We wanted to take some time to wish all of our friends and family a Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year and update everyone on what we have been doing in the past year. (Click on the underlined words to follow to link to the posts)At the beginning of January after a long 6 weeks I finally got my cast off right ankle. It took some time to get back up to speed on the bike but all is well now.
In March, I introduced Madison to mountain biking. On her 2nd ride she was much braver and even tackled some of the scary downhill. We went on a couple of rides over the season but I hope to do more in the coming year. She is pretty brave but needs more practice to overcome her fears and really feel comfortable on the bike.
In April I got my first road bike. I had never ridden a road bike until mine showed up. I love mountain biking don't get me wrong, but my road bike fits like a glove which is amazing since I ordered it over the internet without trying it on. Brent and I logged lots of miles over the past year. Some of our favorite rides are right out our back door like the Diamond Valley Loop, and the Franktown Loop.
My Rheumatoid Arthritis is still there but all in all, it is ok. It is something I have learned to live with. Sometimes I feel so well that I get crazy ideas like to going off my meds if I really need them. Turns out, I do. I am lucky to have been diagnosed in these times with such good medications to control the disease. Although, I think the meds are only one piece of my treatment that keeps me on track. I believe my healthy diet and exercise are a piece of the big picture.
We had another exciting year of soccer with several tournaments, one was in Davis California over Memorial Day weekend. Davis is the most bike friendly town we have ever seen. Madison had another good season with her competitive team the Patriots and in the fall she made the AYSO all stars team and took first place in the tournament. Shayna played for the High School again and had a good season. She has had to make some tough choices this year between school, work, and soccer. Her coaches were less than supportive of her having a job during soccer season so she had to quit her job during that time. Luckily, her employer recognizes how lucky they are to have her and as soon as soccer season was over they welcomed her back with open arms. Brent and I tried our hands at soccer too once I recovered from my ankle injury I did a tournament with Shayna and Brent played with a men's masters team outdoor until he injured his knee.
One of our favorite things to do together is to ride our beach cruisers. In June, Madison attended her very first poker run Lake Tahoe. This lead to her wanting a new beach cruiser for her birthday.
In July we did our annual road trip to Huntington Beach for the 4th. As usual it was wonderful we love to see Aunt Sharon and Uncle Vic. You would never know our girls were both born and raised in the mountains hundreds of miles from the ocean.
One of the most exciting things this past year also happened in July, the Death Ride! Brent turned 40 last year so he was on a mission to prove something to himself. I did my own ride that day to meet him and then drive him home. It was a huge accomplishment for him and he can't wait to do it again. You can read his account of the experience here.
Madison attended triathlon training camp and competed in the kids triathlon again this past year.
In August we tried to be vegetarians (it lasted for 3 months) we are back on the meat again. The girls also went back to school Shayna is a sophomore and Madison is in her last year of elementary school as a 5th grader. Shayna's favorite class is digital video and Madison is excelling at reading she is already at a 7th grade level.
September is harvest season for the chiles which means it is also time for the annual Ruybalid Family Chile Roast. This year it was held in Sparks hosted by Brent's sister Tracy.
In November Shayna turned 16 years old. To celebrate we took her to her favorite place in the world, Disneyland . It was a fun trip and the weather was perfect.
It has been a wonderful year full of growth for us all. In the coming year we are looking forward to Shayna getting her drivers license, another Disney Cruise to Mexico, and Madison starting middle school (ok, I am really not looking forward to that). We are also hoping Brent can get a job in the bicycle industry as I go into my 7th year at Medicaid as a Business Analyst. Madison is most looking forward to the birth of her half-sibling as her step-mom and Rick's baby is due in April.
We love you all,
The Ruybalid's (and one Cressey)
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