Kissimmee with The Fam

It sure has been a long time since I have chimed in. It is usually a quick post to remind everyone about upcoming events. But today's post will be a quick recap of the past month.

Let's start with Valentines Day. My dad and sis drove up for a quick visit because they missed Annika so much. My dad's heart starting acting 'wonky' and he had a pacemaker put in on V-Day. My dad is never one to show any crack in his armour--and recovered very fast after what is surprisingly a very simple surgery. It is great to see him even better than his usual energetic self. Pictured below is Maverick taking good care of Gramps.

On Feb 19th we loaded up the car for our big road trip. We could not wait to get down to Florida for 5 weeks of sun and warmth. Bre and I jammed Annika, Maverick and all of our stuff into the Mazda 5. The car was packed! We caravanned with Brian and Janet. There mini-van was PACKED with Annika's "necessities". It is comical how much stuff we 'had' to bring with us.


Past half-way to Kissimmee, Florida! Here was a quick pit-stop as Annika was getting hungry. Getting a picture taken with the immortal Kernel Sanders made my day. This also proves that I can be whiter. But I certainly will not appear whiter for a long time.

Annika travelled very well, she never once said "are we there yet?!" and was very excited to get to Florida. The rest of us were starting to get grumpy as the loooong drive was starting to take it's toll. Mazda really wanted to get to Florida so that he could get all of the Ontario salt stains off!

This is Annika telling her grandma that she wants a jumper. Within seconds, I notice that my credit card is missing from my wallet. Bre is already online buying one to honour Annika's request. Annika always gets what she wants.

The next day and Annika is already playing in her new toy. She likes to play "rodeo" with her friends Suzy and Donkey. Donkey always seems to fall off and land on his jackass.

Annika becoming a tired, tired, girl after a big day of playing. She is always content when she has her security blanket "uffie" by her side.

Here I am working hard--too busy to shave or brush my hair. I will be honest and say that the past few months I have been worker much harder in front of the computer, than I have on the field of play. This trip to Florida will see me doing more swimming, biking, and running than the past few months. Maybe not enough training to be considered 'ideal', but being a daddy, husband, and coach always happily reigns supreme--and that means a lot of missed work-outs. Finding a balance is a challenge that I now know well--and training is last on the list of priorities. However, I will say that being here in Florida is providing the opportunity for some excellent rides on beautiful rolling terrain. It sure is a wonderful feeling to be running shirtless in shorts. And training at the NTC pool is always a pleasure.

Annika is once again overcome with hyperbolic joy as Brian introduces her to her first baseball glove. It might be a little premature to play catch with her just yet.

Two weeks in Florida have flown by. Only three weeks left and things will continue to be busy. Grandpa Loaring arrives tomorrow for two weeks. Then Charlotte and several other triathletes and coaches will arrive for the first annual LPC March Break Triathlon Camp from March 15-21. The camp kicks off for some with a "cob-web scraper" Oly Tri in Orlando on March 15th. I just signed up and have lots of cobwebs to shake off.

Stay tuned for more updates from the paradise of Emerald Island Resort in Kissimmee, Florida. And a huge thanks to Pre, Dale, and Scott, for taking care of BJAM's pad back home. Lots of Keith's in the fridge for you!