IronDad and IronKids' excellent adventures!

2005-12-25T14:47:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas from Robert, Kiersten and Kees.

2005-12-25T14:45:00.000-06:00

more silliness...

2005-12-25T14:43:00.000-06:00

And what would our family Christmas pictures be without the famous silly ones? That's usually the face Kiersten makes when someone "toots"... I wonder if it was Kiersten or Kees... or if it was even a "toot" ;-)

2005-12-24T15:00:00.000-06:00

Our Christmas tree, with it's wonderfully eclectic ornaments.

2005-12-23T20:48:00.000-06:00

Kees and Kiersten (in her "Ho Ho Ho" pants) singing Christmas carols.

2005-12-23T20:46:00.000-06:00

Christmas caroling with friends and some of the kids from Kiersten and Kees' school.

2005-12-14T13:50:00.000-06:00

Kiersten was a Velo Bella all the way home! "Thank you's" to Alex (wish I had a pic of the man in the pink boa), Barb, Christine and Melodie for the advice, encouragement and hospitality, to Josh for the cold-weather tips, to Sabine for cheerleading on the course, to Laura for the Jersey and the "flair", and to Barb's cool parents for the cookies, hot-cocoa and good conversation.

2005-12-14T13:49:00.000-06:00

De-icing the planes (never seen that before)!

2005-12-14T13:47:00.000-06:00

and listening to the holiday music...

2005-12-14T13:45:00.000-06:00

Kiersten still got her Vella Bella flair goin' on in the Vanderbilt Mansion in Newport...

2005-12-14T13:43:00.000-06:00

Trebon finishing in a disappointing second place... next year Treefarm...

2005-12-14T13:41:00.000-06:00

Wells crossing the finish line for the big "W"... 2005 men's elite national champion!

2005-12-14T13:40:00.000-06:00

Kiersten cheering on Adam Craig as he zooms past trying to catch the leaders...

2005-12-14T13:39:00.000-06:00

Still a lot of snow on the course...

2005-12-14T13:38:00.000-06:00

And Horner doesn't even shoulder it...

2005-12-14T13:37:00.000-06:00

Adam Craig's slightly unorthodox shouldering style on the run up...

2005-12-14T13:36:00.000-06:00

Page on the run up...

2005-12-14T13:35:00.001-06:00

Treefarm on the run up....

2005-12-14T13:35:00.000-06:00

Wells on the run up...

2005-12-14T13:32:00.000-06:00

Wells clearing a barrier with Treefarm and Page right on his tail...

2005-12-14T13:29:00.000-06:00

A "who's who" of elite cyclocross: Jonathan Page, Todd Wells, Ryan Trebon, Tim Johnson, Barry Wicks, Mark McCormack...

2005-12-14T13:26:00.000-06:00

Winner of virtually everything in the US and Tour de France rider Chris Horner.

2005-12-14T13:23:00.000-06:00

The 6'6" twin towers Barry Wicks and Ryan Trebon. They call Ryan "Treefarm" and Kiersten met him a few years ago at a race in Waco. He's one of the nicest guys in cycling: in the middle of a technical switchback climb in a NORBA race, he took his hand off the handlebar to wave to Kiersten and say "Hi!" I don't know about you, but if I was in the middle of a suffer-fest in a pro race I wouldn't waste a precious breath to say "Hi" to anyone!

2005-12-14T13:20:00.000-06:00

Kiersten and the funniest man in mountain biking: Adam Craig.

2005-12-14T13:19:00.000-06:00

Kiersten and new Elite Men's Cyclocross National Champion, Todd Wells.

2005-12-14T13:18:00.000-06:00

Kiersten and teammate Barbara Howe, the world-famous cyclocrosser and stylish chick with those white sunglasses!

2005-12-14T13:17:00.001-06:00

Kiersten in full Velo Bella flair mode. I think she fits in perfectly!

2005-12-14T13:16:00.000-06:00

And the hot cocoa and cookies made by Barb's parents suuuuuuuuure tastes goooood!

2005-12-14T13:15:00.000-06:00

Post-race warming up with her teammate, and new Collegiate National Champion, Melodie Metzger. I know the perspective is off, but is Kiersten almost as tall as Melodie? Just kidding!

2005-12-14T13:14:00.001-06:00

Mini-Bella and mini-bike...

2005-12-14T13:14:00.000-06:00

Yes... for all you Texans... she's riding in the snow... and to a sixth place in her first cyclocross nationals...not bad for the tiny Texan they call "IronGirl"!

2005-12-14T13:13:00.000-06:00

Shouldering the bike like a pro!

2005-12-14T13:10:00.000-06:00

Baby it's COLD outside!

2005-12-14T13:09:00.000-06:00

Kiersten in the call-up... last row, first-ever cyclocross race, only pre-rode 1/4 of the course, the course is full of snow and ice, it's in the thirties and she's on a bike she's ridden only once for about fifteen minutes... and the Tiny Texan is still smiling! Way to go IronGirl!!!

2005-12-14T13:07:00.000-06:00

And the pre-ride was cut short when the blizzard came in... and I mean BLIZZARD!

2005-12-14T13:04:00.000-06:00

Following five snowplows down I-95 at 40mph ... it was cool to watch them work in unison but frustrating going that slow when we needed to get there in time for pre-riding.

2005-12-14T13:02:00.000-06:00

We're not in Texas anymore Toto... it's snowing!

2005-12-14T13:00:00.000-06:00

Bikes don't look like this in Texas! Come to think of it... nothing looks like this in Texas!!!

2005-12-09T09:40:00.000-06:00

THAT, is snow... and lots of it...

2005-12-01T22:56:00.000-06:00

Kiersten's desk and momentos from national and world champion mountain biker and cyclocrosser Alison Dunlap.

2005-12-01T10:57:00.000-06:00

and more trophies, her state championship and junior olympics jerseys...

2005-12-01T10:56:00.000-06:00

Kiersten's "wall of fame" with her medals, national championship jerseys and some of the magazines she's been in (Girls' Life, Sports Illustrated, Mountain Bike Action and Triathlete)...

2005-11-26T23:09:00.000-06:00

Fall colors in the Texas Hill Country near Tapatio Springs in Boerne.

2005-11-24T13:31:00.000-06:00

Not to be outdone...

2005-11-24T13:30:00.000-06:00

And she can catch!

2005-11-24T13:28:00.000-06:00

And boy did she throw it. Everyone was shocked! Who knew tiny Kiersten had an arm, and could throw a perfect spiral... every time!!!

2005-11-24T13:27:00.000-06:00

Kiersten's going to throw the football?

2005-11-24T13:24:00.000-06:00

What would a family gathering be without a game of football?

2005-11-24T13:21:00.000-06:00

This picture sort of sums up Kiersten... pretty in pink, but with a football in her hand, LOL!

2005-11-24T13:20:00.000-06:00

A very Martha Stewart-esh table and setting...

2005-11-24T13:18:00.000-06:00

Papa and the kiddos...

2005-11-24T13:16:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving dinner at the Conlees.

2005-11-20T10:35:00.000-06:00

Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!!!!!!!!

2005-11-20T10:33:00.000-06:00

Kees playing strong in the U10 division leading his team to second place in the division as the leading scorer on his team.

2005-11-13T13:07:00.000-06:00

Dinner and sunset at Snoopy's... and those cool yellow and blue shoes the kids have on are called "Crocs", and if you don't have some you need to get them.

2005-11-13T10:31:00.000-06:00

Another beautiful Corpus Christi sunset!

2005-10-31T10:28:00.000-06:00

Kees, Kiersten, Kathleen and Louisa looking waaaaaay scary on Halloween!

2005-10-22T10:26:00.000-05:00

Kids with Linda Armstrong (Lance's mom) at the Ride for the Roses in Austin.

2005-10-14T12:46:00.000-05:00

Corpus Christi Bay in the background... we're fortunate to have such a beautiful place to ride virtually every day of the year right in our own backyard...

2005-10-14T12:20:00.000-05:00

... only to have Kees sneak around and sprint by her ;-)

2005-10-14T12:17:00.000-05:00

Being only 26 months apart they are truly best friends, but with that closeness in age (and ability) they are extremely competitive with each other. Here, Kiersten relaxes as she crests a climb thinking she's beaten her brother to the top...

2005-10-14T12:08:00.000-05:00

The complete opposite of his sister, Kees is the sprinter... the green jersey guy... he's so big and strong for his age that I've seen him pull his front wheel off the ground repeatedly in sprints for the finish line! In his first mountain bike race, as an 8-year old he outsprinted all the 10-year olds off the start to hit the trailhead first! He'll hold his own in short power climbs, but as could be expected he doesn't like extended climbs. He also has phenominal bike-handling skills, and has since he started riding. He learned to clip in at 5, and I think it took him all of five minutes! Isn't it cool how kids, with their open minds, can learn something in 5 minutes that often takes adults 5 days to get the hang of!

2005-10-14T12:03:00.000-05:00

Kiersten riding a small climb. She's a pure climber and when a road or trail goes up she's gone! The kids have nicknames for each other, and she's "Marco Pantani", the gifted Italian climber and Tour de France winner. She can hold her own on speed courses, but she has to work really hard to stay with the bigger girls on the power courses. Ultimately it's her fitness and determination that gets her to the line first, regardless of the course. She's on her favorite little bike that has brought her to several victories and championships. Props to Steffi and her sponsors Trialtir-USA, Colnago, Northwave and Limar. She told me that when it doesn't fit her anymore I can't sell it, and she wants to hang it on the wall. It's small enough!

2005-10-08T22:21:00.000-05:00

Kiersten playing tough in the U13 Division II league this Fall. Her team finished third in their division and qualified for the state championships. Playing mostly right forward, she was the number three scorer for her team.

2005-09-22T12:57:00.000-05:00

Storm shutters go on the windows.

2005-09-22T12:56:00.000-05:00

Kees helps repair a roof exhaust vent in preparation for the storm.

2005-09-22T12:55:00.000-05:00

Slim pickings in the meat department.

2005-09-22T12:53:00.000-05:00

Shelves normally stocked full of fruits are completely cleared out.

2005-09-22T12:51:00.000-05:00

The windows are boarded-up on almost all of the buildings in town.

2005-09-22T12:42:00.000-05:00

Hurricane Rita heads towards Corpus Christi and the upper Texas coast. After Katrina the city takes no chances and orders a mandatory evacuation of the city... it's a virtual ghost-town! Kiersten has gone to Austin to be with her maternal grandparents and Kees and I are battening down the house and preparing to leave for my sister's house north of San Antonio.

2005-09-18T14:01:00.000-05:00

The girls leaving the field, victorious again! Here you can see how tiny Kiersten is compared to her teammates (she's playing up two years)... a couple of girls weigh almost twice what she weighs!

2005-09-18T12:58:00.000-05:00

And what would Corpus be without the ubiquitous seagull... or Laughing Gull

2005-09-18T12:57:00.000-05:00

A Pelican... ungainly on land and water, yet so graceful in flight...

2005-09-18T12:54:00.000-05:00

View of the sunset and boat traffic on the intracoastal canal while dining at our favorite summer dining establishment: Snoopy's.

2005-09-18T12:53:00.000-05:00

Egret taking flight...

2005-09-17T13:58:00.000-05:00

Oh... and she recovers for a perfect landing! 9.9, 9.9, 9.8 (Russian Judge),10, 9.9!

2005-09-17T13:57:00.000-05:00

Kiersten looking like she might be losing control in the final stretch...

2005-09-17T13:55:00.000-05:00

Kees and Ross having a little fun at the pool!

2005-09-05T12:51:00.000-05:00

On the ferry across the channel at Port Aransas.

2005-09-05T12:47:00.000-05:00

Fun at the beach in Port Aransas on the remains of the only WWII bunker on the Texas coast... almost no one knows about it but years ago I stumbled upon it while exploring in the dunes and after some research discovered that it was built after U-boats were spotted in the gulf during WWII.

2005-09-03T13:53:00.000-05:00

Fun with Kees' army men (and checking out the depth-of-field on my lens).

2005-09-02T12:46:00.000-05:00

Just some cool fireworks after a Hooks game...

2005-08-28T12:44:00.000-05:00

Kees and Dominic still not asleep!

2005-08-28T12:43:00.000-05:00

Kees with his cousins Dominic and Christopher chillin' in the golf cart... it's what you do when it's over 100 degrees outside...

2005-08-28T12:41:00.000-05:00

Kiersten (looking very serious about her driving here) and cousin Dominic in the golf cart...

2005-08-28T12:40:00.000-05:00

Momma fox in the barn...

2005-08-28T12:36:00.000-05:00

Kees, Christopher and cousin Bart (from Holland) at the ranch... and Bart almost looks like a Texan with that gun!

2005-08-28T12:18:00.000-05:00

It's cotton-pickin' time in our part of the world... these are cotton modules. After the cotton pickers harvest the cotton from the fields they drop their load into what's called the "module builder" which compresses the cotton into modules. The cotton modules are then dropped off in front of the gin, which then separates the cottonseed from the cotton fiber. That process is called "ginning", and it produces bales of cotton ready to be delivered to the various cloth manufacturers. Interesting stuff, huh?

2005-08-27T13:51:00.000-05:00

A typical sight in Corpus Christi... shrimpers and sailboats...

2005-08-21T12:17:00.000-05:00

I just like this shot...

2005-08-16T12:13:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again... soccer time! Why do we always start the season with two balls, then mid-way thorough the season we have four or five balls, and then at the end of the season we're down to one? And why do kids' feet grow at twice the rate that their bodies do? Things that make you go "hmmmmmmm..."

2005-08-09T13:47:00.000-05:00

Kiersten's birthday... and what does she want to eat? SUSHI, her fav!

2005-08-04T00:20:00.000-05:00

Back home in the airport with some of our shopping bags (gotta love that duty-free shop in Schiphol) and the Tour de France signs we "liberated" from Paris ;-)

2005-08-03T00:32:00.000-05:00

Volendam, a traditional old Dutch fishing village.

2005-08-03T00:29:00.000-05:00

The kids in Madurodam, Holland in miniature... it was one of my favorite places to visit as a child and it still holds a special place in my heart.

2005-08-03T00:27:00.000-05:00

Yes... the sign on that fish store says "1342", not 1842.

2005-08-03T00:24:00.000-05:00

Nothing better than Cassis and Poffertjes on the square in Delft, Holland!

2005-08-02T23:45:00.000-05:00

In front of the Royal Palace in Amsterdam.

2005-08-02T00:40:00.000-05:00

On the pier in Scheveningen, Holland, where my sister and I would play on the beach as children. The Dutch are so proud of how "warm" the water is there because of the gulf stream, and I always have to remind them that the gulf stream starts where we live and by the time it gets to Holland (to us) it's COLD!

2005-08-02T00:35:00.000-05:00

And what better way to finish a Dutch meal than with chokolade en vanille Vla?! When I was in college and my mother would go to Holland to visit my Oma (her mother), she'd freeze cartons of vla and bring them back for me!