Southern California State Championship Series & Pablove

July 18, 2010, our little Nate Doggie won the Southern California State Championship Series in Cross Country Mountain Biking in the Jrs. 10 and Under category!

We've gone into this mountain biking scene with the thought that "Nathan should have fun" and he is having fun, but he's also got this raw, natural talent that makes it difficult not to be completely hard core about the whole racing scene.  At times, I have to stop myself from having this crazy, worse than "soccer mom" mentality.

I think this was the most nervous I've ever been before a race.

Look at that face!  Doesn't he look like he's having fun!!

You know, as a mom, I worry about lots of things.  Obviously, all of it centers around what is best for the boys.  The question always being "Is this the right thing for them?".  From praise to punishment, always the same question.  So wanting them to put the demons of past family mythology to rest and leave it in the past. To take with them into their lives, the best traits of Sean and I.  I have lots of inspirational friends and family, who are outstanding parents.  Girlfriends and sister-in-laws of mine that I learn so much from about "not sweating the small stuff."  I'm in awe of so many of them and there "child whispering" skills.

Ultimately, the same reasons that have us striving to be better parents, are in some ways the same reasons that, as a family we want to fight to end childhood cancer.  Parents of kids with cancer, have absolutely NO time to "sweat the small stuff!"   They are dealing with literally horrifying circumstances all around.  One story that is breaking my heart into a million pieces right now is about Daisy Love Merrick. http://prayfordaisy.com/   Her family could use your prayers right now!

Pablo Castelaz's fight with childhood cancer propelled us into action. http://getwellpablo.blogspot.com/   A few weekends ago, Jeff Castelaz, Pablo's dad and the founder of the Pablove Foundation, invited Nathan to go riding with him in Griffith Park.  Talk about an inspiring guy!

They rode 13 miles and had a great time!  I think they are all looking forward to riding together again in the future.  And they will because in October, Nathan and Sean will be joining the last 20 mile leg of the Pablove Across America Ride 2010 from Sylmar to Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery.

Nathan's mountain biking season is about coming to an end with the Southern California State Championship Series victory.  There will be a State Championship race September 12th at Bonelli Park in San Dimas.  Nathan's race starts at 9:07am.  If you can, come on out and support our Nate Doggie.

All of it comes down to the fact that, Nathan is our little Champion and he is still riding to fight childhood cancer with love and raise money for the Pablove Foundation one mountain bike race at a time.  With the kickoff of Pablove Across America 2010, Nathan has a new goal with his campaign Mountain Biking for Pablove. Please help him do some SERIOUS CHILDHOOOD CANCER BUTT KICKING!

                                 MOUNTAIN BIKING FOR PABLOVE

                                       CLICK HERE TO DONATE


Love, Lisa

Celebration and Loss

from bottom right to upper left

Roberta Ann, Rosalee (Pinky), Robert, Regina (Gigi), Rochelle (Shelley), Rita, Richard (Mike), Robin, Ronald (Patrick), Renee, Roxana, Rhonda, Raeleen, Roch, Ralinda, Rex and Randoloph (Sean)

I married into a huge Irish Catholic family!  My husband is the youngest of 17 children.  Being a part of this family is a once in a lifetime experience all in and of itself.  I continue to learn all the time, that celebration and loss are just a heartbeat apart.

Lisa and Sean 6/24/95

Grandma Roberta

Sean and I celebrated our 15th Wedding Anniversary this past June 24th.  15 years ago, as we were celebrating and joyously planning to become husband and wife, we also had to say goodbye and mourn the loss of my husband's Mother, Roberta Hickey.  She passed away on Father's Day, just one week before our wedding.  It was very difficult and yet this family came together and celebrated her life and our marriage, like nothing I had ever known.  It was a tremendous celebration!

Six years ago, as we started getting ready to celebrate our oldest son, Tristan's entry into elementary school and his kindergarten year; and all the fun that was to come, again we had to mourn the loss of my dearest sister-in law, Rita.  She was the closest thing to a Grandmother my kids had on their Dad's side.  She is dearly, dearly missed every single day by Sean and I and our boys.  I knew that my family's world had changed forever the day she gained her wings.

Aunt Rita and Tristan

This past weekend as our family celebrated the awesome victory of our youngest son, Nathan, at the California State Championship Mountain Bike race in Big Bear, we also mourned the loss of one of my husband's oldest brother's, Patrick.  Patrick had a long hard battle with drug addiction and prison life.  He was the middle child of 17 siblings.   "Eight above, Eight below.  How I go, the rest go."

Nate Dog, the California State Champion Jrs. 10 & Under! 

Ronald Patrick Hickey

I am especially proud and thankful for my sister-in law, Shelley.  She has worked so very hard to help Patrick gain his freedom from all the addiction and incarceration.  Just a week or so ago Shelley posted this on facebook:   "Pat gets out of prison July 12th. I am feeling how he has no one except Chuck and me. I know this is his last chance to live in freedom. He will attend my reading performance on July 30th. I hope he will hear his own powerful words in a way that makes it clear that his work is done, he simply needs to implement what he... has already accomplished. This has been a very long road."

Patrick and Shelley

This reading performance that Shelley refers to, "is the product of her work in family mythology and self-discovery. Beginning with the question "What was it like for you to be part of our family?", she collected oral histories from her seventeen siblings and turned them into first person narratives. These memories are stitched into a dialogue between one incarcerated brother and a silenced sister. Dr. Duffy's work demonstrates both the power of memory and dream to ignite voice and transform spirit, as expressed in her reading performance of  Prison Is Where I Learned to Fly: Shelley's Sibliography."  

Click hear to read the informaiton regarding Shelley's talk at C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles:
http://www.junginla.org/t/publicprograms/2010/summer/month/july/p/shelleys-sibliography-releasing-the-incarcerated-voice-through-memory-imagination-and-dialogue

I will write more about Nathan's State Championship victory on his mountain bike later this week, but for now, I'm just going to say - I'm happy we had a couple of Sean's siblings with us at the race.  It made the bittersweet emotions of the day much more sweet all around.

Nathan with cousin Adam and Uncle Roch

Nathan with Aunt Raeleen

Nathan with cousins Leland, Ethan, Adam, Beckham and Abel

Nathan and cousin Christina

I am so proud of my family!  I know that quit a bit of the spirit that lives within my boys, comes from the "Hickey" side of the family.  The zest for life.  The energy.  The CELEBRATION!

Nathan and Tristan with Uncle Pat

Love, Lisa

Pablove One Another and the State Championships

Today, the boys and I headed out to Silverlake for my 11:30am appointment for the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles Blood Drive, being held at the Pablove Foundation headquarters.  It was my very first experience giving blood, but I can honestly say, it will not be my last.

The mural on the side of the headquarter's building says it all.  Giving life saving blood to children in need of it's healing powers, is just one way we can "Pablove One Another".   The boys and I loved that we got to visit with Jo Ann Thrailkill Castelaz, Pablo's mom for a minute at the blood drive.  She is very proud of my Nate Doggie and his efforts at raising money in honor of her sweet little boy!

From one mother to another, we are in this fight with her, her family, and all the amazing people at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles and all over the country that are fighting just as hard to end the monster that is childhood cancer.

This Sunday Nathan rides in the State Championships in Big Bear.   I'm so proud of my little guy!  He's had a great run this mountain biking season.

February - First Place at Kenda Cup West Series-Sagebrush Safari

March-Second Place Bonelli Park at H20 Overdrive Triple Crown #1

March-Second Place at Fontana City National Pro XCT

April-First Place at Kenda Cup West Series-Santa Ynez Valley Classic

 May-First Place at Idyllwild Spring Challenge

June-First Place at Kenda Cup West Series-Santa Barbara Bike Festival

June-First Place at California State Series-Big Bear Shoot Out 2

I'm very proud of his accomplishments on his mountain bike, but I'm even more overjoyed at his loving spirit and kind heart.

Nathan rides in honor of Pablo Thrailkill Castelaz.  He has been raising money for the Pablove Foundation one mountain bike race at a time with his campaign Mountain Biking for Pablove.  He's surpassed his original goal of $500.  We are thrilled and so thankful to all that have donated to this very worthy cause.  This is Nathan's last "BIG" race of the season!  Let's get him there!  Let's get to $1,000!  We've only got $300 more to go!

                              MOUNTAIN BIKING FOR PABLOVE

                                         CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Love, Lisa

A Blurrr of Activities

The last day of School and the weekend that followed was a blurrrr of activities.  The official kickoff to summer was Tristan's 5th Grade Promotion from Mayflower Elementary.   

Tristan and his friend Steven were to be the leaders in their lines for the walk down to the ceremony.

The ability to take good pictures was to fail me this day, so this was the only picture I got of Tristan waiting to get his promotion certificates from the line of Teachers that awaited him.

He did get his certificates, but I seriously need some practice with this type of thing.  I feel like I didn't capture the moments like I wanted to.  "Note to self" for middle school and high school graduations in the future - "Open the folder so we can actually see those certificates with that beautiful smile."

The one moment I did capture was like a snapshot in time.  Tristan with his buddies that he's known since pre-school.

Colin, Spence, Tristan

Nathan showing some brotherly love to his big bro on this special day.

Three of my favorite guys!

Tristan with his 5th Grade teachers, Mr. Gibba and Mrs. Gibba. It was an extra emotional promotion for them because it was their last promotion ceremony at Mayflower. They will be moving to Idaho this summer. We wish them tons of luck on their new adventure, but we are really going to miss them!

We are so exteremly proud of Tristan.  He works so hard at school and makes it easy on us, as his parents.  He's got a very bright future ahead of him!

After Tristan's 5th Grade promotion we headed up to Big Bear for the Big Bear Shoot Out #2.  What a weekend!  Three families stayed at our good friends cabin in Arrowhead.   It was nice for Nathan to have his friends' support!

Before we got to see Nathan start, our friend Doug got his start.  Sean was so, so proud of Doug....and secretly a little jealous that he wasn't racing too.  Doug is Tristan's good friend, Lowden's Dad and we love that family!!!!

Then Nate Doggie gets to line up.  Tom, the guy who runs the show, gives them all a little pep talk before every race. 

On this particular day, it was the 7th birthday celebration of Pablo Castelaz, the little boy that Nathan rides in honor of and whom the Pablove Foundation is named for.  I've written before about how butterflys (particularly black and yellow ones) remind me of Pablo.  Well, there was a black and yellow butterfly flying above the kids heads as they were about to start their race.  I took it as a good sign that Nathan would be watched over as he raced this 13 mile race through the wilderness.

My heart literally skips a beat at the start of every race.

I remember yelling "Dig deep Nate Doggie", just has he went up and around the corner.

And I wasn't to see him again for exactly, 1:16:46.81.

Our friend Kiat was further up the course and he got these great pics of Nathan.  And he was "digging deep!"

He had blue shirt in his sights.

He's gaining on him!

He's gonna catch him!

This was the first and only good shot I got of him as he came into the finish.  My picture taking skills were to fail me again.  I was so thankful that I had Kiat there as back up!  He got all the remaining shots I'm going to share with you here,  Thank you Kiat!!

Coming into the finish line, my little Nate Doggie fell around this turn.  He's on the ground behind these two riders.

He's getting up.

He's back in the saddle.

He crossed the finish line.

And rides right into the arms of his loving Daddy.

And supportive friends.

He worked so hard for this and it was hard!

But so worth it! 

He took first place and the overall first place spot in his category this season.  It's hard not to be proud of my boy, who is currently ranked #2 in the Jr. category, in the State and #2 in the Nation of 9-10 year olds.

After the race we celebrated at the awards ceremony with friends and family!

Cousins Taylor and Riley with Nathan and Tristan

Kiat, Nathan's #1 Sponsor!

Nathan with Jordan Romero, the 13 year old who just scaled Mt. Everest in May and holds the record for the youngest person to summit that mountain.  He climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro when he was 9 and only has 1 more peak to go and he'll have done all 7.  Now that is an amazing kid!!!

Nathan races and raises money for the Pablove Foundation.  He is raising money one Mountain Bike Race at a time with his campaign, Mountain Biking for Pablove.  He's currently training for the state championships to be held in Big Bear on July 18th.  It's the big one and we want to hit the big $1,000 for Pablove by then and end on a tremendous note!  Please help Nathan fight childhood cancer with love and click HERE to help him reach his goal!  If you've already donated, THANK YOU SO MUCH FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS. 

If you can't donate at this time, but still want to help, you can help out tremendously by voting for the Pablove Foundation in the Chase Community Giving campaign.  All it takes is 2 clicks of the mouse to VOTE!  Chase is awarding a $250k Grant to the worthy charity that wins this campaign.  With your help, that could be the Pablove Foundation.  Please click HERE to vote and join us in fighting childhood cancer with love. 

Love, Lisa