WAY BACK WEDNESDAY

FAMILY FUN ~ ATV STYLE

WHEN THE KIDS WERE YOUNGER WE GOT ATV'S. WE WOULD TAKE THEM OUT ALMOST EVERY WEEKEND, AND A COUPLE TIMES A YEAR WE WOULD HEAD OUT WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO GLAMIS CALIFORNIA OR CALICO CALIFORNIA. WE WOULD LOAD UP THE BIKES, BUGGY'S, LOAD UP THE TRUCKS, TENTS, CAMPERS, MOTOR HOMES, FOOD, KIDS & OFF WE WENT. WHEN THE KIDS STARTED RIDING HEATHER WAS AROUND NINE, HOLLIE ABOUT SEVEN AND NICK WAS JUST TWO. AT FIRST MY PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS WERE WORRIED & SCARED, THEY DIDN'T LIKE IT AT ALL. HOWEVER, ROBBY & I BOTH KNEW WHAT WAS AT STAKE, AND WE TOOK EVERY PRECAUTION WE COULD, THERE WERE RULES, PLENTY OF THEM, AND IF YOU WANTED TO RIDE YOU WOULD ABIDE BY THEM. OF COURSE THERE IS ALWAYS THE CHANCE OF AN ACCIDENT, BUT WITH SUCH PRECIOUS CARGO, WE ELIMINATED MOST ALL OF THE RISKS. WE TAUGHT THE KIDS THE SAFETY OF RIDING, AND HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO FOLLOW IT, AND OF THE DANGER AND HARM THAT COULD COME IF THEY IGNORED THESE RULES, THEY WERE TAUGHT A VERY HEALTHY RESPECT FOR THE MACHINE, THEY KNEW IT'S LIMITS AND THEIRS, AND THEY STAYED WITHIN THEM. (A LESSON MOM HAD TO LEARN THE HARD WAY, BUT I LEARNED IT) THAT WAS THE RULES, BREAK THEM AND YOU DON'T GET TO RIDE. I CAN SAY THAT NOT ONE OF OUR THREE KIDS WERE EVER HURT WHILE RIDING, NOW THEIR MOTHER, WELL, THAT IS A DIFFERENT STORY. THE FIRST DAY WE GOT THE QUAD, UNCLE BILLY, DAD & I WERE OUT IN THE YARD RIDING IT, WE LIVED WAY OUT IN THE COUNTRY ON 5 ACRES AT THE TIME, I LIVING A MOST SHELTERED LIFE PRIOR, HAD NEVER BEEN ON ANY TYPE OF A BIKE WITH A MOTOR, SO AFTER A QUICK LESSON, I JUMPED ON, AND I WAS HOOKED, THE RUSH, THE THRILL, THE POWER, THE EXCITEMENT IT WAS AWESOME, SO AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR OF WATCHING THE BOYS GO UP THIS ONE HILL, I THOUGHT "I CAN DO THAT", WELL MY JUDGEMENT WAS OFF, THEY WERE GOING UP SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT AT AN ANGLE, I DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION TO THAT SO I TRIED IT, STRAIGHT UP. WELL YOU CAN GUESS THE REST, BEING INEXPERIENCED I BROUGHT THE BIKE RIGHT UP OVER THE TOP OF ME, WELL, IT WAS NEW, I HAD TO SAVE IT, YEAH RIGHT, WHAT WAS I THINKING, HAD I JUST DITCHED THE BIKE WE WOULD HAVE BOTH BEEN FINE BUT KNOW I HAD TO SAVE THE BIKE, WITH MY RIBS, YEP, YOU GOT IT, CRACKED RIBS ON MY LEFT SIDE, AS FOR THE BIKE, IT WAS FINE, AND I LEARNED A VERY VALUABLE LESSON, ONE THAT TOOK A VERY LONG TIME TO HEAL, NOT TO MENTION I WAS SOOOOO EMBARRASSED. NICK WAS SO DARN CUTE, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED GOING OUT, HE WASN'T QUITE TWO YET, SO HE WOULD ALMOST ALWAYS RIDE WITH MOM, (I WAS A MUCH BETTER & SMARTER RIDER NOW) AND EVERY SINGLE TIME WE WOULD GET OUT OF CAMP ONLY ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES, NICK WOULD FALL A SLEEP IN MY ARMS, SO I WOULD SIGNAL TO THE OTHERS, AND TURN AROUND AND HEAD SLOWLY BACK TO CAMP, HOLDING HIS HEAD UP WITH ONE ARM AND DRIVING WITH MY OTHER. ONE OF THE PICTURES IS OF THIS. (TOO DARN CUTE) OF COURSE HE QUICKLY OVER CAME THAT, AND GOT OLDER, AND BIG ENOUGH TO RIDE OUR LITTLE QUAD ALL BY HIM SELF, HE WAS A NATURAL. WE WOULD RIDE AND PLAY ALL DAY, GATHER ROUND FOR DINNER, DESSERT & FUN & GAMES AT NIGHT. A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL. WE EVEN GOT MY PARENTS TO GO OUT WITH US A FEW TIMES, AND WE GOT THEM ON THE ATV'S, (THERE IS A PICTURE OF THAT) DOSEN'T MY DAD'S SMILING FACE JUST SAY IT ALL. NOW, IF YOU KNOW MY PARENTS YOU KNOW JUST HOW COOL THIS WAS, MY MOTHER DOESN'T EVEN DRIVE A CAR! SO THIS WAS AWESOME. MY PARENTS ARE THE COOLEST, MOST FUN PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. THEY ARE ALWAYS A BLAST TO HAVE AROUND. OUR ONE FRIEND LOVED TO TAKE THE KIDS OUT IN HIS DUNE BUGGY AND TRY TO SCARE THE DAY LIGHTS OUT OF THEM, THE MORE THEY SCREAMED THE MORE HE LOVED IT. EVERYONE KNEW IF YOU GO FOR A RIDE WITH STEVE BRING A PILLOW, OR YOU WILL BE REALLY SORE LATER. COUSIN GREGORY WAS ALWAYS CLOSE BY, KEEPING AN EYE ON EVERYONE, AND LENDING A HAND. (SUCH A SWEETIE)
COUSIN MATT GOT HURT AND HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL ONCE WHEN WE WERE OUT, (NO NOT RIDING, HE FELL OUT OF A BUNK BED ONE NIGHT AND SPLIT HIS HEAD - HONEST, GO FIGURE). WHO REMEMBERS THE INCIDENT OF THE BIKE INTO THE MOTOR HOME, SPLIT OPEN EYE, SUPER GLUE (YES, I SAID SUPER GLUE) AND WET WASH RAG STUCK TO EYE? SCARY AT THE TIME, BUT FUNNY AS ALL GET OUT LATER. THE PERSON WAS SUCH A GOOD SPORT ABOUT IT, WHAT A SWEETHEART. REMEMBER THE GOURMET MEALS GRANDMA WOULD MAKE, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE! AUNT MARCIA'S FAMOUS KISSES. OR REMEMBER THE GEKO LIZARD THAT LET EVERY ONE PET IT EXCEPT NICK AND IT LATCHED ON TO HIS FINGER AND WE THOUGHT WE WERE NEVER GOING TO PRY THAT THING OFF HIM! OR THE TIME DAD FOLLOWED GREG II INTO THAT WAY DEEP SAND BOWL, AND IT TOOK THE TWO OF THEM LIKE A HALF HOUR TO GET OUT OF IT, I THOUGHT THEY WERE NEVER GOING TO GET OUT OF THERE. I LOVED RIDING DAD'S SOUPED UP THREE WHEELER, BUT IF I STALLED THE DARN THING I COULD NEVER GET IT STARTED AGAIN, IT HAD ONE STIFF KICK, ONCE I HAD TO WAIT FOR SOME OTHER RIDERS TO COME ALONG AND RESCUE ME, EVEN THAT GUY HAD A REALLY HARD TIME STARTING IT, THAT BIKE WOULD SCREAM THOUGH, MAN IT WAS FUN. OH MY GOSH, WE HAD SOME REALLY GREAT & FUN TIMES. HOPE YOU KIDS LOOK BACK ON THESE TRIPS WITH FOND MEMORIES TOO!

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