We had the Almond reunion last week down in Salt Lake. It was a good time, and it was great to see everyone. Here are some of the things we did:

Okay- we didn't ALL go rock climbing. Just Rach and I escaped one early morning to go to Little Cottonwood Canyon where we did two different classic multi-pitch climbs. Man, this place has changed since I was there last. With all the established trails and signs and belay stations with fixed anchors and everything it feels almost like a huge manufactured climbing gym rather than the natural beauty that it actually is. What hasn't changed are the clean granite cliffs with beautiful features. It is amazing that this place exists in such an urban area.

Yard work and Playhouse renovation. Not much more to say- just fun in the sun.

It was actually Evelyn's idea to ride the rail to downtown Salt Lake and do some exploring. Her and I went first. Everyone else followed. Good times.

Ev made a donation to the bird fund, or something like that. 

Just a fine and fancy ramble to the zoo- Someone told me it's all happening there, and I do believe it's true.

The older kids split off and explored on their own for most of the day. We came together at various times for different animal shows.

Our family made a few extra trips while we were there. The top picture is when we went to Park City for their art festival (I think it was called Park Silly, or something like that). Shannon came with us, and Rachel got to reconnect with an old high school friend. I think it won't be long before some of her art is hanging in our home. 

The other picture is a tour that we arranged at Temple Square in Salt Lake. Originally, everyone was supposed to go, but in the end it was just our family and Rachel's mom. 

Four people are having birthdays in the next couple of weeks, so we did a group party. 

All the grown-ups went axe throwing. Pent up aggression? Family bonding? Call it what you will, we had a good time.

We are actually standing in the back of a truck here.

We did a copper mine tour. I am still amazed, impressed, and a little bit terrified by how efficiently humans can dig up entire mountains. Wow.

On Monday night I look a red-eye back to Post Falls where I had to work the next day. Rach stayed back with the kids for extended fun. Stay tuned :).

Summer is in full swing now, and I feel like this is the time of year that the whole family just jumps blindly out of a plane, trusting that there is a parachute somewhere that will eventually slow things down. This week was characterized by lots of activity around the home, Father's day, and getting ready for endless road trips that will start in a few days.

Let's take things in that order:

Activities around the home-

Beaches, playing, house projects, libraries, friends, wandering around the neighborhood, trampolines, bikes, and scooters. This is definitely the type of summer I remember having as a kid. I also want to take advantage of this space to give a shout-out to some of the end-of-school-year events that people were involved in.

Evelyn took part in a "Living Museum." She dressed up as Marie Curie and when you "pushed her button" she would come to life and give a short biography (auto-biography?) of the famous scientist. She did a great job. What was even more crazy to me though, was when she was able to wear Rachel's dress. Since when did my daughter get big enough to share clothes with her mother?! Ev is officially out of elementary school and on to middle school, where she is already excited about the prospect of joining the band as a drummer.

This picture is from last year. I think she'll make a good drummer.

Addy is our resident gymnast and performed a routine at the school talent show with one of her friends. She is already one of the most popular kids at her school, extremely athletic, and caries herself with an easy confidence born of success in virtually everything she tries. I am resigning myself to the probable fact that we have a future cheerleader on our hands. Oh my.

Ready for action!

Maren has come into her own this year as a dancer! She went to a professional dance school throughout the entire school year, and has come to love moving to the music. This has also inspired some needed confidence in other endeavors, making it fun to watch her bloom as a spunky individual with more personality than you would think can fit in that little body.

This weekend she did a jazzy number in a production of the Cinderella ballet. It was the closest thing to a professional ballet that I have ever been to, and I have to say that I enjoyed every moment. I would have guessed that I would get bored; on the contrary, I found myself engaged, both intellectually and emotionally, throughout the entire two hour event. The theater was one of the largest in North Idaho and the seating was completely sold out. Maren did great, and her initial nervousness to be in front of so many people didn't seem to affect her performance at all. There she was, front and center stage, with her costume and patented "Maren Sass" to go with it. I was so proud.

This was the best picture of her graduation with Lindz, Rach, and Ms. Kim, her teacher. We have been so impressed with this school.

Lindsey graduated from preschool! Of course all of our other kids "graduated" from their respective grades as well, but Lindsey's is particularly important, because it means that in just a few months we will have ALL of our kids in full-day school. This is a game changer for us! Suddenly, Rachel and I have a lot more time on our hands...and the world is our playground.

Father's day-

Well...the day started out at church, where poor miss Lindsey totally threw up all over our pastor while standing in front of the entire congregation of about 300 people. 

Yeah, that was awkward.

We went out for pizza and ice cream (Lindsey got a box) and then we spent the rest of the day at home.

Rachel and the kids got me some great presents, and Maren and I made a cake, but after the throw-up incident we had had about as much excitement as we could handle for one day. Maybe people at church will forget about this by the time we are back from all our trips? Not likely.

Cooking with Maren.

Road trips-

Starting on Wednesday, we hit the road. In the next few weeks we will be visiting various places throughout the Western United States and Canada. When we get home we will be entertaining guests, interspersed with brief excursions when opportunities arise. And then school will start again. 

Summertime- here we come!

This is what happens when you wear your older sister's swimming suit

Have a good week!

The picture speaks for itself. We went camping this weekend at Priest lake, and It. Was. Beautiful. Our kids are old enough to help out with camping chores and to explore the trails and forests by themselves. They are responsible enough that we let them. And they are cool enough that we have a good time hanging out with them.

As much as it may shock some people to find out, this has not always been the case. For a few years there I was pretty much fed up with camping with kids. Frankly, it was a messy, stressful, hellish nightmare that didn't do anything for anybody. We kept going though, so that our kids would learn to camp well and not be afraid of the forest. Well, it worked, and these times out are now nothing but sheer bliss.

Now if only we could get them to be so good on the car ride to and from the campsite.

Baby steps. We are making progress.

The tent team

The kitchen crew

The pyro people

We even managed to do s'mores- twice!- without anyone getting burned or ruining any clothes. This is a major achievement for our family.

Card games are always a staple of camping

Have a good week!

The dappled light filters through the trees as we stroll along the riverbank, hand in hand, basking in the senses of the brisk early morning. Conversation comes easily, rising and falling to a natural rhythm that allows for both expression as well as reflection. By and by, savory smells of breakfast waft through the air as the town behind us begins to wake up to a bright new day. The reverent dawn having come to a close, we turn back on our tracks with reluctant enthusiasm to synchronize the opening of our favorite local restaurant with our arrival. Walking ever faster with nervous impatience in our steps, we feel compelled onward by the rising sun toward adventures that had been planned just hours before.

*****

The previous day had been a whirlwind of activity with band practice, church, and a family trip to the beach in the headlong pursuit of "rest" that has come to typify our Sundays. In the middle of all of this Rachel and I looked at each other, a thought passed silently between us, and we and nodded our heads.

Phone calls were made.
Meals were prepared.
The car was packed.

Three and a half hours later we were sitting on an outdoor porch, drinks in hand, enjoying the clean acoustic vibes of a Leavenworth folk duo as the day expired its last, sweet breaths into the cool night air. We both had extremely busy weeks coming up, and the kids only had four days left until the relentless march of Summer Vacation overtook us, laying waste in the process to our carefully and precariously balanced lives. In other words, we needed this.

*****

Which brings us back to the beginning of our post. After relishing our meal (eggs benedict and potatoes) and paying our tip, we were off for the real destination of the trip: Castle Rock.

Leavenworth is a town of two faces, really. The first, and most common image that arises in the public mind is that of a cute, if somewhat contrived, Bavarian village. The streets bustle with tourists almost constantly and a person is assaulted on all sides by the savory smells of cured meats as well as images depicting giant, menacing nutcrackers. It is a unique place, and offers more nightlife than would be expected for a town of just two thousand inhabitants.

The other, more wild side of Leavenworth is what keeps us going back though. Hidden closely behind the carefully manicured image of quaintness and whimsy, a person can find a set of mountains, rivers, and canyons that are almost unsurpassed in their potential for outdoor recreation. To get an idea of the climbing alone, consider for a moment that there are at least three different guidebooks that are needed in order to read, with very few repetitions, of all the established routs in the region. Besides this, there are hundreds of miles of trails offering access to some of the most dramatic landscapes in the country, not to mention easily accessed rivers which satisfy a broad range of whitewater enthusiasts

This wasn't always the case, of course, and the history is a little bit relevant to our purpose here on this weekend. In 1948 Fred Beckey walked up to Castle Rock, and with the help of two friends, established the very first multi-pitch route in the entire state of Washington- a state which now is known as the home and stomping grounds of some of the best climbers in the world. By either coincidence, or more likely, a keen eye for quality, the route lives on today as one of the best in the area, and it seems appropriate that it would be featured as Rachel's inauguration into the world of traditional rock climbing.

*****

How is one supposed to describe a climb? This question, rhetorical in nature, is meant more as an acknowledgement than anything of the limitations of human language. The answer is that you can't. It is ineffable, requiring the use of words and ideas that only have meaning to those of a similar mindset. It is like trying to describe your favorite meal, or a particularly moving piece of music. It is more of a feeling than an event, making it much more significant, even in the moment, than what could ever be described thereafter.

Suffice it to say that we climbed six pitches of beautifully clean granite, reveling in the physical movement as well as in the extraordinary vertical world we had become a part of. We took our time, often pausing at ledges to take in the view, share private moments, or continue our constant stream of conversation. Life's demands were vanquished for a moment, swallowed up by our circumstances, and time itself took on the curious quality of both standing still and rushing by all at once.

In short, it was magical.

Pulling over a roof on P2

Clean slabs on p5

Summit!

*****

After a celebratory meal back in town we returned home, refreshed and ready for our return to normal adult responsibilities. It had only been twenty four hours, but the time meant so much more than that. These little respites from life- intermissions in the hustle and bustle that typify our normal operations- are absolutely indispensable to our happiness and well-being. We are so fortunate to live in such a spectacular place, and to have the resources to take advantage of it on such a regular basis.

Have a good week!