We're just days away from departure. So preparation begins in earnest: packing lists, to-do lists, reviewing the itinerary, etc. Here's JL's packing list: two dresses swimsuit black pants 3 pairs underwear black sandals Keen sandals one (and only one pair) wool socks emergency disposable poncho rain pants pink sweater gray scarf pink scarf biking skort 2 biking shirts jacket fleece shampoo toothbrush toothpaste eye mask ears plugs cell ph...

For the past few months, the LK family has been reading lbooks about France. JLK especially is excited about history, and she told me that she likes the books about historical individuals the best. For me, reading books together in the evenings has been the most fun aspect of preparing for our trip. Personally, my favorite books were about the French resistance and the French Revolution. I especially liked "For Freedom, the Story of a French Spy." Our routin...

KLK, RK, and JL rode with our fellow travelers VS,BB, and DB today. The LK family rode 18 miles, and KLK even rode up the hills to our house -- not too shabby for an 8 year old! The best part of today: the BS family rode their brand new tandem. VS has major orthopedic issues, so this bike has to fit just right. Otherwise, she is in pain for days afterward. As you can see in the picture, they looked super cute on the bike together! And V had no pain the fol...

Today we rode with one of our fellow traveling families. BB and DB joined us for a ride through campus at the U and then a leisurely ride on the BGT. Now all we need to do is start speaking French on these rides! Only a few weeks until departure. Hungry riders needed to stop for lunch. Total miles 20 today.

Another training ride. We rode to JLK's ultimate frisbee game. Girls rode 8 miles without any stops in under one hour. KLK is determined to ride on her own this summer. She is proving that she can do it! France here we come!