Family Bike Riding

First of all, let me just say that this kid really, really wants a bike.

He asks us to put his helmet on him any time we are outside, and then he tries desperately to climb onto Mac's bike.

I can't wait until we are able to get a little balance bike for Davey to ride!

For now, Davey has been riding on Mommy or Daddy's back for our family Bike Walk/Rides (mommy and daddy walk while Mac and Corrie learn to ride).



I have been dreaming for the past three years of being able to let the kids bike in our neighborhood, but it is so hilly and there are no sidewalks...not a great place for beginning bikers to learn.

Last week we needed to water a friend's flowers every morning (they live a couple blocks away), and we decided to make it a family affair since Ellis is working from home right now. It seemed like a good opportunity for Mac and Corrie to start biking since they are older now and we had one adult for each kid.

Corrie has really been starting to fly on her balance bike. This video is only a couple of weeks old, but she is already a lot faster and more confident.

Mac was given a bike about a year ago, but up until now, he has refused to ride it. A few weeks ago he would not even sit on the seat. Every morning on our family trek to water the flowers, we worked through Mac's tears and screams and tantrums...making a tiny bit of progress each day. 

For me and Mac, this process has been good training for both of our hearts. Learning to ride his bike has been a big challenge for Mac physically, mentally and emotionally, and it has been a great opportunity to continually to point him to God. 

I have also been challenged in each of these ways, as it is hot, hard work crouching down and helping to steady/push the bike, and it is very draining to persevere through Mac's tantrums and genuine fear. 

It's been encouraging to see God shape and strengthen the two of us, and what a fun time we are all beginning to have as a family!

Now this is how Mac looks on his bike more and more often

By the end of the week, this was Mac and Corrie. 

Ellis and I could not believe the progress Mac had made.

And we are finding even more "bike riding blessings" coming our way. Ellis found a bike attachment that can connect the kids' bikes to ours. We found a straight, smooth piece of road near our house to practice riding on, and it has been really, really fun to do together almost every day.

Davey insists on taking a turn too!

(I hold onto him when he is actually moving...although I am sure he would be more than happy to ride all by himself!)

It's been a week since those videos were taken, and now Ellis and the kids will ride together up and down steep hills and around the block like this. To the kids, this about the closest thing to an awesome amusement park. 

And just today some new friends asked us to come with them and check out a beautiful biking trail across town that we didn't even know about. It wound through the woods and next to the river with mountains in the background. 

This seems to be an activity that God is giving us to do together and grow as a family. 

We are pretty grateful and having a lot of fun!