Highlights

A few past highlights from the spring/summer:

1.  Playing Soccer

My friend from high school contacted me to play on an outdoor league.  Jared was still working long hours but the games were at 4:30 Saturdays so I figured he'd be done by then.  So I said yes!  It was so fun!  It really rejuvenated my love for soccer again!  I also played indoor.  Now, it was the Master's League which is 30+ but used to be 40+ so I'm one of the youngins but I LOVE it!  

2.  Trivia Night at Cavanaugh Bay Priest Lake

This is the score board for proof that we won Trivia Night!

We are the Outlet Observers

The Team!

Clancy, Kiely, Susie, me, and Dad

3.  Swimming Kiddos!

They both LOVE the water.  This summer was so fun!

4.  Fishing!

Hudson asks to go fishing every time he's at the lake now.  Pops is in fishing heaven!

5.  Haak/Bierlink Family Time

We love our cousins!

Ring-around-the-rosie

We were blessed to make the annual Bierlink reunion in Quincy again this year.
We also had multiple visits to Sunnyside.  We love our family!

6.  Combine Harvester!

Hudson rode in our farmer's combine for the first time this year!  It was a very exciting day!

7.  Potty Training Hannah, attempting to

She liked the under ware, she LOVED the treats, she liked sitting on the potty watching "Hi Ho" but she didn't want to release on the potty.  Oh well, next time.

8.  Ear infections

Since Hudson LOVED the water so much this summer, that meant swimmers ear.  I believe he had it in early July but we didn't discover it until mid August.  Needless to say we've had a lot of "show" time waiting for the drops to filter in each ear-15 minutes each side, 3 times a day. 

9.  Sports Camps

This year Hudson did a Skyhawks mini camp where they focussed on baseball, basketball and soccer.

He came home wanting to practice every day!  He loved it!

10.  Time with Friends

We said good bye to some college friends this summer.  We will miss you Nolands!

11.  Neighborhood Shenanigans 

Swimming!

Truck rides

The older girls in the neighborhood opened up a spa.  Hannah had her nails done.  5 cents. 

12.  Running

A friend messaged me early spring about a new half marathon sponsored by Athleta.  I signed up with a nice discount and was excited for a goal.  The bonus was I started running with my friend and previous teaching partner Daneenie.  It has been so nice to catch up.

We met early, I mean early.  I was up most running mornings by 4:30, sometimes 4:10.  She lives by the centennial trail so we ran that together mostly.  Daneen was amazing and had previously run a half marathon, so she planned our mileage and courses.  It was just what I needed to accomplish this goal.  Plus I just loved catching up and seeing her weekly.

Here we are running the Sundae on Sunday 10 miler.
Three Good University El friends: Daneen, Rose and I.

The ice cream was soo good!  Ben & Jerrys!

That ice cream was well deserved with a painful hill the last mile.  Ugh.  I can't wait for next year!

Apparently this is a "goo" and doesn't' stand for GU-Gonzaga.  Daneen told me to pick up some goo, and I bought another brand and told her I didn't see the "Goo" brand.  Well it's spelled GU and has Gonzaga colors!  LOL.  Total Katie moment....

Glow Run-Brand new 5k in Spokane this year

Athleta Half Marathon

Happy Girls Trail Run-13.1

Now I' not a fast runner, I do it purely for sanity and my quiet time where I'm not listening to Veggie Tales and hearing "Mom" every minute or two.  I've always loved running but wasn't able to run consistently because Jared was out of town but now with his new job, I was able to commit.  

You were able to put yourself in a wave.  I chose 2B because it was a 10.5 mile pace.  I figured this is a good place to start.  I can always go faster or slower.

So I ran with my handsome pacer, in his kilt.  But don't worry, he had shorts on underneath:).

It was a brutal course.  It started on the centennial trail by SFCC but then went off road.  I knew there were trails but wow.  It was like a dear trail along the side of the river.  Rocks were everywhere and I had focus on my footing so I didn't trip.  My foot caught a good 5+ times but I didn't actually fall.  It was crazy steep hills, rock trails, narrow dirt paths with cliffs along the river.  Daneen thinks it was more than half of the race was in single file trails.  

Some girls were competitive, as am I, but they were trying to pass on these single file trails.  It wasn't working so well.  The boulders, slate rocks slowed us down.  Plus there wasn't much opportunity to pass and often times it was too dangerous.  I didn't enjoy the scenery, and it was gorgeous, because my eyes were on my feet so I wouldn't trip, roll into rocks.  There was one chick I saw with a head wrap who had fallen pretty bad.  I then slowed down.  At multiple points you had to walk up the steep, rocky hills.  The river was gorgeous and peaceful.  I knew we were down low which meant going uphill.  I finally figured out the mile markers around mile 9.  Mile 10 was a hill only this made the Sundae Sunday hill look like a pansy!  This thing went on forever!  There were a few signs at the top of the hill:  Channing Tatum is up ahead keep running!; Stampede behind you keep going!; and Smile if you peed a little, opps!  It was nice to have some humor while running.  Daneenie always tells me "Slow and steady wins the race" so I kept saying that over and over.   Unfortunately the last 3 miles were pretty much hills.  I knew I was getting close and a lady was passing out water said "You're almost there, last mile is down the hill."  Liar!  It was downhill but then another brutal last hill back up to SFCC.  Ugh. 

But I made it.  I caught put to a girl I was chatting with before the race started and we ended up finishing together. 

I see why alcohol is needed, it was brutal.  A lot of my runner friends said it was the most challenging course they've ever run.  

Do something everyday that challenges you!

Although I held the beer proudly in my picture, I just wanted water!  Now that I've processed the course, I kinda want to do it again next year, only faster!  I'd also like to do the Winderemere which is downhill and on pavement.  That sounds like a dream!

Now that's over, I miss my Daneenie mornings.  We plan to run Saturdays until ski season hits:).  I have loved the goal and the determination/commitment this race made me have.