Off to a Great Start!

 Coach JG really thinks our varsity xc team can be number 1 in the State. He's excited that he finally has a group of athletes who believe they can do it too. Since he has waaay more expertise in this than I do, I believe he is correct, but I also don't know exactly how the progression works in a runner's body with training and timing. I do know, and have seen among many people, injuries, falling out, and pure exhaustion. While I have faith and hope in these boys, I have to admit that I have a lot of fear too. Fear that now that we have so much potential, can we live up to it? How much assurity can I put behind it when one small, or large, injury can make all the difference and then all hopse are dashed to pieces? That's the case, for me, with our team and with Austin, he being the number 1 runner on our team. 

This is in the school hallway. As we said before, Austin's PR is the 4th best in our school history!

The funny thing is, I don't think he feels the pressure like I think he might, but I feel it! Jason said it perfectly when he said that Austin is like a duck with water off it's back. He's just really calm and relaxed about it. Nothing gets to his head. 

With this power team year, Coach started things off differently. He held his first xc camp a few weeks ago, at the end of summer break. He had openings for 10 athletes. Most of the fastest were able to attend, but there were a couple of openings that weren't filled by other varisty athletes, so Erik got to attend, which worked out nicely since Jason helped plan and carry it out. He was also a chaperone. 

They got to ride on a ferry to Beaver Island, where the camp was held.

They stayed here.

The weekend of the camp was the weekend of the first meet in the area, so our boys didn't run that, nor did they run any other meet in the couple weeks after. The first meet our varsity runners competed in was on Friday, the 11th, at the Spartan Invitational, at Michigan State. It's a pretty big meet with multiple races, inlcuding college level, which also means more college coaches attend it. There were even runners from Tennessee! Since our varsity boys are pretty fast this year, they qualified to enter into the elite race. The meet was at noon on Friday. Since I had the excuse of work and was sure my nerves wouldn't allow me to relax, I decided to use work as an excuse and stay back from the meet. (It's almost 2 hours away, so it wasn't like I could even drive over real quick if I changed my mind). With Austin being injured most of track season and this being his first race of this season, I just didn't know what to expect.  

Turns out that Austin ran really well! He came in 8th with a 16:01. The course they ran on was a tough one. Apparently, the courses have rankings on toughness, so if he ran what he did on a different course, it would have been a faster time. His team came in 3rd, earning themselves a trophy! They could have come in first, if one of their runners didn't get a foot cramp and drop out, but we're happy it was only a cramp and not an injury! Austin was approached by the coach of Wayne State University. He was impressed with Austin's performance and gave him his card.

Sam and Austin got individual medals and hats. 

Austin's making a funny face here for our friends who are very big Spartan fans and do not like U of M. Our family is more of a U of M family because Jason got his masters there, but we're fine with Michigan State. We're just teasing them because of all the Spartan awards here!

The next day was the rest of the team's first meet of the season at our annual Rambling Rock at which our team hosts. So it meant a lot of work for us, but it's fine. Jason helped man the sound system with the generator that we brought. He also helped with t-shirt sales. I was on flag duty, as I have been for the past handful of meets at Willow Metropark, so I just watch the runners go by and move the flags over for the final chute for them to cross the finish line. I probably said this before, but I really like this job because I get to see everyone go by, cheer them on, and still see my own runners. I always bring my bike so I can hop on and ride over to the hill to cheer on at a tough spot and still get back to my post in time. 

This was Erik's first highschool meet. I wasn't nervous for him because he doesn't carry the pressure of the fastest yet, but he did prove himself in the freshman race coming in 2nd with a 19.01, a PR for him. He was more than a full minute ahead of the guy behind him. Coach was happy with Erik's debut run!

He was neck and neck with a number 1 most of the race. 

Number 1 changed, though.

On his own for the end!

So, looks like we're off to a great start this season. I will try to keep my nerves in check for Austin's races and keep making lots of food for my boys to consume all the good calories they need.

Goodbye Summer, Hello School Year

Our district moved the start of the school year by one week for this year, and maybe every year after. I don't know, I haven't looked that far. All I know is that this year we started the week before Labor Day as opposed to the day after. I think it's great for this year since Labor Day is a week into September and then we can start our Winter Break a week earlier and Summer Break a week earlier. I don't like when everything is so late since most of the country goes back so much earlier than us anyway. It is a strange, however, that we had 4 days of school and now we have 4 days off, with Friday being off for the long weekend. It was almost just a little taste of school before we really start. Especially because we had some crazy hot weather last week and then some crazy thunder storms. The highschool kids were sent home after only a couple of hours on Thursday because some of the cooling systems weren't working (and it felt like 103 that day) and then an elementary school was cancelled on Friday because they lost all power. Cross country practice was all screwed up with the heat and Coach let the guys pile in his car after they were halfway through their run on Wednesday, due to the heat, and then he paid for a couple of them to go to the Summit and use the treadmills on Thursday. Friday was the day of tornado sirens and torrential rain and wind in the afternoon, which also slightly affected xc training. 

The torrential downpour.

A branch that promptly fell.

A chair blew off our porch.

I majorly digressed. School. Austin's a senior and Erik's a freshman, so they're both at the HS doing the same sports and starting seminary together on Tuesday. That will make my life a little easier with them driving everywhere together. In my new free time, instead of taking Erik to soccer, when I return from work, I will be doing my usual errands and then making tons of nutritious food for Austin. He runs about 60 miles a week and needs to eat so many calories! We want him to have good calories, so I make good, hearty dinners most days, am back to making his breakfast burritos in bulk, making everyone's favorite banana muffins, and will make some rice and bean dishes for his after practice snacks. I'll probably start making homemade granola, too, for his yogurt evening snacks. Erik's eating protein pasta and loves those banana muffins and likes yogurt again. He should have time to eat his breakfast sandwiches before/during seminary. He likes a regular breakfast sandwhich, but no melted cheese.

 A new rice and bean recipe.

My senior, looking less-happy than he should for the beginning of his senior year. He is happy for senior year, just doesn't always smile with his teeth.

Freshman year!

Kade's back in his second year at Schoolcraft and taking trig, archeology, and an English class. He's hoping to be a manager at Zumiez soon. Victoria moves into her apartment next week and will start her junior year, or maybe continue on with it, depending on how many credits she has. She's excited to get back into it! 

Ready for Schoolcraft!

All of them have had some fun adventures this very weekend. Victoria was at the Oregon coast with Coles's family and then went camping in northern CA. Austin went to the MI vs Western MI football game yesterday (if you don't know about that outcome, look it up!!) Kade took a quick flight to Orlando for a friend's birthday. He was there for a day. Erik went swimmng with friends, watched the BYU game at another friend's house, and made his fantasy football team with friends. He and Austin have already been to some HS football and soccer games, in between the storms. 

Oregon Coast starfish find.

Camping cuties.

I wasn't with Erik for his activities to document, but I got this one at home!

And here are both Austin and Erik at XC camp a couple weeks ago.

At Hollywood Studios in Orlando.

Some of the party friends.

Before the game.

We've only had 4 days of school and I feel like the action hasn't stopped! I still love my 4.5 hours each day with my preschoolers. It's a great way to spend my mornings! Jason's still commuting farther for his position right now. He's excited especially for the first xc meets this weekend. He gets to take off work to see Austin run at the Spartan invitational on Friday!

11th year at Red Bell!

Westward Bound!

Probably back in February or March,  Victoria decided that she wanted to end her mission early and go back to BYUI in the fall. She felt good about her decision and I fully supported her. Missionary work is hard, no matter what you're doing or where you're serving. I think being a service missionary has some aspects that are harder than a proselyting mission and vice versa.  Though she ended her mission on fire (so many connections with the proselyting missionaries and the friends they were teaching together), there were many ups and downs that we got to witness first hand. I was privileged to be a part of them, but also relieved to be off the emotional roller-coaster of so many highs and lows of a missionary. I believe that she experienced the full gamut of a full 18-month mission in her year service as a missionary. She touched so many lives and had so many incredible experiences.  

Plans were set and she registered for school, applied for her apartment complex, and even made some preliminary job searches.  Her friend, and x-boyfriend, had been messaging her more frequently, since you're allowed to on a service mission, and invited her to vacation with his family on the Oregon coast in August. Kade and I were already planning on going out to hike Mt. Timp this summer,  so we set the date for that. My mom found an opening in my brother's Airbnb at Bear Lake for when we were to be there.  I invited Victoria's friend Cole to come with us before she joined his family.  Kade's friend CJ was able to join us as well. 

Austin and Erik had to stay behind for official xc practices,  so Jason stayed with them. Victoria, Kade,  and I left on a Friday and drove 2-12 hour days. We decided it's our new favorite way to travel to Utah, No more 2 1/2 day trips, unless we have to work around something. 

We visited with my mom and Jim on Sunday, as well as visited Blake's gravesite, went for a practice hike, visited the MTC grounds, went to church, and had dinner at Derek and Missy's. We left at 2:30 am for our hike up Mt. Timp so we could beat the heat.

There's usually Blake's favorite drink at his site. 

Bridal Veil Falls

Most of Derek's kids.

 We had to park at the Aspen Grove trailhead as oppsed to Timpooneke, where I have most recently hiked from and Victoria has only hiked from there. The Aspen Grove trail is said to be a little more scenic, a little tougher at the beginning, but like a mile or two shorter, so we were happy with that. Victoria did a fantastic job leading us in the the dark, though we had borrowed flashilights from Derek, we still had to pay attention because everything in the surrounding area was completely dark. We ran into a little hiccup after it had started to get light, but there was a fork in the trail. I was at the back and wasn't asked my opinion, but Kade and Victoria conuslted the trails ap and seemed to feel confident that we were continuing in the right direction. I think about 2 times I asked them if they were sure, because it didn't seem right to me. We finally saw some other hikers and asked them. It turned out we chose the wrong way and were going back down the Timpooneke trail! I think we went about 2-3 miles extra! It wasn't very helpful because Kade was feeling nauseous pretty much the whole time and couldn't eat anything nor drink much, so we were slow going. We thought maybe it was the altitude. We stoped at the little lake for a while for Kade to soak his feet in the freezing water. Then we hiked the hardest, rocky part. I wasn't sure if we would have time to make it up before some of us ran out of water. I also wasn't sure Kade would make it because of how bad he felt. Victoria zipped ahead. When Kade and I made it to the saddle, Victoria was lying down, chilling. We looked at the view for a while, which is the very same view as the summit, so we decided to forego the last 30 minutes of the balancing act at the tiptop as start back down.

 

The lake!

Unbeknownst to me, Victoria had been wheezing when she arrived at the top, so she took 2 puffs of her inhaler, which made her nauseous. So, while we were going down and Kade was gradually feeling better and better, Victoria was vomiting the whole way down. She couldn't keep anything down, the sun was out (luckily not as scorching as I thought it would be), and we were creeping back down. I'm acutally amazed she even made it down. Her body was shaking due to the strain of climbing over rocks, using her muscles to slow her down, and the constant walking down a moutain while totally dehydrated. We didn't take a wrong turn going down, luckily, and ended up making it down by three. We had started at 3am. So it was a 12-hour hike!! Tradition in the past has been to stop at In-and-Out after hiking Timp, but neither one of them wanted to eat, so I stopped by the grocery store and picked up some gingerale and sprite. We showered, rested , and watched a movie afterwards. By the next morning, Victoria was fine and Kade was much better, but still a little nauseous, something which contiuned our entire 10 days away. He made an appoinment to see the doctor the day after we returend because we low-key thought he had cyclosporiasis, but the first day he woke up in Michigan he felt totally fine and has been fine ever since. Go figure!

Mt. goat family

Kade found a snake!

We did some things around Orem, including finishing up details on the car Grandma Pat gave to Victoria for school (thanks Gma!) and to get ready to go to Bear Lake the next morning.

A visit with Emily at Gma's.

We walked around the mall and found this cool store that was up Kade's ally.

Victoria's car on the left and Gma's on the right. Notice the M!!

Wednesday we left for Bear Lake, in 3 different vehicles. My mom and Jim, me with Kade and CJ, and Victoria who made a stop in Logan to pick up Cole from his sister's apartment. 

This time at Bear Lake we mostly played games, soaked in the hot tub, played in the lake on the paddleboards/kayaks, the swimming pool by the beach, and then boating on the final day. The people who joined us this year were my group, plus my cousin Preston and his wife and kids, including his oldest's boyfriend, my Uncle Craig and Aunt Jill, my mom's best friend from her 20s and her husband, and then Derek came up for the last evening/day with his youngest, Izaak, and Karina's youngest, Nik. A couple of my mom's cousins came for a short visit, which was nice. The weather was pretty chilly and rainy on the first day, so it was nice to be inside part of the time. 

Here's a photo dump with some explanations on some of them. FYI, Victoria and Cole are no longer exes....

Kade and CJ's reunion!

Victoria and Cole's reunion! 

Raspberry shakes!

Cousins!

Kade and CJ and Victoria and Cole on the paddleboards/ kayaks.

More shakes!

Card games!

Lorraine and Whitney

Nik and Izaak!

Victoria wakeboarding

Kade wake surfing

Somebody tubing!

Final night!

We left early Sunday morning to take CJ back to her place. Victoria and Cole had left the night before to go to Logan to his sister's before they headed out on Sunday to his familiy's in Northern CA. Kade and I visited with Karina and some of her family, which was nice. Dan wants to get different graffiti tags on the fence in their yard. When he discovered that Kade has his own tag, he gave Kade the spray paint and Kade was all over it! We went to lunch afterwards, though Kade stayed at their house to rest before our long drive back. Remember, he was nauseous every day until we returned to MI. 

Like a pro!

Kade and I had to make it a 2 1/2/ day trip back because of leaving Sunday afternoon, but it was worth it!