Fall Sports

 Sorry about the picture, Kev, but it's the only one I got without another runner in my way.  Kevin ran cross-country with the high school this year, and he did great.  His team won the 3A state championship today.  Kevin didn't run today, because the JV team didn't compete in the state meet, but he ran in the region championships last week and got his PR of 19:10.  Not too bad for a 9th grader.  Especially since he has been playing club soccer at the same time, and he decided at the beginning of the season that when there was a conflict he would give soccer the priority.  He missed quite a few x-country practices and a couple of meets so he could fulfill his soccer obligations.  Next year if he does both, those priorities will most likely switch.  He has been good to not complain about his busy schedule and to keep his grades up this term, so maybe he can do it all. We'll see.  Now that x-country and outdoor soccer are over it's almost time for school basketball and indoor soccer to begin.  It never ends with this kid.

Matt has been busy with soccer, too.  He has had a good season, but unlike the rest of our kids, the intensity of club soccer has become a little too much for Matt.  He has started to be sad when it's a soccer day.  Now that the fall season is over, he's going to take a break.  Soccer is so all-encompassing (2-3 hours a day, 3-4 days a week, year round) that if a child isn't enjoying it, there's really no point.  We're going to try tennis lessons for a while, and let him see if he likes that. He took some from the city this summer and thought they were fun, and the best part -they'll only be once a week :) If he wants to play a session of indoor soccer with his team he can, but he's not going to do all three sessions straight through the winter like last year.  Personally, it wouldn't hurt my feelings if he were done with soccer for good.  It has been really fun and good for my older children, but it takes so much time, and Matthew, at least right now, just doesn't have the same love for it.  Time will tell.

Back on Matt's birthday, before the season started, -Strikers Cup Champions

Top of Utah Marathon

 One of the goals Camille set for herself was to run a full marathon.  She has run the Ogden half-marathon four times, so she decided to train this summer and run the Top of Utah marathon in Logan this fall.  And train she did.  She ran faithfully all summer long and was very prepared when  marathon day came.  And she did great- even through rain, hail, and lightening. Grandma and Grandpa O and I went up to Logan to cheer her on.

 about mile 14

 

about mile 20

 a couple of blocks before the finish -still looking strong

 A great finish -officially 4:13:56 -and the sun is finally out!

 She earned that medal!  Good job Camille!

Dirty Girls

On Saturday Camille and her friend from BYU ran in the "Dirty Dash" at Soldier Hollow.  It is a 5K obstacle course over the mountains and through the mud.  Sound like fun?

Dirty shoes donated

Our Saturday- A Race, a Game, and a Baptism

 A beautiful day for a run!  Camille completed the Ogden half marathon for the 4th consecutive year with a time of 1:58.  She plans to train for the Top of Utah full marathon this September.  Go, Camille!

I probably should have been doing yard work, but instead I traveled to Sandy to watch Kevin's intense soccer game.  Beautiful weather, infuriating refs, and no regrets.  How often do you get to see your 14-year-old with this expression on his face?

 Then, Saturday night, our friend, Ule's baptism.  It was a very special occasion.  He's a great young man and the third of Scott's friends to be baptized in the last couple months.  Pablo and Ule he is especially close to.

The original missionary discussion group that's been together through many, many discussions (with Bro. Williams -seminary teacher)

Support from the soccer team

Support from friends -many come to the missionary discussions

The elders with Pablo, Ule, and Uriel -the three Ogden High baptisms in April and May 2011 -Pablo's showing off his CTR ring :)  The elder on the right came into the mission at the beginning of April.  Quite a way to start!

 Matt and Kevin are good friends with Ule.  Matt loves to practice soccer with him in the sports court and he's sad that Ule's going to his own ward now and not coming to church with us anymore.

More soccer team pics

 Just a note -if it seems like Pablo's being a little bit of a goof in these pictures -he was absolutely on cloud 9.  He and Ule have been best friends since they were little. Pablo has been so excited about the church since he was baptized, but he doesn't have any family support.  This is kind of a dream come true for him.  Ule's sweet family was at the baptism and his father is reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish and talking to the missionaries.  I took a picture of his whole family but I'm so sad it didn't turn out.  In addition to his brother and sister in the picture he has a little sister (maybe 5) and his older sister has a daughter who looks like his younger sister's twin (dressed alike and everything -so cute) and his mother and father.  I had my camera on the settings from the soccer game and the picture was almost pitch black.  Dang.

 A very nice night and a good ending to a busy, although not very productive day.

Catching Up -Running Around

At the first of May we ran down to PG for a triple birthday celebration for Kevin, Megan, and Garrett.  We enjoyed chatting, playing and synchronized candle blowing with cousins that we don't see often enough.  Ule came with us and had fun playing games with the cousins.

We have done a lot of running to and in soccer games.  Here are some more soccer pictures.  We've had some pretty exciting games this season.  These pictures aren't necessarily from the most exciting games -sometimes I forget to take pictures when the games get stressful, but here you go:

One more track meet for Kevin -Same result despite strong winds: Third in mile with same time (5:55) and his 4x400 relay team came in first.

 And one more running event to wrap things up -the 3rd annual Shadow Valley 5K. This is the first year it hasn't been pouring rain.  We weren't quite sure what to do. 

 Camille and Matt finished strong at 34 minutes some odd seconds.

We own this place

 I didn't get a picture of Kevin finishing, but he took 13th place overall and 1st in his age division with a time of 20:55.  And, maybe the biggest victory was that he beat his teammate from track who kept beating him and coming in second in the mile.  (His good friend Zach who always wins the mile was signed up to run this race but ended up being out of town -probably a good thing)

 If you look closely at Matt's knees you can see where he skinned them when he wiped out about half-way through.  He kept on going, though, and did an awesome job.  Thanks to Camille for running with him.  Next up for her -The Ogden Half-marathon coming up this Saturday!  Good luck!

Half Marathon

Yesterday was the Ogden Marathon. Camille ran the half-marathon for the third time in a row and she did awesome. She finished in just under 2 hours. It was a gorgeous day for a race -not too hot and not too cold. She said it was a beautiful run. Pineview was glass and the sky was a brilliant blue. I guess the Ogden Marathon made Runners World magazine's list of top 10 marathons last year and so it filled up really early this year. (So did the half) I'm sure it won't get any better with all those out-of-towners seeing Ogden and the canyon at their best yesterday. It really was a spectacular day.

This is the best shot I could get of Camille nearing the finish line. The lady in front of her just wouldn't get out of the way!

Camille and her friend Tyson with their medals and sore muscles. He never trains even a fraction as much as her but always seems to find a way to beat her. This year he turned it on in the last block and beat her by about 20 seconds. How rude! (In case you're wondering, that big black thing in the background is a climbing wall brought in for the festivities at the finish line. For some reason neither of these two were interested in climbing it.)

Matt's First 5k

Today was the 2nd annual 5k/1 mile fundraiser for our elementary school. Last year Matt ran the 1 miler, but he was determined to run in the 5k this year and he did! Good job, Matt!

BMOC

What happened to my shy little Kevin? He's now in Junior High and it seems like he suddenly wants to be involved in everything. He decided to join the cross country team because it sounded fun. He's not really a runner, and none of his best friends were doing it, but he just decided he wanted to, so he has been running after school in the hot sun every day. Fun, huh?

Then, when there were a couple of openings for 7th grade class officers, he decided to run, and he ended up winning. He thinks Jr. High is the best, and he doesn't even complain about the strict dress code. We'll see how he feels about that in a couple of years! He's growing up and turning into a great young man, but he's doing it a little too quickly!

She did it again!

Last Saturday Camille ran the Ogden Half Marathon again. She did great -a couple of minutes slower than last year, but she said it was much more enjoyable. All her training paid off. She even felt fine for the last 3 miles that nearly killed her last year! The only negative -her slacker friend Tyson, who barely trained at all, beat her! But he could barely walk the next day, and Camille was fine, so at least she got to hold that over him.I ran in the Marathon Relay again. It's a ton of fun. I ran a 5 mile leg this time, except that they lied to us when they told us it was 5 miles! It was really 5.4 miles, which would have been nice to know when I started sprinting (well, running as fast as I could at that point -I don't know if I've ever really sprinted in my life) to the finish at 4.5 miles! Maybe .4 miles isn't a lot to some people, but it is to me!

Running in the Rain

On Saturday, Kevin, his friend, Trevor, and I ran in the Shadow Valley Elementary 5K, and Matt ran in the 1 mile kids run to raise money for supplies for our brand new school. It's a gorgeous school and Kevin and Trevor are a little jealous that they won't get a chance to go there. Ogden has a lot of runners, so there was a great turnout, even though it was raining cats and dogs. Kevin and Trevor left me in their dust (well, mud) and, in their eyes, the rain only added to the fun. Matt ran/walked the 1 miler with a friend and afterwards he told me, "That was so freakin' fun!" He especially liked the Creamies and bananas at the finish line! I just wanted a hot shower!

While everyone else was huddled under shelters waiting for the race to start, Kevin and Trevor hung out in the rain. They were soaked before the race started.

At the finish line