Nate's Alaska Hunting Adventure

Really, I can't pass up an opportunity to showcase Nate's sportsmanship as he brought back some HUGE caribou antlers (that smelled really bad when they arrived). Thankfully, he has agreed that we won't be mounting them above our bed... maybe the garage? He had an amazing time up in the Alaska tundra and saw "National Geographic" wildlife up close and personal. What beautiful country!

Seeing Seattle

During the week, Haven and I made it over to Seattle to see the animals at the Woodland Park Zoo. We met up with Kelly (good college friend) and Bella. Haven actually knew the names of some animals and enjoyed pointing out the "hippo" and "giraffe"... as well as any "bee" that flew by. I also got to meet up with my high school friend, Pam, who drove out to meet me in Bellevue for some shopping and dinner. It was a fun week!

Chucky Cheeeeese!

On Labor day, we met up with my dad's side of the family and had some kid-friendly fun at Chucky-Cheese in Tacoma. Haven was ready to go on EVERY SINGLE motorized kiddie ride and just had to put all her tokens in by herself. Cousins, Soren and McKynnlie, were fun to play with and they all had the opportunity to see great grandma Doris.

The Eckharts

Over the Labor day weekend, we met up with some college friends - Marla and Mike Eckhart. They have a cute little guy - Gabe, "the Babe". Haven found a new friend who also likes books and balls. Then... she met their cat, Buddy - the most gracious feline I have ever seen, who allowed Haven to treat him like her new favorite stuffed animal.

A week in Washington...

After the two triathlons, I needed a break... so we spent Labor day weekend and the rest of the week at my parents' new house! It felt like we were at a five star lodge/hotel the whole time. Their house is beautiful. We even made it in time for the Roslyn traditional "Coal Miners Day" Parade. Dad even made a guest appearance, sang a few songs, and ushered in the crowning of Mr. King Coal. The former Queens of Roslyn are all in the front row - notice, you must be over 70 to be crowned Queen of the Parade - no joke.

Garden City Triathlon

On Sept, 1st, a week after the last triathlon, I competed in the Garden City Triathlon - which was an Olympic distance (1 mi swim, 40K [22mi] bike ride, 10K [6.2mi] run). This was a challenge since it was twice the distance of the last triathlon, and the swim was in open water (Frenchtown Pond). The race drew many serious athletes - a few professional. I finished in 2 hrs and 50 min, and was very proud of my time even though I had very low tires throughout my bike ride. I can see why people enjoy the competition of traithlons... it is addicting!

Bitterroot Classic Sprint Triathlon

On August 25th, I competed with over 200 adults in the Bitterroot Sprint Triathlon in Hamilton, Mt. The distances were: 750 yrd swim, 20K (12.5 mi) bike ride, and a 5K (3.2 mi) run. I was in the first heat of the competition and started my swim at 7:30 am sharp! It was a fun race, and I managed to finish in 1 hr and 28 minutes... a time that landed me first in my age group! Even better, my family was able to be there when I crossed the finish line.