Ravens Won!

 Middle School soccer season is a short one. Alex didn't let me know he was playing until the week before practice started. They started in October and the city championship was tonight. For the first time ever the Robinson Ravens won the city trophy. Not only did they finish first they had a perfect 7-0 season.

Alex played varsity defense and had a lot of good plays and a few that made us shake our heads. He played with confidence and had the support of his team. This was a fun group of  boys to watch and I am so proud of all of them! 

Thanks Ravens, that was a fun ride! 8th grade is going fast, slow down a bit! 

Salina CrossRoads Race Review

Yesterday I ran the Salina Crossroads Half Marathon with some of my running friends. It was a great weekend of running and talking about running. We all agreed it needs to become a yearly thing.

Because of the long runs I did with Laura and Aron, I met my goal for this race. I wanted a 2:19 time or better. My gun time was 2:18:04, and my chip time was 2:16:06. The chip time is what I care about most because that’s when I actually crossed the start line. Since it was such a big race, it took me almost two minutes to start after the starting gun was fired.

My chip pace was 10:23, which is my best in recent memory. The temperature was cool, and it didn’t get windy until about an hour in. That’s pretty good because I was afraid it would be windy the entire time. Because I never bothered to look at the elevation chart, I was very surprised by one big hill and one long hill during the race. The funny part about the huge hill in the middle of the race was that they had bagpipers at the top of it. It felt like we were going into battle in Scotland.

Salina did a great job hosting a fun half marathon. The line for breakfast pizza was too long, but I did enjoy my slice of pie.

This was my last half of 2025, and I’m glad I was so happy with my race!

I always love a race with a free finish line photo!

The running gang 

One of my favorite hobbies is talking Kayleigh into half marathons!

I almost never take pictures mid race but this mural on the grain elevator made me get my phone out!

I'm so glad this race was Saturday and not Sunday. We beat the cold by one day!

New Stadium and New Deck!

Started November off with my first KU football game at the new Memorial Stadium. KU played OSU, and they got the win! It was such a fun atmosphere, and I think OSU fans are the best in the Big 12. We all cheered for our teams and no one got rude. We had OSU fans in front of us and to our left, and everyone was fun to be around.

The last game the boys and I went to was in Stillwater, and the Cowboys came away with the W. They were still so nice and gracious.

Of course, half the fun is the band, mascots, and cheer teams. I think there was something for everyone, and we all had a good time.

Our deck has been built for a while now, but we finally got the last coat of stain on it, and I really like how it turned out. It’s not a huge visible difference, but now you won’t fall through it because of rotten boards. Yay!

Enjoy today and tomorrow, it’s going to get cold in Kansas on Sunday!

I will cut in front of some kids to get a picture of Baby Jay!

First smores at the new house!

New Deck, it is solid! 

October Goals and Costumes!

It is the last day of the month, spooky day, and I am happy with my October goal progress! There are only two months left so it is time to start finishing some things up. 

Fall is a crazy time at work and I think it is very interesting that I get the most done when I'm busy. In February I ran 15 miles, this month I ran 81! Even if I could only be on the treadmill for an entire month, 15 miles is not enough. LOL 

Hope everyone had a great Halloween, I'm excited to see what kind of Trick Or Treater turnout our new neighborhood has. All five of our kids are dressing up. I missed a picture of Aaron. Alex sent his monkey picture to me and Daryl's... I stole...from Instagram. 😉

Read 24 Books 19/24

Finished three books in October!  Back on track with my reading goal. 

The Light We Lost, by Jill Santopolo was a book recommended by my library’s email newsletter, and they don’t usually disappoint. The book was well-written and follows two college students in New York City during the 9/11 terrorist attack. It’s one of those fictional love stories that left me frustrated with the female lead. The ending was interesting, but if you’re looking for a story where the woman doesn’t chase after a man who doesn’t deserve her, this isn’t the one for you. LOL

The Book of Polly by Kathy Hepinstall gave me strong-woman vibes in spades! This fictional story about a daughter and her older mother (Polly was 50 when she had Willow) is both funny and heartfelt. Their generational clashes are hilarious, and Willow’s love for her mother is touching. I picked up this book at the Lawrence Public Library book sale and loved it from start to finish. Highly recommend!

My books just got better and better as the month went on. My last book for the month I read in four days! Anxious People by Fredrik Backman This book is so popular it’s already being made into a movie. Backman also wrote A Man Called Ove, and I loved that film (A Man Called Otto). I never read the book, but if it’s as good as Anxious People, I bet I’d fly through it.

There are ten different characters and ten different storylines, all wrapped up into a beautiful bow. I probably would have cried at the end if I hadn’t been sitting in a doctor’s office. I even took a picture of the last page because I want to read it over and over again.

I checked this one out from the Topeka Library, but I’ll probably buy it when I see it, my shelf needs this one. My favorite line of the book, "Worst hostages ever..."

Run 650 Miles 549/650

I ran 81 miles this month!! I have a half marathon in two weeks so I got in some serious training miles. I'm only 101 miles away from my goal. Not bad for a very slow start to the year, running wise. 

Money Goals

Fund 3-6 month ER Fund- Done April 2025! Yay for selling my house! 

Pay off Car - Done April 2025! Yay for selling my house! 

UFOs (unfinished objects) that need Finished 

T-Shirt Quilt (have the shirts)

Alpaca Quilt I got all of the lantern rows sewed on my Girl weekend this month. I am currently cutting out Alpaca pieces! 

Placemats - Done April 2025 

Alex and Daryl Photo Books 2021-2023 Just missing 2023 at this point. 

A Long Relaxing Weekend

I've been back in the real world for one day, and I'm already ready to be back at the lake! This last weekend was so peaceful and productive! I got to catch up with my friends, drink coffee, work on my llama quilt, read and run. It was such a great vacation! 

We also drove across one scary bridge --- Thanks Karen! 

The Bergmans went to visit Lucas at School and they had a pretty great weekend too! And it is cool outside, and the leaves are pretty and I am not dying on my long runs. Yay Fall!!! 

The view we had drinking our coffee and watching the birds!

Also in the backyard, a cliff.

Lunch in Eureka Springs, it was the witch festival...total coincidence! LOL 

Riding a trolley! 

The scary bridge we drove over. One car at a time! 

All the sewing I got done on Saturday. Yay!

My running buddy!

Siblings reunited! 

Lucas is now a full MMA cadet! 

Middle School Band and more!

We made it to our second Topeka High Football game of the year. Alex and the rest of the 7th and 8th grade middle school band performed a pre game show with the Topeka High marching band. They did great! 

I really hope that Alex continues with band in High School, it is fun to watch and listen to. 

On Saturday, Alex had a tennis lesson, Aaron had roller derby and I had an 11-mile long run. Felt like we all accomplished a lot. Oh ya, and Jeff finished the install of a light in the sewing room so it is more functional when I don't have bright sunlight. Yay! Now I need to get in there sometime this week after work and try it out. 

Mittens wants to remind everyone he is still around. He is getting brave and coming upstairs at night. 

 

Let there be light! 

One busy day!

This morning I got the long run in early so I could go to Alex's tennis tournament in Lawrence. This was his first USTA tournament, and while he didn't get the Ws, he learned a lot and knows playing better players makes him better. He left with his head down, but a couple of hours later he was ready to sign up again and he knew things he wanted to do differently. I thought he played really well. Match 1 and 3 were close and could have easily gone his way, his second match was a level of player he rarely sees and he still got some points. 

While our family is busy with everything else, our back deck is also being replaced. We thought it would be done in September but some wrong materials showed up, so it put us back a couple of weeks. I'm really hoping it gets done this week. I am missing our backyard! 

Bring on weather cool enough so we can sit and enjoy our new deck! 

The before picture, hard to tell but there is a lot of rot in this deck.

The in-process picture, hopefully an after picture is coming soon! 

September Goal Check-In and Clint Black!?

I was lucky enough to finish September and start October in Nashville, TN! Jeff had a work trip there, and I tagged along, meaning I got to add another state to my map. I think I only have six left to go before I’ve seen all 50!

Before the conference began, we packed in a little sightseeing. We toured the Country Music Hall of Fame, checked out the Parthenon replica (with its full-size Athena inside), and strolled down Broadway where live music poured out of every building. Nashville really is an experience.

One morning, I even talked Jeff into joining me on a running trail. I logged close to 8 miles under shady trees and along the river. It was busy, but I loved seeing so many people out moving and enjoying the outdoors.

The last evening of the conference was something special—we were treated to a performance by CLINT BLACK after dinner. As a 90s kid, this felt like such a big deal. It was like being back in my childhood car with the radio on, and I surprised myself by knowing almost every word to his songs. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip!

Now we’re heading back to the airport, and while I’ve loved our Nashville adventure, I’ll be glad to be home. It's always good to be home.

Thanks, Mom, for holding down the fort while we were away!

Read 24 Books 16/24

Finished two book in September and they were both good fiction reads. 

The Perfect Divorce, by Jeneva Rose was a great sequel to her book A Perfect Marriage. I read that book last year and thought I may have waited too long to read the second but the story came back to me. Since I knew the twist from the first book I thought I had the second one figured out, not really. It still kept me guessing till the end. A very fun read. 

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams covered many themes. It was a great read about a woman's experience in the 1880's to the 1920's. The main character grows up in and around the creation of the dictionary. Her father worked with men at Oxford as they crated the books letter by letter. She figures out from her view that many words are not "fit" for the publication. Those are the words that the working class used and that women used. The book was very layered and meaningful. While also fiction it was a great balance to my other book of the month that was a fun ride that didn't require a lot of thought. I thought a lot about this book when I wasn't reading it. Highly recommend! 

Run 650 Miles 468/650

I ran 75 miles in September making it my best month of the year! I enlisted help for my weekend long runs and it turned a weekly chore into something I looked forward to. I've also been getting a 4 mile run in during the week and that has helped not only with the monthly mileage but with my weekend long run more bearable. Gearing up for the next race in Salina on November 8th. If I run 60 miles a month the rest of the year I will hit my yearly goal!  

Money Goals

Fund 3-6 month ER Fund- Done April 2025! Yay for selling my house! 

Pay off Car - Done April 2025! Yay for selling my house! 

UFOs (unfinished objects) that need Finished 

T-Shirt Quilt (have the shirts)

Alpaca Quilt I didn't snap a picture before we left for Nashville but I finished the first row of the quilt this month. Yay! Progress! 

Placemats - Done April 2025 

Alex and Daryl Photo Books 2021-2023 Just missing 2023 at this point. 

No big deal, just a little Clint Black concert. 

Got a tour of they Ryman Auditorium

For some scale Nike that is in her hand is 6 foot tall.

Build a full size Parthenon in Nashville, Sure, why not?

Of course we had great food while we were here. That's half the fun of traveling!

Homecoming Week 2025!

 This week was HOCO (as the kids call it) and Daryl went all out. He participated in the spirit days, built a float with the LINK crew, painted his chest for the football game and had fun at the dance on Saturday. 

It was fun to watch him all week, just enjoying the High School experience. I kept asking for pictures but I didn't get very many. Oh well, that's having a teenage boy I think. Alex, Grandma and I went to the football game on Friday. It was a really good game and the band was fantastic! 

So thankful mom came up to be with the kids on the weekend while Jeff and I left for a work trip. 

I know she got better pictures of Daryl dressed up than he would have done for me. I especially love that she got our Halloween decorations in his photo! 

One Birthday and One Anniversary

 Need to do a September catch up post! Joseph had his 11th birthday a couple of weeks ago, so happy to celebrate him and to finally get the kids' ages back in order! I like it when they are all two years apart and for awhile now our kids are 17, 15, 13, 13 and 11. Whew, that just feels better. 

We asked Joseph what he wanted to do for his party and he said Legos and Nerf War, so that is what we did. He had some buddies over and had a great time! 

Last weekend Jeff and I celebrated our two year anniversary. Awwww, it really has flown by! I guess time flies when you are having fun or when you have five kids, either way. We celebrated with all of our favorite things in Kansas City. We had Blue Sushi, saw our favorite comedian Nate Bargatze, sang our hearts out at a Dueling Piano Bar and ate at Home Grown for breakfast twice! We really love that place. 

So many celebrations in September, it has been really fun! We are in homecoming week so there are more posts to come in September! 

My favorite honey latte at Home Grown. Yummmm

Just a Funny Story ...

 Last Sunday Jeff and I were walking up to the T-Mobile center to see Linkin Park in concert. 19 year old me couldn't have been more thrilled! And I don't want any Emily Armstrong hate, she is amazing! We all miss Chester but the band still rocks and I'm so glad they are on tour and I got to experience their music live. 

Ok, back to the story. We are leaving the parking garage and there is a bank ATM on the corner. The ATM was beeping loudly and when I turned around there was a big stack of cash hanging out of it! I grabbed the money and the receipt and looked around. That's when I realized there was no one on the block. 

Jeff stares at me and asks, "why did you do that?" 

"Someone is going to steal someone else's money. I bet they thought the transaction failed and they just walked away."

Jeff very confused, "The bank is closed what are we supposed to do about it?" 

We looked for a drop box and then just decided to take it back to the car and head to the concert. On our second trip back to the T-Mobile center I asked Jeff if he was mad and he said no, but he suggested next time I shouldn't take the money.

Fast forward to Wednesday (I was busy on Tuesday and forgot to call the bank), I call a branch of Arvest bank and let them know that I found some money at one of their ATMs and would like to get it back to its owner. The very nice woman on the phone was so shocked that I wanted to return the money. She said she has never ran into this before. I let her know I had the receipt and the time I found the money so the ATM people should be able to get it back to the right person. I e-mailed her a picture of the receipt. 

Her branch manager called me back and was so thankful and happy for what Jeff and I were doing. She said I was such a nice person and so thoughtful she was sure this good deed would be returned to me. 

What the manager didn't know was my good deed was returned by how happy everyone was that I did take the money and Jeff will never be allowed to forget, that was the RIGHT thing to do. He drove to KC this morning and returned the money and receipt and the branch manager had gotten me some flowers and a card. Thank you Jeff for taking the time to finish something I technically started, Mwah! LOL

All's well that ends well and I share this story for two reasons: 

1. I've already told Jeff my first instinct was affirmed, and I will always take the money hanging out of the ATM and try to get it back to its person!

2. There are good people in the world and when we get to be that person it feels better than finding money.

Yay for finding a person that puts up with your nonsense!

The concert was fantastic. However, I would love for headliners to start at 7 and not 9....but that's just me!