Bloomsday Weekend

The weather was perfect for my favorite annual road race! The sun was shining but it was a chilly 40 or so degrees at the start. Yep - I was freezing! But I warmed up soon after the race started and stayed warm until the end. The last couple of Bloomsdays have seen some yucky, cold weather so this was a welcome change.

This year, Julia, Aidan, Dylan and I convinced Amy and Max to join us. It's so much fun to have newbies to show off for! Amy also pulled in friend April so our group of 7 had a great time watching the start of the race then boogying way back to our start spot several blocks down the road. Erin and her friends Ashley, Alex, and Ali (yes, famous Ali!) were with us as well so we did a lot of chatting while waiting to surge forward.

Julia, Amy, April and I stuck together through the run, finishing in 2 hours, 7 minutes (a great time for me!). The kids left us in the dust and finished in 1 hour 45 minutes, and Erin and her crew finished in just over 2 hours (I think!).

My only sadness for this year's event is that I didn't call my friend Denise. Denise and I started walking in Bloomsday together in high school and continued our tradition for many years. Since I've lived in Okanogan, it's been harder and harder to connect. Next year I'll make a stronger effort to restart our Bloomsday tradition.

Dylan and I rode to Spokane with Amy and Max on Saturday. The boys had 2 soccer games in Spokane. Their team has gotten so good! They didn't win their first game but the score difference of 1 point made it feel like they won! They, did, however, win their second game with a score difference of 3 points. Now that's a win! This is the second game they've won so they're starting to feel pretty good about themselves.

Here are more daily pictures.....

April 23

I fondly call this "Dylan's Basket". Dylan likes to have something to do in the bathroom. If he doesn't have a book to read, he destroys my bathroom! After a Dylan episode, I find toilet paper off the dispenser, cupboards and drawers pulled out, towels on the floor, bathtub toys dumped....if it's within Dylan's reach, it's fair game. I grumble when I talk to Dylan about it but I giggle to myself when I see it! And yes, that is the color of my floor and walls.....

April 24

Max and Dylan after their very first league soccer win! They were beaten horribly in the fall so this win is extra sweet!

April 25

Dylan loves to fish! He convinced Steve to take him and Lyndsi out fishing on Sunday morning. We ate this guy for an appetizer at dinner this night.

April 27

This is the view up the street from our driveway after a huge storm. Soccer was cancelled due to thunder and lightning. Couldn't help but be happy about that!

April 28

Reily stayed after school to play with Lyndsi while I finished up my work. Since Steve and I were both exhausted, we hit Taco Bell for dinner. The girls wanted their own spot.

April 29

Look at these loving hands! These are the hands of three school employees as they assist chicks in the hatching process. Lyndsi's teachers brought in an incubator and eggs and the class learned all about the growth of the chicks in the eggs as they waited for the babies to emerge. The teachers discovered that the shells of the eggs were so thick, the chicks couldn't hatch themselves. Amazingly, all but 2 chicks survived. I know it looks kind of icky but it was truly incredible to watch!

April 30

Cub Scout space derby competition. Cub Scouts don't just race little wooden cars. They also make and race boats and rockets!

May 1

Aidan, Dylan and Max on the slide in downtown Spokane. We stopped by the park after picking up our race numbers.

May 2

The reward after the race! Loved the big bags!

May 3

I love lilacs! They're pretty and they make the whole house smell good! At our old house, we had several big bushes outside our bedroom window so the breeze would always smell like lilacs. This little bush is finally starting to produce some blooms. I'm so excited!