It's official- summer is here. At least, in my book. I think Memorial Day is as good a marker as any, and this weekend certainly felt like it. The weather was beautiful and we all got out to play a little. 

We all went up to Craiglandia (Tum Tum) for part of the weekend. We camped and hiked and climbed and just hung out together (get it- hung out? Climbing? Ha!)

Josh came with us and climbed for the first time. I've been doing it so long that I have to remind myself how nerve-wracking it can be to trust ropes and gear and small holds and heights. He did great!

Ev was a good teacher

Most people see hammocks as these relaxing things. Like, almost a symbol of serenity and pleasure. I don't think anyone in our family will ever be able to do that. Hammocks are these terrifying torture chambers that, if you close your eyes or let your guard down for even a second, are employed to inflict as much physical and emotional damage as possible. How did it get this way? I really don't know. But they cannot be trusted, this is for sure. 

You know what else can't be trusted? Older siblings. Rach and I were sitting at camp, winding down our day, when we heard a whiny little yelp from far off. After a minute we heard it again and went to investigate. This is what we found. She was completely alone and unable to get herself down.

The next morning, Rach and I got up early for a little multi-pitch adventure. It was a great morning. Great company with my favorite partner. Great weather. Great rock. And I flashed the 5.12 friction slab I had my eye on. Wooo!

These two did some climbing on their own. It's neat that they are able to just go and explore like this. Also, what better place to do it than Craiglandia? This place has the feel of a resort. Mowed grass, fire rings, picnic tables, gazebos, benches or even couches at the belay spots, well marked climbs, with the grade printed right at the base, intelligent bolting, and quicklinks at the top of everything. I mean, seriously. This is what pampered climbing looks like.

It has almost become tradition to eat at the Flying Goat Tavern on our way home.

Just a few other things from the week: This is from the first of many barbecues in our yard with friends. It really did feel like summer. We had backyard music going, heated ping-pong matches, a campfire, and s'mores for dessert.

Addy went to Silverwood again. It helps to have a friend who works there.

Evelyn and Addy played in a school concert. 

It's easy to get photos of Ev because as a percussionist she is nearly always standing up, and walks around to various parts of the stage throughout the performance.

Here's the best we could get from Addy. She tried out for the elite school band and got in for next year. Of course. 

My grandpa was my truest hero, and it is my greatest hope to live up to his quiet confidence, his resolve, his kindness, and his integrity. He had the rare gift of being able to separate people from their ideas, with the former being far more important. He was highly accomplished in all areas of his life; He had a doctorate from Stanford, was recruited for athletic talent and had various medals to show for it, was a major in the Marines, traveled the world to six different continents, and knew each of his grandkids and great-grandkids on a personal level. And yet, if you were to meet him, you wouldn't really know any of this- he was just that guy who was always there, pretty chill, doing what he could to make the world a better place. He was the guy who liked Coca-Cola, and drove the shuttle on the river, and sang softly to himself as he strolled with his arms folded behind his back, probably counting his steps. He was the grandpa who rocked babies, and said "Humm baby, humm," and played the piano by ear, and still danced in the kitchen with my grandma after 73 years of marriage. He could talk with anybody and make them feel like the most important person in the room. He was probably the best man I will ever have the chance to meet, and if there is anything that I am proud of, it is the fact that I get to carry on his name.

I am going to miss him.

A few key memories:

His house in San Jose is a mainstay in my childhood memories. Building the deck. The hot-tub. Building a treehouse in his front yard. Catching pigeons. Picking his tangerines off of his tree, and then selling them back to him. Riding bikes and rollerblades. His garage full of National Geographic magazines. Locking him out of his computer by changing the passwords. Playing Nintendo. Looking through his books about the Old West, or through his old athletic equipment under the stairs. And the smell- juniper trees and cologne and old wood. I probably have as many memories there as I do from my own home during that time.

When I was 12, he took my cousin and me on a long road-trip over the summer. We rode in his red truck, usually in the back, and ate sweet tarts and played cards. On one moment during this trip, everyone was asleep except for him and me, and I was in the front, and we were talking about US history, and he told me that everyone feels like they are justified and right, but that only the winners get to write the books we learn in school. I still think about that a lot.

When I was a kid there was a ski trip to Dodge Ridge with just me, him, and my dad. The weather was poor and we were going to go home, but when he saw how bad I wanted to ski he offered to pay for a little one-room cabin for the night, allowing us to go up the next day. That evening we ate split-pea-soup, I think because it was free. It was good, and to this day, I think of that trip every time I eat pea soup. I even go out of my way, sometimes, to eat pea soup, not because of its taste, but because of the feeling of this memory.

He drove shuttle on countless river trips. I would always know we were getting close to the take-out by the silhouette of a man reading a book or a newspaper, usually sitting under a tree. Even thinking of that image makes me smell neoprene and feel the chafe of a poorly-fitted life jacket.

When we lived in Cleveland he came out to visit us and we went on a long road-trip to some historical sites. It was in the early days of GPS navigation, and he insisted that his maps were better. He was stubborn enough in this resolve to take us different directions, I think, just to make a point. I will always be able to reproduce in my head the exact intonation of when he realized that we had gone off-track: "Delaware? We can't be in Delaware!"

As I became an adult, I started realizing (as adults do) that the world is far more complex than I had once thought. He was always there to listen without judgement, but never really to tell me what to think or do. He was good at handling complexity and contradiction, and his insight was vast. I will cherish the many deep conversations we've had over the years. There is no doubt that I am who I am because of the man he was.

I will forever remember the last time I saw him. It was just before his decline, and our family was in Utah for a ski trip. We spent the entire evening in conversation. We ate pizza and played games and laughed at how bad a judge he was at Scattergories. He lit up when Evelyn said she is considering the University of Idaho (his alma mater), and he sang the school fight song with such gusto that it surprised everyone. We talked long into the night, and he probably stayed up later than he should have, but you could tell that he didn't want to go. When he finally went to bed, we all got extra long hugs. A week later he was in the hospital for the last time. I am so grateful for that night.

He was buried in a military cemetery. He was one of the most patriotic men I know, but in the old-fashioned non-obnoxious way. He simply loved his country and was proud to be a Marine without needing these things to mean any more than what they were.

I was honored to be one of the pallbearers

I accompanied Rick at the funeral for a tribute song to this great man

Lindsey wasn't able to go with us because she was in the middle of filming for a dance thing. Also, you might recognize an "orange" theme. This is intentional, as orange was always Grandpa's favorite color. 

Funerals also serve as impromptu family reunions. The day after the service, we had a pickleball tournament in Grandpa's honor. Our family had to buy some paddles and watch a video on YouTube to learn the rules, but we had a lot of fun.

You can see how serious we are about this game

Most people stuck with the orange theme

My grandma is amazing.

Besides this pickleball thing, we had a family dance. It was really good to catch up with people I haven't seen in a long time.

Evelyn and Addy got up early one morning and went on a hike to this waterfall

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Grandpa:

This is from a backpacking trip we did in the Tetons. Grandpa never thought he needed water. Sometimes this came back to bite him, and by the stories told at the funeral, was the source of many family stories. This trip is one of those stories. Just drink water already- sheesh! This man is a legend.

This was last year after a ski trip

I mentioned last week that Rach and I have been married 20 years. When I wrote that, I'll be honest, my mind was thinking more of the passing of my grandpa and the man that he was and what that meant for me, and I just sort of put stuff on paper for the blog. But really, I've been thinking a lot about Rachel and our relationship and I seriously love it. Here are some highlights to me:

1) Our friendship. Seriously, of all the aspects of our relationship, I can honestly say that Rach is my best friend. We love being together, and being a part of each other's lives.

2) Her badassness (is that a word?). Rach is a real example and role model for our kids- especially our girls. She is in high demand throughout the Pacific Northwest for her interpreting talent, and is traveling to Western Washington on a near-weekly basis to do crazy cool gigs. She has a circle of friends that still thinks and acts like they are in college, she trains almost every day for athletic competition, and she is sexy as hell. I feel so out of my league with her, and yet she tolerates me. It is a mystery.

3) Crossword puzzles. Regular Monday morning breakfast dates. House projects. Deck nights...The little things that make up the fabric of life. Together. It's beautiful.

4) Theater. This is a very "us" thing. I looked back at the calendar and we go to a show, on average, every two weeks. Sometimes it is much more. Each of these shows represents an amazing night out- usually with good food beforehand and great conversation for days to follow. Theater is a great medium and has woven itself nicely into our everyday lives. It has provided a context for so many fun little arguments or discussions that it's hard to imagine life without it.

5) Athleticism. We both live busy and sometimes stressful day-to-day lives. Between high-end jobs and demanding kids, it can get a little crazy. We both find working out to be cathartic and absolutely essential to our sanity, and it is fun to push each other with friendly banter.

6) Skiing. I have to mention this, because it has become so much a part of our lives. The contextual background of a ski trip- the movement, the risk, the hotels, the joy, the food, the late-night driving...everything- has been so good for our family. I love these days. Something about mountain crystals is just really, really special, and we both feel it. Climbing is a close substitute in the warmer months.

7) Parenting. We have five (woah, that's a freaking big number!) kids, and I still don't really understand what that word means. But I'm sure glad that Rachel is the one who is with me through this journey. In the words of Lin Manuel Miranda (remember that theater thing?) We'll do whatever it takes, we'll make a million mistakes, we'll make the world safe and sound for you...or at least we'll try. Some days are easier than others.

8) Openness to experiences. I like novelty. Sylvia Plath once wrote about a great fig tree, and the stress of having to choose just one fruit out of the many wonderful offerings. To that I say- why not all of them? And Rachel seems to be on the same page with this. We do a lot together. Some things stick with us. Some things we can say we tried, but never again. We embolden each other to be curious and adventurous, and we have a ton of fun, or humorous, or scary, but always memorable experiences to look back on. It's a beautiful life.

9) Dancing. This is what got us together in the first place, and we are still at it. We aren't very good in a technical sense, but we always have fun and get compliments along the lines of "you two are fun to watch and very endearing." Hey, I'll take it. Summer concerts are just around the corner and I can already feel my inhibitions looking for an exit strategy. Bring it on!

10) The future. I can easily picture us getting old together. I have no idea what that looks like, but I have complete certainty that it'll be pretty good. And if not, then it'll be a great story! I'll quote John Denver here: "It turns me on to think of growing old. For life's been good to me, there's still so much to do. So many things my mind has never known..." To have Rachel with me as a partner through life is the greatest privilege one could ever ask for.

*****

Here are some pictures and stories from our week:

We saw the show "Beauty Queen of Leenane." It started out as one thing, but then got real dark. We love that. ;) The actors all did a wonderful job with their complex roles. We have some good talent around here.

Rachel has been feeling the itch for gardening lately. She got these boxes for raspberries. Ugh.

Just some more garden things.

We went to a friend's lake house for dinner. It's starting to feel more and more like summer time...but it's definitely not summer time yet. The water still feels like recent snowmelt and Maren and Lindsey were the only ones who actually jumped in. Others enjoyed canoes, jet skis, and the beautiful view while eating a delicious dinner or roasting marshmallows. Such a fun night.

I did a thing that has been on my bucket list for a while now. Traveling in the mountains is second nature to me by now, and a lot of the theory behind this course was familiar to me. But responding to countless scenarios over the weekend, complete with good actors and fake blood galore, led to a whole new level of confidence. The debriefings after each scenario gave valuable insights and I am ready the next time there is an emergency to roll up my sleeves and say, in a loud voice, "Everyone stand back- I am Certified!" After that, things get a little less predictable, but that moment is going to be so good!

Lindsey has been quite prolific lately. She was in the school talent show in three different acts- one was a solo singing performance (musical theater, of course). One was a ukulele performance (who knew she played the uke?). And one was with the choir. Besides these things, she is in the middle of filming an Irish dance film this weekend where she is in nine out of ten numbers, and she was part of a choir at the most recent board meeting for leaders in the community. This girl is crazy!

Oh yeah- she also went on a field trip to a farm. Rachel went too. I don't know much more than that.

This is what our living room looks like as I write this blog. We will be gone for the next four days, and I guess when we get back it's gonna look much different. Like, painted and stuff. Cool.

Have a good week!

It's hard to find words to write about this week.

On Monday, Rachel and I celebrated twenty years of marriage together. That seems significant. We've been through a lot, and I'm sure there is much more to come. I love our relationship. Bring it on!

On Monday, my grandpa died. That seems life changing. He was the one person, above all others, that I would call my hero and role model. I still don't quite know how to process a world without him in it.

Okay- I'll write more in a few days... or maybe next week. That is all for now though. Here are some pictures.

On Friday we went to a fun play by a local writer. "Tiny Musical" was mostly just light escapist entertainment, but had some cultural themes along feminist veins (but kinda calling them out at the same time). If I could say one thing to the writer, it would be to commit more to the message you are trying to say, because I think it could be controversial in all the right ways. If I could say two things, it would be that I probably laughed out loud more than I have in a good while, and that was fun.

On Saturday we all went climbing. We brought some friends as well, and everyone had a good time. I've been focusing more on trad climbing this year, and have a loose goal to lead many of the sport climbs I have already done, but only using pro that I place (no bolts). I guess that self-imposed limits are where you go when everything around you has already been done?

All the kids invited friends and we "took over Wallace" on Saturday night and most of the day on Sunday. Everyone had a good time and it's neat that we have a house that can absorb people so well. Some of us watched movies at night. Jackson and his friends have gotten very into D&D, and were up in the new bonus room until all hours. Rach and I went to bed at a reasonable time. Everyone else was up late. Also, Wallace is a fun quirky town to explore and never really gets old. Rachel and I stayed overnight Sunday-Monday as well as a little anniversary getaway. We also finished seaming the carpet in the bonus room and it looks SOOO good! (That's what this picture is of). I think I totally have imposters syndrome when it comes to these projects, because Rach and I have done a lot together and it's all turned out pretty dang good, but I still feel like the guy who doesn't know the difference between a hammer and a nail. But hey- it's fun and "why do it right when you can do it yourself?" 

This has been a crazy hectic week for both Rachel and me with our jobs. As for me, it was mostly in the form of some tedious or stressful cases which, in the end, proved to be rewarding in the same way that running a marathon can be rewarding- ask me in a week and I'll be glad to have done them, but right now I'm just glad to be done. For Rachel, it was more time intensive as she traversed the state of Washington multiple times for different jobs. It's not an exaggeration to say that she put about two thousand miles on our car this week. And this is in addition to of her normal schedule. So, yeah, we were a little off balance this week. I think there was only one night when we had the whole family home for dinner. If anything, it makes us appreciate the normal, pretty chill life that we normally get to live.

Oh yeah- that reminds me of Evelyn, also. She was in Salt Lake City for several days this week on a band trip. They also went to Lagoon (a little theme park) and had a lot of fun just hanging out around the town in between the music stuff they went for. She said that she had a great time, but that it also pushed her to catch up with other things once she got back, so she has been under a little bit of stress lately as well.

Fortunately, we all have a nice weekend coming up. The weather is really nice and it should be a refreshing break before launching back into real life. I think things are settling down though. 

Here are some pictures. Have a good week!

Oh my gosh- I forgot about this until I went to add photos. This was also the week of a big non-profit (CDAide) fund-raiser that Rachel helps out with. Some of the kids pitched in as well to help prepare for the event and wrap donation baskets.

This was a fun night. Ev got a little recognition for her academic achievements, which came with a ceremony and a medal and some scholarship stuff. Just her and Rachel and I went to it and then out to dinner afterwards as a little celebration.

This was one of those things where everyone was taking pictures, so we figured we should too.

This is from last weekend when just a few of us went up to Wallace. We got a lot done in the bonus room (notice, it's not called the attic any more), and ate pizza on the patio of Silver Mountain for lunch.

Springtime vibes. Lindsey uses this bike to its full potential.

Have a good week!