Happy Birthday to Me and Some Childhood Recollections

It's a good day today. It's my birthday. 33 years old- not bad. A lot has happened in that time, a brief overview of which I will share a little later in this blog. As for today, I woke up early and ran a half-marathon. It was a good run, but despite beating my personal goal of 1:40 I came in feeling like I could have done better. I guess there is always a next time. When I got home, the kids had made me breakfast and we relaxed a little before Rachel loaded up her bike for the pedalfest (an annual 26 mile bike race that she had entered- capped at 500 contestants due to popularity). I stayed home with the kids and fought sea monsters, dragons, and giant spiders until we located the secret magic treasure that would make them go away. After we had finally secured the safety of our home, the kids all had baths to wash off the dragon snot, and then we drove down to watch Mom cross the finish line. She had a good showing and came in 3rd place- a surprise to me (but it shouldn't have been) given the number of more "serious" bikers in the race with much better bikes and more racing experience. I am proud of Rach- she definitely knows how to drive herself hard with a stubborn persistence that I hope our children pick up on.

Just now I finished mowing the lawn and am about to sit down to read a book while the kids have quiet time (Rachel is working a few hours today). Later, we will have a birthday party for me, and then Addy and I will go see a live production of Shrek, the Musical. It is being done by the fairly prestigious Summer Theater, and one of Addy's drama teachers is in the play, so that should be fun. Anyway- it's been a good day. Happy birthday to me.

And now on to my actual blog entry:
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My family is awesome. Can I just say that? It's true.

Lately, I have been reading through some of my old journals and looking at pictures of growing up. Unlike some of my siblings (I am assuming), the home I remember most when I think of my childhood is the yellow one we had in California. The day-to-day events that stand out to me are picking (stealing, in retrospect) oranges off of trees as I walked to or from school, making forts or catching crawdads in the nearby creek-bed, playing roller hockey in our long driveway, and going on bike rides to Rahilly Park. On the weekends we would collect pecans, raspberries, and mistletoe to sell to neighbors for candy money which I would spend at "The Treat Store," or go to Applegate Zoo and feel bad for the decrepit animals living there, or swim in the muddy waters of Yosemite Lake.

School for me was an unwanted lesson in sociology as I watched good friends from elementary school develop strong racial and cultural prejudices against one another as we entered middle or junior high school, sometimes even resulting in violence. I can still remember the names of some of my friends- Victor, or Kong, or Maria, or Gene, or Kao, who each fell victim to gangs or drugs (or both), their lives tragically stolen from them before they had even had a chance to get started. These were kids I had had footraces with on the playground, or built tunnels with in the sandbox. They were good kids. Oblivious at the time to intense social pressures that I didn't have to deal with, I didn't understand why school seemed increasingly difficult and unimportant to most of my fellow students. After all, it wasn't even that hard- you just had to set goals, work hard, and study. All it takes is for people to apply themselves, right?

How naive I was.

My family life, on the other hand, was blissful. I had a stay-at-home mom, and a dad who was around virtually any time I was, including summer vacations (he was a high-school teacher). I remember my mom reading long books to us including The Secret Garden, Little House on the Prairie, The Mixed-up Files of Basil E. Frankweiler, Harry Potter, and of course The Book of Mormon. I remember my dad helping me with math homework and extra-credit science experiments. We spent a lot of time together and went on a lot of vacations. At least that's what it seemed like to me. I especially remember trips to Yosemite or the beach where we would hang out with my grandparents, or to my cousins' house in Weldon where we would explore "The Rocks", or ride horses to Paul's Place. We also did some long family trips to Utah to visit extended family, and once we even drove to Illinois on a parent-guided tour of US and LDS history. In doing all these things I feel like I formed strong bonds with my siblings- my family was strong, and they were easily the most important people in the world to me.

As we grew up, my siblings and I started going our own separate directions. I left first at the age of 19 for a two-year LDS mission to Brazil. I was home from that for only a few months before moving out to attend college at BYU, during which time I saw my brother very briefly before he left on his own mission. While he was away I got married to a beautiful sign language interpreter and elementary school teacher (Rachel), became heavily involved in academics and scientific research, and started preparations for dental school. While the rest of my family still lived together, I moved to Cleveland, Ohio for more schooling, and from there to Northern Idaho where I live now.

In the meantime, my brother returned from his mission, got married, and moved to Oklahoma for law school where he stayed after graduation for a job. His wife, Ashland, is a nurse and stay-at-home mom, and they were just recently able to move to Utah- a move that I think they were both excited for. My sister, Haley graduated from college, got married, and moved to Texas with her husband, Matt. He was an army officer who spent a lot of time overseas, but they recently moved to a small oil town in North Dakota where Haley spends most of her time with the kids while Matt works hard as a business administrator. Allison graduated and moved to Utah where she got a job and met Clayson, who helps design computer software and works from time to time on a family-owned ranch in Idaho. They got married and recently bought a home in Logan (Utah). Courtney also graduated from college and moved away, working now in the greater Salt Lake City area helping autistic children. My parents have stayed in Rexburg the whole time as we have each gone on to build our own lives elsewhere. They are strong members of the different communities they are a part of (work, church, neighborhood), and seem to be enjoying their now-quiet home with brief interruptions of chaos from the grand-kids. Things are going well. The family continues to grow, and I think everyone is happy despite small first-world problems.  Life is good.

Alright- that is all well and good. But why did I give this abbreviated family history? The truth is that I don't really know. Maybe most people would see it as entirely irrelevant to events this week. It just seemed sort of important to me though, and this is my blog. When I think about my family today I feel extremely proud to consider myself a part of it. Each of my siblings have gone on to become very successful adults by pretty much anyone's criteria. We have some amazing people who have married into the family too, and some incredible kids as a result. Like I said, my family is awesome.

We have also grown apart in some ways though- not in bad ways, but in natural ways. Time and distance have separated us, and many of us have our own families to worry about now. As our family, educational, or cultural backgrounds have diverged we have each become different people than we once were. Like my parents, we each have our own communities at work, at church, or in our towns where we play active roles. On a day to day basis we really don't have that large an impact on each other's activities or choices. Again, I think that all of this is not only inevitable, but is also very right...but sometimes I still miss crawdad fishing and roller hockey.

And maybe that's why this past weekend was so good. Due to a fortuitous converging of circumstances, it just sort of happened that we had an impromptu family reunion of sorts. Everyone but Matt was there at the same time (unfortunately he had to work), and for a while it was like old times...but better. Because now we weren't just kids- we were grown-ups, each living very full lives of our own and coming together not only as siblings but as a diverse group of experienced adults...and as friends. Somehow that seems more important to me now than mere genetic similarities. It was really, really fun.

Now, it's not as if we never see each other. We do stay in touch, and some people even live close to each other. But getting everyone in the same house, with all the kids and all the noise and all the personalities all at once- well, it was cool. I don't know that there's much more to say about that, but at the same time I don't feel like I have given it the significance that I feel it deserves. And who knows- maybe it was just me. But I had a good time. I think other people did too. Hopefully we can do it more often in the future.

Here are some pictures:

These first few are from a trip that Dad, Griffin, Clayson, and I took to the Darby Wind Caves. I had never been there before, though I have wanted to go for a long time. The trip did not disappoint.

Here we are on the hike up. You can see the entry to the cave right behind Griffin's head to the left.

Another picture of the 3 mile hike. In this one the cave is seen in the distance on the mountains behind us. 

Just before you get to the cave you come to this beautiful waterfall coming out of an underground river.

Here's my dad (Griffin behind him) just before getting to the entrance.

The cave seems to get narrower and narrower...

...and narrower...

...and narrower still.

Eventually it opened up into a large cavern with a steep drop-off. This is where we were planning on stopping, but there happened to be a rope there descending further into the abyss (well, at least the remains of what used to be a rope).

Despite the questionable quality of our lifeline, Griffin and I decided to do a little more exploring. The smarter people stayed behind so that there would be someone left to tell the story of our demise.

At the bottom of the pit, we found the underground river (you can't see it very well...just know that I am above it)

Griffin and I by the underground river. The wall had a bunch of cool fins on it, and the ceiling had mineral deposits that sparkled in the light of our headlamps. I tried to get pictures but none of them turned out very well...I guess some things are just meant to be experienced. It was a fun trip.

 These next few pictures are from a walk/scavenger hunt we took at the BYU-Idaho gardens.

Of course the kids had to visit the Hart Building. This has almost become a tradition.

They are doing a skit on the stage, I think.

The kids also did a good job helping grandpa to do all the yardwork. 

And finally, this is our "garden" that I came home to. The other side looks just as bad. Apparently, there was a 4-day stretch of 100+ degree weather while we were gone, and I had not arranged for anyone to come water the plants. So sad. 

One more. This is from Rachel's bike race today

This is right after the finish line. You can't tell in the picture, but Rach was breathing pretty hard. After I took this she basically fell off her bike and collapsed into the grass. That's how you know it was a good race. I am proud of her.

The next generation

Almond Reunion

I have done a lot of driving in the last week.

Last Friday after work I got in my little supercar and hit the road. The last few days had been spent getting things in order and packing our stuff. Rachel had left earlier in the day with the kids and I would meet her in Rexburg late that night (or early the next morning, if you want to get technical about it). It was a pleasant drive and besides a short rest-stop along the way, I made good time. I walked in the house at 3:30am.

I woke the next morning at 6:30 and couldn’t go back to sleep. Sometimes I don’t like my natural alarm clock. Surely, I would pay for this lack of sleep later in the day.

After a casual morning with my parents we all got in the van and drove to a campground on the Palisades Reservoir. That is where we met Rachel’s family. The next several days were filled with boating, talking, cooking, and games.

Good times.

Making Breakfast

Having fun on the lake with Aunt Marissa

Me and Rachel before one of the most terrifying experiences of my life

Maren and Wesley

The babies

I got drove back home Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. Today (Friday) I am planning on making the trip all over again to see some my family this time. Rachel stayed down there the whole week with her family while I went back to work.

Bubble wrap with Grandma Almond!

Isn't she adorable?

Now just cross your fingers for the supercar. I seriously consider it a miracle each day it makes the 10 mile drive to the office.

Ideas that deserve more space

Every once in a while I find that I have a hodge-podge of stuff that I've been waiting to write about, but the right occasion never comes along. I usually wait for a slow week, or a time when I don't feel like doing any actual thinking, or a time when expressing the real topic on my mind would offend someone. At these times I reach into my bag of ideas and do a post on one of these preconceived themes. Unfortunately though, some of these subjects are time sensitive, and if I don't get them out soon enough then they tend to expire. This becomes difficult then, when every week in the foreseeable future has a definite theme that is more-or-less forced by the circumstances, and you have a bunch of other stuff that you want to get out there as well but it just doesn't seem to fit anywhere. As a result of this conundrum, you get a post like this- where each idea deserves much more attention than I am giving it, but where getting it down permanently becomes much more important than getting it out well. So there you go. Enjoy!

Topic One: Kids Camps

This summer has been a blast for everyone with no stops along the way. When school got out we called a family meeting and got out a calendar. We then made a bucket list of what we wanted to do, and blocked out times for the bigger items on the list that didn't lend themselves well to spontaneity. Most of these things were scheduled camps and activities for the kids, as well as family trips and special weekends. Some of these things are what I want to mention here.

The three older kids are attending Camp Ka-mee-lin for two one-week sessions. Each session has its own theme, and the camp runs from 7:00 in the morning to 6:00 at night. At the end of these days the kids are totally worn out from crafts, games, swimming, and activities, and usually come home to a quick dinner before heading off to bed. The first week is already finished, and the second will be next month while Rachel is away on a cruise. It's pretty awesome. Besides this, each of the kids have their own camps/classes that they picked out for themselves.

Jackson had his first- "Champ Camp." It was a week-long, full day camp where they played sports all day. His favorite was basketball and since finishing he has been very interested in practicing his dribble. He also got an award at the camp for "hardest worker" (everyone got individual awards) which I am not surprised at. Of all our kids, Jack is definitely the best at setting his mind to a task and then sticking with it until it is completed to his satisfaction.

Addy's camp came next- drama. This was also a week-long thing where they did singing, dancing, and acting. At the end, they did a short play that combined the tales of the three little pigs with Little Red Riding Hood. Addy played the part of Little Red and did a great job. She told me beforehand that she was nervous, but that it was okay to feel nervous because it was still fun. That sounded like something Addy would say- she seems to have gotten the "courage" gene from somewhere and is very good at throwing herself outside of her comfort zone, whether it be on the stage, in social settings, or in outdoor adventure pursuits.

Evelyn's camp is coming up next week- art. This is no surprise to anyone, and she is very excited about it. She made herself a "picture journal" the other day (I think she got the idea from Grandma and Grandpa?) and has been making drawings of the things she does. Some of these pictures will probably end up on this blog.

Topic Two: Favorite Patients (*Some details are changed to protect identities*)

One of my favorite parts about my job is meeting new people every day. Most of these people, of course, see me merely as the "tooth fixer." They come because they need a service which I happen to provide. They are friendly, and we enjoy small talk (all too often involving right-wing politics, hunting, and guns...there are some downsides to living in Idaho), but for the most part we each go our separate ways at the end of the appointment and never think about each other again.

But then there are those who form connections. This is almost inevitable, for better or for worse, when there is a lot of treatment to get done and you see the person on a weekly basis. It is also normal when you discover common interests, forming a thread of conversation that resumes each time you see the person. Either way though, bonds of friendship are often formed. These are the people I wish to mention here.

First, there is "Chris S." One day, Chris came in for an extraction and casually asked if it would be okay for him to go rock climbing the next day. My response: "As your dentist I would advise you not to- and as a climber, I would totally understand if you did." This began a long conversation that has continued each time the patient comes in.

Then there is "Stephen F." who has lived with his partner for almost forty years, but because of a certain supreme court decision was just barely able to get married last week. Two days before his wedding he had a dental emergency that I was able to take care of- I didn't charge him for it and told him to consider it a wedding gift. He cried and most of our office cried for him (happy tears), and we went away each having affected one another for the better...as it should be.

Next, there is "William S." William loves the theater and plays in minor acting roles every now and then. Because of this, we went to great lengths to make the perfect denture for him, and along the way a friendship was formed. We talk a lot about different shows and fine arts and theater groups, and he even invited Rachel and me to a VIP event where we got free tickets. He is definitely a picky patient, but the friendship we have formed has been worth the effort.

We can't forget "Emily D." of course. Emily is into books, and we often share reading suggestions. Beyond that though, we share a love of reading- of good writing, of interesting ideas, and of diverse topics.

Or "Roger B." Roger is an older gentleman who was a very good long-distance runner in his youth and understands the joy and pain of pushing one's self past the breaking point.

Or "Janis J." who was a hippie in the 60s and tells some wild stories, or "Carl S." who is a pre-med student with a passion for science, or "Martin K." who is a liberal pastor and enjoys talking philosophy. There are all sorts of people I meet, and many of them make me stop and think about how, if I were to simply pass by them at the grocery store, I would never know how unique and interesting their personalities were. And then I realize that this is the same for everyone else too- that for all the people I don't meet or talk to- that each of them probably has their own story that deserves to be told. 

And I just consider myself lucky that sometimes they choose me to tell it to and to bring into the circle of people they call friends. These relationships, to me, are probably the most rewarding part of my job.

Topic Three: Old Friends

In the past year it seems that I have connected with a lot of old friends and acquaintances, and it has been fun to catch up and see where we have all ended up since we last said our goodbyes. From mission companions to college roommates to friends in Cleveland- many have followed similar life pathways as Rachel and I- and some have not. But it is always fun to reunite.

I have often thought about what it would be like to have a crystal ball that could see into the future. I have wondered anxiously what that future holds, not only for myself, but for my kids, or siblings, or different people I have known through the years. The desire to look would be so strong. But would I? I don't know. It would be hard not to. At the same time, looking would remove the uncertainty, which couldn't help but erase much of the excitement of living life. Fortunately (I think it's fortunate), we do not have any such device. 

Coming together with people after prolonged absences seems almost like the same thing though. They were one person the last time you saw them- and now they aren't any more. They have changed and so have you. And in the moment you realize that it is almost like looking into the future from a past that can't help but remain static in your mind. And then you go about the business of learning about this new person who resembles the old just enough for there to be a common bond already formed. Maybe there is actually something to learn in that old kid song- make new friends but keep the old- one is silver and the other gold. It's true.

Us with Scott and Kate- some good friends from Cleveland. They stayed for a couple of days as they were on their way from Sacramento, California to Island Park, ID (just a small detour, right?). This picture is a breakfast we went out to before I had to go to work (that's why I'm all dressed up). It was great catching up with them.

Topic Four: Bonus Pictures. Lots of pictures.

These are just some pictures of things we have been up to lately that I haven't had time to write about:

Pictures from the annual "Body by Scotty" gathering.

These ones, as well as the next few are from the Cedar Grove we visited last weekend

"It's the climbing wall tree!"

This is how Jackson did most of the 2 mile hike. He looks like a wild child. He is a wild child.

Addy's quote "I love it out here- It's so big and beautiful and AMAZING!"

Evelyn found a wasp nest. Fortunately it was empty.

Everyone got pretty far ahead and Jackson and I had to run several hundred yards to catch up. I was genuinely impressed- this guy is a great runner!

Of course Evelyn and I had to make our fairy house. This has sort of become our thing. I like it.

These next ones are from when Rachel and Evelyn had a day long Silverwood/Boulder Beach date. Evelyn did her first inverted roller-coaster that day (The Corkscrew- which also happens to be the first looping roller coaster ever invented. Yes, we have a famous roller-coaster here. And yes, it is that old.)

The next several pictures show some of the things Rachel has been doing with the kids while I am at work:

Bowling day with Maren while the other kids are at camp. Bowling is now Maren's new favorite thing ever.

Remember all the candy they got at the parade? This is how we get rid of it quickly- the unused pieces mysteriously disappear, but the kids don't notice since they have cool gingerbread houses.

Recycle Man- the official mascot for the Spokane Indians minor league baseball team. Yeah- it's a thing here.The women fawn over him. It's weird. 

Science experiments. This is how the kids leaned what eggs are for in recipes (and how to design a blind controlled experiment).

And finally, the poster for the amazing production Rachel and I recently saw for Singin' in the Rain. Wow. This is just a fun show, with amazing music and even more amazing dancing. I think I smiled through the entire thing- especially when there was a real rainstorm on stage (followed, for good reason I'm sure, by the intermission). It was absolutely perfect.

Summer Festivities

One of the things I love most about summer is the various different festivals that are held in the small communities around here. Here is a sampling of the things we have been up to in recent weeks:

These pictures are of the Schweitzer summer festival we went to. The kids' favorite part was the ski lift ride to the top of the mountain where we hiked around a little before coming back down. In the last picture you can see how tired the kids were afterwards (you can also see Jack's interesting sense of style). It was definitely a good day.

This is the only picture we have of the 4th of July festival and parade. I think Lindsey does a pretty good job representing the family though- she sure is a cute little girl. Also, I really, really enjoyed the parade this year. Here you have a bunch of different groups walking down the street and showing off what it means to them to be an American- and they were all proud of that. I thought this was significant because on a day to day basis many of these groups disagree strongly about what exactly America should be, let alone what it actually means to be "patriotic." But here, for a few brief hours, the entire community was able to forget differences for just a little while and appreciate (even celebrate) the fact that we live in a country where such differences of opinion can exist. It was great.

Also, I love that we live in a place where this is a thing. On May 6th an article was published in the newspaper with these opening words:

“K27 Central your status?"

The simple phrase was issued from a police dispatcher to a Coeur d'Alene officer, asking how they were doing. Only this time, the call would go unanswered..."

On a relatively routine day, during a relatively routine check of a suspicious person, Sergeant Greg Moore, badge number K27, was shot and killed. For months now, this tragic event has totally rocked our community, and the people of Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene have come together to grieve in a way that I have never seen before. Now, I realize that things like this, and much worse things for that matter, happen all the time. But not here. Not in our quiet little corner of the world. Everywhere you go now you see this officer's number, K27, shown as a display of community solidarity on bumper stickers, church and business marquees, hanging from construction sites, and painted on home windows. And everyone knows what it means.

Like I said, I love that we live in a place where this is a thing. Where events like this aren't just forgotten as yesterday's news. Where people know each other, and celebrate things together, and cry together. I think it's neat.

These are some fun ones. This was the Post Falls Days Parade and Festival. In the top picture the kids are showing off their massive haul of candy from the parade. The next few are from the annual neighborhood hot dog party after the parade, and then from the annual big-wheel competition that takes place at the local park, surrounded by food vendors, craft booths, musicians, and entertainers. If you look carefully you can see the ribbon that Addy got for winning her heat hanging on her handlebar.

So far, I'd say it's turning out to be a great summer!

Addy

This sweet girl is Adalie. I interviewed her last night. Here is what she had to say:

Me: What is your favorite thing to do?
A: Sing and Dance
Me: Really?! Are you excited for your acting class that is coming up?
A: Yeah, but I'm also a little bit scared.
Me: That's okay. I get scared sometimes too. Do you think it will be fun even though it's a little bit scary?
A: Yep. It's going to be awesome!
Me: Cool. So...I was just wondering, what is your favorite food?
A: Cheesicks
Me: Cheez-Its?
A: Yeah, cheesicks. They're the best. They're also grandpa's favorite food.
Me: I see. Have you thought about what you want to do when you grow up?
A: I want to be an inventor!
Me: What things are you going to invent?
A: A medicine that fixes cancer, and wings that people can put on to make them fly. I'm also going to make a necklace that makes wishes come true.
Me: That would be good. I especially like the necklace.
A: I'm also going to be a ballerina dancer.
Me: Can I come watch you dance.
A: Yep.
Me: Good. I would love to watch you dance. So...one more question. What is the most beautiful thing you can think of?
A: A "uni-kwan" (unicorn) with rainbow hair that can fly
Me: Wow- you answered that question pretty fast. Have you thought about that before?
A: No. Unicorns are my favorite animal though, and I want to know how to fly.
Me: Oh. That makes sense. Well, thanks for letting me ask you questions.
A: You're welcome.

As you can see, Addy is sweet and thoughtful and imaginative. I love having her as a part of our family.