CCS Challenge 2015!

October is time for the annual CCS Challenge again! We love our school and we worked on raising money to help them out with all the extra expenses and classroom needs of trying to give the students a great education.  We knew we would not be able to be there on the morning of the Challenge, so the week before our family biked 5 miles together for our participation!  It was fun as the big kids are all closer in biking ability now so the ride was smooth and fun for all.  And a bonus was meeting Uncle Jeff, Auntie Christy, Kaatje & Greta at a park halfway through our ride (we needed someone to take our annual bike picture!).  Thanks so much to all of our friends and family who donated!  It makes a difference.  Go Calvin!

(this annual picture is fun to look back on.  Check out 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010!)

CCS Challenge 2014...

The beginning of a new school year also brings one of the school's biggest fund raisers, the CCS Challenge.  The students and their families are challenged to raise money for the school and participate in a walk/run/bike-a-thon they hold the first weekend in October.  The kids were really excited to participate, and while the too-much-on-our-plate parents may not have been so thrilled this year, we all rose to the challenge (pun intended, ha!) and did our best!

The day before the Challenge, they had a school spirit day where everyone wore Calvin shirts and had a pep rally assembly at the end of the day.

They got pretty pumped.

The morning of the Challenge started out pretty cold, so we put on a lot of layers and had a good breakfast.  Including a pre-race raspberry snack from Aahma and Papa Bruin...

...who came to ride with us!

Waiting for the race to start...

...and we were off!  It was nice to have multiple adults as all the kids were at different levels of riding.  I go to hang with Carsten most of the race.  He rocked it!
 

beautiful views of Lake Harriet
 

We caught up with Dadda and Henry at the end of the race.
 

Our Calvin kids after the bike ride!  

(the stocking hats were an incentive prize for raising so much money)

Our annual family photo after the Challenge.
 

Thanks to all who donated and supported us and our school this year!!  Go Calvin!

Calvin Christian Challenge, 2013...

There is a long story and history to our school's participation what one was the Metro's Marathon for Non-Public Education.  It was started over 40 years ago and was sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, which originally started it for Catholic schools. Then, other non-public schools joined in. It was held on the same weekend as the Twin Cities Marathon, hence the name - there was no marathon running involved!  But a couple years ago, the Knights of Columbus stopped sponsoring and putting on the event.  We continued to hold it ourselves, partnering with a few other schools, but this year a committee reviewed the event and gave it a much needed make-over.  It is now called the Calvin Christian Challenge, which is a better description of the whole event.  Students are challenged to raise money for the school's enrichment fund, which gives money to teachers for classroom supplies and programs, updating technology, supporting the arts' programs, and other major needs that the school has which aren't necessarily in the budget.  They call friends and family asking for donations, then challenge themselves physically by joining with all the campus's and participating in either the 5k run, or the 6 mile bike/walk.  It is held at Lake Harriet, which has a 3 mile trail around it, and is a perfect setting for the day.  There.  Now we all know the story and henceforth will not be confused.  (Which is not true as Steve and I call it the marathon all the time and are promptly corrected by Willem.  Found out later he was correcting his 1st grade teacher too!)

Grace and Willem were eager to do their part.  They called / face-timed all their grandparents, aunts and uncles, went next door to the neighbor's, and were excited when a couple from church offered a donation without them even asking!  We then hopped on our bikes and made sure that they were practiced and ready.

The forcast was for rain the Saturday of the Challenge, but we dodged most of the drops since we went later than the most of the pack.  Steve volunteered to be a safety monitor for the course for the first hour, and then we were able to wheel up and bike the second hour.

Henry rode behind me in the trailer, and the rest of the kids biked themselves.  Each year as they get older it is fun to see how much they can handle as they become independent bikers.  And although it is quite the challenge to get everyone and all the bikes down there - 2 cars, borrowed kike rack, etc., we always have such a fun time as a family and are so glad we can support our school in this way.

And can't forget those thank you notes either!  Thank you to all who donated, we truly do appreciate it!

And for fun again, here are previous years to look back at:
2012 (so cold!)
2011 (so pregnant with Henry =)
2010 (so hot!)

2012 CCS marathon...

Our family once again participated in the annual CCS marathon to raise money for the school.  The money raised is used by the PTF to purchase and update equipment, supplies, and other things needed to enrich the students' education.  I really don't care for fundraisers (would make an AWFUL saleswoman), but this one is very important for the school and for our kids as students there.  Plus we don't have to peddle cookie dough or coupon books, we just do our part to participate and ask people to support us and the school.


G was particularly excited this year because it is the first year she knows how to ride a two-wheeler without training wheels.  S would the boys in the bike trailer, and H & I would help out with the registration and check-in table this year rather than biking.  Most of G's riding has not been long distance so S and I were prepared to do just as much as she was able to. 

Although when the day dawned we weren't even sure we wanted to leave the house - it was 28 degrees F out!  Cold, cloudy and windy, the high wasn't supposed to get much above 40 degrees F.  But we bundled up in winter gear, packed up and headed out.  And we were so glad we did!  What a great day with the CCS community...everyone cold and bundled (hot dogs and hot chocolate helped!), but smiling and biking and walking and running to support a great school.  And we were so proud of G as she biked all the way around the lake (3 miles), which was her farthest bike-ride to date.

We completed and mailed thank you letters this morning, which G & W were as excited to write and help with as they were to call family members to ask for pledges.  They both raised a great amount of money for CCS.  Thank you all for your support and generous donations!!!

ready to go!

so. cold.

2012 Marathon family photo

Here is a look back at the previous marathons that we participated in:
2011 Marathon
2010 Marathon (SUCH different weather!)

Saturday, October 1...

Beautiful fall morning for visiting Minnehaha Falls Park and participating with Calvin Christian School in the Marathon for Non-Public Education.

Thanks to all who sponsored G and supported CCS for this!

what would YOU do on an 80 degree day in October?...

I love Indian Summer. It has been really sweet this year because it came after a cool and cloudy September, where at least I thought that we jumped right from summer to late fall cold weather without any of that gorgeous stuff in-between. The past few weeks have been that gorgeous 70 degree and sunny weather and we are soaking it up as hard as we can because that four letter white stuff will be here all too soon. Last weekend was especially beautiful, with highs reaching 80 degrees and above! We had umpteen projects that needed to be completed or worked on, but we decided to take a break and enjoy the weather and fall colors.

In trying to decide what to do on Saturday, we were reminded by G that we should do our part for Calvin's marathon. Her school participates in our metropolitan 6 mile "marathon" for non-public education that takes place each fall. Kids raise pledges for completing 6 miles by foot or bike. Due to raging stomach flu, we were not able to participate on the actual day it took place, but decided to do our part and still complete the 6 miles. So biking as a family it was!

We biked, picnic'd and played at the nearby CR Dam park which has lovely bike paths, runs next to the Mississippi River, and has a great picnic area and playground too. The day was made extra fun by Papa and Aahma B as well as Auntie M joining us! The colors were gorgeous, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. We far exceeded the 6 miles, as the boys fell asleep as we were reaching the pick-up and van, so we decided to bike the extra 4 miles home.

Hope you all were able to enjoy some of God's creation, beautiful weather and fall colors this past weekend!!!