Our First Post-Covid Company!

The annual Kokopelli Bike Relay Race from Moab to St. George, June 11-12, brought our first company after the long Covid drought.

Our son-in-law, Jedd, has been a biker for years in Boise and has a group of friends he bikes with. This scenic race in Southern Utah sounded fun to them, so Jedd invited our son, Ryan, and his college roommate, fellow doctor and buddy, Craig Rogers, to complete their team of eight. Ryan and Craig have biked in races with Jedd and some of these guys before and thought it would be a great way to celebrate them turning the Big Five O!

The 530 mile relay event started Friday morning in Moab and the Sasquatch 8-man team crossed the finish line in St. George just after 3:30 Saturday afternoon, after biking through the night.

Yikes!

So-o-o, Jedd and Missy's family and Ryan and Emily's family decided to make a trip of it, arriving ahead of their husbands. Roger and I spent all week before their arrival cleaning and cooking, baking and freezing food.

Claire, Grandpa, Ellie, Grandma and Anderson

Ben, Sarah, Grandpa, Anna, Emily and Grandma

Missy came with her kids Thursday. We were so tickled to see them. Sam rode with the bikers to be an extra driver and to take video and pictures. Jared, of course, is still in Arizona, serving his Church mission.

We had shrimp pasta salad, Texas caviar and my green salsa and chips, watermelon and brownies and blondies.

Anders is a voracious reader.

Emily came with her kids on Friday and we were tickled to see Anna, Ben and Sarah. Pete is working in California and Becca had commitments at home. We grilled salmon and had smashed potatoes, Mexican street corn, pickled cukes and onions, crudite with dill dip and lemon cake and ice cream.

The cousins had so much fun together swimming, hiking and making up games.

We had an app on our devices that could track the bikers throughout their journey, which was reassuring. They texted this pic from somewhere along the route of Ryan with his buddy, Craig, who also stayed overnight with us on Saturday night. Craig took time off from his busy job as surgeon and Chief of Staff of Nephrology at a large hospital in Detroit. It was so good to see him again after all of these years. He is such a great guy!

The temperatures were well over 100 degrees for much of the ride - unseasonably hot for southern Utah.

What a sight seeing them roll in with the music blaring, "YMCA"!

They finished at about the middle of pack of over 30 teams, which was amazing for a bunch of old guys!

The wives were relieved and happy!

Sasquatch eight

Proud Mom and Dad

The guys were ravenous and we had homemade chicken enchiladas with all of the garnishes, red and tomatillo salsas and Texas caviar and chips and Nielsen custard cones for dessert, along with mini cheesecakes from Cheesecake Culture to celebrate Sam's birthday.

Anders, Claire and Sarah advertised with handmade signs put up all over the house, a talent show after dinner and they cracked us up with Anderson reading chapters out of his "pre-sold" book he is writing back home. Claire sang a karioke song and the girls acted out a little play. Such creative kids!

Ryan and Craig flew out early Sunday morning because Bishop Ryan needed to be at their 9 AM Sacrament meeting in Mesa. Missy's family also left early Sunday morning because they had to get back to Boise for Sam's Seminary Graduation Sunday evening. Emily and the kids went to church with us, then we fixed a meal for them and they were off to Provo for the week for Ben's tennis camp and Sarah's soccer camp.

Whew! 

What a busy week with children's voices again sounding throughout the house and that is a welcome change after the extended Covid silence!