The Zito's Spooktacular Halloween Party!!!!

I have wanted to host a Couples Halloween Costume Party for 9 years now. So I decided THIS IS THE YEAR... 2009... to start a new Halloween tradition for Lenny and me. We thought it would be so fun to have a few friends over, get to dress up (well that was my idea of fun), eat good food , play some fun games and laugh and laugh! That is exactly what we did!

I was SERIOUS about dressing up too. You could NOT come if you didn't follow the dress code....A.K.A......being silly, goofy, out of your comfort zone kind of costume. Leonard & I were feeling pretty GROOVY tonight! I am LOVING my Afro going on. In fact, I had many comments I should wear it regularly. It should be the NEW LOREE!!! love it ;)

And I might add that Leonard was one sweet HAIRY dude with his Long & Luscious Blond Locks! It was funny seeing him flip his hair out of his face....you had to be there!

~Leah brought her fancy camera and we did a mini photo shoot of all the FABULOUS COSTUMES~

We had a Costume Contest and the Tueller's won 2 out of 3 categories....

Doug & Lisa's costumes cracked us up! Sooo Hilarious.... In real life, they are 2 very in-shape MARATHON runners and it was fun seeing them as Plumped Up Tourists. They won the BEST COUPLE Costume Award and MOST CREATIVE. I hear it is ALL Doug's doing! He is a very creative guy! I especially LOVED Doug's Polaroid camera....sweet! and Lisa had all kinds of goodies in her purse. They acted like goofy tourist's all night! Watching them waddle around was sooo funny! I just love the Tueller's! Some of my most favorite people....and I mean it too.

Josh & Christi Eager were a HOOT as Napoleon Dynamite & Deb!!! They were so perfect playing up their persona's for the night! I LOVE Christi's MOM jeans and tucked so perfectly at the ankles. The Fanny Pack was sooo sweet and man oh man 100% real terry cloth shirt! That Side Pony was toooo perfect! DEB you are AWESOME!!! and Josh was GREAT. He played Napoleon to the tee! He was quoting the movie and Napoleon's mannerisms so well through the night! I just laughed looking at him. Well, we all did!

"I'll do whatever I want Gosh!!!!" Josh won the FUNNIEST COSTUME Award! He ROCKED!!!

The Spicy Senor & Senora Stephens! They were our Spanish Friends for the night! I thought we should call Sarah & Aaron... CARLOS & JUANITA for the night! I loved Carlos Manly THICK Mustache! He even had one heck of an accent! LOVED IT!!! and who doesn't just adore the fancy frock Juanita is modeling for us all tonight? That basket of fruit she is balancing like a pro on her head was my favorite part! She is so creative! I just Love Sarah! Arron's poncho is actually a table cloth that Sarah transformed into the CARLOS PONCHO!!! WOW!!!

ATTENTION!... Don't Mess with these folks! Private Jessica & Matthew Young are some pretty tough ARMY Folks! Jessica was a super cute army girl! I just love this fabulous lady! I especially LOVED her as a RED HEAD!!! I really think she should dye her hair red in real life. She looked GREAT in this color. It makes her eyes POP with color. Matthew is such a funny guy! We love sharing the street with the YOUNGS! Lucky us!

Our LOVELY Red Necks... our Trailer Trashy couple...Our Hicks for the night...Leah & Doug Davis. Ya'll know that Leah's wig was really lovely and those boots! WOW!!! Doug's Mullet was sooo AWESOME...Party in the Front & Business in the back! The Davis's are so fun to be around! We just love them to pieces and Thank Leah for the FUN PICTURES!!! You are the best! You guys make an AWESOME Trashy Couple ;) YEE-HAW!!

MoonFlower & Jethrow are feeling the LOVE to night! A.K.A. - Totally Tripped Out Leonard & Flower Powered Funky Loree... We had fun putting together these costumes. It was hard to come up with something that is fun, cool, and not break the bank. We wanted an outfit that would blow your mind! Something RADICAL, that screams FAR OUT DUDE!!! Do you Dig it? Right On!!!

~ The GUYS~

Doug and his camera!!! Hilarious!!! Josh keeping a classic Napoleon face on all night! CARLOS otherwise know as Aaron, that Stache is so thick! The other DOUG...you know business in the front and party in the back?? that is all i have to say about that! Matthew - Sir YES Sir!!! :)

Thanks guys for keeping the "Dress Code" for the PARTY!!! it wouldn't be a party without your cooperation! Now everyone in the world can laugh at you along with me :) sweet aren't I? hee hee hee!

~The GALS ~
DEB, I can't get over how identical you are yo the real DEB! Jessica, Seriously RED is your new color! ;), Leah, thanks for being the life of the party! Sarah...i mean JUANITA you rock sister! Me...GROOVY BABY! & Lisa, I want to join you on your next cruise! I am serious about that! What fun we would have, oh and bring your binoculars too ;)

I love you fun ladies! Thanks for MAKING your hubby's dress up & Thanks for being my friend! I am lucky to have such great people in my life!

~ The whole GANG ~

Don't we look like a FESTIVE BUNCH??? Ok now that our photo shoot is complete....

Let's EAT!!!!

I made Homemade Chili and Cornbread. We enjoyed The BEST CARMEL Apples Ever...Thanks again Lisa!!! Delectable Oreo Truffle Eyeballs made by Leah! Super Duper good sweet chex mix & the best homemade root beer ever by the Eagars. We enjoyed a healthy veggie tray by the Youngs. Sarah made a heavenly honey butter for the Carmel apples and a delicious pumpkin tart. I wasn't kidding about eating good food! We know how to party ;) Thanks everyone!


~GAME TIME~

We played several games and they were all soooo fun! I don't know all the official names for the games and it is late and my brain is shutting down. but all i can say is that we played and laughed til 11pm!~ that's pretty late for us old folks ;)

I made up personalized Gift Bag/Costume awards to all my friends. I tried to find out what each couple was dressing up as so I could find some fun stuff to put together for their award by me. I loved putting it all together and laughed as I thought how fun it would be to present them to each of them. I'll try to remember what I put in each one for fun.

The Stephens..."Latin Love" Costume award contained Boston BAKED BEANS, Red Hots, Hot Tamales, & a cool wwf wrestler doll in case they were trying to pull a Nacho Libre Latin love costume on me by surprise.

The Davis..."Business in the Front & Party in the Back" Costume Award contained some red neck teeth, Dum Dums, Runts & Sunflower Seeds...I feel like spitting ;)

The Youngs..."Don't Mess" Costume Award contained Bazooka gum, Bulls Eye candy, Army Action play set, & Slim Jims...cuz you have to snap into a slim jim and they seem pretty tough to me.

The Eagars..."LUCKY, gosh" costume Award contained Nerds, Pop Rocks, Chapstick, Yahoo Chocolate Drink & an army action hero toy in case anyone feels like tossing it out a car or bus window and dragging it behind while tied on a string??? might be fun :)

The Tuellers..."Oh so Mysterious" Costume award contained ( let me first say, their award is named what it is because they didn't decide what they were going to be until a few short hours before the party so I was trying to find "awards" that might fit all categories of costume possibilities) ok so this award contained a scary Halloween mask..in case they were scary. Goofy String...to cover my clown and silly categories. Airheads for obvious reasons, oh and on the package was a picture of Batman so I cover superhero's there too. & a bag of Tootsie Pops to cover any "pop culture" characters and maybe and owl too ;)

I couldn't leave my sweet man out of the Costume award goodie bag so I made one for him too.

My Lenny..."Groovy Baby" costumes award contained a BIG HUNK for obvious reasons ;). Sixlets for celebrating the 60's with me, M & M for my Macho Man, Sweetarts for his SWEET Long & lovely Locks, & lastly EXTREME sour straws.

The 3 categories in the Costume Contest where we all voted for the winners had prizes too.

The Funniest Costume won a bag of Laffy Taffy & Snickers.

The Most Creative Costume won a bag of smarties & pop ROCKS cuz they ROCK!!!

The Best Couple Costume won a glass pumpkin jar filled with chocolate and of course 100 grand bars!

I had a blast putting these prizes together and I think my friends were all so surprised to be "spotlighted" but I wanted the Zito's SPOOKTACULAR Halloween Party to live up to it's name and I think it has ;) I better start planning next years!

Thanks to all our Friends for making the Zito's Spooktacular Halloween Party a HUGE Success! We loved every minute of it and enjoyed all your company. We can't wait to do it again next year. SAME TIME, SAME PLACE right??? You can count on us! There is only one thing left to say...PEACE OUT!!!!

oh and Happy Halloween! :)

Activity Days is the BEST!!!

My Girls LOVE attending Activity Days! This month they got to make some BOOTIFUL and YUMMY Halloween goodies.

Aren't they the cutest??? i know! :)

Kaitlyn's group got to decorate their OWN CAKE....Halloween Style! She was so proud! it was delicious too!

Carly's group painted and decorated pumpkins. Carly was very creative with her cute pumpkin. She even named her pumpkin SHERBERT!!! She is so cute!

Thanks to the great teachers who share their time and talents with our girls! They love you and so do I!

Jack's Canyon Camping/Climbing Trip....and Lenny's 35th Birthday!!!

We had planned on going camping during fall break, but when we had sick kiddos, we pushed that idea on the back burner. By Friday, everyone was healthy and itching to get out of town. So as Leonard and I talked about what are we gonna do for the day we said "ahhh, what the heck lets go camping and lets get on the road soon, it is already noon." So with 1 hour of preparation and a trip to Wally World, we loaded up the truck and off we went. Everyone just wore the clothes on their back. It was going to be a "little laundry to wash when we get home" kind of camp out. just the bare essentials :) I kinda like spontaneous planning, but it does have it's draw backs....yes this is FORE SHADOWING ....dun dun duuuunnnnn.

So A CAMPING WE WILL GO!!!
We were so excited to camp on top of the Mollogon Rim at our favorite Car Camping location. (Rock Crossing Camp Ground) But the campsite was closed! WHAT????? where the heck are we gonna camp. We need a port-a-potty for the kiddos and me :) ( that is the next thing we are adding to our camping gear...our own potty so we can camp anywhere we want) any ways...our PLAN A was foiled so we decided to drive down to Jack's Canyon where we were planning on going rock climbing the next day. They have a potty and we would be closer to our Saturday Activity anyways. I was a bit surprised it was DESERT CAMPING. Booooo Hisssssss! I had my heart set on nestling our enormous tent between some pretty pine trees. Not this time. Oh well!!! Once PLAN A campsite was a bust and we drove down to the DESERT Plan B. We pretty much had to stay there because we were burning daylight with our spontaneous planning. So Desert Camping it is.... I am trying to be happy about it. I can be a stinker sometimes. :( sorry Lenny!....I didn't get any pics around the campfire Friday night. oops! It was work work work to set up camp and then we cooked hot dogs over the fire and of course roasted marshmallows. I was too cold to get my camera so you will have to imagine the FUN the Zito's had... I will share more later :)

What is this??? a CRABBY CRYING BOY???? yes it is. I feel like crying too! Just kidding :) He woke up on the wrong side of the tent this morning and he didn't want me to take his picture. I think he was COLD and TIRED!!! It was FREEZING it got down to 30 degrees at night. my teeth are chattering just thinking about it.

So here a few pics around our camp... We loved sitting around the Fire Pit. It kept us toasty and warm. We had to be pretty creative Friday night. we usually pack some card games to play and a card table, but ooops forgot them. It was dark by 6:30pm and dinner was done and we had nothing to do. Couldn't play catch the flag, too much cactus... so we put our minds to together and made up games to play. The first game we played was making up a story and then after a stentences, each person would add what they thought should happen next. it was pretty funny. Then we played a word rhyming game. WE rhymed up to 100 words in a row! We are pretty Awesome :) And our favorite was telling stories about happy memories we had as kids. It was really fun and before we knew it it was 10 pm and our fire was dying down. Looks like it's time to hit the sack.

Notice anything missing in the pic of the tent floor with all the sleeping bags??? Well for a CAR CAMPER that I am, something CRITICAL for comfort got forgotten and it was gonna be a rough night literally.... yes you guessed it. someone ( I am not naming names) accidentally forgot the camping tote with the air mattress and the paper goods like, plates, napkins, silverware, cups.... you know kinda important stuff. and it wasn't me ;) big OOOPS! We didn't know that box didn't get put in the truck after we spent the 45 minutes assembling our 12 man tent!!!! while setting up the tent, we weren't super careful to clear all the rocks from the ground since we will have a mattress to sleep on anyway. Well, after finding out the BAD NEWS. It was gonna be an interesting night. I haven't slept on the rocky ground EVER... I always have some cush. Well, lucky for me, Leonard packed his Thermarest camping pad and his super warm sleeping bag. He let me be the most comfortable. I have the best hubby ever. I actually did sleep pretty good. I need to get me one of those Thermarest pads! It was super cold and we didn't have enough warm stuff. Like I said before, it got down to 30 degrees and i was hearing teeth chattering. We all slept in our clothes and coats. We were up at 6:30am. not too bad! I was expecting everyone getting up super duper early. 8 hours of sleep ( well restless, tossing and turning sleep but with your eyes closed kind of sleep.) See that brand spanking new Coleman stove in the pic above. It was a gift for my man because......

Today is his BIRTHDAY!!! 35th to be exact :) Happy Birthday Lenny! This is a birthday camp out he would never forget! I should have made him breakfast, but instead he was so sweet and cooked us up some yummy blueberry pancakes. We had pancake sandwiches. We had to be creative for breakfast since we were missing some essential utensils. It worked out great having pancake sandwiches. They sure were tasty. Did you notice I didn't forget a birthday candle for my man. We sang him happy birthday nice and loud! I am sure the other campers appreciated our beautiful morning wake-up song. There is no more sleeping for anyone with Blake awake :)

We packed up camp and hiked down this pretty steep trail to the bottom of the canyon for some rock climbing. The girls CAN'T WAIT!!! Real Rock Climbing on REAL Rocks! Leonard takes them to the rock gym here and there and they Love it.

We made it to our climbing spot and watching our dad getting the gear ready to go.

It was a beautiful morning. It was freezing early in the morning but it was heating up quick. Back at home it was a crazy 103 degrees. We got this mean record heat this weekend. GRRRRRR~

Leonard had to remind me of all the rules of belaying and climbing lingo. I forgot alot of it. I haven't been climbing for almost 12 Years!!!! Crazy!!! This is why.......

When Leonard & I were first married, we were Rock Climbing Fools. We were living in Idaho and there were lots of great places to climb and they were close by. It was a great activity for poor college students. We used to climb 3 days a week and almost every weekend. I really enjoyed spending time with my man and enjoying this beautiful earth God made for us to enjoy. It was fun challenging your body and test your fear. Climbing was all good for me for the first 9 months of our marriage until Leonard severely broke his ankle while climbing and needed emergency surgery to keep his foot. It was sooo scary and I my love for climbing pretty much left me after that. It was a freak accident. I was belaying Leonard. He was Lead Climbing...where you place protection into cracks of the rock as you are climbing up. He was up really high on this climb that he had done dozens of times before and slipped. As he was falling, the rope stretched further than expected and his ankle smashed on a rock ledge on the way down. I was in shock. I belayed him the rest of the way down the cliff and his ankle was busted. His foot was dislocated and turned in the wrong direction. It was BAD!!!! I was freaking out for him. I was in total panic! He was so calm and had to tell me to breathe and that HE was gonna be ok. It is a miracle he made it down the mtn. That morning we were the only ones climbing and then right before this happened 2 friends showed up to climb. There were there to give Leonard a blessing and help carry Leonard down the mtn.

Miracles happened on this day. The trail to this climb is straight up and very rocky and unstable and there is only room for 1 person wide. We prayed we could get Leonard down this mtn. The Trail happened to be wide enough for 2 guys to hold Leonard in the fireman's carry down to our car. It was a miracle for sure! One that I will never forget. One I am so thankful we were able to get him down safe & get him to the hospital. I was an emotional wreck. It was so sad to see my hubby broken and in pain. It was hard because we had no family or friends for support. Just couple of Leonard's college buddies and our Bishop. Leonard received the emergency surgery he needed. He crushed his heal, dislocated and fractured his Talus bone in the ankle. It is the bone in your foot that carries the blood to the rest of your foot and allows your foot to move in circles & back and forth. He needed screws to put his foot back together. The Dr. was concerned that the bone might not heal and if the bone died, his foot would have to be amputated. the Doctor told him his injury was so severe that he would never be able to run and would always have a horrible limp when he walks. Many more miracles occurred. Leonard healed up great. He got to keep his foot, He can RUN and he loves it and does NOT have a limp. That ankle is stiff and has limited movement but is doesn't stop him at all. I am so thankful for our Heavenly Father for blessing Leonard to heal and recover so well. It was a blessing and a miracle. As soon as the cast was off and he was giving the OK to start walking again, do you know what he wanted to do right away??? YEP you guessed it. We went back to the rock! He put on his climbing shoes... ( he luckily still had his climbing shoes in one piece because when he was at the ER and getting ready to head into surgery they were going to cut his shoes off him. He said NO WAY and insisted they untie them and carefully take them off his broken and twisted foot! now that is SACRIFICE...I am telling he loved climbing so much it was worth the pain to keep his shoes in one piece! WOW) so he put on his climbing shoes and I belayed him once again. I was nervous and scared and shortly after that I found out I was expecting Kaitlyn. So no more climbing for me for a while. Then life got busy, we moved a couple times and i got out of shape. We have lived in the desert for almost 9 years now and there aren't the best climbing spots here. I was ok to let this hobby die. Leonard and I have new ones that we love. Leonard would disagree with letting climbing die. So for his birthday, we went together as a family to try it again and it was pretty fun! Leonard is very hopeful! I can see the wheels spinning in his head already. In fact I could see them spinning when I agreed to go climbing again :)

Now onto the rest of our Family Adventure...

Since it is October, the leaves were changing colors and it was soooo pretty! This is the only "FALL" I have seen this season. It was nice. This rugged rock says...CLIMB ME!!!!

Leonard climbed up this 5.4 difficulty ( for beginners) bolted sport route. He set up anchor and I belayed him back down. We are ready to climb! I would have got more pics of Lenny climbing, but I was busy taking and giving slack. I snapped a couple of him once he was anchored in safely :) He LOVES climbing and is excited to have girls who want to go and want to learn.

Kaitlyn was first up! Leonard was triple checking her gear for safety. i love that about him :)

Off she goes! Kaitlyn is a natural at this! This makes her dad so proud! Leonard took the boy scouts here to climb a few months ago and some of the boys chickened out or couldn't make it to the top. It was so exciting when she made it! She did awesome. Even in tennis shoes! Good Job Kaitlyn!

A few snapshots of the rest of us while Kaitlyn is climbing. :)

Blake loved carrying around the climbing gear! Melts Leonard's Heart I tell you :)

Carly is geared up and ready to climb! You go girl :)

The beginning is pretty tough. It is hard to find the holds! Carly did awesome! She hopes to make it to the top next time. "When my arms and legs are longer, I can make it to the top" she said.

Here is the proof! I went climbing!!!! It all started to come back to me. Climbing in jeans isn't my favorite choice, but remember....light laundry when we get home camping trip! It was awesome getting to the top! Leonard was so proud of me!

Nothing wins the heart of my man than his wife's dirty climbing hands! I love You Leonard! Happy Birthday!!!!

Jack's Canyon is a beautiful place! There are over 300 climbs to be climbed in the canyon. from beginner to advanced. Leonard can't wait to come back and go climbing again!

I love this picture of father and son! One of Leonard's dreams is taking his son on outdoor adventures. Blake is getting older :) He loves to take his daughters out too and wants them to have a deep love for adventure and outdoors like he does. I think experiences like this help develop that love!

My handsome man! Happy to have dirty climbing hands too! Thanks for your patience and love you have for us Lenny! You are such a special man! My life would not be the same without in it! It was fun celebrating your birthday doing something you love! Thanks for being you!

PS you are 35 years YOUNG!!! I can't wait to spend forever with you!

Hiking out!!! Last shot of our Camping/Climbing Adventure! It was definitely an ADVENTURE!!! That is what makes life worth living! Leonard said that taking his family climbing was his favorite birthday present! We loved spending time with you Leonard. We look forward to our next adventure together!

Fall Break Fun...Pedicures, Subs & Meatballs...oh my! :)

Oct. 12-16th was Fall Break. The girls were out of school & everyone was anxious for some capital F U N. Unfortunately, the first 2 days of break we had sick kiddos. :( Blake & Carly...ear infections, bronchitis, strep, fever. It was pretty sad. After a visit to the Dr. and some rest and medicine, the last half of the week we got out of the house to PLAY!!! Yipee!

I took the girls to get pedicures for their first time and they LOVED it! The fancy chairs with the massagers built in were pretty nice. It was a fun afternoon together. I sure have the best daughters a mom could ask for! Thanks for being great girls! I sure love hanging out with you both! :)

Oohhh, our pretty painted toesies. 3 different shades of pink! Of Course :)

It was nice having super clean and soft feet for a bit. I am a barefoot gal myself. so my feet don't stay soft for very long :) oh well, it was good while it lasted. The girls can't wait to get pedicures again. Good times!!

We also went to lunch together here...

We LOVE Krazy Subs! so delicious! the best sub sandwiched in town! fo sho!

We took the family to see this....

We LOVED it!!! It made us laugh and we can't wait to see it again.

Next we planned a Last minute Camping Trip....It was an Adventure!!!! stay posted for more...

MS BAY to BAY Tour 2009! We Did It!

Leonard and I were so excited for our next BIG ROAD BIKING ADVENTURE. We have been training for a few months and now it is time to push our limits once again and ride longer than we ever have ridden. We joined Team NetApp once again to ride the MS Bay to Bay Tour. Oct. 10 & 11, 2009. It is 150 miles from Irvine, CA to San Diego, CA in 2 days. We were part of 2,500 Cyclists riding this year and there was over 1000 volunteers, sponsors and support personal to get this going. Can you believe it? WOW! Ready or not here we go!!!

Good Morning Bright Eyes!! :) it is 5 am and we are getting ready for the ride of a lifetime. My tummy is in knots and my heart is racing. I hope I can do this! Think Positive thoughts!

I am #2443 & Leonard is #2442. The bikes are raring to go and so am I!

Meeting up with our team in the hotel lobby and then out to the parking lot where we will gather for a team pic. I will try to calm my nerves. The bottom right picture is Mike Enfield who we call "Our BIKE Guru". He barely breaks a sweat riding this 150...and will be riding a 245 mile race the following weekend...wierdo! This guy is great and is someone Leonard and I always go to for biking tips. His best advice for long rides is to "start off slow and then taper off." Gotta love Mike. Although his slow is my racing speed. :) It is still good advice especially for long distance riding.

I've had my banana and I am ready to roll. Let's go before I change my mind :)

Ahhhh, too cute! The Zito's are PUMPED!!!!

~TEAM NETAPP 2009~

We had 29 cyclists this year. We are hoping to grow Team NetApp to 100 cyclists for next year. So start training we need you!

(Some of our team members are in Carlsbad for the 30 mile distance ride. We are all doing the 100 or 150)

In the line-up. You can see the start up there. Man I have MAJOR Butterflies in my stomach. I feel them again right now as I am typing. Man that was intense for Leonard & I. My heart rate was soaring and I was just sitting there. It was crazy!

One last shot before we begin the ride of a lifetime :) SWEET!!!

This Year Team NetApp was a Gold Sponsor for the MS Bay to Bay Tour. Our Team raised over $28,000 to fight MS. Our goal was $20,000. Isn't that fantastic? There are some very generous people out there! I love it! It was amazing to be part of such an organization. It is 7:36 am and we are off. Boy oh Boy, I had no idea what I was in for??? :)

Hey, it is L & L riding the rolling hills out of Irvine. Ocean here we come!!! We laughed as we were riding the first 10+ miles because we thought they were kinda hard. Not what I am use to riding right off the bat. Here in AZ, it is F L A T!!!! The hills we ride are nothing compared to the CA rolling hills. It was fun and challenging. BRING IT BABY!

Some of the gorgeous views we got to enjoy for miles. We were right on the coast for most of the way. Then we weaved in and out of fancy and cute coastal neighborhoods. Through one city, the road was ripped up for construction and it was soooooo crappy to ride on. It was like 4 miles of body jarring and hand/bum numbing nightmare. I hated it and it lasted FOREVER. Then we were told to stop at all the lights and there are tons of them. GRRRRRR. I don't like stopping the momentum. At least the weather was great :)

Well needed lunch Break!!! I think we have ridden about 68 miles by now and these delicious Chicken burritos from Pedro's hit the spot. Thanks Pedros!!!! Sitting in some shade and relaxing for a bit! The hardest MOUNTAIN climb of my life is next and I have NO IDEA this monster was on the map for today. We have been climbing rolling hills and catching some good speed down the backside but THIS killer climb took me by surprise and I am SOOOOO happy to have it behind me. Take a look at this...

This is the route elevation graph for today. We are right at 68 miles for lunch break and getting ready to climb a serious MOUNTAIN next. Yikes! It was the hardest climb I have ever done. I did a LOT of praying and pleading to help me get to the top. If I stopped pedaling I would fall over and NOT be able to start again. I'd have to walk the whole way up and THAT WAS NOT going to happen. My legs were burning like nothing else and a few tears welled up and I was giving it all I got! I thought my heart might explode!

Robert, our Team Captain told us that his Marine Drill Sargent use to tell him that "PAIN IS WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY"...I had no idea I had so much "weakness" in me to loose! Oh ya, that thought was screaming in my head the whole time. I was just trying to breathe and stay calm. I CAN DO THIS!!!! I heard that this climb is between 11-15% grade in steepness (after the fact). Just trust me, that is steep especially for a rookie like me. The steepest hills I have trained on is 6-8% over at Usery. And it is Steep for me!!! This climb beat me up but I didn't give up and I Made It!!! WE made it!!! There was a rest stop at the top of the climb and we needed it! Major refueling required!!! Here at this rest stop my bike fell over and bent my derailer. ( lucky for me I was NOT on it! Phew - that hurts!) So when I hopped back on to ride, it was a messed up. Lucky for me they had bike mechanics there to help out. They were able to bend it back and up and riding I went. PHEW!!! that was close! I would have been crushed if my bike couldn't go on. But on it went :)

Still smiling at the LAST Rest Stop of the day! So far we have ridden 98 miles. 10 more to go!

Can you believe it! What an amazing journey. After climbing the MOUNTAIN. We were hoping for nice and flat down hills with the best tailwind pushing us along. but NOPE! We climbed more hills and it was a challenge. But it only made us stonger! My adrenaline kicked in super turbo that last 10 miles! I couldn't wait to finish and I wanted to get there FAST!!!! Leonard hopped on my tail and I lead the way to victory! SWEET!!!

Here is the proof at the finish...108 miles on day one! 9 Hours of riding including stops! Wow that is a LONG DAY! and it was Beautiful! Couldn't have asked for better weather. Although a stonger tailwind at every turn would have been enjoyable. But I am not complaining.

It's me, Loree!!! 108 miles!!! oh yeah! My only injury is a HUGE goose egg I gave myself on my right shin. I was leaving the last rest stop. We were at a stop and I started to tip over. It was scary. My one foot was still clipped in and as I was hollering like a loon as I knew I was going down and trying to get my balance and somehow the pedal whacked me in the shin, but I didn't fall. PHEW! Close one! I was pretty shaky for the next few miles. But I would rather have a goose egg than missing skin and an embarrsing fall with many witnesses.

My Cute Lenny!!! Taking a deep breath! Feeling very happy to be DONE!!! 108 is the farthest we have EVER Ridden. We are CENTURIONS for the 2nd time!!! It is so cool!!!

NetApp had their own tent with Free Sports Massages after the ride. Leonard & I LOVED ours and I really think it helped our muscles recover enough for another day of riding. Now get me back to the hotel for a shower, food, & some sleep! That would be great! :)

~DAY 2~

It's another early start. 6 hours of sleep is not the best rest but it will have to do. We have 43 miles today. Not that bad. Although I have heard we have another yucky hill to climb. It's called Torrey Pines. :( Everyone said that yesterday's climb was twice as hard. We shall see.

Here we have Leo on the left. He is the Bike Guru's brother. Leo is great and is our very own transportation man. He helped us get our luggage from point A to point B on ride days. It was great. We also had Russel as our other transportation guy. Thank you guys! We needed you! The picture on the right is our Team Captain Robert & his wife Kim Ehlbeck. They are so fun! They were kind enough to let us share a hotel room and chauffer us around. THANKS!!!

On your Mark, get set and GO! Team NetApp is off! Day 2 of riding here we go! I am toward the back in the yellow helmet and Leonard is in the top left pic clipping in. We are pumped!

Most of Team NetApp gathered together for another group shot at the rest stop before Torrey Pines climb. Time to do the GU...Chocolate please :)

I love my riding partner ;)

Check out today's Route Elevation graph. That climb looks pretty steep. I think I can, I think I can :)

I snatched this pic of the start of Torrey Pines climb. We got to enjoy some beautiful scenery before the climb. Let's do it! It was steep but luckily for me it wasn't nearly as bad as yesterdays climb. I am actually looking forward to Torrey Pines next year. I have a better idea of the distance and will crank it harder next time. Leonard was a stud on this climb. He was a power house! I was so proud of him.

L & L stopping to enjoy the view. This is the place Team NetApp stopped last year for a team pic. It's going to be a tradition from now on. Gorgeous view!

Man I love the ocean! I wish I could ride here every day! Lucky Californian's!

Last Team Pic! We ROCK! NetApp ~ We Go Further Faster!

Rest stops are my favorite :) I needed them every time :) Gotta stay hydrated no matter the cost :) It was fun riding with the team today. We are only a few miles to the finish and Robert put on some tunes for us to enjoy! Speakers in his back pockets! We were ROCKIN litterally...Robert's mix included Britney Spears, Black Eye'd Peas, but no Miley Cyrus :)

Bottom 2 pics are me and Lenny getting back on the road!

Team NetApp riding into Mission Bay! I can taste the finsh line! I think our Jersey's are so cool! I can't wait to wear it when I ride at home! Thanks NetApp!

Coming in to the Finish Line! YEEE HAW!!! I AM SO HAPPY! I DID IT!! WE DID IT!!

The last 43 miles completed today. That is a total of 151 miles in all! WOW!!!!!

The Zito's are Centurions for the 2nd time and a half ;)! SWEET! See you here next year babe!

Lenny looks AWESOME in his Cool Metal! You earned it! I am so proud of you Leonard. Thanks for being my best friend, My inspiration and partner! I love you like crazy!!!

Thumbs Up! I am sooo Happy to be wearing this metal around my neck! Leonard & I did it together every pedal stroke of the way! I wouldn't have it any other way! I get a bit choked up when I think about the Milestones we accomplished on this ride together. It was harder than any ride I have ever done and it was the most amazing ride I have ever done. I was physically pushed and mentally pushed and I am so greatful for a body that lets me do this. I am so glad to help those people suffering from MS find a cure and help those affected by it get some help. I teared up as I passed many people along the way who thanked us and cheered for us. It was amazing! I can't say it enough! WOW!!!

Here is one LAST shot of the 150 miles route mapped out on Google Earth. It is a DANG far ride. I get blown away when I zoom it and see it mile by mile. Irvine to San Diego is a LONG Way! Thanks to my Friends and family for your support. Thanks for watching my kiddos and Thanks to all the NetApp Employees and Friends who donated $$$ for this great cause. I couldn't do it with out you all! I will see you next year. Same place, same time! I know what to expect and I can't wait to start training!