Ragnar Race: Washington DC

This past weekend Monique & I ran our first Ragnar Relay Race. The course was 199 miles long from Cumberland MD to the National Harbor in Washington DC. Monique some how convinced me in Feb to sign up for this race with a few couples from our Ward. Our Team consisted of 6 couples and were named the Half Fast runners. I really was not looking forward to this event and actually was dreading the thought of having to run for 30 straight hours. We completed the race in 29 hrs 42 minutes.

I hate to admit it but the total experience was amazing. The running was good not great. The trail running, dirt, heat, and hills made for some interesting times. But the company and team unity was amazing. I learned a lot about myself and my teammates after going through this experience together. The Smiths & Buxton's were great company. I actually might consider doing another Ragnar race in the future.


At the Start line! I was the first runner and had to run around a lake for Five miles. What you don't see is all the butterflies in my stomach.


We decorated our Van for fun. (Maybe too much decorating)
This saying was my thoughts at the start and through most of the race.


Here is Van #1 members after finally getting home 37 hrs later.


The Half Fast Runners at the Finish line!



Monique & I at the finish line. (With our team shirts and metals)

Memorial Day Weekend

 New family photo!  I think it shows our true personalities! :)

For Memorial day we went to Valley Forge Park with Yo's ward.  There are a lot of jogging paths going through the park.  People brought bikes, scooters, or ran and walked about a 5 mile loop around the park and came back for pot luck breakfast!  It was such a nice morning and not too hot.  The kids played games and ran around all morning.  

Congratulations Dr. Ruch!

My sister's husband finally got his PhD in Education this spring!  My sister threw a big party to celebrate!  We made homemade root beer and grilled.  My sister hired a caterer for the desserts and salads.  It was quite a party!  Lots and lots of people and their kids came to show their support for Rob! So much fun!

Spring Piano Recital

 This was Ireland's first piano recital!  She played so great especially for her first time!

 Keean's songs were "fourth grade band" and "summer days"

 Harrison played "chinese new year" and "take me out to the ball game" (hence the baseball cap)

Aedan played "singing in the rain" and "reveille boogie"  All the kids did such a great job!

Ann Marie Gardens

Jamie and I took Ireland to meet a friend from school to Ann Marie Gardens.  This is an "art" garden where a lot of sculptures and things are displayed.  Every year they have fairy houses that families or individuals in the community have made.  We walked along the pathways and saw a lot of the fairy houses.  They had face painting.  You could make your own fairy wand and your own fairy house too! Such a pretty place and they had so much fun too!

Warrior Dash

BEFORE

                                                                       
                                                                     AFTER!!

Me and a friend signed up to do the Warrior Dash this spring.  It is a 5k trail run with obstacles throughout the course.  There was a lot of mud and water we had to crawl through.  It was stinky and dirty.............and SO FUN!  My favorite was a gigantic water slide landing into a big puddle of muddy water!  Such good laughs!

Girl's night...plus Finn

Since the boys had their own campout Ireland decided she wanted a girl's night with some of her friends in the neighborhood.  We had a tea party outside on the patio and they painted nails.  Finn came over wanting to know what we were doing and wanted in on the fun, so he got his toes painted too!