Gray skies and cold rain. That's what we got in Post Falls last weekend. This sort of weather makes it difficult to get outside and do anything. Movies, museums, restaurants, and indoor swimming pools are the typical standby options in these cases. It seems like we've been doing a lot of that lately though.

This week was different. Because rain where we live means snow in the mountains! 

What a great day we had as a family. 

The kids have taken to skiing like they were born for it. In some ways I'm jealous. Kids pick up on things so quickly!

Lindsey is convinced that she is the best skiier on the mountain because she went down twice all by herself (no Mom or Dad to catch her if she fell).

Maren was extremely patient with herself and determined to get it, and by the end of the day she was skiing completely independent of any help or encouragement. In fact, we even "lost" her for a few minutes when she decided to jump on the big lift all on her own. That girl!

The three older kids didn't need much of anything and skied most of the day by themselves. Addy did manage to find a hill that was a little outside of her ability level though. That went poorly. Tears. Frustration. Oh, the frustration. And then optimism, because she can try it again next time.

Jackson decided to keep his coat zipped up after falling and getting snow pushed up into places he didn't even know he had. It made me cold just to look at him!

Evelyn was a great teacher- mostly to Maren- and it was fun to watch her own confidence grow as she was able to demonstrate her newfound skills to her younger siblings.

Like I said, it was a great day.

The one downside of bringing the whole family was that Rachel and I were with at least one kid the whole time. We brought long-distance radios so we could all split up pretty easily, but we were still limited in what we could do by the abilities of those we were skiing with. I'm sure this will change as they get older, and I am looking forward to next year when they will all be in classes for a few hours every time we go. 

Also, I had a chance on Monday to go up to the resort a second time, just by myself. What a beautiful day! While it is always fun to ski with friends and family, going alone makes it so that you can do what you want the whole time and I had fun exploring some of the more difficult terrain on the mountain. It almost makes me sad that winter is ending. 

Almost...but not quite.

Climbing, camping, biking, and boating are all just around the corner.

*****

As I read through the last couple of paragraphs, it makes me realize how rewarding the "physical activity" side of life is for me. I've been fortunate to enjoy exceptional health so far, and to have a body that seems to do whatever I ask of it. I was also blessed with a family, growing up, that put a high emphasis on living an active lifestyle. Most of my greatest memories up until now- the times when I see life as most beautiful- are in some way connected to these things. Backpacking, boating, biking, climbing, running, and rafting have all led to fun times, closer relationships, increased confidence, and a greater sense of fullness in my life. Also, I used a lot of commas in that sentence.

But seriously, I am so thankful that I have been able to enjoy these things. I hope to pass on the legacy to my own children. So far, I think we are doing a pretty good job.

*****

One other thing that I can't pass up mentioning this week is Maren's birthday party. I know her birthday was a full month ago, but other plans have pushed her party out all the way until this past weekend. She did a jungle theme, and everyone had a great time.

Here's the cake that Rach made. 

Quick Takes:

"May I have my fishing pole so I can practice my patience?"
-Jackson

*****

The other day I saw Lindsey chewing on something.

Me: Lindsey, what do you have in your mouth?
Lindsey: (Looks guilty and doesn't answer)
Me: Lindsey, I need to know what you are chewing on
Lindsey: (Short pause while thinking)...
Lindsey: IT'S NOT A PUPPY!

Oh...well that's good...I guess.

*****

Rachel went to check the mail the other day. When she got there, this was hanging on the mailbox:

Kindness Klub- We help, We're kind, We thing everyone matters, Call (Rachel's phone number) for more information or service ! Have a "kind" day!

*****

Tonight we are going out do dinner with some friends. Afterwords we are going over for their place for dessert and more conversation. It should be really nice and I'm looking forward to it. It also got me thinking though.

I'm pretty sure I have made it clear that we absolutely love where we live. The beauty of the area, the easy access to recreational opportunities, the small-town atmosphere, and the close proximity to a larger city all combine to make this place uniquely suited to our lifestyle. That said, there is one downside: We live far away from any family. The closest relatives are a seven hour drive from here. Most people live ten or more hours away. We make these trips relatively frequently, because we feel like family is worth it, but we still don't get to see people nearly as often as we would like.

However...

In the absence of family, our lives have been so enriched by the people around us. We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to be able to maintain active social lives in spite of our busy schedule. Here are a few other activities we have done in the last two weeks with friends:

Rachel going out for socializing with friends from work

These are some of the girls who work with me in my office. Samantha (top left) was also in charge of all the costuming for a big play that was put on (Narnia). She worked extremely hard and did an amazing job. We decided to all go out and see the production for a fun night out.

One of our friends got married and we were able to go to her wedding and the celebration afterwords. We're very happy for her.

Also, every other week we meet on Wednesday night with our church family for a prepared dinner and socializing. The kids love it!

Rachel also maintains a Mom's group which organizes regular activities with and without kids.

Besides this, we have many friends that we climb, cycle, make music, and just generally "do life" with. We are very thankful to all of these people for allowing us into their lives and for helping us to, in a very real way, have family away from family.

*****

Here's a few other recent activities since the last post:

Evelyn played with her group, STOMP, at a school concert. She is the one in black in the middle. We all went as a family to support her. Afterwards, we had a gigantic dodge-ball tournament. As I watched her play I recognized over half the kids in her group as friends of hers who have been over to our house. Socially, I think this has been really good for her.

Our snake, Ember, had his one year birthday. We had a party for him and ate cake. Instead of cake, he ate his first adult mouse. Kinda gross, I know. He also got an upgrade to a bigger house. Evelyn wasn't there because she was at a sleepover.

The Spokane children's museum is a great place to visit with the kids on a lazy afternoon.

Ev and I went skiing. It was another perfect day with bright blue skies and perfectly groomed runs.

Addy started working on the routine she will perform in her upcoming gymnastics meet. She is wearing a fox tail because it was "dress-like-an-animal-day" at school.

Have a good week!

A couple of weeks ago I was walking around downtown with Evelyn. It was nice.

One of the hardest things about having a large family is finding the time to do individual things with each person. Doing this, obviously, comes at the expense of doing things with other friends, as a whole family, or pursuing individual interests. These times are treasured then, and seen as rare opportunities to bond in ways that couldn't happen otherwise.

On our walk, we decided to check out a local art gallery. Several of the exhibits were new, and we had fun looking at them and talking about them with each other. I feel like I gained some insight into the way she sees the world. One of our favorites were a series of mixed-media projects depicting birds from around our area, and Evelyn taught me all about each one as she saw it.

When we were satisfied with our time at the gallery, we headed back outside. Hand in hand we continued our walk down to the lake where we watched the raindrops dance on the water for a minute. She told me about the friends she had met a while back at camp, and how she was looking forward to a party she had been invited to. We walked around the park, through the resort, and then back over to the church where we had parked our car. It was a lovely afternoon, and will endure, I think, as a memory that stands out to me when I think of Evelyn.

*****

As parents, we try to take advantage of these moments whenever we can. Life can get busy. Between careers, hobbies, friends, families, church, fitness, classes, house chores, and relaxation...times seven people in the family...there is a lot going on at all times. For the most part, we have the energy to keep up with everything and we actually enjoy the fullness of our days. It is definitely nice though, when we can just put the rest of the world on pause for a while and focus in on individual people. We try our best to create these moments, and I think it is paying off.

Here are some of the other "moments" we have been able to have since our last post:

Here's a picture of a date I took Maren on last week. We dressed up and went out to dinner at her favorite restaurant (the ever popular Golden Corral...*sigh*...Why can't my kids like real food?). Afterwards, we went shopping for some new pants for her. It might sound pedestrian, but we both had a great time. She is a charming young lady.

I got a chance to take Jackson skiing for his first time. It was a gorgeous day, and we spent the entire time together. In typical Jackson fashion, he took to the slopes like a maniac. Falling didn't seem to slow him down one bit. He actually did really well, and by the end of the day was skiing confidently all the way down from the top. On the way home he told me that he had the best day of his life. That made me smile.

Not to be outdone, Rachel went up a different day with Addy. She said that they had tons of fun together and that Addy made her goal of getting all the way down without falling. Actually, she did that twice. Go Addy!

Lindsey loves swimming. Unfortunately, the other kids have other interests at this time, and we don't get to go a whole lot. This was a fun opportunity then, for me to take Lindsey out for some daddy-daughter time. It was a great afternoon!

Of course we can't forget about us. Although we have a "date night" pretty much every night after the kids are in bed, we make our best effort to get out at least once a week for something special. This week we explored a nice new restaurant by the river (it was Restaurant Week in our area) and then went to the Comedy Club for a late show. It was a fun atmosphere to be in with my favorite person and best friend in the world.

*****

Of course we had other things going on in the week as well. Life doesn't slow down, but we try our best to take advantage of the eddies that it has to offer. I hope this post gives a little glimpse into how this works for us.

Have a good week!

PS: Rachel gets really into the dancing games on the Wii