A family to grow with

My kids are not kids anymore. My son turns 26 and my daughter 21 today and is that hard to believe. As yoga girl, my mom and myself sit here and watch home movies from 20 years ago it just doesn't seem to be that far away in time. But it is 2010 and we are getting along in life and growing into the empty house, which is not so empty now.
Yoga girl is well, doing yoga and doing great. My good fortune is to have rekindled my love affair with cycling. It is a good life we have and the only thing that really amuses me as well as frustrates me is the muscle response of this age I am.
Any way I digress. My kids were and are such a huge part of my life. With out them the wife and I wouldn't have moved to Portland for a better life in the late 80's. We wouldn't have been so involved in youth groups and band and such therefore we ourselves wouldn't have grown together as a couple and a family. Thank G-D for my kids.
Both kids are following their own paths and successful at it; both kids are strong willed and will be victorious in life because of their strength which they in-turn gleaned from us as a couple. My son recently sent me a copy of "Lance Armstrong's war" which he found in a used book store. In it he inscribed,"Always push 'till the last. Thanks for imparting in me the will to struggle for excellence".
I know I wasn't there all the time, as a dad I worked 70 to 90 hours a week for years just to make it happen for the fam. The wife did most of the domestic stuff, you know, baking seasonal cookies, getting the kids ready for their respective school activities and such. But they got time with dad by spending a day with me at work now and again. That was a big deal for me but I put them to work, so maybe not a good deal for them.
I guess bottom line is we are the norm in family life. We worked hard to raise good kids. We made them excel in the areas they were good at and supported them in the things they loved...and still do. So in essence we grew up into who we are now by bringing our children up to be adults.
If I pass you on the road stop at Peets, because your buying.
PS this looks to be a great season with lots of 'dog fights' in the pros. If you didn't catch any of the race in Aussie land then you missed some interesting stuff. Check out Versus TV channel for the February and March broadcasts, I am stoked about this year!