Merry Christmas
and Happy Holidays!
2025 was quite the marathon—well, technically a series of half marathons! Here’s a look at what we’ve been up to this year.
We kicked things
off in early March by meeting Phil in Georgia for the Combo’s Half Marathon in
Albany, bringing us to State #34. We toured the Georgia State Capitol, wandered
Centennial Olympic Park, and visited the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site after
the race. Kim, a devoted Combo’s fan, was thrilled to return home with several
bags.
At the end of
April, Kim’s brother and his family joined us in Oregon for the Eugene Half
Marathon—State #35. We stopped at Multnomah Falls, toured the Oregon State
Capitol, tagged along on Alec’s UO campus tour, and enjoyed a stunning drive
along the Oregon Coast with Phil. It was Mike’s first half marathon, and he
absolutely smoked Kim. Nicely done, Mike!
Not all of our
travels involved running. In May we flew to Nevada for our godson Joseph’s
Confirmation, a special day presided over by a very memorable, retired military
bishop. He used his crosier as crowd control.
Over Memorial
Day weekend we road-tripped to Traverse City, Michigan for the Bayshore Half
Marathon—State #36. On the way up we visited the Michigan State Capitol; on the
way back we crossed the Mackinac Bridge. We also stopped at Sleeping Bear
National Lakeshore, where the turquoise water was breathtaking.
June was full of
family time as we celebrated Allista’s baby shower. Many relatives made the
trip, and we got to meet our newest nephew, Finn—yes, he shares a name with our
cat. We even snapped a photo of the two Finns together. They were not impressed
with one another.
At the end of
June, we traveled to Rhode Island for the Bristol Independence Half
Marathon—State #37. We also visited the Connecticut State Capitol and spent
some time exploring beautiful Newport.
August brought a
big change: after 40 years of thick glasses and pricey contacts, Kim finally
had her eyes corrected. She had to do PRK which meant a slower recovery, but
even with the blurry days, she says it was absolutely worth it and wishes she’d
done it sooner.
Recovery didn’t
slow us down too much. We still made it to the MN State Fair with DJ and the
Sever’s Corn Maze and Valleyfair with Nancy, Danielle and family to wrap up
summer.
In mid-October,
we headed to Sioux Falls for Eric’s brother, Byron’s surprise 40th birthday. We
ran the Newton Hills trail race that morning and celebrated with family later
on.
In early
November we road-tripped to Indianapolis for the Monumental Half Marathon—State
#38. Phil joining us again. Along the way we toured the Iowa and Illinois State
Capitols and stopped at the Indy 500 Museum.
December is
turning into a busy month. Last weekend we traveled to Florida for the Palm
Beaches Half Marathon, which brings us to State #39. We are heading to Phoenix
for Christmas. We lucked out as the MN Gophers are playing in the Rate Bowl
while we are out there so we are going to cheer them on!
On the home
front, Kim celebrated 25 years at Ameriprise Financial and is enjoying her
extra week of vacation. Eric is still with CenterPoint Energy, though his
Minneapolis office closed and he’s now commuting to Brooklyn Park—much farther
away. This also means Kim lost her chauffeur and is back to riding the bus.
Reba and Finn remain adorable as ever and constantly lobbying for food and
attention.
Wishing you a
wonderful Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year!
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