A new set of wheels!

No, we aren't getting a new car (despite the fact that Chris' car is already 17 years old and costs more to fix than it's worth!), but I did want to share about Eleanor and my new hobby, biking! Our birthdays are less than two weeks apart and I thought I would really like a bike for my birthday this year. My neighbor was given one awhile back and I thought it would be really fun to have one, too, so we could eventually do some group rides. Anyway, I kept my ear to the ground and an inexpensive, used bike popped up the week before my birthday so Chris and I went to pick it up after we got back from California. In the meantime I was also looking for a seat or trailer for Eleanor since I'm not really ever able to ride without her. The bike sat unused for those two weeks until my mom brought down a trailer she found on Craig's List up in northern Virginia for Eleanor's birthday! It was perfect! We didn't want to get anything expensive or new since we didn't know how much we would use it, but the timing for both items worked out wonderfully.

Since we got the bike trailer, Eleanor and I have ridden at least once a day on the days I'm off work. I love it! Eleanor seems to like it, but we got her a helmet this past weekend and now she is less than thrilled. We are going to have to ease her into the helmet slowly I think. We went to the expert on biking, Uncle Robert, to get her sized up and while we were there he also fixed up my bike a bit.

There are bike/run/walk trails behind our neighborhood that Eleanor and I have explored a few times walking but now that we are on a bike we can see much more. I am loving it through and through and I can't wait for the 100 degree weather to pass so we don't get so hot when we go. Today we saw two deer, a raccoon, and some squirrels on our ride, so there is never a shortage of things for her to look at. Some of our views:

While we were up at my parents' house for a wedding over Labor Day (more on this soon, too), my mom and I took a couple bike rides on the W&OD trail. Though this trail is less than half a mile from my house and I passed it every day walking to my high school, I had never been this far on it. It was so fun to explore!

I think I am loving it more than Eleanor at the moment, but I think she will love it more and more as she gets older. In the meantime, we are going to keep riding as long as the weather lets us!