Dinner is complete, the whole family blissfully sitting around the table at the local Golden Corral (we're classy like that). Rachel and I are silently wondering at nature's miracle that our kids can somehow digest a 50/50 mixture of fats and sugars with no apparent side effects. All we see is smiles though, on faces that betray the brief indulgence into gluttony that was allowed for this meal.
"Today was a great day," someone says with a content sigh.
"Yeah. I can't believe it was just this morning that we were eating breakfast in a train."
"I know. That seems like forever ago."
"Do you remember when we saw the snake?"
"Yeah. It was at the top of that big hill we rode up."
"Well, I had to walk up it. But Evelyn didn't. She was AMAZING!"
"Yeah she was. I thought it was funny when her pedal broke though. She must have been riding really fast."
The table breaks up into high pitched giggles at the memory, before the conversation continues merrily onward.
The truth was that we had had a pretty fantastic day. As idyllic and unlikely as it may seem, the above exchange actually took place. A while ago someone...I don't remember who...had the great idea that we should have our own special holiday. A Hazard Holiday. We would all play hooky from work and school and just go out and celebrate our family. This last weekend, that idea became a reality, as well as (I believe) the birth of a new tradition.
The day started at a fun restaurant in Spokane called Frank's Diner. It is in a train car and it probably serves the best breakfast in the Northwest. I'm not even kidding. At first, we were a little apprehensive to bring the kids because, as you might imagine, a train car is not all that big, and our family is not all that small. These worries escalated as the kids became a living menagerie of unseemly circus animals on the way into the parking lot. We followed through though, holding our breaths for some sort of miracle. It must have worked too, because as soon as we walked through the front doors they took on an air of refinement that immediately put us at ease. I think that was the only tense moment of the whole day.
From the restaurant we went and explored a bike trail at Riverside State park that we hadn't been to before. Midway through, we came to a big field, and for about an hour played an impromptu game of mission-dot-dot (a favorite from my own childhood). We then rode back and had lunch at "Bowl and Pitcher" which is a popular area with whitewater enthusiasts, has a swinging bridge over the river, and an abundance of trails to explore.
By this point, everyone was getting pretty tired, and they got to rest in the car for the 40 minute drive back the other direction, past Post Falls, and into Coeur d'Alene. There, we went to the swimming pool at the Kroc Center, which is a large indoor place with water slides, hot pools, a little lazy river thing, and a separate splash area for toddlers.
Our kids are fish. At least, they think they are. Lindsey is a fish who can't swim though, and a person has to be on their guard at all times when she is near deep water. Thankfully, the layout of the swimming area makes it so that this is not often. She loves to jump in though, and then be hauled out with a smiling face while giggling the words "I sinked again!" It's not natural. I am glad we have a life jacket for her that she can't get out of.
The plan from here was to eat at Golden Corral (our kids' favorite restaurant) and then finish the day off at the movie theater. By the time our plates were cleared though, we all decided instead that we were pretty wiped out. We would probably fall asleep if we tried sitting in comfortable seats in a dark room. It had been a busy day, and a gratifying one. A movie could wait for later.
The Hazard Holiday was a success. Next year, on the Monday closest to our anniversary (and the beginning of the Hazard Family) we will do it again. And again. And again.
I like us.
Painting the Basement
I think I mentioned it before, but we have been in the process of redecorating our basement. We had new furniture waiting to be delivered, new pictures and wall decor sitting patiently on shelves in the garage, and a new entertainment center with electronics sitting awkwardly in a room of older peers. The final piece of the puzzle would be painting the walls- a piece that is not so easy to fit with five eager little helpers at the ready. Thankfully, my parents agreed to drive up for the weekend and help.
It. Was. Amazing.
Overnight, our room was transformed from a dusty depot of childish clutter to a warm and inviting hangout for the whole family.
Grandma and Grandpa Visit
My mom and dad were a HUGE help with painting. That's not the only thing we did though. The weather cooperated with us and besides working, we actually got a few chances to play together as well. Here's some pictures:
These next few are from our walk through the gardens in Spokane:
Anniversary
Sometimes I marvel at all the different causes that determine the outcome of our lives- how even the small, seemingly insignificant things, could prove to make all the difference in the long run. This has been spoken of as the butterfly effect. And it is mind-boggling to consider how all the different permutations of fate have led up to the current moments which, in turn, are setting up other moments that may not occur until decades down the road. Thinking of this also makes me feel extremely fortunate- for of all the possible lives that I might have led, it is difficult to imagine one that would even come close to that which Rachel and I have built together.
It's been 12 years now since we were married- dreamlike years that have passed by in a single breath. And still, I look over sometimes and my heart skips a beat at the thought of future adventures together. It's exciting! What do the next 12 years hold in store? The next 50? It's impossible to say, but I know that I want those years to be with Rachel, the love of my life. It's been an amazing journey so far.
Even though our anniversary actually happened on the fifth, the real celebration won't be until later in June when we fly to Vegas for several days. This notwithstanding, I did take work off for the day and we got a sitter for the two youngest kids for a few hours (the others were in school). This allowed us to have a carefree morning where we went out to breakfast and then explored the various art galleries in town. It was a lovely date. We also ordered Mexican food that night because of Cinco de Mayo (not that we needed an excuse) and waited for my parents to arrive.
It was a great day.
Have a good week!
The day started at a fun restaurant in Spokane called Frank's Diner. It is in a train car and it probably serves the best breakfast in the Northwest. I'm not even kidding. At first, we were a little apprehensive to bring the kids because, as you might imagine, a train car is not all that big, and our family is not all that small. These worries escalated as the kids became a living menagerie of unseemly circus animals on the way into the parking lot. We followed through though, holding our breaths for some sort of miracle. It must have worked too, because as soon as we walked through the front doors they took on an air of refinement that immediately put us at ease. I think that was the only tense moment of the whole day.
From the restaurant we went and explored a bike trail at Riverside State park that we hadn't been to before. Midway through, we came to a big field, and for about an hour played an impromptu game of mission-dot-dot (a favorite from my own childhood). We then rode back and had lunch at "Bowl and Pitcher" which is a popular area with whitewater enthusiasts, has a swinging bridge over the river, and an abundance of trails to explore.
By this point, everyone was getting pretty tired, and they got to rest in the car for the 40 minute drive back the other direction, past Post Falls, and into Coeur d'Alene. There, we went to the swimming pool at the Kroc Center, which is a large indoor place with water slides, hot pools, a little lazy river thing, and a separate splash area for toddlers.
Our kids are fish. At least, they think they are. Lindsey is a fish who can't swim though, and a person has to be on their guard at all times when she is near deep water. Thankfully, the layout of the swimming area makes it so that this is not often. She loves to jump in though, and then be hauled out with a smiling face while giggling the words "I sinked again!" It's not natural. I am glad we have a life jacket for her that she can't get out of.
The plan from here was to eat at Golden Corral (our kids' favorite restaurant) and then finish the day off at the movie theater. By the time our plates were cleared though, we all decided instead that we were pretty wiped out. We would probably fall asleep if we tried sitting in comfortable seats in a dark room. It had been a busy day, and a gratifying one. A movie could wait for later.
The Hazard Holiday was a success. Next year, on the Monday closest to our anniversary (and the beginning of the Hazard Family) we will do it again. And again. And again.
I like us.
Painting the Basement
I think I mentioned it before, but we have been in the process of redecorating our basement. We had new furniture waiting to be delivered, new pictures and wall decor sitting patiently on shelves in the garage, and a new entertainment center with electronics sitting awkwardly in a room of older peers. The final piece of the puzzle would be painting the walls- a piece that is not so easy to fit with five eager little helpers at the ready. Thankfully, my parents agreed to drive up for the weekend and help.
It. Was. Amazing.
Overnight, our room was transformed from a dusty depot of childish clutter to a warm and inviting hangout for the whole family.
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| I think this picture is super cute |
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| Lots of hugs |
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| I have no idea where this is. |
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| Watching our snake eat lunch is always entertaining. |
Sometimes I marvel at all the different causes that determine the outcome of our lives- how even the small, seemingly insignificant things, could prove to make all the difference in the long run. This has been spoken of as the butterfly effect. And it is mind-boggling to consider how all the different permutations of fate have led up to the current moments which, in turn, are setting up other moments that may not occur until decades down the road. Thinking of this also makes me feel extremely fortunate- for of all the possible lives that I might have led, it is difficult to imagine one that would even come close to that which Rachel and I have built together.
It's been 12 years now since we were married- dreamlike years that have passed by in a single breath. And still, I look over sometimes and my heart skips a beat at the thought of future adventures together. It's exciting! What do the next 12 years hold in store? The next 50? It's impossible to say, but I know that I want those years to be with Rachel, the love of my life. It's been an amazing journey so far.
Even though our anniversary actually happened on the fifth, the real celebration won't be until later in June when we fly to Vegas for several days. This notwithstanding, I did take work off for the day and we got a sitter for the two youngest kids for a few hours (the others were in school). This allowed us to have a carefree morning where we went out to breakfast and then explored the various art galleries in town. It was a lovely date. We also ordered Mexican food that night because of Cinco de Mayo (not that we needed an excuse) and waited for my parents to arrive.
It was a great day.
Have a good week!
Happy Anniversary to you both! Cheers my friends.
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