Packing up and trekking from Ohio to Utah in October was no less than an adventure. I was in love with Ohio, and it took some pulling to get me to go, but we all knew that our little family needed to eventually move from the town we were in and I also knew that at some point in our future, we would be living in Utah. Zach’s dream. (He lived there during his college years and couldn’t wait to get back.) You gotta’ follow the dreams.

It’s not that in our old town we couldn’t find adventure. I believe you can find adventure everywhere, in so many ways. But, the move out here proved immediate adventure gratification. You should see the kickin’ things that Rad gets to do on a daily basis in our new town. (And, below, you will.)

My husband Zach rides dirt bikes and hits up skateparks and went to the University of Utah simply because he loves snowboarding so much and Utah brought him closer to epic elevations. And he absolutely loves to mountain bike. Anything that gets his adrenaline racing and that he can try new tricks with, he’s all about.

Naturally, he wants to share all of this awesome extremeness with our little Rad, and you know, while Rad’s grandmothers are like, “Oooh.” “Are you sure?” “Is that a good idea?” “Does Rad have his helmet?” “Is Zach holding on tight?” I have so much faith in my husband’s abilities and experience, and just as importantly, his judgment. He, of course, doesn’t want his baby to get hurt. He wants him to grow with so many new experiences and he wants to share his hunger for adventure with him.

I wanted to post these videos for our own diary but also to show you some of the awesome things that your baby is capable of. (And, if you still want to hold tight, no worries. There is plenty of time to get extreme. Playing ball in the backyard is also totally cool in my books and is totally as extreme as it gets for Mom and Rad time. He is not going on a bike or a skateboard with me anytime soon.)

And, what I have found is that all of these Dad and Rad adventures have softened me to this place. In struggling to get used to my new surroundings, it doesn’t take any more than seeing your son grow and experience and excel and laugh and get so damn excited about skateboards and mountain bikes to make you think, “I’m happy then wherever he is happy.” And, of course, his happy place is wherever the three of us find ourselves. But, if we’re surrounded by really cool bike trails, smooth, expansive skate parks and cold, snowy mountains, that makes it pretty rad too.

Snowboarding at Canyons Resort, Park City, Utah | January 31, 2016 | 16 months

 

 

 

Skateboarding at Lone Peak Park, Sandy, Utah | April 17th, 2016 | 19 months

 

 

Rad Mountain Biking, Little Valley Trail, Draper, Utah & Lone Peak Park, Sandy, Utah | April 10 & 17, 2016 | 19 months

 

(My husband Zach designs the above baby bike seats. Rad’s balance is amazing because of it and he’s so funny – if he isn’t laughing hysterically, which he often is, he gets this look on his face like, I’m so cool.)