Monumentour

A heck of a good show! 

 

He finally convinced her to try!

Wow. Just wow.

Today the high school Nordic team held a fundraising car wash.  What a great team!  They worked hard, made some money, and had fun at the same time.  As soon as this car pulled in, we could tell there was something different about it.  Turns out, it was a Maserati!  I've never even seen one before; they're just way too expensive for anyone who lives around here to be able to afford.  The driver was very polite, very appreciative of the care that they took with his car, and even gave them a bonus tip before he drove away.  I kinda wish that I could have touched it too.  They're pretty lucky!

Proud to be Panthers!

Today was the first meet of the season.  They were all happy with their performances in each of their events, although they have decided to try some different events at the next meet.  It's all part of the learning process; learning what they prefer to do, and learning where their strengths lie.  They're very content to be a part of this great team and we're looking forward to the rest of the season!

Nomad Trail Race #2

This evening I ran my first trail race.  I completely underestimated how hard it would be!

The course was 5 miles long, and as you can see from the elevations, it was extremely hilly...

It was held at Roberts Farm, where the cross-country running and skiing teams hold their practices.

I have a whole new respect for those kiddos!

Bacon Bourbon Cupcake

My friend knows that I'm always willing to try unusual food, so she brought me one of these cupcakes to try, promising that I wouldn't believe how good they were until I tried one.  I was a bit skeptical, but she was so right!  Unbelievably delicious. The flavors meld together perfectly, and you can't even taste the bacon.  She bought them from our favorite bakery, Rising Sun, and told me that they were sold out within minutes.  If you ever see these at your local bakery, you have to try one!

Our runs together just got awesome!

I took her to Nooksack Racing Supply for a custom made racing harness, bungee lead, and waist-belt for me to wear.  Now, she can pull to her heart's content and never hurt herself, and I can run hands free!  I have seen such an improvement in her behavior, that I know she loves running with us.  She's also happy to be able to spend so much more time with us.  That makes us happy too.

Almost Perfect Grades

This kid continues to amaze us!  He had such an incredible Freshman year.

We can't wait to see what new challenges he tackles as he continues his high school career.

Where's Amber?

Oh, there she is!

Rancourt's Run 5k for Special Olympics

We ran our first race with Amber this morning.  She loved it!  A big crowd full of 'friends that she hasn't met yet' was so exciting, and then actually getting to run with all of them?!  Well, "Hang on, Mom!  We've got to catch those guys up front!!"  I've never run so fast in my life, trying to keep up with her for that first mile...

Our youngest daughter was running with us and she couldn't believe the pace.  Unfortunately, she developed a stitch in her side, so needed to walk for a while.  Amber and I slowed down to keep her company.  Once she felt better, she took Amber from me and ran ahead...I caught up with her sister, who was walking because she had 3 stitches under her ribs and in her belly!  Ouch.  I didn't mind walking with her at all, because that meant I could take my phone out of my armband and snap photos of our family running past us at the turnaround point.

One of the reasons that we were looking forward to this race was it was going to be the first time that big brother would compete against our very athletic, competitive neighbor.  He rides miles and miles on his bike and competes in those race, not often in running races.  But, when he does run, he's fast.  So, we were all anxious to see how they would fare...and here they are leading the race, even after missing the turnaround point, and pushing to get back in front of the pack!  The guys that had stolen the lead from them were laughing as they watched them push really hard to get by them again...

About a dozen runners later we spotted her running along behind the eventual female winner.  She told her father later, "You told me to kick butt.  So I did!"  Gotta love that confidence.

Leading Amber had given her quite a boost and she had opened up a long lead in front of us, but she was all done once Amber saw me...she just had to go to Mom!  So, the sisters traded and another girl took off running with the dog...

Family Fitness

Just as soon as I got home from work, we grabbed bikes or running sneakers and hit the road.  Boy. The hills around here are tough! But, it doesn't feel like work when it's so much fun exercising together!

Pickin' Wildflowers

An Unwelcome Reminder

Last archery lesson for the season...

And, I'm not sure who enjoyed it more - Amber because it was held outdoors so she got to go watch instead of staying home; Li'l Brother because he was allowed up on top; or me, because the weather was just perfect for relaxing and visiting.  We're sad that there won't be any more lessons until fall, but glad that we were able to sneak in just one more last night!