World Championships

Mark qualified for Duathlon World Championships for the 4th time. The competition was held in Charlotte, North Carolina at Lowes Motor Speedway. Mark ran a 10K, biked 25 miles and ran a 5K to finish for team USA. It was a successful race and he came in exactly at the time he had planned for. The weather was sunny every day of our trip except for race day when it rained all day long. Reagan and I were out in the weather for 4 hours but we were prepared with baseball caps, rain jackets, umbrella and stroller guard. The race venue was fantastic. The course wound all around the racetrack, infield and surrounding roads. Mark was careful not to crash on the slippery bike course, but enjoyed the cooler weather for the runs. He got quite a rush speeding around the slanted race track at 27 miles an hour. (slightly slower than the 180 mph of the nascar racers.)

Off-roadin'

Some friends from church gave us this great jeep for Reagan to play in. He has so much fun because the doors open, there are "gas cans" in the back to fill the tank, and the steering wheel actually works when you push him. It used to be powered with a battery pack, but no longer works. We have no plans to fix it. But Reagan plays endlessly in the jeep, especially when I'm out doing yard-work. Thanks Robbyn and Sean!

Denver, Colorado

We spent a long weekend in Denver at Mark's sister's house. We were traveling for a duathlon that happened to be on his birthday and also happened to be just a few miles from his sister's home. Fifteen members of the Voss family ended up gathering for a few crazy days together. The cousins had tons of fun running around together. The weather was wonderfully cool, and after 5 months of relentless Houston heat, I spent each morning in front of the fireplace with a mug of hot chocolate. Everyone else of course was wearing shorts.

Borris

What a sad day. Our cat, Borris, is no longer with us. He was 17 years old and was a special part of our lives. We miss him very much, but now Reagan won't get in trouble for tackling the cat and pulling it's tail.

Come Sail Away...

I went sailing with some friends from church a few weeks ago. John, one of my violin students, knows how to sail so he took us out on the bay for an afternoon of sun. I enjoyed laying on the front tip of the sailboat with the breeze blowing over me and the boat bobbing up and down over the waves. It just doesn't get much better than a nap on a boat. When it was hot, I jumped in the water, held on to a buoy and let the boat drag me in the water. It was crazy to see the seaside mansions with yachts parked outside instead of cars. We ended the day with seafood on Kemah Boardwalk. Thanks, Scarlett, for watching Reagan all day so that I could enjoy the ocean.

Baby Curls

We love our curly haired mop-top. His hair is always crazy. And as the curls grow longer, people are starting to accidentally refer to him as a girl. We would give him a haircut, but we know that as soon as we loose the curls, he will look like the little boy that he is, and not as the little baby we are trying to hold onto. We love you little Reagan.

Monica and Reagan Go to Nebraska

We just returned from a fantastic trip to see family in Nebraska. We were able to spend lots of time with both the Voss clan and the Sperlings, who conveniently live only a half mile apart. We even made it down to Kansas to see my grandmas and attend my cousin's wedding. Sara Voss spoiled us by taking us to the Zoo and serving Valentinos Pizza for dinner. Sara's new puppy, Zoro, let Reagan chase him around nonstop for 3 days. My mom spent a lot of time playing in the backyard with Reagan and Charlize (Reagan's cousin). The three of them played in the sandbox, in the kiddie pool, and in the grass. My mom taught Reagan to smell flowers and Charlize taught him to say some new words. Praise God for beautiful weather, a miracle for Nebraska in late July. I was even able to see my sister, Tonya, who is 6 months pregnant. It was exciting to put my hand on Tonya's stomach and feel the baby kicking. Thanks for cooperating baby Jolly. We miss you all so much. It was hard to leave this time for some reason.