14 Photos of My Life Right Now (and Yes, that’s Me with All the Kids on the Airplane!)

I got this one from Mom’s Instagram. She wrote, “Iron Dog Race today! World’s longest, toughest snowmachine race; 2000 miles across extreme Alaska terrain, indescribably tough conditions… Todd’s 25th year running.”
I know it must be nerve-wracking for mom to see Dad off like this. As Kevin Scholla writes on SarahPalin.com, “Suspension problems are common. Extreme cold leads to brittle parts. That, mixed with excessive abuse and the additional weight from gear, translates into a recipe for parts failing. Other racers will run out of fuel.The diverse geography and varying weather conditions encountered by racers will prove to be challenging. While the Iron Dog is mostly a snow event, there are also large open plains with little or no snow. There’s one stretch where the trees are so close together, racers might only have the benefit of ten feet of visibility. Elsewhere, ice slides must be climbed. Strong side hilling skills are required of the Iron Dog teams.”