Portland Livestrong Challenge

Last weekend my very good friend Lorie and her boyfriend, Matt, came down to Portland to ride in the Livestrong Challenge. They stayed at our house, which worked out perfect because the dinner and the start/finish of the ride took place at Nike. In order to ride in the 40, 70, or 100 mile ride each participant had to raise at least $250 to go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Lorie raised $5,075 and also wrote a grant and they will be matching the amount she raised - bringing her total to $10, 150!! Isn't that incredible?!

Lorie has been battling cancer in many different forms for more than a few years. She has been a champion and has stayed very strong for her 4 kids throughout everything. I was fortunate enough to attend the Livestrong dinner at Nike on Saturday evening with Lorie, Matt, Dave and Debra..another amazing couple that raised money and rode in the race - Debra is a cancer survivor as well. It was a dinner with Lance Armstrong honoring the people who raised over $3,000, Lorie definitely being one of those people. Lance spoke, as well as a few others who raised record amounts for the cause. Sitting there next to her made me so very proud of her for doing what she can to help others while she is going through such a difficult time in her life. Hearing stories about other people made me want to jump out of my chair and tell everyone her story and the story of other cancer survivors that I know that I think are amazing, like my Mom. To me, these women embody what it means to "Livestrong" and have been an inspiration to me. I hope I tell them that enough.

Lorie was determined to ride in the 40 mile race on Sunday. She hasn't been feeling quite up to par, so first Matt agreed to ride next to her. As it got closer to the ride, we were all a little worried about her and were happy to hear when they decided to ride a tandom bike - and I have to say that they were by far the cutest couple I saw on the course - And I was very proud of Matt for hanging in there :) He informed a few of us later that he hadn't rode a bike in a while...apparently no training was required for him ! Dave, Debra, Lorie and Matt all wore Livestrong riding tops and they looked awesome - so official!

All in all it was a great weekend and I am so glad that I was able to be a part of it! Here are a few pics. I'm hoping to get a copy of Lorie's pictures as well, so hopefully I can add more soon. Check out Lorie's blog for more pictures - I'm sure they will be up soon :) www.lorieandcompany.blogspot.com

At the Livestrong Dinner.Lance Armstrong speaking after the race was over. It was pretty cool to get to be that close to someone like him! He's a looker :)
The foursome coming through the finish!!

My favorite picture - after the finish they had a bubble machine that everyone rode through.
The Rarricks (minus the little one). Their boys were SO excited!
Matt and Lorie after 40 miles. I can tell you that I would look a heck of a lot worse than that!Happy to be done!
A bicycle made for two...perfect!

4th of July Memories

Ry and I were just talking about what we were going to do for the 4th of July and I started thinking about all of the fun 4ths I've had over the years. Here are a few things I remember about past holidays:
-setting off fireworks in the back yard every year and watching them go off all around Colville from my parent's house
-watching my brother pull his little red wagon around the day after and picking up all of the pieces
-SPARKERS! my favorite. Tiffany and I doing gymnastics with them while the parents and grandparents applauded and "ooed and ahhhhd" from the deck :)
-watching the field catch on fire from a bottle rocket one year and everyone running frantically to put it out...haha. that was a good one guys
-racing around to catch all of the parachutes that came out of the bottle rockets, it was always a competition to see who could get the most
-bringing Ryan and my mother in law, Kathy, up to Colville for their first 4th in C-town and spending the weekend at the lake
-weekends at the cabin and spending the holiday there every few years. Sparkler bombs ringing in the mountains...haha, remember that TJ??
-spening my first 4th in Oregon last year and having a culdasac party with the neighbors in Tigard...so many little ones running around!
-Popits...those things that pop when you throw them on the ground - I love those!



Fun memories! Have a safe holiday everyone. Here are a few pics from our last 4th in Colville.

Cheese!

Oh the pretty fountains! We had to time this picture just right. haha

Notice Steve's shirt says "I need to be held"...nice Scuba Steve

I told ya I love those sparklers :)Probably not the safest of ideas :) but of course boys will be boys.

Baby Freddy's Nursery

As many of you may know, my sister Tiffany will be giving birth to our first nephew in two weeks!! She has 4 year old twin girls, Adysen and Bayleigh, and they have named the baby "Freddy". We all know this is not the real name, which is being kept a secret until he is born, but it is fun to play along with the girls. Some of you have been asking for pictures of the new nursery so I thought I would post some pics that I took last weekend while I was home. It is a fish themed nursery and it has turned out really cute. It is so fun to see something other than pink and purple in the house :) It's still a little crazy to think we will have a little boy around...the last little guy on our side was my brother!

EWU Graduation Weekend

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Thomas James Tripp Jr.

My little - yet has always been bigger than me - brother is graduating from college this weekend! I will be traveling up to EWU for his graduation festivities and I couldn't be more proud and excited to be there for him as he walks across the stage and finishes what I think has been a very impressive few years for him.

He is majoring in Finance, Business Management, Human Resource Management and getting a minor in Economics...all things I wanted nothing to do with in college :) I think this is phenomenal, considering he didn't quite know what to think of college when he first got there. He always had a plan to major in business, with an interest in possibly moving back to Colville to work in the family business someday. However, lately I think his plans have changed...at least for now. For the past few years he has talked about moving to California or somewhere else and experiencing something new. Cheney isn't far from Colville and I think he would like to see what it is like to find a place that he can call "his own". I understand that desire, as it was something I was looking for right out of high school also. I wanted to go somewhere where people didn't necessarily know me or associate me as being just an athlete or know everything their was to know about me - which can easily happen in a small town. Sometimes we just need a little time away from that to realize that someday we could see ourselves back there again.

TJ is a funny, caring, talented, handsome, sensitive, stubborn :), detail oriented and smart young man and I hope that he will find whatever it is that he is looking for. We got along pretty well growing up together (let's just say that we were pretty close in age and both very competitive...I don't think we really ever finished a game of basketball) and we have always been very close. I want him to know that Ryan and I will always be there for him. My family is so important to me and even though I don't get to see them as often as I would like, sometimes that is the fun part for me because I notice the ways in which everyone has changed. Not big changes, but little changes. TJ has made a lot of little changes in his life in the past few years and I am very proud of the man he is becoming. Yes Bud, I called you a man...but don't think that means you have bigger muscles than me now :) I love you.

View from my desk...

So, I was just thinking about how tired I was of looking at my computer today so I decided to share my view with everyone :) Well, one of my views...I work out of two different areas (hoping to get my very own office with more than two walls soon!)...one cubicle, one open area. I would LOVE my own space. I like my co-workers and all, but what I would give to have a place to call my own!

I don't know if it is easy to see or not, but I have fortunes from fortune cookies all over my desk. I LOVE fortune cookie fortunes. I know they are silly, but I still love them. Every now and then they can give you a little bit of hope, however hokey they might be. Here are a few of my favorites out of what I have collected so far:
"The star of riches is shining on you"
"You never hesitate to tackle the most difficult problems"
"You will soon gain something you have always desired"
"You are realistic and others can relate to you"
"Make use of your finest talents"

I always seem to be able to relate them to what is going on in my life. No matter what it says, I try to find a way to put a positive spin on it :) I'm some sort of a wishful thinker in that sense I guess. We just decided we are going to Panda Express for lunch today so hopefully I will get a good new one! Ryan says your fortune won't come true unless you eat the entire cookie before reading the fortune (I think he made this up just to drive me crazy)....this is really hard for me, but I'm learning to be patient :) A valuable lesson I could definitely use some work on!

Quote of the Day

Life can seem ungrateful--and not always kind.
Life can pull at your heartstrings-- and play with your mind.
Life can be blissful--and happy and free.
Life can put beauty--in all things that you see.
Life can place challenges--right at your feet.
Life can make good--of the hardships we meet.
Life can overwhelm you--and make your head spin.
Life can reward those--determined to win.
Life can be hurtful--and not always fair.
Life can surround you--with people who care.
Life clearly does offer--its ups and its downs.
Life teaches us to take--the good with the bad.
Life is a mixture--of the happy and sad.

so

Take the life that you have--and give it your best.
Think positive, be happy--let God do the rest.
Take the challenges that life--has laid at your feet.
Take pride and be thankful--for each one that you meet.
To yourself give forgiveness--if you stumble and fall.
Take each day that is dealt you--and give it your all.
Take the love that your given--and return it with care.
Have faith that when needed--it will always be there.
Take time to find the beauty--in the things that you see.
Take life’s simple pleasures--let them set your heart free.
The idea here is simple--to even the score.
As you are met and faced with--Life’s Tug of War.

-Author Unknown

I Heart MUSIC

I have been really into music lately, more than normal, so I have been downloading some new music today and I have found some stuff that I really like. I don't know if anyone has heard of her, but Julianne Hough (you might have seen her as a dancer on Dancing with the Stars) is actually pretty good. I was skeptical, but I got her album on iTunes today and her single "Had That Song in my Head All Day" - it plays on her website if you click on it- is really cute and pretty catchy.

Other songs and artists I have been listening to lately (some old, some new):
I Saw God Today - George Staight...I could listen to this on repeat
Secondhand Serenade
Mercy - Duffy...I like her sound
Viva la Vida - Coldplay...their new album comes out this month
You're Gonna Miss This - Trace Adkins
Take A Bow - Rhianna...fun to sing in the car!
New Soul - Yael Niam
Miss Higgins
Kate Voegele - From One Tree Hill, her whole album is pretty good
Matt White
Fever - Peggy Lee...oldie but a goodie
Say - John Miller...I don't usually like him, but I like this song
I'm Still a Guy - Brad Paisley...It's not my favorite song, but he's one of the most clever country songwriters :)
Tough - Craig Morgan...almost makes me cry everytime
Just Like a Star- Corinne Bailey Rae...her whole album is really good too
Miranda Lambert...I've liked her ever since she was on Nashville Star a few years back