This week is all about Evelyn. Nobody really planned it that way- it’s just how things worked out. But hey- I can roll with that.


First of all, she had her book fair. Let’s step back a little bit though to something that happened last month. In Evelyn’s class, she is supposed to read a minimum of 300 minutes each month. There is a little calendar that gets sent home with her and we are supposed to keep track of her time, and then if she reaches this goal at the end of the month she gets a “puppy prize.” Puppy prizes are accessories that adorn little stuffed puppies that the kids get- things like nametags, toys, etc. For those kids who do exceptionally well, there is also an end of the year “puppy party” that they get to go to. Her class just started doing this last month.


Last month was crazy for us. I will be the first to admit that Evelyn’s studies were probably the last thing on my mind as we went through our practice merger, and consequentially she didn’t end up getting all of her minutes in. At the end of the month, she did not get her puppy prize. And she was devastated. She cried and cried, and even wrote an email to her teacher explaining the situation. The teacher responded and told her that it was okay, and that the future was bright for her and her puppy if she could get all her minutes in for the rest of the
school year.


Since that time, Evelyn has become a reading machine. She got almost all of her minutes for the month of November done in a single week. She reads every night for 30-60 minutes, and reads stories to the other kids whenever she gets a chance. I am very impressed with how fluid she has gotten, and it is fun to listen to her.





So, early this week I had the privilege of taking her on a daddy-daughter date to her school’s book fair. We did crafts together, played in the bounce house, looked at her book reports, and bought a few books to give to her teacher. I am one very lucky dad, that’s for sure!




Besides reading, Evelyn is very artistic. She loves drawing and coloring, and is very proud of her masterpieces. This week she decided that she was going to have an art sale in our front yard. We told her that it was pretty cold out and probably not the best season, but she was unfazed by these minor logistical difficulties.


She prepared all week, building her “portfolio,” and then on Sunday night she set up shop on a table in our driveway and started waving at cars. In all, she made $1.25- all of which came from our own family- but when it was time to come in she was still in high spirits and excited to continue the sale on other days. She sure is persistent!




Finally, it was Evelyn’s turn this week to do Sunday dessert night. She surprised me when she announced that she wanted to do cantaloupe and pineapple. I didn’t really think that was a dessert, but it was her night to choose so that is what we got. When it came time to present the dessert (after our family dance party),this is what we saw:




In short,Evelyn is awesome. I am so lucky to have a little girl like her, and it is fun to watch her grow up. I sure love her.


As for other news, there isn’t much to tell. I spent the weekend at an apologetics conference I was invited to for Evangelical Christianity. It had some pretty heavy hitters present, and it was both entertaining and interesting. I am glad I went. Just a note to Evangelicals: the open acknowledgement that a good education is the most threatening thing to your worldview ought to raises some eyebrows. The fact that it doesn’t is very disconcerting. That’s all (well, that’s not all…but that’s all I’ll say here). Anyway, Addy and Jack are loving their pre-school
and went on a field trip this week to see Seusical the Musical. Rachel and Maren really enjoy their one-on-one time during the kid’s school, and Lindsey really enjoys drenching all of her outfits in spit that smells like a mixture between vomit and rotten fish. She also really likes smiling at us, which helps to make up for the putrid throw-up all over everything. In short, life is good for us.


Have a good
week!

Not much to report this week.

I did my first on-sight of a 5.12 this week, which I thought was pretty cool. I have also made lots of climbing friends over the past year, and it has pushed me to be better. I'm hoping to be working on hard 12s by this Spring.

At work, Rachel is getting qualified as a "Solo V.I." which means that she can work any time she wants, with or without a partner, day or night, for as long or as short as she wants, while at the same time getting paid more for it.

Work is good for me.

Evelyn got her report card- she is above grade level in everything. That is not a surprise- she works so hard and is very motivated. She has taken to reading to herself in bed for at least 30 minutes every night and I am constantly amazed that I have a daughter who is so smart. It makes me feel old.

We are looking forward to Thanksgiving with family.

Um...nothing else really. Here are some pictures of a hike we went on by our house. We live in such a beautiful area, and it seems we are always stumbling on these new places. This particular hike was up by Lake Pend Oreille- about 35 minutes from us.

Life is good! Have a good week!

We just finished out family dessert night (Hot apple cider, homemade pumpkin pie thanks to Addy, and ice cream), the kids are in bed, and I finally have some time to sit down and write. All I can say is that you’d better take a deep breath. There is a lot to cover in this post.

To start, let’s talk about my work. I promised that I would address this in the last post, and now that things have reached a good stable resting point, I feel like I can look back and tell the story.

So…two years ago Rachel and I started our own business- Heartwood Family Dental. To do this we purchased another office in town that was going out of business. Because of this we were able to get it for a pretty good price, but along with this price came a lot of work. Work that we were more than willing to do, I might add. It was a long shot, but we figured we were young and that now was the time to take long shots.

To put things mildly, it was a wild ride. I can’t help but draw an analogy to kayaking here, because that is something I am familiar with. For all you kayakers out there, this might help you understand.

Imagine that you are scouting the biggest rapid you have ever done. Up until this point you have kayaked a lot of rivers before, and you are confident in your skills, but at the same time you realize that there is always an element of unpredictability that could throw things off at any time. And if you are honest with yourself, it is this unpredictability that makes the river a challenge, but at the same time, it is this very thing that keeps you coming back over and over again.

Anyway- you are scouting this rapid, and you can see your line. You have identified all the spots where you could run into trouble, and you have made back-up plans just in case you do happen to find yourself in a position you don’t want to be in. You get back into your boat and make sure your spray-skirt is on tight. You check your life jacket and helmet, mentally rehearse the moves one last time, and then launch yourself into the current. All you can see at this point is a horizon line, and the river tends to take on a glassy appearance just before the drop that gives the illusion of serenity. And then the fun begins.

That was two years ago, and it was crazy. Like most good rapids, things didn’t go exactly according to plan, and we found ourselves just struggling to stay afloat for much of the time in the beginning. We also had a few other big disturbances in our lives during this time that made things even more interesting, and there were definitely days when we thought that we might not make it.

But we did. And as we moved forward we grew stronger and more confident in ourselves and in each other. We also found that the challenges we faced brought Rachel and I extremely close together as a couple and as a family. There is something about facing adversity together that does that, I think. But face it we did, and we learned and grew more out of the first several months of our business than I thought was even possible. It was incredibly scary, and incredibly rewarding, all at the same time.

And then, like a kayaker who is totally in her element, the rapids started to feel more and more familiar. We found that we had come to a place where we were back in control, and for the first time is a long time we could relax our white-knuckled grip on life. This time was pure enjoyment. Things were going well for us. I was building my reputation in the community, we were financially stable, and things just sort of started working on their own. It was nice. Finally, we were at a place where we weren’t acting reflexively at all anymore- where instead of being pushed around by the currents, we could finally chart our own course and reflect upon where we wanted to go. Only then were we able to come to a very important realization.

We were on the wrong river.

It was a nice river, for sure. It had a lot of good rapids, and it had taught us a lot. I’m sure if we had stayed on it, that we could have continued to have adventures for a long time- and it would have been fun.  But in the end, it wasn’t going in the same direction we wanted to be going, and the longer we stayed this course the further it seemed we were getting from where we actually wanted to end up. To drop the analogy for a while and put this into real-world terms, I was finding more and more that as much as I loved dentistry, I did not want to own a dental practice. There are certain stresses and conflicts-of-interests that come with ownership that I could do without, and I found that I was feeling a sense of isolation not having other dental colleagues to work with on a day-to-day basis. These things, along with a few others, forced us into a very difficult decision with no easy answers. But after much conversation, introspection, and prayer, we finally decided to get out and hike back to the river where we felt we were supposed to be.

That is where we are now. It is hard, because in some ways we feel like we are starting all over again. This time, however, we have with us all the hard-earned lessons and experiences from the past two years to ensure that we are in control. Of course, there will always be unpredictable turns, but we have learned not to be scared of these turns anymore. At this point we feel extremely confident that our decision to merge our practice together with a larger one will end up being the best decision that could have been made for ourselves, our patients, and our family. We are looking forward to the future- full steam ahead!

And that is all I will write about that.

Moving on, we just finished a great week with Marissa and Wesley, who have been visiting us at our home. Of course they brought a bunch of new table-top games with them for us to try out, and we had a lot of fun every night sitting around trying to conquer the world (or something like that) while enjoying the good company of people who we see far too infrequently. It was good having them.

Also, we obviously just had Halloween. Seeing as, in the vast pantheon of American holidays this is the one that stands far above the rest as my favorite, I could not miss the opportunity to write about it here. I mean seriously- how cool is it that we have a whole day- which for some becomes a whole season- just to look at our deepest fears and laugh at them in face? When else can we go out of our way to frighten small children (only to reward them with candy) without fear of having the police show up at our doorstep? What other holiday allows kids to run screaming to the houses of complete strangers demanding goodies, only to be met with smiling faces of people who are all-too-happy to oblige during the only day of the year which still truly presupposes community involvement? And when else do we get to send our kids to school dressed as their heroes, famous super-villains, ghastly phantoms, or even as figures unique to the fantasy-world that lies inside their heads, with no fear that they will be mocked or asked to face the much duller reality of the schoolroom? Finally, what other great American holiday can do all this with the beautiful backdrop of the vibrant colors, crisp sounds, and savory tastes and smells of an autumn time which is in full swing. The answer is that there isn’t one. Halloween stands alone in this category- it is a holiday that nearly everyone can identify with, from young to old, from religious to secular, and from red-neck Idahoans to the capitalists on Wall Street. There is something for everyone, and I LOVE IT.  

Of course we did jack-o-lanterns, and the kids all got to dress up in their costumes. Halloween night saw a light drizzle of rain, but it was mostly warm and didn’t seem to stop anyone from getting out on the streets. After our kids were tired out from running around (they lasted three full blocks this year), we picked them up in the car and drove to our church where there was a huge party going on. They had bounce houses and games galore, and of course more candy to hand out by the bucket load.

It was a good night.

Well, the only other thing I want to mention is a drive we went on last Sunday. We ended up at a little spot in the mountains that we just sort-of stumbled on. It was next to the river, and the kids had fun throwing rocks and making boats. They also went exploring and discovered a wild apple tree. How did that get there? I’ll admit, I thought it was a little strange to be walking through groves of pine and aspen only to see a lone apple tree standing in the middle of a grassy meadow. It was like something from a fairytale. Not ones to miss out on opportunities like this, we all quickly picked the ripest fruit we could find and then ate it while telling speculative stories to each other about how the tree got there. Our kids are all getting to be fun ages where this kind of thing is common, and I have truly come to enjoy getting out and doing things with them.

Oh. One more thing. Tonight we were eating chicken for dinner and it was the first time our kids had eaten drumsticks. In the middle of dinner, Adalie stopped and looked at her food with a critical expression. Then, in a very confused way, she asked “How did a bone get in my chicken?”

Yes- we live in a post-modern, industrialized, skinless, boneless world. For the most part, I am convinced this is a very good thing. Sometimes though, it makes you stop and wonder what isn’t making it through.

Well, Have a good week!

Earlier today we watched “The Nightmare Before Christmas” as a family. We figured it was appropriate for the season. During the course of the movie though, Evelyn made a surprising announcement:

Evelyn: I don’t believe there is a Santa Claus

Me: (totally blindsided) What? Why not?

E: Well- first of all, people can’t really go down chimneys because most chimneys are too small for a human. Also, some people don’t even have chimneys. Besides this, a person can’t really live all year in the North Pole- it’s too cold. And a bunch of little people making toys that are delivered to the entire world in one night? Come on! It’s impossible. That many toys couldn’t even fit on a sled. Also, reindeer can’t really fly.

Me: (Mixed feelings of total pride in my daughter’s skepticism/supported arguments and sadness about a childhood illusion being lost) Wow- it seems like you have thought about this a lot. Those are some really good questions.

E: Yeah. Santa Claus can’t be real. I think that instead, he is just a nice person who flies around in an airplane and drops presents out the window for whoever happens to be on the ground.

Me: (Thinking about the negotiation phase of the Kubler-Ross model) Hmm. That could be true- It’s definitely an interesting idea.

E: Well I don’t think he’s real…but I do think it’s a really neat story.

Me: Evelyn, I sure love how you think about things. Let’s keep watching the movie.

Wow-that came out of nowhere! Luckily, our other kids were too engrossed in the film to pay any attention to our conversation. I hope.

This week, besides getting a small glimpse into Evelyn’s amazing mind, we also had a great time celebrating Autumn. Since I didn’t work all week, we had lots of time to do this (I’m in the middle of a big job transition that I’ll write more about next time). Anyway- we took the ample time that was on our hands to decorate for Halloween, enjoy the Autumn air, go on field trips to the pumpkin patch (for the older kids), and PICK APPLES.

For those who have been following this blog for a while, you will recognize apple picking as a distinct Hazard Family tradition. We have done this every year since Rachel was pregnant with Evelyn, and it is now hard to imagine the Fall season without at least one trip to an orchard.

This year did not disappoint. The place where we go always has a fair-like atmosphere, with good music, food booths, and vendors to vie for our attention. We got in line and took the tractor ride out to the orchard, gave a bag to each kid, and gave them instructions about how to pick the best apples. And then the fun began. This year was especially good because the workers only had to tell our kids to get out of the trees one time, and nobody threw any apples at anybody else during the entire time excursion. Our family is growing up!

After we paid for the apples, we went home and enjoyed apple dumplings and sparkling apple cider. Later that day, the kids and I made an Apple Crumble pie that we will eat later this evening for Dessert Night (another Hazard Family tradition that takes place each Sunday). Other apple things we have done are apple pancakes and applesauce. Of course, we also have lots and lots of apples for eating. I think that over the next few weeks we will definitely get our fill of apples.

There is something else I want to mention as well. At the church we go to, there are a few Deaf people who needed an interpreter. Rachel, of course, volunteered for the position. Now, with interpreting there are tons of laws and stuff that make it almost impossible to ever watch Rachel while she does her thing, so I was really excited about this as well. Let me just say- my wife is awesome! It is something special to watch a person who is extremely confident and skilled while they are “in their element.” It is even more special when that person is the love of your life. Church just became a whole lot more fun for me.

Also- I have to say that I am loving Idaho’s Common Core curriculum. Wow. Evelyn is doing math in 1^st grade that I wasn’t doing until I was in 4^th, and the English stuff is challenging her not only to read, and not only to comprehend, but to really think about things and develop “active reading” skills. I guess time will tell whether actual results will be any better or worse than what they were a generation ago, but I can’t help but think that the focus on critical thinking will empower her to apply herself more as she gets older. Anyway- that’s just my two cents about that.

This next week I am looking forward to finishing up with the merger our business is going through and re-establishing a routine. That will be nice. I haven’t gotten a lot of sleep lately. Like I said- I’ll write more about this next time.

Well- have a good week!

Rachel and I just had one of the best weekends of our lives. Before I get into that though, I’ll just say that things have been pretty crazy for us lately. In the midst of all this we happened to go out with some friends who, during the course of our dinner conversation, told us they would like to take our kids for a full weekend to give us some time to relax. Now, people have said things like this before, and it is customary for us to sort of laugh it off knowing that they actually have no idea what they would be getting themselves into. Wanting to keep our friends, we normally thank them for the offer and then move on as if nothing had been said.

This night was different though. Maybe it was because we really needed the time off. Maybe it was because these people were exceptionally good friends who we knew we could trust. Whatever it was, we agreed after a short conversation revolving around one central question- “how serious are you?” They were, and so we set the date for two weeks out. All I can say is that I am glad we did- it has been a harrowing couple of weeks since then, and the chance to ditch the kids and just forget about real life for a while couldn’t come soon enough.

So, what did we do? Everything! But mostly, we just talked. I just want to take this time to say that I LOVE talking with Rachel. On our first date we went dancing, and then we sat at a park and talked for six hours straight. This would pretty much foreshadow the rest of our relationship, and I love it. We do stuff with each other, and we talk with each other. We talk about everything- stuff that matters and stuff that doesn’t. Stuff that’s intellectually challenging, and stuff that just makes us crack up laughing so hard we can’t stop. Rachel once read a book and told me that according to it, talking is my “love language.” Well, I guess I’d have to say that she is right- talking openly about things that are deeply meaningful is just about the most intimate thing I think two people can do, and Rachel is easily the best conversationalist I have ever met.

Obviously, we did other stuff too though. We went out to nice meals each morning for breakfast, and talked. We saw a movie together that we both really liked, even though I can’t remember the name of it. One night we spent three hours in a quaint little café with appetizers and drinks and listened to a local acoustic band playing live music. We went on a hike by a river, and then ate Mexican food while the Seahawks lost a football game. We even took some time to clean the house a little- a surprisingly enjoyable and rewarding activity when you don’t have kids following you around to undo everything you just did. We did all of this together. Just us. It was blissful.

Besides this weekend we have been having fun in other ways as well. On Tuesday, Evelyn had her second x-country race. This time she beat 4 people. Last time she came in last…I don’t think running is her thing, but don’t tell her that I said that ;). More importantly, she had fun and was a great support to her friends who take the event a little more seriously.

Evelyn is in the yellow shirt in the very back

I think that Jackson took the competition the most seriously out of anyone. The whole time we were there, he just wanted to race people. Us, his friends, other random people who he was able to sucker into a competition- it didn't matter. He. Was. Superman.

Also, I just have to post this picture up because we have been infested with gnats! This happens for about 2-3 weeks every fall, and it is really, really gross. From what people have been saying, this year is one of the worst yet. When you go outside you have to close your eyes and shield your face, and then brush the little bugs out of your hair and clothes when you come in. The one silver lining is that with the bugs come lots of little quail-like birds to eat them, and it is fun to watch them hopping around the yard.

Well, I just heard Evelyn’s bus drive by, so I guess she’ll be coming in any minute. Tonight we are doing Family Night and then a movie- it should be fun.

I hope everybody has a good week!

Can I make a confession? I don’t really like winter. It’s not all bad, of course. I like sledding and skiing (when I can afford it), and for some reason, hot chocolate and scones and fireplaces and warm blankets and old movies and family board games all seem to be so much more meaningful during this cold and dark season. I like those parts. Overall though, despite these wonderful things, winter just isn’t my favorite time. Sometimes I think I could do without it.

But not really.

Because winter also means something else- despite my dislike toward the season, I have to admit that it plays an important role to me that I could not replace with anything else. Winter, to me, means change. It is a cycle that I love watching and being a part of each year- the hope and newness of spring, followed by the slow and lazy summer, leading into the brisk and hurried autumn, all to be washed out in the cold, sleepy darkness of winter. But because of winter- because of this darkness- there will always be a spring. And spring wouldn’t be spring without winter, and neither would summer, or fall. And this cycle just keeps repeating again, and again, and again.

For this reason, winter HAS to exist for me, or the cycle gets stuck. And when things get stuck, then something happens that is more dreadful and scarier than even the coldest, windiest, and bleakest of days. Without winter, life becomes dull. Because as much as I love summer, an endless summer would eventually seem…well…endless. It would get boring. No change means that I would never get to enjoy new beginnings, or look back with fond memories on good times past. And summer? Well, summer would just sort of lose meaning altogether, as one day would fade into the next with no purpose or significance whatsoever. Really, as good as it sounds at times, the joys of summer, without change, would quickly fade into a bright and warm and wonderful…nothingness. And that is scary.

And so I embrace winter. I try my best to find ways to enjoy it, and I have found that by doing this it can actually be pretty tolerable, and even fun at times. But more importantly, to me, winter gives vitality to life in all its seasons. Winter gives me a reason to hold out till spring, and to bask in the warmth of summer, and to breathe in the crisp smells of Autumn. Winter, not in spite of, but BECAUSE of its darkness and my own dislike for it, becomes a momentous occasion in its own right. And so as much as I hate winter, I love it. All of it.

Does that make sense? Probably not- and I totally recognize that there are people of a different ilk who think that I am crazy for these “chilling” thoughts (get it?). But not me. Maybe it turns out in the end that different people like different things. Crazy, I know. Just my own musings for the week.

Anyway- on to more interesting things. Our kids.

On Wednesday I got a call from Evelyn’s school. She had head lice and needed to go home. Since my office is just two blocks away, I quickly went and picked her up and then brought her back to work with me where she did homework and watched movies until Rachel could come get her. That day after I finished up with my last patient, I went to Wal-Mart and bought an arsenal of lice-killing paraphernalia and prepared to wage war at our home. 3 tubes of medicated shampoo, 5 cans of lice spray, endless hours of hair combing, mountains of laundry, and lots of tears and screams later we felt we had finally won. These lice didn’t stand a chance. That night, Rachel and I got a babysitter and went out on a double-date with friends. Inwardly, we congratulated ourselves on our quick and decisive victory. We are awesome.

The next day I took Evelyn to school (she wasn’t allowed to ride the bus until she was cleared by the school nurse) and waited anxiously as the person at the front office ran a pencil through Evelyn’s hair looking for signs of bugs, eggs, or nits. I’m not sure why I was nervous, but after a careful and thorough inspection she was finally pronounced “clean” and I cheerfully waved goodbye as she headed out to the playground. Yep. These bugs were “in the bag,” so to speak. I high-fived myself on the way out to my car (which must’ve looked pretty awkward to anyone who was watching) and went about my day with an air of a champion.

Two hours later, she was back in my office doing homework and watching movies. I think we celebrated too early. The battle continues. Bugs=1. Hazards=0.

As for me, things are going good. I think I mentioned a few weeks ago that I had joined a climbing group who goes out together a couple times each week. I’ve made a lot of friends and connections through this group, and I am excited to have met some really good climbers and cool people to do bigger trips with. This year, climbing has really entered back into my life to a degree that hasn’t been there since my high-school days. I have done more “hard” climbs (5.12 and up) this year than ever before, I am in better shape than ever before, and I am a more confident leader than ever before. It’s been a lot of fun. I have even started training specifically for the sport, and I am interested to see where my limits are as a “weekend-warrior” who has a lot of other hats to wear during the week as well.

The campus board I made for the shop

Even Lindsey helps me train!

Rachel has also had a good week. She has joined a group of women- all moms of young children- who go out regularly and do stuff with each other. A lot of times they do play-dates at the park, or at someone’s house. Other times they do retreats just for the moms (no kids allowed) where they socialize with one-another on a more adult level. This week I took the kids for a night while Rachel went out with some of these friends to play “artist” for the evening. The way I understand it, they all painted the same picture (maybe with a little instruction?) while at the same time indulging in the luxury of culinary bliss…or something like that. Anyway, they had fun, and Rachel did a pretty good job on her painting which hangs in our bathroom. Now, every time I step out of the shower, I can feel like rather than being in the privacy of my home, I am instead stepping out of a Japanese public bath surrounded by cherry-blossoms. I only think about this sometimes, but it’s strangely liberating when I do J

Besides her ladie's night, Rachel also had an interpreting conference. Originally she wasn't planning on going because it was a little too expensive and she didn't need any more CE for her license. At the last minute another interpreter had an emergency come up, and rather than forfeit her spot she gave her ticket to Rachel for the entire weekend! For those who know Rachel, you will know that she loves these conferences, and it was a nice surprise for her to be able to go. I think she had fun.

Last, but not least, I’ll post a few pictures of the fair. We have sort of started a tradition on Fridays that I take the kids and meet Rachel after work at some sort of fun or interesting place. Last week, this place was the Spokane Valley Fair, and the kids had a blast. I did too. I like fairs (see the last post), and I especially like live music. I think we’ll keep this tradition going for a long time.

Well- I feel like that was a really long blog post. If you made it all the way through, then congratulations! (Or maybe “I’m sorry” is more appropriate). Anyway, thanks for reading- have a good week!

Oh…one more thing (I almost forgot). Heartwood Family Dental had its two-year anniversary this week. It’s been a great two years. We all went out to celebrate, and I have to say that the people I work with are some of the best, hardest working, and funnest people to be around that I know. Thanks to my team for making these some of the best years of my life. It’s been a good run. I actually took a picture of this celebration lunch, but this picture was lost when I broke my phone jumping into the river to save Adalie's life (seriously). Oh well- obviously, Adalie is more important. Just know that it was a good picture though.

"A-six-year-old, five-year-old-twins, a-two-year-old, and-a-newborn" is enough to raise eyebrows pretty much anywhere I go around here. It's a lot of kids.

But then I stop, and think, and my own eyes open wide. Did I really just say "FIVE-YEAR-OLD twins?" Has it really been that long since we walked in the doors of the hospital to meet "noodle" and "twitch" for the first time? Wow.

Obviously, Adalie and Jackson had a great week.It was their birthday on Tuesday, and it got stretched out all week. We had a family party that night, where they got presents. They had parties the next couple of days in their pre-school where they got cupcakes. And then we had the big party on Saturday with 19 people over at our house celebrating these two very special kids. It's been an exciting time.

Rachel made this cake- I think it's pretty good.

Besides the birthdays, there have been a few other things going on around our house lately. Namely:

The great Autumn clean-up is continuing. More loads to the dumpster. More loads to Goodwill. More breathing space in our home. More smiles all around. Ahhhh- it feels good!

Addy and Jack and Evelyn gave me a stick for my birthday. Yes- a stick. They were very excited about it too. I made this with it, and for now it hangs in our living room. We'll see how long that lasts :).

This girl is on the elementary school x-country team/club. They don't really compete, but they do meet and socialize and practice and stuff. Evelyn said she really liked it- everything except for the part where she had to run. But she wants to stick with it because she also says it is fun- especially the running part. In either case, she is good at it. I think I understand where she is coming from because I have the same love/hate relationship with running that she is starting to develop. It's interesting what we do to ourselves, isn't it.

Rachel and I went on some dates. On Thursday we went and watched the BYU football game while enjoying a pizza together. It's been a while since I've watched BYU play, and the experience was somewhat nostalgic of our courtship where we used to go together to the home games and cheer our hearts out. Those were good times then. These are good times now. I guess there is nothing quite like watching a bunch of guys beat the crap out of each other over a funny-shaped leather ball to cement a marriage into place.

Here's one from the archives- 2004 at the BYU stadium. The ten years that came after this picture was taken have been the best years of my life.

We also went to the Spokane fair where we enjoyed the various shows, booths, displays, and competitions. I don't really consider myself to be very "country," but the atmosphere of a fair just does something to me. I don't know if it is the smell of fried food mixed with cow manure and diesel fuel, or the competing sounds of live music and people shouting and old rides running. Maybe it's the sights of people walking every which way, some vying for your attention and some not caring at all, or the vividness in which the entire scene is bathed in the dim twilight as the sun slowly sinks beyond the horizon and the brisk autumn air is filling your lungs. But whatever it is, it's a great feeling- especially when you are walking hand-in-hand with the girl who means more to you than the entire universe and all worries seem to slip away and things are just...perfect. For one brief instant that is gone if you blink, there seems to be nothing that matters except for that moment, and you just wish it could last forever. That, to me, is the fair. I love it.

Anyway- have a great week!