NW Running League

Some of you know that my amazing husband loves to come up with ideas for businesses he can start. Some of them have been a little crazy - making tarps to cover flat-bed semi-trucks, bowling alleys, and miniature golf courses to name a few. I have to admit that his latest idea sounded pretty crazy to me at first, but I have been proven wrong.

Being the running fanatic that he is and after starting a ping-pong league at work, Alan came up with the idea of creating a running league. As a member of the league, you can earn points toward cash prizes in a variety of ways. It promotes local 5Ks (3.1 miles) that are held on Saturdays and just getting to know other runners in the Portland area. Alan can explain it a lot better than I can, so check out his website: www.nwrunningleague.com.

Alan is directing a kind-of preview race on November 7th. He's gotten a much bigger response than he expected and has 150 people registered so far! We just have to hope that the rain doesn't scare them all away.

The league currently has 16 members. It doesn't officially start until January so Alan's hoping for quite a few more by then. Pass the word on to any friends you have in the Portland area. This is a great way to get in shape, increase your motivation, and meet new people.




I love this guy and I'm sorry I ever doubted you honey!

18-month stats

Spencer had his 18-month checkup yesterday. Here are his current stats:

Weight :: 24.3 lb :: 28th percentile

Length :: 33.5 in :: 83rd percentile

He's one tall, skinny kid!




This is what we did for our Family Home Evening activity last night. (Sorry it's so dark. We really need more light in our apartment.) You'd never know that Spencer spent most of the day crying every time I had to do something besides play with him. Doctor's appointment days are always rough because it's a 45-minute drive there and back Spencer usually falls asleep for a few minutes at some point. Then he won't take his regular nap. I hope we don't have to go back for awhile.

Leaves

A friend invited me to go back to the same park I wrote about in my last post with her to take some pictures of our kids in the leaves. Her 5-year-old and 6-month-old cooperated nicely, but Spencer - not so much. He turned his back to me every time tried to get a picture of his face. Grrr. I didn't get any shots of him smiling and only a few of him facing the general direction of the camera. He did have a fun time walking in the leaves, running on the trails and throwing acorns in the pond though. And, the leaves sure were gorgeous! We're going to try to go back on Sunday for some family pictures, but we'll have to cross our fingers that it's not raining.




Running back and forth on the bridge that crosses the pond.


I have a thing for ponds.



In other news, Spencer turned 18-months-old on Tuesday. He is definitely acting more like a toddler than a baby now. He had his first full-fledged tantrum yesterday when I brought him in from outside before he wanted to come. I think I need to work on developing more patience. Babies are demanding, but I'm afraid a toddler is going to be a whole different ball-game.

On the bright side, it is still so much fun to watch him learn and grow. He consistently says four words now: "this," "yes," "no," and "up." One of his favorite things to do is to help put his toys away! (I'm hoping this stage lasts for a loooong time!) He also loves trucks, buses, balls, stories and running around outside. I think we'll have to get rain coats so we can continue to play outside this winter. Our apartment is feeling small. I love my little Spenny-boy and I can't believe how grown-up he's getting!

Autumn Afternoons

It's a little ironic how much I love autumn considering how much I DO NOT love winter. Autumn is my favorite time of year to run. I love the crispness in the air and the sound of leaves crunching under my feet. I love the trees that are half green and half red, orange or yellow. And, I love the flocks of geese heading south.

Saturday was a typical barely-warm, blustery autumn day so we decided to visit a local park before the rainy season hit. This is my favorite park in Hillsboro. It has trails winding around and between four or five little ponds. It's in the middle of the city, but is surrounded by trees and green space so you don't realize it.



Spencer liked watching the geese and ducks, but wouldn't get down on the ground with them. Those geese are almost as big as he is. I discovered that geese stick out their tongues and hiss at you when they feel threatened. It's a little disturbing.






The cutest almost 18-month-old ever!






Spencer thinks it's hilarious to "run" away from us whenever we ask him to come now. It's not so fun when I need to change his diaper or put his shoes on, but it's a great game for a park trail.

I'm glad we went when we did. It's been a lot colder the past couple of days and the rain starts tomorrow. :(

Conference at the Beach

Alan's parents invited us to spend the weekend and watch General Conference with them at their house in Lincoln City last weekend. It was kind of stressful getting everything done and ready to go at home, but we had a great time once we got there. It's always nice just to get away for a day or two. I have to admit though, that it's getting harder and harder to really listen to Conference with Spencer around. I probably need to read or listen to half of the talks again. Thank heavens for lds.org!

We took a walk on the beach in between sessions and Spencer loved walking on the squishy sand. He's been to the beach quite a few times, but this was his first time being able to walk on his own. I've been trying to get some updated black and white shots for my wall, so here are a couple of my attempts.












Thanks for inviting us and for all of the great food Darwin and Debbie! We had a great time.