For three years we’ve had a goal to go on a family bike ride. Saturday was the day. Chick put air all the bike tires Thursday and checked them Friday. All seemed well. Friday Lance fixed the brakes on several bikes. All seemed well. Saturday morning we loaded all the bikes in the back of the truck and drove to the section of the Rio Grande trail where we wanted to start. All was not well.
We discovered that one bike had a flat tire that would not hold air and another bike had a chain issue. So I drove back to Roy and borrowed two bikes from Sandy and Bill. Back at the trailhead, we found another bike tire that would not hold air. So I drove back to Roy and borrowed a bike from Randee.
Once more at the trailhead, we noticed a man struggling with bike challenges of his own. I volunteered to drive him home. While I was gone, Grace tried to use the bike pump to put a little more air in her tire. The bike pump broke and released all the air from her tire. So I then drove her bike to a gas station where we paid to put air back in the tire.
Finally, nearly two hours after we arrived at the trailhead the first time, we started our family bike ride. Incredibly and miraculously, we were all still friends; no yelling, cursing, berating or public beatings (and only a few eye rollings and deep sighs) had occurred.
The ride itself was also incredible and miraculous. We traveled along the Rio Grande pathway through Clinton, Clearfield, Layton, and into Kaysville. The day was perfect—sunny and warm with a slight breeze. We passed through some farmland; bales of hay sitting in the field, cattle grazing in the shade. Mountains to the east provided eye candy while volunteers on the trail gave us real candy. (Serendipitously our family bike ride fell on Davis County’s Trail Day.) Portions of the trail were tree lined, giving us a fairy tale, tree tunnel experience. Outside, doing something physical with my entire family—it was pure bliss for me.
We stopped for lunch at a park in Kaysville and then headed home. About a mile from the truck Tanah’s attention meandered and so did her bike. When she left the paved path, her bike tires hit the softer, sloped substrate and slowed. When she attempted to return to the path, her tire hit the raised edge of the pavement and stopped. She didn’t.
When we came upon her she was lying on the trail, unable to move, with a baseball-size, purple protrusion on the inside of her right thigh, very close to the groin. After determining that she could move her toes and could sit up, Lance and I decided that he would tend her and I would ride for the truck.
I brought the truck back to her—which was actually quite the accomplishment. I had to back the truck, which has a turning radius similar to the Titanic’s, at an awkward angle though an opening only six inches wider than the truck itself to get through the barriers and onto the trail.
We loaded Tanah into the truck and, after a stop at Urgent Care and home, took her to the Emergency Room. Her pain was VERY intense. She couldn’t use her right leg at all and any jostle to the leg elicited agonized screams. Morphine eased the pain—Tanah loves morphine!—and x-rays eased the concern. The radiographs showed no fractures or dislocations. They diagnosed a deep muscle bruise, offered her crutches, and sent us home.
People are awesome! Darrell Brixey helped Lance give Tanah a blessing; Randee and Kevin bought pizza for us so we had food to come home to; our non-injured three children cleaned the house while we were gone and then went to Dragos who graciously entertained them. Blessings.
And I mustn’t forget the miracle of the key. At lunch I discovered I did not have the truck key with me. Where was it? As I biked rapidly to the truck, I could only hope and pray that I would find the key rapidly so I could rapidly return to my daughter. The key was there, hanging from the lock on the outside of the driver’s side door—in plain sight, next to a busy road. Both key and truck could have been taken. Another tender mercy.
So, there you have it. Tanah’s news. It is not the “fun news” I anticipated I would be sharing when I announced in last week’s letter that Tanah had tidings pending but it is the most recent Tanah tale.
Love,
Teresa
P.S. Here is the news I planned on sharing this week:
Monday Tanah starts working at Burger Bar in Roy (if she can walk……), “home of the ‘Big Ben’, family owned and operated since 1956”. http://burgerbarutah.com/ As she offered Tanah the job, the owner said, “This isn’t just a summer job; I want you to be with us through your high school career.” Burger Bar is closed on Sundays and has a reputation of being a great place to work. I am thrilled. Tanah’s excitement does not quite match mine—she is the one that actually has to commit to working—but she is pleased.
This last statement—that I am thrilled and Tanah is only pleased—also applied to the date Tanah went on Tuesday. The young man is such a nice, NICE guy. When we were in Barnes and Noble in December we ran into him and he chatted with Miles for over 30 minutes about football. I know he had an ulterior motive (Tanah) but still, any guy that will chat with a 10 year old for 30 minutes, even if he has an ulterior motive, is super in my book. He just graduated and is heading to a mission so he is safe; he will be a fun, nice date but no threat of becoming a boyfriend because he will be gone. Best case scenario in my book. (Update: Tanah had a great time. “He is such a NICE guy,” was her comment afterwards.)
We discovered that one bike had a flat tire that would not hold air and another bike had a chain issue. So I drove back to Roy and borrowed two bikes from Sandy and Bill. Back at the trailhead, we found another bike tire that would not hold air. So I drove back to Roy and borrowed a bike from Randee.
Once more at the trailhead, we noticed a man struggling with bike challenges of his own. I volunteered to drive him home. While I was gone, Grace tried to use the bike pump to put a little more air in her tire. The bike pump broke and released all the air from her tire. So I then drove her bike to a gas station where we paid to put air back in the tire.
Finally, nearly two hours after we arrived at the trailhead the first time, we started our family bike ride. Incredibly and miraculously, we were all still friends; no yelling, cursing, berating or public beatings (and only a few eye rollings and deep sighs) had occurred.
The ride itself was also incredible and miraculous. We traveled along the Rio Grande pathway through Clinton, Clearfield, Layton, and into Kaysville. The day was perfect—sunny and warm with a slight breeze. We passed through some farmland; bales of hay sitting in the field, cattle grazing in the shade. Mountains to the east provided eye candy while volunteers on the trail gave us real candy. (Serendipitously our family bike ride fell on Davis County’s Trail Day.) Portions of the trail were tree lined, giving us a fairy tale, tree tunnel experience. Outside, doing something physical with my entire family—it was pure bliss for me.
We stopped for lunch at a park in Kaysville and then headed home. About a mile from the truck Tanah’s attention meandered and so did her bike. When she left the paved path, her bike tires hit the softer, sloped substrate and slowed. When she attempted to return to the path, her tire hit the raised edge of the pavement and stopped. She didn’t.
When we came upon her she was lying on the trail, unable to move, with a baseball-size, purple protrusion on the inside of her right thigh, very close to the groin. After determining that she could move her toes and could sit up, Lance and I decided that he would tend her and I would ride for the truck.
I brought the truck back to her—which was actually quite the accomplishment. I had to back the truck, which has a turning radius similar to the Titanic’s, at an awkward angle though an opening only six inches wider than the truck itself to get through the barriers and onto the trail.
We loaded Tanah into the truck and, after a stop at Urgent Care and home, took her to the Emergency Room. Her pain was VERY intense. She couldn’t use her right leg at all and any jostle to the leg elicited agonized screams. Morphine eased the pain—Tanah loves morphine!—and x-rays eased the concern. The radiographs showed no fractures or dislocations. They diagnosed a deep muscle bruise, offered her crutches, and sent us home.
People are awesome! Darrell Brixey helped Lance give Tanah a blessing; Randee and Kevin bought pizza for us so we had food to come home to; our non-injured three children cleaned the house while we were gone and then went to Dragos who graciously entertained them. Blessings.
And I mustn’t forget the miracle of the key. At lunch I discovered I did not have the truck key with me. Where was it? As I biked rapidly to the truck, I could only hope and pray that I would find the key rapidly so I could rapidly return to my daughter. The key was there, hanging from the lock on the outside of the driver’s side door—in plain sight, next to a busy road. Both key and truck could have been taken. Another tender mercy.
So, there you have it. Tanah’s news. It is not the “fun news” I anticipated I would be sharing when I announced in last week’s letter that Tanah had tidings pending but it is the most recent Tanah tale.
Love,
Teresa
P.S. Here is the news I planned on sharing this week:
Monday Tanah starts working at Burger Bar in Roy (if she can walk……), “home of the ‘Big Ben’, family owned and operated since 1956”. http://burgerbarutah.com/ As she offered Tanah the job, the owner said, “This isn’t just a summer job; I want you to be with us through your high school career.” Burger Bar is closed on Sundays and has a reputation of being a great place to work. I am thrilled. Tanah’s excitement does not quite match mine—she is the one that actually has to commit to working—but she is pleased.
This last statement—that I am thrilled and Tanah is only pleased—also applied to the date Tanah went on Tuesday. The young man is such a nice, NICE guy. When we were in Barnes and Noble in December we ran into him and he chatted with Miles for over 30 minutes about football. I know he had an ulterior motive (Tanah) but still, any guy that will chat with a 10 year old for 30 minutes, even if he has an ulterior motive, is super in my book. He just graduated and is heading to a mission so he is safe; he will be a fun, nice date but no threat of becoming a boyfriend because he will be gone. Best case scenario in my book. (Update: Tanah had a great time. “He is such a NICE guy,” was her comment afterwards.)
Eye candy (Courtesy of http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/life/utah-snowbird-resort-climbing-tram-20039.html )
Real candy
Real Tanah...
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Chain issues
...hurts real bad.
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Tender mercy!
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