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Laurel Webster

@laurelwebster

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👩🏻‍💻 @hersickwebster
💍 @jhersick
💕 @gotr_shenandoahvalley
🐾 @josie_and_shy_thegreatdanes
🖤 really long runs & really big dogs.

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Shy turned 9 yesterday, complete with a crown, a cake, and some practice of patience while it was being cut.

When we adopted her from @midatlantic_greatdanerescue, she came from a beginning that was unkind and cruel. Trust wasn’t a given. So watching her settle in, and then unfurl into the goofy, saucy, full-of-opinions girl she is now, has been one of the great joys.

There’s something sacred about the senior years with our pups. The pace softens. The gray “sugar face” creeps in. The way they meet the world changes in small ways. But their north star never moves. It’s us. Being chosen like that is an honor I don’t take lightly.

Dogs love so freely. Shy had every reason not to, and did anyway. Thank you for trusting us, sweet girl. Happy 9th. by @laurelwebster

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22 days ago

On Wednesday, our “Boo Boo,” Toby, passed peacefully at home with his humans and big little sisters present. At over 15 and a half years old, he soaked up a whole lot of life: three homes, thirteen states traveled, and countless people and canines met (and you know, bayed at in excitement).

If you knew or met Toby, you know he never did anything just a little bit. He was always all in. Even on his final day with us, he went big on his walk, even though it had turned slower over the last few weeks. He went for his afternoon nap after, and we said our goodbyes.

Toby was a small package built with stubbornness, exuberant rambunctiousness, a frenzied “nose that goes,” and a voice that only ever worked at the highest volume. But of all the things, he had an overabundance of love that didn’t fit in his small barreled body, so he insisted on sharing it however he could. That looked like a dog who had to be touching you (Mr. Static Cling), who gave expert feel-better-soon cuddles, who took on the role of Little Chef in the kitchen, who had an extreme appreciation for blueberries, spaghetti noodles, and mashed potatoes (but really, all food), who was an aficionado of blanket burrowing (while still maintaining connection to you, of course), and who fit in all the sibling snuggles he could.

Toby’s love of life and all that’s in it was sometimes annoying in how it presented, but each morning and evening he reminded us how to be present with loved ones. These past three weeks especially reminded us what that looks like. Sauntering walks in the neighborhood, park, and beach, blanket cuddles in the wee hours of each day, and soaking up sunshine and the pleasant senses of each day.

We miss him terribly. All of us, his humans and canine family alike. Thank you to his aunties, uncles, and extended family who loved him, spoiled him, and gave him so much joy along the way, he felt it, every time. If you got to know Toby, may you always have that look he gave in your mind, and that sound of him saying “hello, I love life, and I love you most” ringing in your memories.

Toby made his days and moments full, just like our hearts. Love you, Little Man. by @laurelwebster

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a month ago

Yesterday’s beach day with the pups, with Toby leading the pack. He’s given us quite the emotional rollercoaster this last week, but the salt air was good to him—to all of us. Gratitude and grief, coexisting while we hold onto each day as a gift with our senior trio, knowing there’s more yesterdays than tomorrows. Oh, how these sweet souls teach us to truly be present. taken in Haceta Beach by @laurelwebster

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2 months ago

Recap 2025: Oct-Dec

Autumn slowed things down. The light thinned, the air cooled, and we held onto the last warm days as long as we could.

There were more trips to Oregon and more time on new and familiar trails. Movement without urgency. Space to breathe and notice what stayed steady.

The dogs were a constant through it all. Walks, hikes, puppy birthdays, long stretches of cuddling and being still together. A ritual of care, practiced daily.

Running returned. New River Gorge miles felt grounding. A reminder that some things come back when there’s room again.

GOTRSV service filled the season too. The fall 5K, board leadership, and collective growth shaped by a deeply committed group of volunteers and staff.

A trip to Philly for more tattoo time. Marking journeys, memory, beauty.

Then home. Holiday outings. Family all together. The house full, and then quiet again.

The year turned inward. Reflection came more easily. Grief sat alongside joy. It became clearer what I was still carrying, and what I was ready to set down.

This year wasn’t about arrival. It was shaped by unexpected challenges in work and family, and by the care required to meet them. By supporting the people I love. By choosing new paths. By learning that rest isn’t failure, and that listening counts as movement too.

Winter arrived as a reminder. This is the season for rest and recovery. For letting what’s complete fall away.

Spring will come when it’s time—and I don’t need to rush it. by @laurelwebster

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9 months ago

Recap: 2025 Jul-Sep

Summer held steady.
And still, everything moved.

Jamey’s birthday in Marshall, VA.
Client projects installed.
The Gentleman’s Cooking Club.

Sunny walks with the dogs.
Long hours on the back deck—
working, lounging, watching, a fox passing through.

Music, threaded through the season:
Lord Huron. Nine Inch Nails. Hozier.

Trips west again—
Oregon time with Aidan,
mountain trails, wide views.

Girls on the Run memory making.
Cherokee for the Outdoor Economy Conference.

Zinnias holding color,
right to the end.

A season full and bright.
Full to the edges.
Learning how to stay present anyway. by @laurelwebster

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9 months ago

Recap: 2025 Apr-Jun
Spring widened the frame.
Garden beds filling in. Days asking more.

Q2 held many roles—
business owner, partner, nonprofit leader, race director,
spouse, bonus parent, friend, daughter.
Not in balance. Just lived.

It meant being in many places.
Iowa for Mom’s 80th—family gathered.
Oregon—helping Aidan settle, miles walked,
track championships, long hikes.
Work stitched through Alabama, Atlanta, and home.

It meant showing up where I was.
Directing PVAS’ This Race Is for the Birds.
Celebrating Girls on the Run of the Shenandoah Valley at our Sneaker Soirée,
founder Molly Barker in the room.
Marking eight years with Jamey on a Shenandoah National Park trail.

Between it all—flowers opening,
knitting rows adding up,
dogs full of sass and love.

A Gemini birthday, quietly joyful,
held with friends.

Spring didn’t ask for less.
It asked for me.

And everything bloomed. by @laurelwebster

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10 months ago

Grateful doesn’t quite cover it. 💙

Girls on the Run Shenandoah Valley exists because of an incredible community—donors, volunteer coaches, caregivers, sponsors—people who keep showing up for girls in our region. I’m proud to serve on the board and continually inspired by the heart behind this work.

Dozens of sites. Hundreds of girls. One powerful season at a time.

Huge appreciation for our board and staff for their shared leadership, care, and energy. This impact doesn’t happen by accident.

As we close out the year, I’m especially thankful for everyone who supports this mission. If you’re able, an end-of-year gift helps ensure more girls across the Shenandoah Valley can take part in this life-changing program.

Every gift matters. Every girl matters.
👉 https://www.girlsontherunsv.org/giving/2025-Shenandoah-Valley

It really is so much more than running. 🏃‍♀️💙✨ by @laurelwebster

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10 months ago

Recap: 2025 Jan-Mar

Winter held us in close.
Snow slowed the days. Care became the center.

Josie’s PT unfolded one careful step at a time,
ending in a March graduation that felt monumental.

A brief thaw in Mérida for Paradiso Fest—
light, creative community, warmth—held just long enough.

Most of the season lived close to home.
Devotion to our senior dogs:
birthdays, small victories, lingering walks,
choosing presence again and again.

A season of tending.
Of honoring what was already here.

The sacred ordinary. by @laurelwebster

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10 months ago

Celebrated Josie’s 9th birthday today with her favorite things: dog walks and car rides with Shy and pops, pup cups, and fuzzy rubber balls. She galloped at full speed along the Canal for a good stretch, had her head out the window on the return ride, and devoured her pup cake before dinner (because what’s the fun of being a super senior if you can’t have dessert first!). Happy birthday to my soul dog. 🥳💕

📷 @jhersick by @laurelwebster

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10 months ago

After a long project day in Raleigh County,
I stayed the night so I could wake up with the Gorge.

Sunrise, crisp air, and miles of trail —
a reminder of how lucky it feels to move, breathe,
and be surrounded by this kind of beauty. taken in New River Gorge National Park by @laurelwebster

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a year ago

We took the girls to Antietam National Battlefield over the weekend. This time last year, Josie was recovering from her first of two TPLO knee surgeries. On Sunday, she trotted through nearly 2 miles of hilly trails alongside Shy. As a super-senior who’s turning 9 next month, I am so happy and grateful to see her have so much energy, so much heart, and true joy. This girl is my heart, and I am so proud of what she’s overcome this last year.

1: taking a breather at the big tree along the Final Battle trail.
2: Josie’s banana pajamas a couple days after her first surgery.
3: The sweet girl watching Bluey after coming home from her 2nd surgery.
4: graduating from PT in April. by @laurelwebster

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a year ago

Nine Inch Nails on a Tuesday night in Baltimore: unforgettable. From Boys Noize’s pulse-pounding opener to the last note of NIN’s set, it was pure intensity—no filler, no banter, just wave after wave of sound.

And it’s got me even more excited for what’s ahead from NIN and whatever Trent & Atticus create next.

Artistic. Nostalgic. Gritty. Timeless.
A perfect arc that reminded me: NIN doesn’t age, they only evolve. Sharing it with Kim made it another epic concert memory. Can’t wait to see what’s next from Trent & Atticus.

@kimberhk4 @boysnoize @nineinchnails taken in CFG Bank Arena by @laurelwebster

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a year ago