finishing Noah's first XC season

Back on September 21, Noah had his fifth Cross Country meet, this time nearby, south of town, at Hart Ranch where Rapid City Christian is located. This is where I or Mary had to drive every day for practice. You can see it was a very large meet.

Unless we wanted to run the course, there was really only one place to see the competitors, by crossing a field of tall grass. Here Noah was almost done with his race.

Striding out just in front of the finish line. 

Going by us. Terry actually missed the finish because, while we were running back across the field, Ezra had fallen down and was crying his heart out. 

Walking toward us after his cool down.

My parents were able to come to this meet!

Evie was not pleased with the weather. It was very cold. 

For this meet they had to restart the race! You can hear him shoot the gun off for the second time while the kids are busy running towards us. They do that if someone falls before a certain distance, which is what happened in this instance. 

A week later we were at Hart Ranch again for the sixth meet, but this one was significantly smaller due to another school drawing more runners for their own race. Here are Noah and his teammates after warming up. 

This is Andrew, the boy who lives in our neighborhood who brought Noah home from practice most of the time. What a God-send that was.

After the youngest kids, Noah and his tiny group of junior varsity runners began. 

The course looped back to the beginning two or three times before finishing so we just hung out in this area waiting for him to run by again. Beautiful, but very chilly. 

It is a lovely place to live out there, though very very expensive since it's on the golf course.

Noah and David were partners for the first half of the race for most of the season. 

Coming back again after their first loop. 

That's the starting and finish line behind him. 

The littles occupied themselves by wrestling. 

Lots and lots of wrestling. 

But they are rather cute.

Here comes Noah for the finish line.

He did very well for this race.

I can't quite remember but I think this was a 5K (3.1 miles) so his time of 22:45 something was pretty good. 

The seventh meet was held in Phillip the following weekend on October 6th. We didn't attend with him so I was thankful for the pictures another parent posted. 

Starting out. 

David and Noah again.

He looks to be finishing up his race.

They all look so happy!

Much to Noah's surprise and lasting satisfaction, he received a medal!

Look at how proud and happy he is. 💙 

The entire team.

Noah's eighth and final meet was Regionals in Hot Springs. It was awesome that Noah was able to go since some of the younger kids didn't get to. It pays to have a smaller team for stuff like this. The meet took place at on Thursday October 11 and Terry took the afternoon off so we could go cheer him on. 

In the back. 

Right away they had to go up a hill. 

Once they turned around that right corner they came up the hill where we were cheering from. 

This course was insane. It was so incredibly hilly, way worse than Custer. This photo was after they ran up, around, and down the hugest hill in the place.

Coming back up from the starting line since they had to do two loops. 

Downhill!

Going by me at the finish line.

And the photo finish! This was another 5k and due to the hills his time was not surprisingly slower. But I think everyone's times were!

Cooling down.

Checking out his time. The team did well enough to go to State, or varsity did. Noah didn't. 

Great job team! I'm so glad we finally committed to Cross Country for Noah this year. He grew a lot, and not just in his endurance, but socially and academically too. It was a stretch for Noah to not have as much time in his day, to have to manage his school responsibilities and his piano practice, and to have less down time. He didn't enjoy the stretching at the time, but it was good for him to grow up a little. He is 13! Noah also grew to really enjoy running. He says he doesn't want to lose all that he gained so he's continued running three times a week, with or without his dad. 🙌👏 We shall see about Track in the spring...

2018 Spearfish & Roughlock Falls hike

On Saturday, September 22, 2018 we headed up to Spearfish Canyon for our nearly-annual fall hiking adventure (2012, 2014, 2016, 2017). 

Thought the littles hats and Ezra's reading were cute on the way up there.

We first stopped at The Latchstring Inn to walk down to Spearfish Falls. 

I walked across the highway to take in the Spearfish Canyon Lodge and the trees just starting to change. 

Heading down.

Pretty bridge once you get to the bottom.

My cute little photographer Samuel. 

The kids fought over who got to stand on this tree trunk.

Windy path through the trees.

Spearfish Falls.

Again with more color...

...and kids!

Down from the waterfall the kids were looking for fish.

Noah took our picture.

Evie did not like Samuel taking her picture. 😂

Next, like last year, we parked just past the Lodge and hiked up to Roughlock Falls. I guess we could've parked right next to this fun little dam.

We visited it again and watched the fishes and the leaves going down the waterfall. 

Fish!

So pretty right here.

Looking back down the bridge.

Pretty purple flowers.

On the trail again.

A break in the trees.

The weekend before Amanda and I had discussed the possibility of going to up to Spearfish for the following weekend since it looked to get cold after that. It worked out for both of us and even though there was no cell service in the canyon we were able to meet up on the trail. 

We stood around visiting for quite a while.

Julia and Naomi were quite interested in Samuel's camera. 

We even let Julia give it a try. 

Super cute how they were posing for her.

Here's one of her shots.

Evie and Abigail were on cloud nine since all they had wanted to do that day was have a playdate and were disappointed to have to go on a beautiful hike. Lame-o's. 

The O's went on down the trail and we went on up, but didn't get far before we ran into another family we knew, Ron, Roberta, and Luke.

Roughlock Falls was just around the corner. 

Be-a-u-tiful!

Family shot minus me. This is also where Stephanie got married in 2011 when Samuel was a baby. 

We turned around to leave and ran back into the O's.

Love them!

They returned the favor and took our family picture.

Up and down I like better.

Once again we had the kids pose on the big rock before heading up the trail.

The girls had to have their own photo op.

Looking down the creek from the bridge.

From the top of the falls. 

Chatty chat time.

Up above at the parking area the girls were further posing for Samuel.

His viewpoint.

And jump!

We kept walking up the creek. 

Just so beautiful. You must pardon so many photos. 

Moses didn't want to dub but Noah insisted. 

More jumping!

Evie and Abigail took the opportunity to practice their song for Sunday school that was meant to illustrate what they had learned about righteousness. 

The O's had to leave and we kept going on up the creek as far as we could, to a pool I'd never been to.  

BEAUTIFUL.

Look at that water! It was at least six feet deep, super turquoise blue, and you could see fish swimming around in it. It was be so much fun to return in the summer and jump in. 

I was in love with the waterfall and the light and the tree and the pool.

Crazy beautiful. 

From the top.

The water was very cold, but Samuel and Evie got used to it...and their feet and legs turned red.

Splish splash.

Eventually everyone visited the top of the waterfall, and this was when the littles followed me.

Heading back down the trail.

Overlooking the waterfall from the other side.

Down where we had been already. I have pretty clear memories of climbing down into that water and jumping from stone to stone when I was little, before they changed the trail. You can't go down there anymore.

A little further along.

It's now become a tradition to throw the helicopter seeds into the air over the waterfall and record them in slow motion.

Heading back down the trail.

On the lower bridge again, but prettier this time.

On and on.

Noah tried to imitate Tilly's exasperation on the Utah trip when they were "holding" up this rock.

The kids loved all the little chipmunks we saw and didn't want to leave them.

One of Samuel's decent photos from the front of the line. 

When we were almost at the bottom we took the path into the field to look at the creek. 

Looking up the canyon.

And back down. 

I love that creek.

We hiked four miles on that trail and even more from the Spearfish Falls walk. It was a beautiful day. I was glad we went since we got a cold snap the following week and snow two weeks afterward.