Soelden, Austria

It's clear, crisp. My eye caught a meteor before walking into breakfast. A sliver moon is just bright enough to outline the Tyrolean tips. Time for a coffee.

The sun won't be up for another hour. You can already see a snaking band of headlights winding up the glacier. We're rapidly leap frogging the line. New women's Tech Head Coach Roland Pfeifer is driving. Lindsey Vonn wishes us Guten Morgen…her voice on Austria's Hitradio. Seconds later, we pass a barn sized Volkl poster of Julia Mancuso.

Strip away all that is the World Cup and this remains a special valley. Sentinel white peaks bear hug a fertile farming floor split clean by the Otztaler Ache river that can only be described as berg blue. I would love to see it in summer.

The U.S. Ski Team has always felt comfortable here, but never so much as we do this year. For the first time in the 14 years of opening the World Cup season in Soelden, an Austrian is not on the race poster. Bode Miller is. Welcome to the new European home of the U.S. Ski Team.

It's race day in Soelden. I feel it in my stomach.

Gwen gets inverted!

Oh yes, our little one is destined for days of lapping the park and pipe, but will it be on skis or a snowboard. Stay tuned...

7 months

Gwenny hit the 7 month mark last week. I've been very excited about this one because of all the fun fall pics I get to take. We had some fun playing with Gwen in the backyard this week. She loves the leaves!

But before I show you the new photos, an update:

I've been back to work for just about a month now and Gwen has dealt with the transition beautifully. We are having a friend watch her during the day and couldn't be more pleased with how it's been going. Of course we miss her and can't wait to see her after the work day is done, but the smiles we get when we go to pick her up are just so heartwarming.

Gwen is now full into solid foods. She likes most everything we give her, but some specific favorites are peaches and mango. I'm getting the feeling that carrots are topping the list of foods she'd rather we not serve her.

As far as movement, she is desperately wanting to crawl, but can't seem to quite get it. Frustrating for her, sadly, but good for mommy and daddy as it buys us some more time for babyproofing the house!

Looking forward to October and all the wonderful things that it brings: apples, pumpkins, Halloween costumes and fires in the woodstove.