuggle with his mama! He knows it makes me so happy! 

Holden Arboretum - October 4, 2019

Kevin and I met Grandma at Holden Arboretum in Kirtland on Friday. It was the first cool fall day of the season and a great way to kick-off his birthday weekend! Holden's was setting up Goblins in the Garden for this weekend...so it was a great day to visit and see some of their creative halloween displays. We took a guided tram tour that ended with walking inside the branches of a tree...but the highlight was walking across the canopy. The Canopy Walk is a 500 feet long elevated walkway built 65 feet above the forest floor. We're looking forward to going again to see a different season like spring or summer. We also have to return and see if we can climb all the steps to the top of the Emergent Tower, a wooden tower that rises 120 feet above the forest floor. Plenty of trees and plants and flowers to see in the 3,500 acres of Holden's.

Weeping Beech Tree