Lena's Bike

Last summer when Lena first came from Ukraine, we took her to the store and let her pick out a bike. She insisted on a smaller Hannah Montana bike even though we encouraged her to pick a bigger one. She rode it for a few months and then said she wanted a new bike, complaining it was too small. I told her that we bought her one bike, so if she wanted a different one she would have to buy it herself. I told her I would be happy to show her ways to make money, but I was absolutely not buying her another bike.

This was the beginning of Lena's Entrepreneurial ventures. After trying many different things, she decided one day, that she wanted to sell wheat bread. So, I taught her how to make wheat bread, including grinding the wheat. After a few times of showing her, she could do it all on her own and was in business. I expected her energy to fizzle after a few weeks. Surprisingly, not only did it not fizzle, she made a regular business of it and has been at it for a year now.

So far, she has made over $700 in her business. She put off buying that new bike till last month, when she decided she needed it to do a triathlon with me. It was so fun to see her excitement when she took the money to the store and finally bought her bike. She was equally excited to open her first bank account and get a debit card.

Jeff and I have been amazed by her hard work and ambition.

Sara and Lena's Triathlon

The girls did the Share a Smile Triathlon with Mary and I. Thank goodness grandma came along to be the cheerleader. First, I forgot my camera, so we had to use grandma's iphone. Second, the girl's were freezing after the triathlon and of course, I didn't think to bring them anything warm to wear. Good thing grandma had extra coats in the car.







The girl's did awesome. Too bad our camera skills with the iphone were lacking, they were so cute. It has been fun to watch them progress. When they first got here, they didn't know how to ride a bike or swim and now they are becoming pros at both.

The Spudman

Mary and I did the Spudman triathlon in Burley, Idaho last weekend. Jeff came along to be our driver, bodyguard, and cheerleader. He got the new iphone before we left, so the whole trip we heard about and saw demonstrations of his new apps.

We camped on the banks of the Snake River, where the race starts.

Mary borrowed Sara's Jr. Dome and it was very small. We pitched our tents when it was light and didn't realize we had pitched them right under a huge park light.

Jeff and I didn't get much sleep. We giggled over Mary's Jr. Dome, the park lights and taking pictures with his iphone.

This is a picture from our tent at 6:00 a.m.

I swam in wave 2 of 8. I have a rule, no pictures in my wetsuit, or of me racing but I figured this didn't count. We all look the same.

The 1 mile swim was first.

Then the 24 mile bike. This is Mary lest anyone thing that fine body is mine.

Crossing the finish line after the 6 mile run. Mary was so proud of this picture she took, that she begged me to put it on the blog. It did break all racing picture rules, but she insisted so to appease her I have posted it.
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I was glad when that was over.

This is Mary picking up on some guy she thought was cute. I only got a picture of his feet, as she would have killed me otherwise. Jeff and I were watching from a distance laughing. While driving away, Jeff wrote Mary's number on a paper and gave it to him. Mary and I ducked in the car and of course couldn't stop laughing. On the way home, when we wanted to get something to eat, Jeff jokingly remarked that we should fast for the boy to call. He always keeps us laughing.

Elise

Since Dona is one of my best friends, naturally my kids love her daughter Elise. Sara and Elise have been best of friends this last year. If Sara is around, Elise won't go to anyone else. After considerable begging Dona finally conceded to let Elise go to our ward with us. Sara and Elise wanted their hair the same and then they wanted pictures. It turned into a photo session and Elise posed adorably through the whole thing.