Tag Archives: Spokane Balfour Park

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.

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.