Spokane

Well I have just come back from attending my first derby bout in Spokane, and I just have to say that it was a blast!!!
It was amazing to watch these women in action! I now feel like I have a little bit of understanding of this sport, and yes it is a sport! These ladies have worked so hard to get to the point that they are actually competeting in bouts and I give them kudos and two thumbs up for their hard work and dedication to making this happen. At their last bout (I didn't get to attend it) they only scored a total of 38 points, if I remember correctly but I could be wrong. Last night they only lost by 12 points, the final score was 75 to 63. This was quite an accomplishment and a huge turn around from their debut in Tacoma. After the bout there were so many people that came up to the girls and were quite shocked to find out that they had only competed once before so that was quite a compliment to the dedication that they have shown.
There were so many different people there, but the environment never got rude or ugly like some sporting events can. You find yourself routing for the underdogs and giving encouragement to people you don't even know so it is really a relatively calm enviornment, in the stands not the rink! What you have to remember is that the majority of these women in this sport are mothers, so the enviornment doesn't get too racy. There is a fare share of, let's call them same sex couples along with enough tattoo's to feel like you are at an ink convention. Let's not leave out the athlete's that like to let you know that they are WOMEN, we almost had a complete "fall out" if you know what I am talking about but right before that happened the skater realized it and dealt with the situation.
If you enjoy sports I would suggest that you attend at least one of these bouts, just see what you think. You may find that you like it so much that you want to join a league;-) Remember this if you do, you will live eat breath the sport and you have to seriously dedicate yourself to the practicing. Let's not leave out the conditioning that these women have to do to be able to skate through a whole bout without having any injuries!
Overall it was a great time and I look forward to going to many more bouts to cheer on Stacie and the Tri-City Atomic Roller Girls, GO DERBY!!

Camping

Sorry that I don't have any pictures to share, I don't own a camera so that could be the reason, but I do have input on the week!
I know that this year was going to be diffucult for alot of us seeing how it was the first year without Dad, but it seemed to be the smoothest time this year. I believe that Dad was keeping us all safe and happy and it worked!
The whale watching this year just wasn't as good as last year due mainly to the weather, the swells were so high and the foggy mist was just a little bit too chilly for alot of people. I personally had to figure out what position would work best for me to keep myself from feeling sick and I finally stuck with standing so my legs could absorb the rocking of the boat and it worked like a charm. There seemed to be alot of sick tummies and last year it was just a matter of people who just get motion sickness that was the problem. Fun none the less!!
It was great being able to be all together and really enjoying each others company!
We all had the shock of our lives when Mom announced her retirement from the school district, but I guess there comes a time in our lives that we have to decide that we have given enough of our time and our lives to the time clock and it is time to enjoy life. She sure seems happy to have made this decision and as we have all heard she is branching out ie...computer and internet at home!
Aaron and Megan suprised us all with the news of their expectation of their third child. It was exciting to know that they had just found out that it was a boy right before they came to the coast and they shared that with us too. It touched us all that they have decided to name their new little son after Dad!
I just feel so fortunate to have such a large and loving family! Like all families there are going to be some hurt feelings from time to time, but I feel that those feelings are short lived as they should be. So this is a big thank you, first to Mom and Dad for having all of us. Also for putting up with all of our different personalities and quirks, and for not judging us but instead they accept us faults and all. Another big THANK YOU for all the years we have been able to enjoy doing this together as a family. And for the rest of this great family.....I love you all and those of you that couldn't make it know that you were missed and thought of quite often!