Keeping Up with the Raymonds

I am way behind. One of my goals at the beginning of the year was to write in my journal more. I am happy to say that I have improved my journaling, but between that, social media, and so many other time crunches this year, the blog has gotten pretty dusty. And it has been quite a year.

Scott has 1 1/2 years of fellowship left, so the light is at the end of the tunnel and he is starting to check out the job market. Honestly it does not even feel real. People tell me doctors make lots of money and that all sounds good, but it still seems as likely as having Ed McMahon show up at my door (is he even alive?!).

I have been balancing motherhood, running, and an assortment of random generally unpaid stuff: blood drives, volunteering at the food pantry, helping my neighbors get jobs, etc. Every day is different, and that is how I like it.

Bruce is 12 now. Seventh grade is a little better than sixth, but not by much. He just started with a new piano teacher that will help him hone his jazz skills; Bruce still plays with the middle school jazz band and is really good (I'm not biased, right?).

Phoebe is obsessed with Harry Potter. She loves taekwondo and just started a competitive sparring team. She also plays on a soccer team, scores lots of goals, and gets ridiculously competitive. She is super-tough, except when I brush her hair (then she cries).

Oliver is 4, goes to half-day preschool, and still wants me to lay down with him at night. Oliver loves digging in sand even when it is cold. He tried micro soccer this year; he was good at kicking the ball, but sometimes wanted to hold my hand while doing it.

Kentra is 16 now, just got her learner's permit, finished her fall cheer season, and is gearing up for indoor track. She is looking forward to moving back in with her family at the end of the year. It's been a whole year with us! It has been a learning experience for all of us and we are hoping this year has been a positive one for her. She didn't make it into the picture above - she was working on a group school project that day - but we are hoping to get some photos in the next few weeks of all of us.

Springtime 2017

After marathon weekend, we headed to one of our favorite places: Acadia National Park. It rained for most of the week, but we hiked during the few dry(er) hours of the day and headed indoors when necessary. We hit up our favorites around Acadia: hiking the Beehive, wandering Sand Beach, biking around Seawall, checking out the top of Cadillac (unfortunately not as impressive when surrounded by rain clouds!), hiking and looking for crabs at Little Moose Island.

 This is where we headed when it really poured out: the local YMCA. A family day pass was quite affordable, so we went swimming, played basketball, and played on the indoor playground.

This spring we have spent a fair amount of time watching K at her track meets. She runs the 100, 200, and 400 meters and does the long jump and high jump. She ran the 800 meters once but was not a big fan of the distance. She made it to the regional meet in the 200 meters and with her 4 x 100-meter relay team, so we came along as cheerleaders.

 A few women from church and I organized a fundraiser for the International Institute of New England, a local agency that helps refugees resettle. We raised $3,000 at the silent auction, which included such lovely offerings like the doggie play date pictured above. Phoebe and another boy engaged in a bidding war, but Phoebe came out on top and scored a play date with Goose the Dog. For a few hours, we walked and fed Goose. Both the dog and Phoebe were very happy.

 May is birthday month at our house. We celebrated Bruce and Oliver's birthdays with a party at the city pool. I didn't get a single picture because I was in the pool the whole time, but the kids had a blast. Above is the only evidence from that party: the Bat-man cake. We celebrated their actual birthdays a week later. Now Oliver thinks he has two birthdays a year.

This happened: Scott officially graduated from his radiology residency at MGH! The end is near: we have two years left of fellowship! The hours can be grueling, but hey what's new?!! We are just so glad we live near the hospital so Scott does not have a long commute and the kids can actually see him. We are so so so blessed. Having K live with us is a blessing too: last week Scott was on-call but at home. We managed to sneak in a spontaneous date by going to a restaurant a block away while having K watch the kids (she's always happy to earn a little extra money). Thankfully, Scott didn't get called in during our date. Gotta take the opportunities when they come!

I wrote a story about a cool place to run around Boston and took pictures at a race that was located there. I brought Phoebe and Oliver with me to cover the story and they enjoyed the festivities.

 It almost felt like summer...

 ...but it has been a very rainy cool spring. It has been in the 50s-60s this week, but I have a 50K planned for this weekend, so of course it's going to be 75 degrees and sunny. This is my first real ultra (unless you count this) that I am planning to race rather than just finish. I feel like I am ready for the distance, but I'm a little nervous about all the trails. I ran a trail 5K last weekend and came out with a huge scratch and bruise on my arm from colliding with a tree while barreling downhill. Still, I won and got the course record by a minute. I'm hoping to stay on my feet, not break anything, and run fast this weekend.

2017 Boston Marathon

Marathon weekend was pretty epic this year. It was also Easter weekend and Phoebe's half-birthday, which she claims is super important. You're only seven-and-a-half once. My parents drove in from Ohio on Friday. The kids were so excited that they kept asking all day, "How much longer until grandma and grandpa get here?" It was the reversal of the usual, "Are we there yet?" that I hear in the car on our long drives to Ohio. One of my besties, Anika, flew into Boston on Saturday. We were cross country and track teammates at BYU, roommates for a few years, and running partners at Boston a few years ago. Anika is a fast-talking New Yorker, often breaks into song while running, has six hilarious kids and a zillion funny stories about them, and is just super-fun to run with. We both trained with the goal of running under three hours and we hoped to run together.

 On Saturday we picked up our bib numbers from the marathon expo. I also got the opportunity to be a panelist in a "Run your best Boston" seminar. I mostly talked about the course, but also gave tips on avoiding the mobs of kissing girls at Wellesley and using proper running form on the hills.

 Everyone was freaking out about the weather, so someone asked the panelists how our strategy would change with the heat. I gave some awful "just go for it" advice mostly because I didn't want to believe it was going to be that bad. Forecasts throughout the week predicted Marathon Monday would be in the mid-60s, so I didn't think it'd be too bad...

 ...but Marathon Monday came and it was warm. Sunday was in the 80s and it didn't cool off much over night, so Monday morning we headed out the door without much on and we were fine (not a good sign!). We took the train downtown, dropped our gear bags near the finish line, hopped on the bus to Hopkinton, and hung out in the Athlete's Village with thousands of other runners. We eventually made our way to the starting line. Anika and I were placed in the same "first wave" of runners, but were assigned to different corrals. Anika moved back to mine so we could run together. We were in the very back of about 8,000 other runners, so when the gun went off it took us about three minutes to actually cross the starting line. We were sweating in the first mile and by then knew it was going to be a warm one, so we ran conservatively. We went with the flow of runners, trying not to dart around groups from side to side too much. It was so much fun running with Anika, chatting and singing. We drank lots and lots of water and Gatorade and miraculously stayed together even through the crowded fluid stations. We came through the halfway mark at 1:31 and felt good. Around mile 15, we spotted a runner ahead that looked like a teammate of ours from BYU. Courtney was a senior when we were freshmen and we recognized the bouncy stride. We caught up with her around mile 16 and she informed us that she was just "taking it easy." We know better though; we are a competitive bunch and Courtney is one of the most fiery competitors we know. We ran through the Newton hills together, finally coming upon this bunch:

 They waited at mile 19 for hours along with my parents (my dad took all these pictures) and friends from church. When I ran by, I almost missed them altogether.

 Here I come for some high-fives...

 That's Anika in the white shirt in front of me and Courtney in the white tank and red shorts behind me. I wanted to high-five all the kids, but they weren't all lined up conveniently and I was worried I was going to lose my running buddies.

 So I grabbed a waterbottle Scott threw at me and kept going, blowing a kiss on the way. Despite this, our group got separated about a mile later on a hill after a fluid station. We had a backup plan and it didn't involve slowing down (it was called see-you-at-home), so when I crested the final big hill and felt good I let loose on the downhill. I felt really good through about mile 24, then felt the exhaustion setting in. Still, I never hit a wall. I didn't have much of a sprint though. Right as I turned on Boylston Street for the final quarter-mile, Courtney sprinted past me. "I just wanted to get it over with faster," she said afterward. I finished in 3:03:54 and Anika finished about 10 seconds later.

 Victory! We grabbed our gear bags and Anika and Courtney chatted while I laid on the ground for a few minutes and caught my breath. We waddled to the train and got the royal treatment: Scott picked us up at the train station close to home so we didn't have to waddle the last half-mile. After a shower and a massage, we celebrated with Thai food and then took Anika to the airport. We are already plotting our next reunion, hoping to get our other roommates there next time.

 And now for the other highlights of the weekend. Phoebe had soccer practice on Saturday morning. She is super intense on the field.

 And so so fearless. After her game, she dumped an entire waterbottle over her head.

We also had an egg hunt on Saturday. We hid eggs in the park and let the kids find them. I was wondering if Bruce would be too old for egg hunts now, but no he is not. He ran around like a wild child just the same as ever. Oliver and Bruce have birthdays next month: Bruce will be 12!!!! And Oliver will be 4. Time to start party planning...

I'm also planning out what I'll be running next. I'm thinking about running a trail 50K in June, then marathon training while racing shorter distances in July, August, and September before running the Hartford Marathon in October. I ran my PR at Hartford in 2006 and it's time for a return - and hopefully a PR or close to it. I am older but I am stronger and more experienced. I really think I just need the right day to PR again. Hopefully that day will be October 14.

Ides of Life

Oliver has been ice skating before, but this might be his first time actually enjoying it.

We went ice skating after school one day because Phoebe's best friend had never been!

Phoebe got a FitBit for Christmas and now keeps track of everything. Her continuous hula hooping record is now more than six minutes long. Ask her for the exact record; she is very proud of it.

I've never considered myself a political activist, but Mr. 45 is changing that. His election baffled me and his executive orders have gone against my core values. After 45 wrote an executive order to ban travel from Muslim-majority countries, I proudly stood in solidarity with many other peaceful protestors. I would be ashamed of myself if I didn't do something to stand up for my Muslim friends and neighbors. They are peaceful people that practice a peaceful religion.

Bruce and kids combing the rocky shore for the perfect shell or rock or sea glass. This is in Rhode Island at our neighbor's grandma's house along the shore. It was beautiful!

Phoebe loves loves loves animals. She enjoyed walking our neighbor's dog around the yard in Rhode Island.

For Valentine's Day, Phoebe helped me decorate all the bags for our valentines for the homeless project.

She is running out of teeth.

Martha's Vineyard 20-miler 2017! I first won this race in 2007 and then again in 2012. This year makes it three wins!

February vacation in Quebec: we got a sweet little cottage with an outdoor hot tub.

Phoebe literally chilling out.

Phoebe getting off the magic carpet, ready for more action.

K had never skied before, so gave it a go. She does not like the cold. Or uncomfortable boots. Or awkward skis. But she survived a lesson, learned to stay upright more than on her bum, and tried skiing. Success!

Oliver loved skiing. Scott and I took turns going down the bunny hill with him.

Bruce and Phoebe waiting in line for the lift. That would be Phoebe "doing the Dab," as she calls it. She thinks she is so cool.

Oliver discovered ketchup-flavored Doritos. We may never be the same again.

We tried to include a few things that K would actually enjoy, so we headed to a mall and got pedicures. She claims Canadian malls are sooooo much better than American malls.

Phoebe and her snowshoes.

Phoebe in the Montreal Biosphere, a museum about climate change.

And we finally made it to the Montreal Biodome - the museum we originally intended to see. It's like a zoo/ museum/ aquarium.

Phoebe and her big mouth with an alligator and his big mouth.

Phoebe started a cooking class after school and loves it.

I might just adopt the bullet-point style of blogging from now on. I cannot seem to keep up anymore.

January highlights:

• We added to our family! No, I am not pregnant. We took in a 15-year-old girl from church who needed a place to go. We bought bunk beds and another shelf for Phoebe's room and K fits right in. K is a freshman, a sprinter on her school's track team, and is easygoing but driven. After a full day of school she heads to track practice, then comes home to a pile of homework before dinner and bed. She prefers to spend weekends sleeping in. Thankfully, she is patient with small noisy kids. Anyway, she has been with us since the start of the year and will be with us through at least part of the summer or maybe longer. K is a delight, so we aren't showing her the door.
• I ran a 3K at an indoor track meet. I started official marathon training and jumped in a 3K for fun. I got roasted by the other ladies, but still had a blast.

Phoebe at a community ice skating party.

February highlights:

• It was our neighbor's birthday and he wanted us to celebrate by going to his grandma's house in Rhode Island. We went for a night and enjoyed playing with the dog, throwing rocks into the ocean, playing in a real legit backyard, baking a cake together, staying up chatting, and enjoying time with friends. 
• Valentine's Day was eventful yet again. I organized women from church, school, and neighborhood groups to assemble 120 valentines for the homeless. 100 valentines went to the Salvation Army in Central Square and another 20 went to a smaller women's-only shelter called On The Rise. I also got valentines for Scott and the kids and they gifted me lots of chocolates too.
• I hosted another successful blood drive at church. When I first started organizing drives, I would get so nervous about things possibly going wrong or no one showing up or whatever. I am finally getting to the point where I feel hardly any stress at all. Which is good because this time around, Oliver threw up at school that morning so that changed our plans for the whole day. I am usually there from start to finish, but this time I delegated and disappeared for as much as I could. As for Oliver, he threw up twice but woke up fine the next day.
• I won the Martha's Vineyard 20-miler! This probably deserves its own post, but it's not going to happen. Here is a quick recap: I woke up race morning to a car that wouldn't start. Our car battery was weak anyway and then Phoebe left an interior light on when she was searching for a favorite pencil a few nights before. Oops. Luckily, my parking-spot-neighbor was warming up her car for work, so she gave me a jump-start and I drove the 1 1/2 hours to the ferry. I took the 45-minute ferry to Martha's Vineyard and warmed up for the race. The weather was fantastic. Last year it was ridiculously awfully cold and this year it was in the high 40s or low 50s - so 70 degrees warmer than last year. It was still windy, so I spent the first 10 miles tucked behind two guys. Those initial miles are along the ocean, so the wind is very strong and my face felt like it was being sandblasted. After 10 miles, the course turns inland and the wind isn't as bad but then the hills start rolling. I was not sure what place I was in because there was a relay at the same time; I had seen another woman go out very fast at the start, but wasn't sure if she was a relay runner or a 20-miler. As it turns out, she was a relay runner. Not knowing my place didn't slow me down though: I was determined to race well even if it wasn't going to be a win. I'd worked hard just to get there! But when I got to the finish line and the race director unfurled the winning tape across the line, I was really happy to break it. I first won this race in 2007, so it is nice to be able to come back a decade later and win. 
• February vacation! The kids had a week off of school and Scott took the week off too. We wanted to escape the city, but traveling anywhere with six bodies is now really expensive. We looked at places within a few hours' drive and ended up going to Quebec. K had never been out of the country so was very excited to go somewhere - even if it was just Canada. We stayed at a little vacation house in a small town between Montreal and Quebec. We went skiing and hiking and snowshoeing. The house had a hot tub and tiny sauna, which we used daily. We went on a day-trip to Montreal and after two hours at the wrong museum, we ended up where we originally intended at the Biodome. K is not a huge fan of the cold or outdoors, but she tried a lot of new things. To reward her efforts, we had a girls' day where we went to a mall and got pedicures and facials. We decided that everything tastes better in Canada. Everything was a little cheaper too. Success.

As for kid updates:

• Bruce still loves middle school. He enjoys the feedback and actual grades as opposed to the ambiguous grading system from elementary school. He loves playing piano in the jazz band and now plays regularly at church functions. He loves playing Bananagrams and would sit there putting together words and eating cookies all night if I let him. 
• Phoebe is a joy and a curse still. She is so fun and creative, but throws fits like a two-year-old. I keep hoping this phase will end, but I hear it may just spread into the teenage years. Phoebe still loves taekwondo and is now going twice a week. She is taking a cooking class after school once a week. She made thumbprint cookies the first week and sorbet the next. Phoebe has lost a few teeth and still has a ridiculous streak: she recently etched the word "POOP" into our tabletop with her fork.
• Oliver is still my baby and showing it. He loves preschool but still goes through periods when I have to talk him into attending. He also has a hard time going to Primary on Sundays. He does not like big crowds and so clings to my leg when I try to drop him off with his class. I usually have to sit with him for awhile, then sneak out when he isn't looking.

Holiday Whirlwind

Here I am playing catch-up again. My blog may be doomed thanks to Facebook posts that keep my family somewhat updated and my increasing habit of personal journal writing (not a bad thing). Still, I think there is value to the sort of family journal that this blog has become. So I will keep trying...

November highlights:

• Voted! I was excited to cast my vote for a woman. I was not excited when the devil himself won the election. How long will it take for him to get impeached?
• Got flu shots. Oliver cried, Bruce had a panic attack, I squealed, and Phoebe didn't even notice when she was stuck by the needle. She basked in her toughness for a few weeks.
• Went to a zillion school events. Having three kids at three schools makes for lots of weeknight events. The middle school had a "health and wellness night" where we did a scavenger hunt and some other activities and won Boston Celtics tickets in a raffle; Bruce and I went to the game and had fun, but it was late for a weeknight and we were surrounded by stupid drunk people. Oliver's class had a potluck and sang a few songs as part of a presentation. 
• Attended the Harvard-Yale football game. It's a big rivalry here and tickets are hard and expensive to come by, but one of Scott's coworkers gave him tickets so we felt obligated to use them. Harvard and Yale aren't actually that good at football, so it was like watching high school football in a bigger stadium and with freezing naked college kids across the bleachers.
• Thanksgiving! We started the day off with a win and course record at the Wild Turkey Trot, then came home and cooked all day. We had the missionaries over along with an elderly man from church and a neighbor of ours who moved here from India a few months ago and had never experienced Thanksgiving.  
• Black Friday at the Zoo! We spent the day avoiding traditional retail and instead went to the Franklin Park Zoo during the day and Zoo Lights at Stone Zoo at night. 

First big snow at the neighborhood park!

Learning gun safety before going shooting with Uncle Chris.

Sledding and tubing in Ohio with family!

December highlights:

•  Selling fudge with the Boy Scouts. Bruce's scout troop made, packaged, and sold fudge as a fundraiser for scout camp. We sold fudge in the train stations and to friends and family and it occupied way too much time.
• Bruce's piano recital. He has been Skyping with his piano teacher for a few months and we had a recital with the other 10 or so Skype students. It isn't quite the same sitting in your living room watching the tiny screen for a recital, but it is sure convenient. Getting a teacher to our house has been a pain in the past: parking is hard to find and traffic is always awful, so if a teacher agrees to come it's going to cost an arm and a leg. Bruce also had a recital with his jazz band and they were very impressive!
• My church calling took over my life. As humanitarian service coordinator, there was lots to do this Christmas. I organized a toy drive through the Salvation Army, put together a wish list and fundraiser for a family in the community whose house burned down, and organized another blood drive (which I also donated at). 
• Had a birthday. With the business of everything else going on, I barely noticed turning 35. Scott did get me a cake and I got a few gifts. I'm pretty sure I got a few gray hairs from this month too.
• Phoebe graduated from her taekwondo class. She got her double black stripe belt and moved up to the youth class. It's much more intense and they add sparring too. So far, she is loving it.
• OHIO! We looked forward to this all month and were so excited to finally get in the car and go. It's a long drive, but the kids were good on the way there. We attended the family Christmas Eve bash, visited with friends, saw all nine of my siblings and their families, went shooting, did some shopping, sneaked a date in with Scott, did lots of trail running, had a bonfire, went sledding, did lots of eating, and had a wonderful Christmas morning too. The kids each other really meaningful gifts this year; I was so impressed by them. For instance, Phoebe bought Oliver a Star Wars 5-minute stories book and she got Bruce some comic books. We made it back to Boston for the new year, but the kids are already asking when we will be going to Ohio again.