Sarah Smile: It's Good To Be Home

Since January of this year until the end of the race season I had spent less then 3 weeks total at home with my family. For someone who cherishes family as much as me, it can get pretty lonely and if it weren’t for my other two “families,” the Hausers and the Jungs out in California, I’m not sure what I’d do. But since I have been home for a couple of months (only taking a few trips here and there), and I have been able to spend some good quality time with those closest to me.

After losing one of my Grandmothers, who was my biggest fan and supporter, last year at this time, I have been making a point to visit my other set of Grandparents as much as possible. I love listening to my Grandpa tell stories from when he was a kid and getting into trouble. Just last week I helped my Grandma bake four pies for Thanksgiving. Like most Grandmas, she’s like James Stewart in a kitchen, and I am like the guy who can’t let out the clutch in order to take off. It definitely took longer than it would have if she had just made them herself, but she was patient with me and it was great to learn from a pro. I swear if I could live on just her apple pie, I would. It is that good.

I have also been trying to play the supportive sister role since my brothers are always so supportive of me. My older brother Terry, who shattered his femur a few years ago, has veered away from his motocross roots and started racing off road. Although I tease him endlessly for his big gas tank (I’m embarrassed to drive in a truck with it in the back), I have to admit that in the one race I did with him, it sucked having to make a pit stop for gas. And while I have been able to beat him on a motocross track for quite some time now, he has really adapted to the woods and can finally beat me at something again. A lesser man would have been mad that even though he smoked me that day, people were still coming over for my autograph. But he just waited for the drive home to ask me to hold his trophy every time I opened my big mouth (I didn’t get a trophy that day). We went to his awards banquet a couple weeks ago and I didn’t even give him (much of) a hard time about driving for 3 hours and sitting for 4 and not even get an award myself. Now I know why I can never find a date to any of my awards banquets (yes, I’m blaming it on them being so boring). All joking aside I really am proud of him and was happy to be there for him.

Now Ben, my younger brother, hates bikes and would rather get punched in the face than race, literally. He had his first two MMA fights this fall and it has been so great training with him and going to watch. Though I must say I was more nervous watching him than I have ever been while sitting on any starting line in my life! He may be my little brother, but I’m not about to tease him like I do Terry, mostly because he will kick my butt if I do! I keep telling my mom that if she would have just bought us boxing gloves as kids and let us wail on each other we would have all gotten along a lot better!

So I’m sorry that I haven’t updated my blog lately, but it’s been nice to kind of sit back and enjoy my family I never get to see. I love summer time and the fast pace of race season, but nothing beats the Holidays and spending time with family!