The Hazard Chronicles

 What a weekend we have had! I feel like I need the next four weekdays just to recover so that we can do it all again next weekend! Also, just want to add a little shout-out to Evelyn here. She had her birthday and now we officially have a teenager in the family. I am excited. Teenagers are cool. A little later this week I will do a whole post just on her. As for now, enjoy the photos!

Sledding with all the neighborhood friends at the golf course near our house. It is so nice that our kids are old enough to take care of themselves. They are all awesome and it makes it really fun to do stuff with them. 

Another trip to the petting zoo. Pretty sure this is our kids' new favorite place. This is me with a wallaby.

We met up with some friends as a bouldering gym in Spokane. It was fun to see them, and I think we all felt like we climbed well. This is me and Addy scoping out her big project for the day. She threw herself at this thing maybe 50 times. Her frustration with herself brought her to tears at times, but she refused to quit because she knew she could get it. Eventually, right before we left, she sent the problem to the cheers and applause of every person in the gym. Her own scream of adrenaline and celebration when she finally stuck that last move was the loudest of all. It was a neat moment to share.

I've got to say one thing about Addy. That girl is tenacious. Last week when we were climbing she was trying for an onsight at her limit (which she got). The best moment for me as a belayer though, was when she was doing a very strenuous move and as she pulled through she was grunting to herself "Type....two....FUN!" That made me smile. Addy accomplishes a lot in all areas of her life, and I think it is because somehow she just knows how to put herself out there and try hard. She is not afraid of failure (perhaps because of her easy initial successes?) and that has pushed her to go so far in so many things. It is very cool to watch.

We went skiing as a family. I have to say, Lindsey has really come into her own these last few weeks. I'll be honest, at the beginning of the year she was...kind of a pain to ski with. She complained a lot and needed help on steep sections. I don't know what happened to that girl though, because the last two times we have gone she has been the last person on the mountain when all the rest of us were ready to go. She skis intermediate runs completely on her own, and when she does fall she usually comes up laughing.

On Monday, Rach and I got out for a day of climbing with just us. Vantage had beautiful weather and perfect conditions. We both put in good performances, interspersed with fun easy routes and good conversation. Rachel, by the way, is a crack climbing machine! On the way home we stopped for a nice dinner and then got home to talk with the kids for a while before bedtime. What a wonderful day. What a wonderful weekend!