This week I want to wish a very happy birthday to My Little Girl, Evelyn! This has been a week of celebrations for her. On Wednesday (her actual birthday) we had a family party. Her class also celebrated their 100 day mark on this day. On Thursday, Evelyn delivered cupcakes to her kindergarten class that she personally, thoughtfully, and individually hand-decorated for each of them. And on Saturday she had a party with all her closest friends at our house. She requested a Valentine’s Day theme for this celebration, and we happily obliged since we could get all the stuff for 70-90% off by waiting until the after-holiday sales. It has definitely been an exciting week for her.

I also have to mention Evelyn’s talk she gave in primary today. She wrote it all by herself, even including a scripture that we had memorized as a family (men are that they might have joy). Since she still can’t write all the words, she drew comic-strip style notes for herself so she would remember what to say, and then she delivered it on her own- clearly and confidently. I am so proud of My Little Girl. It is fun to watch her grow up.

Switching gears a little bit, I want to take some time here to mention one of the major perks I see of owning my own business. Free dentistry. But first of all, I need to make it clear that I am not intending this story to be promotional in any way, but I am telling it here because of its deep significance to me, and for the profound impact it has had in my own perception of my career. Also, names have obviously been changed, as have some of the circumstances in order to protect my patient’s privacy (and to keep the HIPPA lawyers happy).

Anyway, as I have mentioned before, our dental practice is going really well for us. Word-of-mouth referrals have driven more patients to our office than we ever anticipated, and Rachel’s advertising has been extremely effective. Also, “Heartwood Dental” and “Dr. Logan Hazard” are becoming increasingly recognizable names in our area based on our community outreach efforts and the weekly educational articles that I (or Rachel) write for the newspaper. Furthermore, we continue to see nothing but positive public reviews for our practice consistently on a weekly basis, which is only helping to fuel the growth. In other words- things are looking up. It is exciting.

Now, when Rachel and I started this venture, free dentistry was always a part of the plan. In fact, it was (and is) one of the entire end-goals for me. And now that we have our feet under us, and the practice is bringing in money, we decided it was time to start putting together a plan for how we would implement this into the way we care for patients. We still haven’t totally figured things out, and I’m sure changes will be made as we go, but when “Sally” came to my office I decided to just go for it and let the details iron themselves out as we went.

Sally is in her early thirties, but is also the victim of spousal abuse. Like, bad spousal abuse. When she first came to my office, it was with a “life coach” (who I recognized from the community) who was helping her to piece things back together. She was literally unable to look me in the eye, and her speech was quiet and subdued. Smiling was out of the question. Between her and her coach, they were able to explain that things in her mouth had gotten pretty messed up due to her experiences, and that they wanted to put together a plan to fix everything. The one catch was that there was some PTSD-type psychological trauma that made the dental office an extremely uncomfortable place, so we would have to work very slowly and be patient (this is actually pretty common in abuse victims- leaning back in a chair in helpless position with someone else works on your mouth can evoke some pretty strong emotions).

As far a payment was concerned, a local charity had agreed to sponsor Sally’s rehabilitation up to a certain amount of money. Sally was nervous but excited to get started, and so we agreed to take x-rays and give her the options. The initial exam was difficult, and Sally’s coach had to be holding her hands and talking to her whenever she was leaning back in the chair. Midway through, Sally started to cry, but nodded for me to continue. I went as fast as I could without missing anything for the diagnosis, and then sat her up and brought her and her coach into a more comfortable room. Then I explained to them that Sally had two options. Using the money the charity had given her we would be able to do nothing but remove the remaining teeth and give her a set of dentures- but I would make sure it was the nicest set of dentures I had ever done. Another option was to save all of her teeth by undergoing extensive dental work including several fillings, root canals, and crowns, but that this would put her outside of the price range the charity had given her…By a lot. Like, the price of a brand new car. So, it was understandable when Sally looked hopeless. There was no way she would be able to pay, but she was so young, and the idea of dentures was devastating to her.

And then I made a decision. It was somewhat impulsive, but it was one of the best decisions I have made up to this point in my career. I told Sally that I wanted to fix her teeth. The charity money would cover my expenses so I would not lose money on the case, and as long as she was willing to work with us on our schedule I told her that I would be willing to write off all but a relatively small portion of the rest because I didn’t want to see her in dentures. At first she just looked at me. Her coach looked at me. I think they were trying to figure out whether or not I was crazy. And then she started to cry.

During the course of Sally’s treatment, I have seen a total transformation take place. The initial visits were slow. Her coach had to be there. She would frequently hyperventilate or need breaks. It was frustrating, and at times I regretted my decision to do the work. But as time moved on she became more trusting of us and was able to have appointment on her own. She started to build more self confidence and to be more outgoing. It turns out that she likes classic rock (which I always have playing in my office while I work), and we would talk during our visits about the greatest musicians from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I don’t think I’m being overly dramatic when I say that I watched Sally become a functioning person again, and I was honored to know that I had a part to play in that, however small it might have been.

This week we finished the case. We cemented on the crowns for her front teeth. When she looked at herself in the mirror she let out a laugh and then she started to cry uncontrollably. She ran to where I was and gave me a hug and kept saying thank you over and over again. She was beautiful, and she recognized it. I think it was a life-changing moment for her. Later in the week she came into the office and said she wanted to show something to everyone. We gathered around as she showed us a picture of herself at a party that had been taken on a cell phone. There was nothing special about the picture- it was her and a friend with their arms around each other. Both were smiling.

“Look at this picture, and guess what stands out to me?” she asked.

She continued without waiting for our response. “I’ll tell you what. This is the first picture I have of me smiling as an adult…ever. I have never had that before. I just wanted to say thank you. More than anybody else, it was because of you people- the way you treated me while I was here and the miracle that you have created in my smile- that this was able to happen. You believed in me, and you have given me a second chance at life. I just thought you should know that.” She was crying (again) at this point. I don’t think she was the only one.

And you know- it is rewarding to be able to see that you made that kind of a difference. I mean, I knew I was helping, but I never expected that it would mean so much to her. And the thing is that I easily could have given her a denture that looked just as nice- but to her it would always be a denture and nothing more. I am glad that our business is in the position that I was able to do this. I am glad that I have a skill-set that can help people in this way. I have had several patients who have been happy with my work, and I have received several gifts and thank-you cards from them. I have been the recipient of a lot of hugs and smiles and tears- but Sally’s case is different to me. It is different because it was the first time I had given the patient something significant that they were not able to do for themselves. And I never would have been able to do that if I had been working for someone else. It felt good- I like this business thing.

Anyway- that’s me. It’s been a good week. As far as Rachel’s career is going, she is doing amazing things as well. She has been getting more and more requests for her services in the community lately, and has finally started to have to turn people down. Her work with Sorenson is going great, and is definitely pushing her to become better and better. She is also on a board that is putting together a big conference thing for this summer, and it has been neat to see her ideas getting translated into action. She has very much become the professional, and I couldn’t be any more proud of her.

Addy and Jack and Maren are good too. I just don’t have much to say about them this week. Addy was a little sick. That’s all.

Here are some pictures- have a good week J

Guess what? I made this! There is a story behind it though. A while ago, Evelyn was feeling very lonely and didn't want to go to school. I gave her my guitar pick and told her to put it in her pocket. I told her that whenever she was lonely she could hold onto it and know that I was thinking about her. Well, for her birthday I went to the craft store and bought some beads and chain and stuff and made this necklace. I used a lot of my dental tools to make it, and I didn't really know what I was doing- but I think it turned out pretty good! I love how it looks on her too- it fits tight (but can adjust for growth), and is very "punk." It's cool.

 Here's our birthday girl about to hit the pinata.

 Rachel was pretty proud of this cake. And since I'm not a huge fan of cake, I liked it too since I could just eat the candy bars on the sides.

Evelyn with her friends.

Two big events this week. First of all, and most importantly, Maren had her birthday- she is 2! Maren has easily been our most mellow child so far. She likes to cuddle during movies, and is good at pointing out or saying the things she wants so that we don't have to guess too much. The one thing that has been hard since her birthday is that two years old is the official take-away-the-pacifier-time in our family. She is doing better than our other kids did- but it's still sad to listen to her cry and not be able to do anything to help.

The second thing we did this week was upgrade Rachel's Kroc Center gym pass to include the whole family. This is awesome. We have a "gold-plus" membership which basically means that we get all the bells and whistles and everything without having to pay anymore than we already did. This upgrade is totally worth it considering what we are getting. I don't think they were counting on our family when they made the rules. For starters, there is 2 hours of free babysitting for EACH of our kids, EVERY DAY if we want! That is a lot of free babysitting. I think we have a new date-night favorite destination! It's also quality care- every day, besides the nice play area and toys, they have an organized craft that they will help the kids to do. Next, there is a free anytime pass to the climbing gym, which is actually a really good gym with lots of routes. That is important to me. I hope to climb 3 days/week, and I have already started meeting some of the other good climbers around here. Besides this, we get to go to the gym area or either of the 3 swimming pools whenever they are open. This is great for winter times and I think our family will probably go on a weekly basis (at least). Also, since we have the super-pass thing, we get to enroll in most of the classes that they offer for free, and the others at a steep discount. This is important to Rachel because she is all into the yoga and spinning classes. Finally (and this is the main reason we got this in the first place), Addy and Jack get to go to the highly acclaimed pre-school there starting next fall for a HUGE reduction in price. This alone would make it worth it, since the preschool, even including the prices of our pass, comes out much, much cheaper than other schools in the area of similar educational quality. We are all excited about our new recreational opportunities, and I think the Kroc Center is going to become like a second home to our family (at least in winter). It is a great place!

Well...That's about it. Have a great week!

It has been a very eventful week! That means it’s a long blog post. It’s worth it though, so read on.

Let’s go day by day.

Sunday: Super Bowl! Rachel and I got pizza, breadsticks, and buffalo wings and watched the game in surround sound with our projector on the wall. It was fun, and we both agree that the right team won. I would have liked to have seen a better football game though.

Speaking of our projector- this is a setup that has almost become a permanent fixture in our house. Rachel and I are in the midst of watching the TV series “Breaking Bad,” and we do lots of movie nights as well. We measured the size of the picture and came up with 104”. Now that is a big “screen”. It’s like a movie theater. It’s fun.

Monday: Family night. I have really come to enjoy our family nights. They are going better and better as our kids get older. Sure, we have the occasional fiasco, but things are usually pretty good. Here is our agenda:

• Introductions of each member of the family with an enthusiastic round of applause. This is done by an assigned “conductor.”  This is our kid’s favorite job, and they look forward to their turn to conduct.
• Song/Prayer- also chosen by the conductor
• Lesson- We use our Hazard Family Declaration for this: a carry-over from when I was a kid. We wrote ours a little bit different than my parents though, in that we have twelve article-of-faith style items. Each month we choose one of these items to be our monthly theme and the lessons are all centered around that idea. Rachel or I switch off lesson weeks, and one of the kids is usually invited to help us prepare. This month the theme is “Men are that they might have joy,” and for the lesson this week we all went around the room and thought of things that we like doing to make us happy. We then put together a week plan so that we could do each thing. This was a fun activity that showed the importance of planning. Each day, the kids helped us do a little bit to get ready for things (buying stuff, making phone calls, etc). Then, when all the preparations were made, we got to carry through for a very action-packed week. Keep reading, and you’ll see what I mean.
• Discovery activity- The kids totally love this. We instituted this a few months ago because Rachel and I are giant geeks, and we think it is absolutely essential for kids to learn how to think critically. So…every week we do a science experiment or a pattern game or a thinking activity. Something that will get them to ask questions. Already, each of our kids can tell you the meaning of a hypothesis, and “how do you know…” has become a favorite question for them. I love it! Again, Rachel and I alternate weeks on this, and we usually invite a kid to help us to prepare it.
• Closing prayer/Refreshments- Sometimes we will bake stuff with the kids. Usually we just buy something at the store though. We rotate on which kid gets to decide what we will eat, and then that person gets to help pass it out to everyone.
• The end. Bed time. Take a deep breath and count our blessings.

Tuesday: Rachel and I watched the Bill Nye/Ken Ham debate. I honestly cannot understand people like Mr. Ham with their magical worldviews. Sometimes I wish I could. Seriously. It might help me to talk with certain people a little easier. Alas, I am a science nerd to the core. You know- the kind of person that Mr. Ham would call a “secularist.” I suppose I would embrace that label though, since to me it describes a person who has both his feet and his head solidly planted in reality. I guess this world needs both kinds of people though, and it was interesting to watch the arguments made from both sides.

Wednesday: A day of rest. Sort of. We didn't do a whole lot with the family, but I’ll take the opportunity here to do a brief update on our business. We are doing AWESOME! When we put together our business plan we were counting on a 20% per year increase. We figured that if we could do this that we would survive, and with time, eventually be able to achieve our bigger ambitions. Well, so far we are continually seeing 50% increases each month over last year’s numbers. This is great! Over time, it’s looking more and more like this is a trend. I sure hope so! With the added money we have been able to pay our staff some good bonuses, and I think everyone is pretty happy with the way things are going. At the same time, we are super busy and we have had some crazy work days. It’s fun when we are able to make it work, but it gets tiring sometimes. Wednesday was like that. I think I got to work and didn't stop until it was time to go home. I love it!

Thursday: During our family night lesson, the thing I had chosen to do was a family popcorn movie night. This happened on Thursday when we rented Despicable Me 2 and watched it together.

Friday: In the morning we went to the fire station. This was Jackson’s activity. He helped me go on the internet and reserve a time for us to have a tour. When we showed up, they had hats and badges for all the kids, and we all had a good time playing on the trucks. I think Jack was the most excited though. He was literally bouncing! It was fun to watch.

Later that afternoon, Rachel went to work. For those who haven’t read it yet, go back to last week’s blog and see more about this. I said it there, but I’ll say it again. My wife is awesome. I love her, and I support her fully in her career ambitions. She is doing great, and it is fun to watch her doing such amazing things.

While Rachel was gone, the kids and I made Valentine’s Day cards. This was Evelyn’s activity. Earlier in the week she had helped pick out some paper and stickers, and it was fun to see the creativity flow as our A,J, and E colored, designed, and glued their masterpieces together.

Saturday: This was Addy’s morning-Gingerbread Houses! Of course she got to help pick out the candy we used to decorate with. Rachel and I cheated a little bit by using the hot-glue gun ahead of time to assemble the houses out of graham crackers. The kids all had a great time frosting and embellishing them though. Even Maren got in on the fun!

That afternoon, Rachel went to work again. The kids had quiet time and then played downstairs by themselves, meaning that I had a solid 3 hours alone with my guitar. Have I mentioned before that I love the guitar? Oh. Well…I do.

Sunday: Of course we went to church today. The real fun didn't start till we got home though. Tonight was Rachel’s night. Cooking. Griffin and Ashland gave us an awesome new cookbook for Christmas, and the kids went through it to design the perfect meal. Tonight, Rachel made super good BBQ pineapple and chicken quesadillas with Addy and a green bean salad with Jack. Meanwhile, Evelyn and I made a delicious strawberry shortcake cake. When it was time to eat, Maren helped set the table…sort of. Well, not really. But the dinner was great.

Well- it’s late. Congratulations if you read this whole thing. I’m going to end there and enjoy the rest of the night with Rachel. Have a good week!

Our Hazard Family Declaration. This hangs at the top of our stairs when you walk into the house.

 Movie Night

 The family that cooks together, eats together...or something along those lines.

Evelyn came up wearing this. She announced, "I have a talent. Do you know what it is?" When we asked, she proudly told us "My talent is to make dress-up clothes out of garbage- Look at my new dress!" She had made this totally out of packing paper for a package we had received this week. She is one very talented girl.

A marble race game that the kids love. This is what we do when Mom goes to work.

You can tell it's been a long day. Apparently I fell asleep like this and Rachel took my picture. Like I said- I love the guitar.

Hooray for the working mom!

I have to say, I am so proud of Rachel. She is doing amazing things. For those who don't know, she has started working at Sorenson, which is a video relay service for Deaf people. It takes "Jedi knight interpreting skills" to get this job since interpreters are asked to be able to do pretty much anything that comes their way without a moment's notice. In other words, the very fact that she has this job is a huge indicator of the level of proficiency that she is able to work at. This week she has finished up her mandatory training period, and is now officially on the phones. 

Besides this, she has also been invited onto a committee that organizes most of the continuing education for the interpreters in our region. She has already attended her first meeting, and her input is being heard. Next month, she will be using our conference room at Heartwood to host a seminar for the interpreting community. 

But wait- there's more! Despite all of this, she is still a community interpreter as well. She is officially self employed (with a business license and everything), and has clients who regularly request her over other interpreters in our area. She also helps out at the local college doing educational interpreting when the need arises. 

In other words, my wife totally rocks! She is classy. She is skilled. She is well-rounded. She is amazing. And she is married to me. How did I get so lucky?

Also, I have to say that while I am excited for her to dive into all of this, I am just as excited for our kids. I am excited for them to see a father AND a mother who contribute to the community in meaningful ways. I am excited for them to see that their father AND their mother can get a sense of fulfillment from their chosen professions. I am excited for them to have a role model in BOTH parents for nurturing them at home, as well as for achieving great things outside of the home. Especially our girls. I am glad that Rachel can be an example to them of a woman who is both an amazing mom as well as an accomplished professional. I think it is important for them to see that this is a very real possibility, and is something that they can and should strive for if that is what they want out of life.

Now, I realize that we are in a unique situation. I am grateful that we are in a position where Rachel and I can both choose our own hours at work while at the same time we making pretty good money doing things that we love doing (actually, Rachel makes even more than I do if you break it down hourly). We have worked hard and sacrificed a lot to get to this point, and now that work is paying off. I love that I can be a part-time stay-at-home dad while Rachel goes to work, and the relationship this is allowing me to build with my kids. I love that our entire family is able to get involved with our community on so many different levels. I love all of this. 

Thank you, Rachel, for making it a possibility. I love you.