The Hazard Chronicles

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!