So there were a few weeks I didn't post anything. It seems each day I wake up, be a mom, work some, train, make food for anyone who will eat it (yes I LOVE to make prepare food for others!), go to bed, repeat. That is when I am home. For the past while (few years?) every trip I have been on has been to go to a race or work related venture. Although I really love that. I was reminded this month how nice it can be to go on a trip and not have to get up at a certain time, have an a agenda, completely kill myself off racing....etc. etc.I was lucky enough (yes, I am a very lucky girl) to be invited to meet Art's family on a vacation. We flew to Ft. Lauderdale and hung out with some of his family there for a day and then went on a cruise. Now I am not a person who could have ever imagined myself a cruise girl. Hmmm....me on a boat for a whole week without a bike? Ironically, I think it was very good for me. We got to visit St. Martin and St. Thomas and a private island owned by the cruise company. This was amazing to me as I fell in love with the Caribbean last spring when I raced the St. Croix 70.3 Ironman. I had been very sad this year that I am not racing it (it is tomorrow). So I got to see the Caribbean in an entirely new way!Good things were 1) as anyone who knows me there are 2 things that make me very happy. one is being outside in hot sunshine and two is getting a good workout in. Everyday I got lots of this. Yes sometimes it did entail running around the Cruise ship 50 times and trying not to fall over sideways when the boat rocked while in a standing yoga pose, but I also got to run on the islands, swim in amazing bays, and create some very interesting body strength workouts that made people watching question my sanity (people watching--very interesting. I typically have no clue people are watching me until they come up later and start commenting. Very good reason to always try at least to be doing, or saying positive things--though I won't say I won't embarrass myself as that apparently one thing I do best!). 2) Very good company. Art's family is great. His mom and aunt and sister-in-law are all total sweethearts. My leaving Canyon with his dad for a week was interesting as I was adopted by Devin, the only grandchild who is also 3 (he decided that I was his girlfriend! SO FUNNY! If only all boyfriends in this world paid as much attention to their girlfriend as Devin did to me, what a different world it would be! It made me really miss Canyon and wish he could have come. The brothers were great too. Both are tall, but not quite the 6 in a half feet Art tips.I came back happy, tan, and probably one of the only people in this world to actually lean out on a cruise! Yep, can finally see my ribs a bit again! I've just been working like crazy ever since trying to catch up and get ready for the next adventure which I've started!Yes! I am writing from my parent's home in beautiful St. George, UT. I took Canyon and raced the Five Mile Pass Mtn bike race in the Expert category. Canyon got to play with Bart's cute little girl Eva so I could ride. Thank you sooo much Janie for watching him!!! I think there should be a team race report up soon on the Monavie/Cannondale site. Anyway, I ended up 4th. Typically I would be stoked, and I was, but if I would have raced hard until the end, I would have been 3rd. Instead, hard lesson learned, I let up thinking it was safe and I got passed right at the end without quite enough time to counter. Ouch!!! I will never ever do that again! I had a great time at the the race and I can't wait until tomorrow when I head to Nevada to see what the Land Rover G4 Nevada Passage Challenge has created for me to race! I am soooo excited!