Info Dump

We have been enjoying the beginning of Summer quite a bit. I'm just going to start writing things down as they come to mind, so this might just be a big information dump.

Rachel arranged a night for us and some of her friends to go out and do swing dancing a few weeks ago. That was a lot of fun. We have also been watching the Cavs play in most of their playoff games and we are excited to see them in the finals (I went to school in Cleveland and the Cavs were sort-of a big deal). Addy and Jack are registered for Kindergarten, Evelyn has been recommended for a "gifted and talented" class next year, and Rachel has found a good preschool for Maren to start next Fall. Lindsey has not fallen down the stairs yet, so she is doing well too. I took the four older kids to a theatre to see the movie HOME yesterday, and that was fun. We made the mistake of watching a music video to the soundtrack though, and now they want to watch all of Rihanna's videos. I don't think that's gonna happen.

We also enjoyed a lovely visit from Marissa and Wesley a few weeks ago. They were on their way up to Seattle (I think) for a cruise, and our house happened to be on the way. They were here for a few days and we had a good time. One night we took all the kids out for frozen yogurt and to a live production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang which was tons of fun. The next morning we went out to breakfast (just the adults) over the river and had some good conversations before they had to head out.

Work is going well for both of us. At my work we are bringing on another doctor this week, so that will make it so that we can pretty much take time off whenever we want. That'll be nice. Rachel is also doing great at work and has been offered the opportunity this summer to interpret on a cruise ship. It's pretty nice when you get paid (well, I might add) to go on vacation. I guess that's just what happens when you are a cool as Rachel.

Well, I don't really have much else to say. I posted a few pictures below of some our our outings. Also, watch the blog during the upcoming weeks because I am planning on highlighting each member of our family (I sort of did Jack last week) and I think those will be fun posts. 

Happy birthday to Rachel! The kids got her camping stuff for her birthday and we have already tested it out. 

Evelyn- next to a large elephant tusk. This was part of a scavenger hunt we did with the kids on a rainy day. Rachel's team won...but I think mine had more fun (or maybe it's just sour grapes). Also, Evelyn is an expert on all things "Elephant." 

 These are all from a hike we did as a family. All the kids were completely happy for about three and a half miles. This is a great achievement in my book.

Just chillin' at the park.

Have a good week!

Jack

"Ask Questions, Take Chances, Make Mistakes, Get Messy!"

-Ms. Frizzle-

This is one of my favorite quotes and one that I try to live by. It is also an attitude that we try to transmit to our children. There is so much, I think, that life has to offer- so many amazing places and things and ideas to explore- so much to learn and to experience, and so little time to do it all in. So as far as I'm concerned, Ms. Frizzle was right.

Of all our children, there is one who seems to have really taken this message to heart.

This guy is one of the coolest five year olds that you will ever meet. Seriously. Whether it is running into a freezing lake while letting out a battle cry, or confidently leading a group of kids through the forest in search of adventure, Jackson is one who is no stranger to discovery. And normally, this is extremely rewarding to watch. Sometimes however, things don't turn out so well.

Like this.

Yep. That's our garage door. Jackson was curious about how it worked. This is the result.

I was at work when this happened, so during my lunch break I was a little bit alarmed to see that I had missed approximately three dozen phone calls from my dear wife within a thirty minute period. Concerned, I called back only to be greeted by a voice that made be seriously question Rachel's mental stability.

"Hey love, um, yea, so, um, oh, yes, and, well, no, see, ahh, IDontKnow, think, um, crazy, cry, Jack, oh, see, I'llSendYouAPicture. Bye." Click. I hadn't even been able to say hello.

So, there I was, imagining that our house had burned down, or that one of our kids was eaten by a mountain lion or something, when finally Rachel texted me a picture of what you see above.

My response is unexplainable. I was elated! I started laughing in front of my entire office team (I kid you not), and had to show them the picture in order to prove that I wasn't crazy (I don't think it convinced them). Maybe because it was so much less than what I had imagined, or maybe it's because I realized instantly that such a result could never be brought about intentionally by any of our kids, and I was just stunned by the absurd magnitude of what was probably a pretty benign expression of curiosity as seen on the front-end. Either way, I called back and assured Rachel that I would be home shortly to fix things.

In the interim, it appears that Rachel was able to locate Jackson, who had been in his room sobbing. He felt horrible. "I just want to be a worker and help people." he said. "I didn't mean to break it."

How could you get mad at that? When I got home I loudly announced that I could fix the garage, but that I would need someone to help me who was a really good worker. Jack and I spent the next 45 minutes together trying to figure out how to disconnect the door from the mechanical slidy thingy without wonking ourselves on the coiled spring doohickey. It was quality time. Jack actually had a lot of insights and was able to see things that I didn't. It was fun.

As for the garage, it will be expensive to fix- but not so expensive that it will seriously disrupt our lives. On the other hand, I hope that Jack learned some important lessons. I hope he learned that some questions must be approached more carefully than others, that some mistakes are bigger than others, and that some messes are harder to clean up than others. At the same time, I hope that he came away with a clear understanding that we are not upset at all with him for wondering about things; to the contrary, that we are actually quite impressed that he even had the wherewithal to be seriously considering the mechanics of a garage door opener. Seriously, while talking with him I was actually pretty amazed that he was able to clearly articulate what he thought had happened, and then test it with me by reproducing the experiment (except for the part where it breaks) on the garage door on my shop. I'll tell you what, there is more that goes on in a five-year-old's head than I sometimes give credit for.

If he keeps this up, then Jack is going to make a great worker one day, and whatever he ends up doing, I'm sure he will help a lot of people.

I love this guy. This is a roller coaster that him and I made with K'Nex blocks. It has a motor and everything. Jack directed the entire construction and it took about 3 days, but it turned out great.

Dancing Through Life...and some other rambling thoughts

Today is Mother's Day. I should be making breakfast in bed for my wonderful wife right now. But I can't. Instead, I am sitting in a small hotel in the middle of Louisville Kentucky waiting for a cab to pick me up and bring me to the airport.

Don't get me wrong- it's been a good weekend. I came here on a quick trip to take a class on Invisalign braces. Normally I love stuff like this- I honestly love what I do for work, and these little courses provide a lot of great opportunities to learn new things, see new places, and meet new people. This particular weekend I'm just not too thrilled about it though. It's been a long week at work (same number of hours...just longer hours than normal), and it's Mother's day, and Lindsey is at home throwing up and I'm really not that big a fan of Louisville anyway. I didn't even get to see a horse race.

Can't wait to be home.

You know what- let's focus on last weekend instead. That is something I can be a lot more positive about.

Cinco de Mayo. This is a big day for us. Because, besides being a very good day for a Mexican Army (and a very bad day for a French one), this day happens to be the anniversary of the day Rachel and I got married. Ten years. It seems like such a nice, round number, doesn't it? It's hard for me to imagine that. Ten years. Really? Where did that time go?

It seems like just yesterday we were eating lunch together at "The Wilk," making awkward small-talk about our college majors and somehow both seeing something in the other that made us want to deepen the relationship. It was so recently that I was borrowing by cousin's truck- the one with the torn vinyl seats and the passenger door that won't open- so that I could drive up with her and hike Mt. Timpanogos. I remember being giddy as I planned out a marriage proposal, because I already knew ahead of time that she would say "yes." I remember looking for our first apartment together thinking, 'wow- this is going to be OUR place. US, as in...together.'

It's been the most wonderful, adventurous, and spectacular ten years of my life. And in some ways it seems like even longer than that. It's weird how time works. When I think back to those early days it seems like it all took place just a blink of the eye away. BYU. Dancing. Talking. Climbing. Hiking. More Talking. And then we were here. But at the same time, it is difficult for me to remember life being any other way. So much has happened in that ten years that it is crazy to even think about. College graduation for both of us. Moving across the country. Getting through dental school. Starting a family. Starting careers. Having more kids and becoming a "big family." Moving again. Losing loved ones. Buying a house. Owning and running a business. Losing faith in a religion. Making difficult large-scale career changes. Having kids in school. Making friends. Becoming part of a community. And always lots and lots of dancing, talking, hiking, playing, climbing, and more talking.

It has been amazing. All of it. Good times and bad- I wouldn't trade a single second. Maybe because I honestly have a difficult time remembering what things were like- or even what they could be like- without Rachel. We are so much US that in some ways I feel like independent 'ME' has changed to the point that it couldn't survive anymore without a 'HER.' I know that sounds a little sappy and to some people maybe even a little pathetic (I can't help but feel sorry for their poor, embittered souls)- but that's the honest truth. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

The real celebration of these past ten years is taking place next month when my parents have graciously offered to take the kids so we can enjoy a week of fun and relaxation together. That will be a good vacation. At the same time, we have definitely not allowed the day to slip by unnoticed. Last weekend we hosted a large Cinco de Mayo party at our home, complete with Mexican food/drinks, music, decorations, and even a pinata for the kids. It was fun, and I have really come to enjoy hosting events like this.

On the day of our actual anniversary we did what we always do...we danced. Lately we have been getting out a lot more for this reason, and I have enjoyed it immensely. It's crazy because 16-year-old Logan would never have guessed that I would say that. But it's true. I have always loved music, and for some reason it is liberating to get out and just let it move you without caring at all what you look like (but taking comfort in the back of your mind that at least you look better than the guy next to you who is prancing around like an injured bird in it's last moments). So we danced.

And as we danced, I was thinking- what a good metaphor for our marriage. Dancing. The give and take. The cooperation. The fun. The complicated mixture between total spontaneity and carefully executed moves. The back and forth between surrendering entirely to the music, and the desire to shape that music into some coherent form of expression. It really is a beautiful thing, when two people know each other so well that all the interactions between the individual, the couple, and the music just flow together, becoming something that is entirely new and artistic, and yet at the same time somehow recognizable enough to be called "dancing."

And so it is that Rachel and I continue- as the song says- dancing through life. It is fun, and exciting, and beautiful. The music is ever-changing, the dance steps constantly evolving. But I could never in a million years ask for a better partner.

Dancing through life. I like that.

A walk on the boardwalk for our anniversary.

Some of the kids during "the great candy trade" after the pinata.

In recognition of Mother's Day- Rachel is super mom! Really. This picture says it all.

This is the cutest little sick girl I've ever seen.