Tag Archives: Balfour Park

A Happy Thursday Rundown

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Happy Friday Eve, my friends! I hope your June is off to a fabulous start and that life is good. Let’s jump right into my latest Thursday Rundown…

250th Anniversary Kickoff – I love a good patriotic event and I also find incredible significance in America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. So when I learned that the City of Spokane Valley was hosting “Celebrating America’s 250th: Picnic in the Park,” it took no arm twisting to get me there. Even though he had a soccer match right before it, I hauled Beau with me to Balfour Park where a military band played, Revolutionary-era groups convened, and the American flag flew. Make no mistake about it, I plan to celebrate all summer long.

Beau hanging with some colonial men at the “Celebrating America’s 250th: Picnic in the Park” event at Balfour Park in Spokane Valley,

Free Ice Cream – I have gone on record stating that the best perk about working for Eastern Washington University is the free bus pass. Well, I can now identify my second favorite perk. On Tuesday an ice cream truck pulled up near our building and distributed free ice cream to everyone—students and staff alike! It was a tough decision between the ice cream Oreo sandwich or the Reese’s ice cream bar but I went with the latter. Nothing like taking a random break at 11 a.m. on a Tuesday for a free sweet treat.

I pose with my colleagues in EWU University Relations on June 1, 2026. We were surprised when the ice cream truck pulled up near our office and started handing out free treats. Ryan Gaard is on the left and Emily Ausere is on the right. Both are very talented designers.

Happy First Birthday, Neteyam! – Over the weekend, we attended our godson’s 1st birthday party. Sid, the kids, and I were honored to be the only non-family members invited to Neteyam’s bash that took place at the delicious Outlaw BBQ. It is hard to describe how cute and good-natured Neteyam is. We told his mom and our good friend, Fidela, that this was one of our favorite ages for our own kids. Speaking of Fidela, she celebrated her third wedding anniversary with Dylan yesterday…congrats!

Fidela, Beau, Neteyam, and Sidney pose for a photo at our godson’s birthday party held at Outlaw BBQ.

Happy Anniversary, Miranda and Jay! – While we are on the subject of anniversaries, I want to give a very special shout out to my sister and brother-in-law. Today they celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary. The ceremony took place in Hillyard on a hot day. It was nice to celebrate with so many of our extended family members and the pasta at the reception venue that day was on-point.

Miranda and Jay are celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary today.

Top Cheeses – Today is National Cheese Day and 1.5 years ago I celebrated its cousin’s national day (National Cheese Lover’s Day) by counting down my top five favorite cheeses. Because I feel nice tonight, I am going to save you a click if you wish and just give you my list. In order from #5 to my all-time favorite cheese, here you go: parmesan cheese, queso, blue cheese, Cougar Gold, pepper jack.

Parmesan cheese is one of my top five favorite cheeses.

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Another Thursday Rundown in the books! Fair warning, there will be no rundown next week but there will be a blog post. Adding to the unusual blogging week is the fact that I hope to post an end-of-school-year entry on that Friday as well—but we shall see. Until then, have a fantastic weekend. Don’t Blink.

Beau’s Long Awaited Spring 2026 Soccer Season

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The spring soccer season came to a close for Beau this past weekend. Although the Blue Sharks dropped their final match (but we aren’t supposed to keep score so who knows, right?), it marked an eight-week period of growth and improvement for our little footballer. 

Beau had a positive spring soccer season.

I was excited for Beau to play this season just because of his own enthusiasm to put back on the soccer cleats. Since the fall season ended, he would ask me at least once per week when he would get to play again. Needless to say, when we gave him the choice of either baseball or soccer this spring, he didn’t hesitate with his decision. Even when we asked him if he wanted to play on a t-ball team with the boys from his class, he didn’t waver.

Beau chases the ball on the soccer court at Balfour Park in Spokane Valley.

I don’t know where his soccer passion comes from. Although I did play soccer through sixth grade, the sport was unfairly looked down upon in my family—and there is no soccer history in Sid’s family. But nonetheless, we don’t call our son Beaunaldo for nothing.

Even though my dad isn’t a soccer fan, he has been nothing but supportive and helpful with Beau.

It has been a joy watching Beau play this year. I am very realistic about the athletic abilities of my kids and the genes they were given, but Beau was actually the standout player on his team this year. He led the Blue Sharks in goals and was designated as the “fastest player on the team” when he beat his teammates in a race at the final practice of the season. He had the game of his life when he scored four goals during the second-to-last game of the year.

Beau chases the ball in pursuit of another goal during the last game of the season.

Even though Beau is finished playing organized soccer until this upcoming fall, his excitement for the sport continues. He can’t get enough of watching Ronaldo highlights and he is beyond stoked for the World Cup this month. He loves soccer influencers and we have to remind him that he isn’t allowed to kick the ball in the house.

Beau huddles with his team for the last time during the Spring 2026 SYSA soccer season.

Although it will be nice to have Saturdays back again, I admired the way Beau gave 100% this soccer season and will miss watching him play over the next few months. Don’t Blink.

Cops & Kids

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On Saturday, I took Beau to Cops & Kids, an inaugural community event that was held at Balfour Park in Spokane Valley. Cops & Kids boasted inflatables, games, food trucks, a car show, and—of course—law enforcement fun.

The Spokane Valley Police Department brought tools, vehicles, personnel, and more for attendees to view and engage with. I wanted to share a few of the things that Beau liked best…

The department’s SWAT vehicle was on display and Beau wasted no time climbing in the back. Inside was a police officer who patiently answered all of my son’s questions. Most of them dealt with the equipment inside.

Beau hanging out in a Spokane Valley Police Department SWAT vehicle at the Cops & Kids event.

Beau also met a SVPD K-9. Of course, Beau asked the officer about the function of the muzzle but I had questions, too. I asked about the dog’s training, length of service, and attack methods. These dogs do more than just jump on suspects—they bite them. But the officer I was speaking to stressed that the K-9 isn’t used for minor criminals but for those bad guys who pose a real threat to others. The dog will subdue the suspect by biting the arm, thus giving officers time to move in for the arrest.

Beau meets a Spokane Valley Police Department K-9 at the Cops & Kids event.

The helicopter definitely stood out at Balfour Park. We missed its landing and takeoff but seeing it up close was still pretty cool. They were allowing people to jump inside the cockpit but it was such a hot day that we refrained.

Beau poses in front of a Spokane Valley Police helicopter at the Cops & Kids event.

What interested Beau the most, however, was the drones! Yes, I used the plural form. SVPD brought a regular-sized drone and a mini drone. The latter is used to actually enter buildings and residences. The officer I talked to indicated that his primary responsibility with the department is to solely fly drones. The demonstrations were super cool as the video feed from the drone was projected onto a large screen in the back of a squad car.

Beau looks at a Spokane Valley Police drone at the Cops & Kids event.

Thank you to the Spokane Valley Police Department for playing such a big role in the Cops & Kids event! Your access and service are both appreciated. Don’t Blink.

Changing My Attitude On Outdoor Movies

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This summer, we have done something I have not been keen to do in the past. Despite the increased opportunities popping up each year, I have resisted the minimal effort it would take to attend such an event.

However, I finally shunned my own reservations and conceded to the desires of my kids. Earlier this month, we attended an outdoor movie.

Hanging with Beau and Sloan after the sun went down at Balfour Park on July 11, 2025. We were there to watch “Moana 2.”

Okay, you are probably thinking what is your deal with watching a movie under the stars on a gorgeous summer evening? Well, for the past several years I thought the whole thing was too romanticized compared to the actual experience we would receive. I basically found myself caught up in trivial BS that kids probably don’t care about: dull screen projection, soft audio, and oversaturated movies.

So what changed this year? Well, going on our cruise in April opened my eyes to the magic and relaxation that can be enjoyed from watching a movie in the open air. Sitting on the deck watching movies from the hot tub is a pleasant memory I have from our voyage.

Beau being goofy prior to the start of “Moana 2” at Balfour Park. A Kiwanis volunteer is up at the front quizzing the kids with trivia questions.

But I wasn’t convinced that watching a new release movie on the beautiful ship would be the equivalent of watching a 2010 Disney movie on a blow up screen in a local park. After all, the screen on our cruise ship was so crisp and high res that you could probably see it clearly from space. However, I could admit that based on my experience on the Freedom of the Seas, I knew a pleasant experience was at least possible.

How can an outdoor movie not be pleasant when the scenery is like this? This photo is of Beau sitting in his chair at Balfour Park on July 11, 2025.

Thus, earlier this month, at the urging of Sloan, we went to Balfour Park in Spokane Valley to watch “Moana 2.” The showing was part of the Outdoor Movies in the Park series sponsored by Spokane Valley Parks & Rec and Kiwanis Club of Spokane Valley. A couple of my hesitations were realized. With the movie start time of “sunset,” the first 20 minutes of the film was hard to see due to partial daylight. Also, as someone who doesn’t care to watch movies twice, I wasn’t too excited about watching “Moana 2” after we recently saw it in theaters this past Thanksgiving.

But you know what? I could see past those two quibbles because everything else was quite enjoyable. A local credit union was on-hand to pass out swag. A makeshift concession stand was distributing soda and popcorn. Event organizers conducted trivia beforehand with children earning pop-sicles for correct answers. And, hey, the volume of the film was perfect!

Not going to lie, the outdoor movie series at Balfour Park is really relaxing. Thanks to Spokane Valley Parks & Rec and Kiwanis Club of Spokane Valley for organizing.

And, overall, the aspect that made the cruise ship movies so fun was present at Balfour park: watching a movie under the night sky on a pleasant evening.

Beau and Sloan enjoy “Monsters, Inc.” at Balfour Park on July 18. The outdoor movie series is sponsored by Spokane Valley Parks & Rec along with the Kiwanis Club of Spokane Valley.

We set up our chairs and simply enjoyed some relaxation after a hectic week. You can’t beat a Spokane July evening and we soaked it all in as we ate licorice and Cheez-Its while watching Moana save the day. In fact, we had such a good time that we ended up returning to Balfour Park last Friday for “Monsters, Inc.”

We had such a fun time at the outdoor movie at Balfour Park on July 11 that we went again the next week. This time Sid came along and we arrived super early to have a picnic dinner prior to showtime.

What I ended up realizing was that attending an outdoor movie was much like attending a Minor League Baseball game. Although baseball is the advertised attraction, you don’t necessarily go to watch the sport played to perfection nor is your night ruined if the home team loses. Rather, you go for the promotions, stadium food, mascot, and—most importantly—the community. Sure, these outdoor movies aren’t shown on a flawless screen and I wish the films were more to my liking, but the community experience more than made up for it. Thank you to Spokane Valley Parks & Rec and Kiwanis Club of Spokane Valley for sponsoring Outdoor Movies in the Park! Don’t Blink.