August got the best of me, and I did not get a single post published here on the blog. But that’s the sign of a summer well spent, right?!
For 13 days in August, we went to Alaska to see friends and family; do some of our favorite things: hiking, trail running, eating at our favorite restaurants; and we also went because Craig wanted to volunteer at the Greek Festival that our old church puts on. This was our second trip to Alaska after moving to Minnesota three years ago. Each time we have gone back, it’s interesting to reflect on the things that have changed and the things we miss about it versus the things we don’t miss.
I did a lot of running with friends, which was my favorite part. My friend Whitney and I did a trail run out to Rabbit Lake. It was so pretty, but it was also SO windy. By the time we got to the lake, we just had to laugh at how comical the wind was, hence my face in this picture.
When we got back from Alaska, we had about a week until school started, so we spent the next week meeting teachers, getting the last few school supplies, and I also had the boys deep clean their bedrooms because they accumulated so much stuff over the summer.
Today was that first day of school. Cullen started 5th grade, and Bjorn is now in kindergarten. So after 11 years of being a full-time stay-at-home mom, I no longer have anyone home with me, which is so bittersweet. I simultaneously miss having someone at home with me but also really need the time to get my work done. I feel like I’ve been barely keeping my head above water these past five years with my work, so now I should be able to get my work done during the day and not do so much work in the evenings and on the weekends.
For some reason this new chapter of my life seems like a good time to give a life update! I used to recap a lot more of my personal life on this blog, but within the last several years, this blog has been more just race recaps, sharing a few product reviews, and a random highlight here and there. I’ve had to pick and choose how to spend my time now with two kids, and the blog was one of the first things to go. (Blogs seem very 2011 anyway, but since I’ve invested so much of my time and effort into all of these posts, I hate to see it go by the wayside completely.)
It has also been three years since we moved from Alaska to Minnesota, so some things have changed!
Overall, we are enjoying our life in Minnesota. There are certainly things we like about it and other things we don’t. After our trip to Alaska, it always puts in perspective and reminds you the good and bad things about where you live. We definitely miss things about Alaska but also appreciate many things about Minnesota. As a whole, I think living in Minnesota is better for our family. We live in a small community with good, family-center values. It is super safe, and I rarely worry when I’m out for an early morning run. The school district is also really good, and Minnesota has a great education system to begin with. We appreciate the cost of living being lower, and we love the house we bought. Mostly we miss people from Alaska and the outdoor opportunities. It’s hard making friends, and most of my closest friends are still in Alaska. We also miss the water–nothing beats glacier water from your tap, and my hair has never been softer after washing it in Alaska. Ha! Craig and Cullen love the cool weather in Alaska, but I still love my heat in the summer and have never complained once about it.
Craig is loving the farm life. If you recall, this was the main reason we moved to Minnesota. He is in the process of taking over my parent’s farm, where he runs about 600 acres of corns and soybeans. He loves the flexibility it provides, being outside, not being strapped to a desk all day, and the fact he is doing something tangible and with his hands every day. He is learning a ton, which also keeps it challenging and interesting for him. Craig stays busy with volunteering at Boy Scouts, at church, and on a couple boards. He loves living in a small town where everyone knows everyone.
Cullen is 10 and officially over five feet tall. He has been trying a wide variety of sports and activities including: soccer, basketball, tennis, track, golf, and swimming. He has primarily played soccer, but I think he will move into individual sports more as he gets more involved with athletics. We bought him a clarinet this summer and will start band in 5th grade this year. The community we live in has a really strong band presence, and I think he’ll really enjoy it. He also is in Boy Scouts, and has become Craig’s little clone. It’s crazy how much their brains are alike.
Bjorn started kindergarten this year and was so excited to start. But then when it came time to drop him off, he didn’t want to let me go. But he fought back the tears, and I got a message from his teacher about 30 minutes later saying he was doing great! He follows in Cullen’s footsteps closely, so he has tried a lot of the same sports and activities: basketball, tennis, swimming, and soccer. His interests mirror Cullen’s with liking Pokemon, Minecraft, building LEGOS, and Boy Scout activities. But his favorite activity is playing with his Hot Wheels cars and helping on the farm.
Well, I just felt like I wrote a Christmas letter to you, but I guess that’s where this blog post took me. Ha!
I have two races left this year, and the first on is on Sunday when I’m running the City of Lakes Half Marathon. I’ve done this race a few times, and I’m hopeful it goes well. My current PR was set on this course last year, and I’m optimistic I can reset it again this year. Training has been going really well, and I am definitely fitter and faster than I was at this time last year. Luckily the weather is looking very nice with an overnight low of 46*F!! Finally–a cool race for me as almost every race has been hot for me this year!
My last race of the year is the Twin Cities 10 Mile. I really enjoy this race, and I’m excited to see if I can pull off a PR at this race too!
So that’s a little life update from me. I’ll be back with a race recap next week!
