Second (and Third) Christmas

It's that time of year again, when we try to figure out the best time to get the most family members together for some sort of Christmas gathering.  It can be stressful and annoying to plan out, but once we're all together, it's always a good time.  This year we opted to get a couple of hotel rooms, one of which was a suite, so there was plenty of room for everyone to hang out, play games, and of course, eat.  The kitchen was handy for us cooks, and the bunk beds and kids area were a hit with the little ones.

The next morning we moved to Mom's house for a brunch and opened up a few gifts.  This was the first visit back from Ben and Co, who moved to Vermont more than a year and a half earlier.  It was nice to see everyone and for the kids to be happy to see us! 

Roar

We are Steelers fans.  Don't ever forget that.  

But that doesn't mean we don't also root for our fair Lions.  So we did.  We grabbed Eric's buddy Ross and we headed to Ford Field.  The boys in Honolulu Blue did us proud and won the game.  We finished the night by acting like kids at Dave & Busters before driving home (at 3 in the morning!?!).  It was a good day in Detroit.

Running Buddies

I ran quite a few races in 2013.  But I ran most of them alone.  I put my headphones in and pretty much ignored everyone around me.  I went at my own pace and decided when I'd run or when I'd walk, when I'd push myself, and when I needed to take it easy.  But an opportunity for a little family fitness presented itself and we ran with it (pun intended).  I have volunteered at the kid's tent for the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure for the last five years, but I've never participated in the 5K race.  Until this year, when I thought it would be fun to run it with my niece, who is in cross country at school.

Since my grandmother was a breast cancer survivor, I thought it would be nice to run in her honor/memory.  So I got my crafty on and made some personalized gear (for us runners and our spectators) and it was off to the races.

Emma was very chatty during our run, which I actually appreciated, because it made me forget about the distance and how tired I was.  She even made me sprint at the end.  So when's our next race?

Backyard Shenanigans

Why pay to go to a fancy campground when you've got a great wide open in your mom's backyard?

Ava had her own version of Corn Hole.

Campground Christine was open for business for a little family fun.  We played yard games, put together puzzles, and roasted marshmallows over the fire before heading off to our tents to sleep in the wild that is Sturgis.

Smores!

Puzzle Buddies

Lucky #11

Who is excited about another week at Camp Arcadia?  These girls are!

So this marked my 11th year as an Alpha Week counselor.  The week itself has gone through a few transformations over the years, name changes, an explosion of program staffers, but I'm still throwing together my camp counselor supplies and spending a week with Group D.  Every year I encounter former campers who have gone on to be counselors or staffers themselves.  

This year allowed us to use the new Chapel on the Beach, which was totally awesome and beautiful (especially during sunset), for both a Vespers service and our Communion service.  Powerful stuff.  

 I had another year with a great group, who bonded so well, sometimes I felt like I wasn't even needed!  But we wrapped up the week with some affirmations and I was assured I was the "Grandmother Willow" of our Group D family.

Northern Exposure

Memorial Day in the Z house means packing up the car and starting off summer right with a proper camping trip.  This year we ventured to Onaway, where we heard there were some impressive falls to see.  We kept up our tradition of not arriving to set up camp until way after dark and survived some pretty chilly overnights (near freezing our first night), but the daytime temps were perfect for taking in a parade in Mackinaw City, and hiking along the Ocqueoc Falls.

Another successful camping trip in the books.

EZ Did It!

Well, now we're even...sort of!  Eric ran in the Riverbank Run last year, and this year, I did it!  I can't believe how many miles I've logged since last year when I sat in the bleachers watching him cross the finish line.  At that point, I felt confident that I could run a 5K.  That was it.  And one year later, I ran 25K.  Ok, I ran most of 25K, but I completed 25K and that's all anyone cares about!  And this time around, Eric was there for me at the finish line.  We have an official handshake agreement that we'll run the 40th annual race together.  We have 4 years to prepare.  We can do it!

Just past Mile 13.  I saw the photographer so I thought it was time to pick up the pace.  I had just started running after a quick walk break.  

I didn't realize that the last stretch was uphill.  You never notice that when driving a car!  So I had to take a deep breath and pull myself together to cross the finish running.