Savoring Summertime

They say summer is over, and in a family full of teachers, few would disagree.  This past weekend, however, the Runnells family squeezed a bit more summer out of Wisconsin -- and from what I hear, there wasn't much to be had in the past three months, so good for us!

On Saturday, after Brian and I got some good climbing in and visited with some pals at Adventure Rock, we headed to Miller  Park to join the Runnells family for the annual Brewers outing.  This year, being that we weren't sure of our schedule when it was decision time, we opted not to get tickets for the game, but we were all in for the tailgate.  The usual suspects were there -- almost all of the cousins, the debates over who is the #1 grandchild, the blonde brownies, and the butter horns -- and even Grandpa decided to join in on the fun.  We chatted, we grilled, we drank, we laughed, and when it was game time, Brian and I scooped up Grandpa and headed out. I definitely wouldn't have minded spending more time with the gang, but it was also nice to have a bit of one-on-one time with Grandpa.  It was also really nice, simple, and normal to spend a Saturday night watching football with BR, so I'd call our decision a good one.  

Addie -- aside from Grandpa, she is everyone's favorite Runnells

selfies with Grandpa, they're a real things for us! 

three generations
Brian, Grandpa, and Beeps! 

These Badger girls found a bit of room for Brewers pride 
A great Saturday rolled right into a great Sunday.  After a quiet morning around the house -- together -- we headed out to one of our favorite places to enjoy outdoor Wisconsin, South Shore Park.  We were invited on a bike ride this morning, but neither of us are much in the way of bikers, unless you count the motorcycle, so we opted to take a walk in the park.  We met up with the riders, said a quick hello, and then made our way to Classic Slice for lunch.  Brian and I were happy to be able to join in the fun; I know that once we're mountain dwellers, we won't have these chances as often, and we will really, really miss them.
strolling through South Shore 


It was great to spend time with family, to enjoy the simple things in life, laughter, love, and family.  Here's hoping for a quick week because this weekend will be another one filled with family and fun.  It's almost Al's Run time, which means Team Zoe will be out in full force, and my run buddy, JL, and I will be sparkling our way through five miles of running fun.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Just a Little Evening Adventure

Image
Sometimes you have those days that turn out to be so very different than you expected them to be.  Wednesday was one of those days.  We welcomed houseguest Tuesday evening, and I thought I might do a bit of climbing with them in the morning, but then I expected to return to my typical routine - take a hike/go for a run, do some work and head to the gym for some evening climbing with Brian.  Instead, we decided to solo the Second Flatiron, a six-hundred or so foot climb up one of Boulder's most notable landmarks.     To the best of my recollection, I have not soloed anything before (read: climb without a rope or protection/gear).  The only part that unnerved me, however, was the 'jump.'  This was a point where, along the climb, you are required to leap across a divide in the rocks. I decided the benefits outweighed the cost/risk/fear, and I joined Brian, Alex and Cait, our houseguest, and Josh, another Sconnie native and AdRock climber living the d...
Read more

Stylin' in My New Ride!

Image
Last Friday was an exciting day for me.  Though the new school year was rapidly approaching and my nerves were out of control in anticipation of starting a new school year in a new school with a relatively unfamiliar staff, I happily headed to the car dealership to pick up my new ride, a beautiful white Ford Fusion with all sorts of bells and whistles!   We haven't had a new car in the Runnells family in a few years...and that car quickly became Brian's.  This car, however, is all mine and I LOVE IT!!  A big THANK YOU goes out to my hubbers, who dealt with all the less-than-enjoyable stuff that went along with getting this car  (suffice it to say, our initial car salesman was less than professional and almost drove us to another  dealership).  I think about it each time I get into the car. Doesn't my ALUMNI plate holder look good?!  Want to listen to a little SIRIUS radio?  I'm lovin' making calls via my car Drivi...
Read more

Helping Chelsea and Kyle

Image
Brace yourselves... this is a long one...and I'm asking for your help. As some of you may know, someone very close to me, Chelsea Bullis, experienced a life-changing event on Sunday, June 10, 2012.  She and her boyfriend, Kyle, were in a terrible motorcycle accident that left them both seriously injured.   Chelsea and her family have always been a part of my life. Chelsea's Aunt Anita was my first babysitter, and eventually her grandma, Maureen, and  her mom, Lynn,  took turns taking care of my brother and me.  Chelsea's Aunt Lainey is my mom's very best friend.  Chelsea, her brother Chad, her cousins Sam and Rachael and I all grew up together.  We took summer trips together, and when I was old enough, I began taking care of Chelsea, her brother and her cousins.  Chelsea and her family were so close to me that we began referring to each other as cousins...and 20+ years later, it is still how we refer to one another.   So ...
Read more