The Hazard Family Update is Here!

The long awaited time has finally arrived! Here we go!

Our family

If I had to choose one word to describe this year it would be "independence." If I had to use a two word phrase it would be, "Spoiled Rotten."  In my opinion the two go hand in hand! Let me explain:

A momentous event happened last March. Logan and I watched, mesmerized, as Maren and Lindsey disappeared above the tree lined distance. They were happily riding the ski lift at Lookout Pass with siblings following close behind. The only thing missing was one of us! In that moment, Logan and I looked at each other and realized that life would never be the same.  This sounds a bit dramatic, but the change this year is undeniable. 

We were no longer the parents that MUST be present, but we were the parents that WANTED to be present. The time had come when our kids could all hold their own on skis (I also feel like this could be a metaphor for many other developments as our family grows up). Any one of them could successfully navigate the entire mountain, and they all had a great sense of direction at our home ski resort.  What's more- they all WANTED to ski together. Spurred on by this experience and a few others, we purchased our first Mountain Collective Pass. We have liked it even more that we thought we would, and have been ticking off many of the major ski areas in the West. I don't see us slowing down any time soon. Our kids will definitely be spoiled because they can now do the things we want to do anyway! Bring on the trips!

Here's the crew at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Here's a throwback to our first year skiing with kids

Skiing 

Skiing has become a large part of our family! Each of the kids have their own ski personality, and all of them can hold their own with whatever you throw at them! As I went through the pictures I was delighted to find that Logan had, during the course of the season, taken selfies with each one of the kids. It has been a joy to ski with every member of the family this year!

Planning out our day!

Getting ready in the parking lot- We have this down to a science with seven matching ski bags and a flawless system (that may or may not occasionally end in tears). It seems like the first 15 minutes after we begin can be trouble, with smooth sailing after we get the kinks out!

Hard skiing goals before lunchtime!

Lift time is great! Probably playing 'Lemonade Stand.'

Lunch break

This year we have had Evelyn, Jack and Addy specifically send us on our way together after lunch so we can have alone ski time. Such thoughtful kids!

Rock Climbing

Rock climbing has continued to be a thing for our family. Each of the kids have their own climbing personalities as well.

Lindsey has been all about rock climbing lately. She enjoys climbing outside and at the gym. She likes to jump on anything.

Ev enjoys being outside. This year she has hopped on a few climbs that looked fun to her. She is pretty laid back and is content to walk around and explore pretty places. Perfect. (She is the highest climber in the picture).

Jackson has decided that the gym is not for him. He prefers to climb outside, and he is looking forward to Vantage days that are coming soon!

Adalie LOVES to climb hard. This isn't just her playing around, she is actually working on a tough section of wall with ferocity. Yes. That is her ferocious face!

Maren enjoys zipping up the auto belays, climbing 'Maren's Chimneys' outside, and she definitely enjoys the social aspect of climbing. Her favorite part is getting to the top and pausing to appreciate the view she worked hard to get to!

Climbing has been a part of my life for a long time now. This year I began to work projects that were above my grade, and to do more gym climbing in the winter. My climbing has improved, and I have enjoyed the process. Outdoor multi-pitch routes are still my fave.

Logan

Logan has been spending many days a week on our Tension Board. He still climbs a lot. No surprises there.

Local Climbing

We spent a lot of time at Vantage and Tum Tum this year. We have made some good friends and great memories!

Traditions 

Our kids are growing up. Logan and I both agree that as families grow, traditions need to grow and change with them. A few of our Christmas traditions have been changed, or replaced by new ones. The kids are all involved in our thought process, and this has been a little bit bittersweet. Details are not relevant, but the idea that we can work together and design our traditions has been a theme of the year.

One tradition that isn't changing any time soon is Christmas pajamas (shout out to Deanna and David!) Also this was an excuse for a good personality picture of the kids.

Another tradition that is changing is a bit rough for me to part with. Ever since the year I was pregnant with Evelyn, we have gone apple picking as a family. This began in Cleveland, and has continued at Walter's Fruit Ranch in Green Bluff. This year, the reality hit us that this tradition is not what it used to be. Our quaint little farm has become overcrowded, and over picked. This year we arrived relatively early to find that every single apple had already been picked. The atmosphere has changed as well, and we will probably not be back next year. We definitely reserve the right to change our mind though!  Maybe we will do strawberry picking instead, and make some freezer jam. We'll see. 

Every year we make it a point to take a family picture in the Autumn air.  Here is our most recent picture.

Backpacking

One of our goals this year was to take a long backpacking trip, but the elements were against us! We were flooded out of our destination with no other options in sight. Instead, we took a trip to the Oregon coast. The result? We will probably be back every year. Hooray for new vacation destinations!

We did get some backpacking in with several overnighters, but not a big trip. Stay tuned for next year!

Oregon Beach Trip

Noteworthy mentions:

Look! We created a garden in a day.

We have become a theater family. This was on our Hazard Holiday when we saw Les Mis.

The Seahawks are a thing in our family 

Logan feels like he is adulting now, for real. He has his FIRST EVER reliable car.

These two are from the fun family reunion in South Dakota with the Hazards

As a family we became acquainted with local climbing groups through service projects at local crags.

We said a sad goodbye to these two as they headed to Germany to serve a 1.5 year LDS Mission.

On to the kids!

Evelyn

Many of the changes that Evelyn has experienced are clearly visible when you compare last year to this year! Part of her story is more easily shown through pictures.

Evelyn has had quite the style change this year. It suits her. In a good way.
Now compare the above picture with the following two images. What a difference! 

When Evelyn entered 4th grade she began Stomp, which is a fun musical program where kids get to bang on buckets and make some semblance of music. Little did we know that Evelyn banging on things would become a big part of her sense of self. She has excelled in her school band and is now doing Jazz and Concert band at school. Her ability level stands out and we often overhear people talking (in a good way) about her drumming when we watch school concerts. A few months ago we signed her up for professional lessons at the North Idaho Rock School. Soon afterwards she was involved in the creation of an all-girls band. She is now in two different bands at school, has private lessons, and gets together weekly with her group under the mentorship of Jacob at the Rock School. He is on the look-out for gigs for them as they improve their repertoire of songs. 

Ev, Vix, and Zoe - The Band

Evelyn has really dug deep and made it a point to craft her own vibe. She has created a lot of her clothes herself to match the look that she is going for. This really has been working well for her. She is very social and pretty well-known at school, and she makes friends everywhere she goes. From Walmart to Mountain Gear shops she comes away with new friends.  At school she goes by the nickname Moth. Her many friends refer to me as 'Moth's mom." I told her I would call her anything she wanted me to, but she said it would be weird if her mom called her Moth. Does that make me old?  Ok. Let's move on... As for her grades, she is rocking it! She has straight A's, and when I talked to her about it recently she nonchalantly responded that she is at the top of her class. Her casual attitude belies her studious nature. This balance works for her.

National Jr. Honor Society Induction

I love talking to Evelyn. She definitely has an opinion on things, and it is fun to bring out her thoughts in conversations. I sometimes have to be careful not to ask too many questions, or she can get a bit flustered. I definitely enjoy our conversations. 

In June Evelyn will be headed to Washington DC and NYC for her Eighth Grade trip. She has meticulously, and very successfully earned and saved half of the money required to travel! She had $400 payments due every month for most of this year, and she has saved money through babysitting, gift money, selling butter braids for a fundraiser, and selling her earrings. Thank you to all of you who purchased things from her to support her trip! She has paid off her share a month before the deadline. We are pretty proud of her.

One day we were walking out of Walmart and I asked Ev to carry out a large item for me. She was happy to help, but asked for the receipt. She told me that I could easily carry it out, but one look at her and the greeter would definitely not let her pass without proof of payment. And she was right. After this incident I started occasionally hanging back a bit to pay attention to how people at random places looked at Ev. She definitely gets a lot of 'looks.' I just want to tell these people, "Don't judge her by her look. She looks cooler than you, and she is probably more well put together than you ever hope to be." OK. Stepping down from my soap box now...

  

It's a style thing

Evelyn is growing up. She is becoming more independent, as are Adalie and Jack. Our goal as parents is to make room for this change. As we take ski trips, and have busy weekends together we realize that an insular family group is a byproduct. We recognize this, and at the same time don't want to mess with our time. The balance is real. We understand the importance of friend time, and this importance is increasing as our kids get older. 

Evelyn and I have been ski buddies this year We have skied a lot together, and have had some pretty good conversations on ski lifts and while carving down the slopes. I don't want these times to end, but our "Eva" is growing up! 

Ev at a Nirvana Concert with Logan. Good times. 

One day Ev decided to cosplay Logan. Nailed it.

Adalie

Adalie is our 'doer.' She is a goal setter, and she will rock any goal she sets. If you ask her to read 10 hours for her Silverwood reading sheet, then she will look at you in the eye and inform you that she will not turn it in until she has 25 hours. As soon as a goal is set it is as good as completed. I love her tenacity! Another one of her goals this year was to ski every single time that Logan or I went.  A bit of an explanation might be helpful here: At the beginning of the year Logan and I realized that we would be skiing A LOT. We decided to give the kids a bit of flexibility and choice for some of these outings. We created A, B, and C ski trips. All of the out-of-state trips would be 'A' trips (No choice, you get/have to go!). B trips would be excursions where we would like you to come, but it is ultimately up to you, and C trips are completely optional for each person.  Back to Addy- She decided that she would go ski every single time. She has not missed a weekend, and she always has a fantastic attitude. When I think of the song lyrics to 'I Hope You Dance' I know that Adalie will always choose to dance! I love this girl.

Here's Addy working on a hard climb she set a goal of doing. You can't tell, but she is in frustrated tears after falling on the second-to-last move. No worries- she regrouped and sent on the next try.

Adalie  has a love/hate relationship with pushing herself hard. She is always the one that will happily do hard things with Logan (ie trail running at Vantage and pushing herself to the limit for the last quarter mile). She told me once, "I love pushing myself to the point that I think I am going to die because it feels SO GOOD to come back to life!"

This year Adalie also had a love/hate relationship with cross country running. She had a running goal for every single meet that they did, and she made her goal. For her final race she wanted to break her previous record for the 1.5 mile run. She ran with all she had- gave it her absolute everything...and she not only beat it- she crushed it by a full 45 seconds! That is huge! It felt great to come back to life after that accomplishment. Nice work!

Adalie loves school, but has had a bit of an adjustment to Middle School. Many of her friends attend the other school in Post Falls, and she has missed them. She is very studious and is a straight A student. She enjoys playing the Saxophone in band, and she gets reading recommendations from her teacher and reads voraciously.

One day I received a call from the principal of River City Middle School. Typically, calls from the principal are not a good thing. This one surprised me as Mr. Priess proceeded to gush about how impressed Adalie's teacher was with her gumption. I later found a post card in the mail from that teacher that sang her praises. I am pretty proud of her.

Adalie can get silly. I mean really silly. Her mood is contagious, and all of the other kids feed on it! There is a particular laugh that she has that just spells trouble! 

That sweet face belies the craziness!

Lovely place for a good read!

A lot of thought went into this art. It is worth a good look because this is Adalie, created by Adalie.

Jackson

Jack has had some pretty great changes this year as well! He was the proud recipient of braces, and Dr. Brent did a great job!

This is stage one of two. What an amazing difference! 

Jackson loves Middle School. He was extremely excited to start, and I have never seen him so enthusiastic about school. He has had a bit of a wake up call with responsibility this year, and getting work done outside of school hours. I think he has a love/hate relationship with the idea of being responsible for all of his classes. He has been steadily improving, and he is very diligent about attending all of his classes. We gave him the option to go skiing at Silver Mountain and missing a day of school, and he chose school!  His favorite classes are Science, Robotics and Band because he finally gets to play the clarinet he has been eying for over a year!

First day of school EXCITEMENT

Jackson LOVES to ski hard. He pushes his body, and he does an excellent job. Jackson may be Logan's favorite ski partner of all time. He is fun to be with, and he enjoys pushing himself and skiing hard. This year he has skied some pretty intense lines with some real consequences. He keeps a cool head, and he makes it happen. As parents we keep a cool head by outfitting him in flexible armor to protect his body! 

I am impressed with Jack's decision-making ability when doing hard things. This year he found himself on the top of a steep chute at Schweitzer, and he calmly said he was not feeling it. He took another run nearby and met Logan at the bottom. I am glad he is able to have confidence, but also understands his boundaries. 

Jackson is a story teller. He loves to write stories, and he is getting more and more proficient at drawing comics. I found out that his best storytelling is done on a computer. I read a handwritten story that he wrote, then a few days later I read a different one on the computer. There was a world of difference! I found out that he has become skilled at using the thesaurus, and other editing tools to go out of his way to add depth and appropriate grammar to his story. 

I recently found a paper outline of Jackson's goals and 'to do' list for his garden. Last year he and Maren used the area behind the gym to create a lovely space with a pathway, beautiful plants, a bench, statues, and multiple bird feeders. This year he is planning out his garden, and getting ready to add a birdbath and possibly a pond. He also has plans to add more gnomes. A lot more gnomes. His list made me smile. He is going to make it happen, and I love that it is his happy place. 

If you know Jack well, then you know that he absolutely adores chickens. More than a year ago he decided to become 'Non- Chickentarian.' This is a phrase that he coined himself that means he does not eat chicken. Since that decision he has not had any chicken whatsoever. I have figured out some cheat ways to prepare meals for him, and I am glad he likes protein shakes because he has them often as a replacement. I am impressed with his stick-to-it-ness ( I can coin words too!) in accordance with his value system. I know it has been tough for him to pass up some of his favorite foods, but I guess he REALLY likes chickens! 

Jackson loves to invent new things. He has gone out of his way to create cool snow forts that require hours of concentration and planning. Also, he discovered the Metal Earth kits and will sit for hours bending tiny angles and fitting pieces together to create tiny sculptures to add to his collection.. 

Tunnels snake through this mound of discarded snow.

Jackson is definitely becoming a teenager. While Ev and Addy have perfected the eye roll, he has mastered the steely gaze that says, "I won't talk. Period." All three have emotions that are new and different to navigate. Overall Logan and I are loving this time of life with three teenagers who are growing up and becoming fun and interesting people. 

Jsck spent a lot of time doing scouting activities this year. He seemed to love it, but has recently decided he wasn't into the structure of scouts. We will see what happens there.

Jack at one of his cross country races. He enjoyed pushing himself and improving his time.

This is a common sight. Jack has discovered a love for reading. 

Maren

I love talking about Maren. I think we typically mention her quirky/fun personality whenever we can. This has been a thing since Maren joined our family, and I LOVE IT! I enjoyed searching for pictures of her because she has a lovely and sweet effervescence that simply lights up a room. 

Here are some from her sillier side!

Maren shares a garden with Jack, and both of them enjoy spending time out there. Maren's favorite plant is her lemon tea plant. She will often pick the leaves, boil them, add a bit of sugar or honey, and make tea for you. She is proud of her tea, and her thoughtfulness is something that definitely defines her.

Maren constantly thinks about other people above herself. She is the queen of Just Because Presents and will buy them as often as she can. This morning Maren woke up early and made pancakes and scrambled eggs to deliver breakfast-in-bed style to Adalie. No reason other than she just wanted to do something nice. All of her nice things add up, and are definitely a part of who she is.

The other four kids got together to get the ultimate Just Because present for Maren to reciprocate some of her thoughtfulness.  

Maren knows exactly what she likes, and what she does not like. She can be very vocal if someone is chewing loudly, or talking with food in their mouth, or making any kind of sound she does not like including singing in the car. This all sounds very familiar! I think I was her when I was young, and sometimes that still shines through. NO. You should not make sounds when you are drinking water....

Maren is quite the entrepreneur. She had the idea a few months ago to buy a tub of ice cream, cones, and toppings to sell by the scoop. Enter "Tim's," her ice cream store.  The whole family fell for it hook, line and sinker. Maren's ingenuity has led to her having a lot of money to use for her Just Because Presents!  

Living in a large family brings a unique set of dynamics. Tight bonds are constantly shifting, and frenemies can be a thing. As Evelyn has matured and started hanging out with older friends it has created a bit of a separation between her and her siblings. This separation has created a shift in play groups. Ev and Addy used to be connected at the hip, this has shifted a bit to Addy and Maren. These girls are like two peas in a pod. They are together often and their bond has grown tremendously this year.  The relationship connections with a family of five kids is enormous, and each bond has its eccentricities. Watching this happen as a parent can be rewarding, and it can be a bit unnerving as well.   Maren has really blossomed and come into her own, and I think that is partially connected to her fun connection with Adalie.

Adalie and Maren have been in a hip hop dance class together this year. For the most part it has gone really well. Let's just say that Adalie tends to be a bit of a mother hen. After a lovely incident where Addy tried to take charge, and Maren ended up in a corner "being a turtle," things have gone much better! Maren loves to dance, and they are both looking forward to their end of the year production of Peter Pan. Earlier this year she performed in a number as a nurse.

Maren continues to be a great Bunny Momma! She takes care of those guys every day and she gives them plenty of love. Bunnies are a big part of her life, and she loves ANYTHING to do with them.

Maren knows what she likes, and what she does not like. She does not like any kind of gloves or hats. Ever since we started skiing she has refused to wear these two items of clothing. It was difficult for me at the beginning and I required her to carry some with her, but I have come to realize that she has never worn them, and she has never complained. This year we introduced hand warmers to the kids. They get a pair every time we ski. Maren has never taken a pair, but prefers instead to have only one. I am not sure what she does with this lone hand warmer, but she is content. She knows what she likes, and she makes it work!

Look Mom! No gloves!

Lindsey

This little girl is a smart cookie! She is in second grade, and loves to show off her skills by doing fourth and fifth grade Science, Math, and Spelling. She gets great delight doing the homework of her older siblings- much to their chagrin!  She joined challenge (GATE) this year, and I am sure she is a handful for Mrs. Gillette! 

Lindsey did Invent Idaho as part of Challenge this year. Sea turtles are very important to her!

Lindsey is a social butterfly, and is our first child that just disappears  (with permission) to her friends houses after school. Our house, in the past, has typically been the social meet up place, but Lindsey isn't about to wait for friends to come over. She actively seeks people out to play with, and is successful in her looking! 

Lindsey is not about to be left out! She has really come into her own with skiing this year, and the last few resorts have found her seeking out difficult runs to attack with her straight down the hill style!  She is fast and furious when it comes to the steeps, but she is slow and tedious when it comes to the flats! She does not have enough weight behind her, and it is almost comical to see her try to get through flat portions of a trail since she has to resort to scooting or skating along. She loves to ski with the big kids and she is more than capable of keeping up! 

Occasionally I will find a little love letter left on my pillow, or on my shelf above the sink. Linsey is a sweetheart, and she leaves me sweet notes to remind me of how much she loves me.  What a thoughtful girl!

Miss Lindsey can be a bit much! She has a bit of a demanding style about her. I think this is her normal voice, and she can't even tell! This makes it rough trying to get her to be more gentle and polite in everyday requests or conversations.  

Lindsey's confidence is undeniable!

I don't want our sweet Lindsey to grow up too fast! Being the youngest of five it is difficult to get a 'young' childhood. There are a few things that she is holding on to! Lindsey loves playing Barbies in the bathtub, LOL dolls, anything Frozen (STILL), dress up, and doing her nails. I had to buy washable nail polish for this girl because she loves doing her nails multiple times per day! On any given day you can check out Logan's toes and they are probably colorful! She will wear lipstick and makeup at any chance I give her, and she wears dresses to school most days with leggings underneath. 

She has a skirt on more often than not when she cruises down the hill
 

Guess who!

After school I rotate picking up kids for individual dessert dates. Lindsey is, by far, the most excited for these outings. She constantly asks me when her turn is, and she looks forward to it for days! I love this time, and I am glad she loves it too! 

Lindsey recently became the proud owner of a house plant from Grandma and Grandpa that they gave her before they left for Germany. This plant sits in the middle of our dining room table, and Lindsey waters it religiously. It is thriving! Every time I check it there is the perfect amount of dampness to the soil. She  has been very attentive in her care for this little plant. I think it might lead to her getting a pet fish in the near future! She takes responsibility seriously, and I love that about her. 

This girl can be pure sweetness.

Logan and Rachel

Life. Is. Good.  This year was another exceptional year for us. We had a great trip to Red Rock, which is one of our favorite places of all time. Mondays have been wonderful because we have had our weekly breakfast date followed by climbing at our local gym. Both of us have crushed our goals, and worked on some serious projects. We are looking forward to springtime when we can climb outside locally, and travel to bucket list destinations to tick off some more classic climbs. Besides Monday dates we have had many date nights together. We continue to enjoy our Seahawks outings, and this year we attended our first live game in Seattle! We will definitely be back. Aside from our time together, both of us have had many personal goals this year. I think we motivate each other to set and accomplish things since we are pretty competitive!

Logan

 When I look back on Logan's year the biggest specific goal that stands out was in relation to his climbing. In January, we climbed at Vertical World in Seattle, and an idea was born. Logan wanted to climb 50 5.12 climbs in 2021.  At the end of December he had ticked off 56 5.12's. As his belayer I can say that I noticed impressive improvement in his climbing over the year. Toward the end he was on-sighting most 5.12a's and b's, and his hardest onsite was a 5.12c. Wherever we went he drew crowds to watch him grace his way up the wall, and he definitely had his share of gawkers when he jumped on bouldering walls and sent entire competition circuits in one session. All in a day's work for this impressive guy, and his skills are such that he made it look easy. On another climbing note, it should be mentioned that Logan has absolutely fallen in LOVE with our home gym Tension Board. He is out there daily just loving life. Training? Not a chance. He plays! 

Skiing has become a 'thing' for Logan in the past few years. Every year he pushes himself more and more. This year was full of difficult lines, and runs that require you to be fully dialed in. The mental game was the biggest challenge to overcome, and as experience has progressed, so has confidence and focus- especially when at speed. For climbing it is the mental and physical puzzle-solving that really excites him, and for skiing he enjoys the challenge of managing emotions (fear, mostly) and honing reflexes. Both of these mental challenges create a nice balance.

 As we travel, Logan has been ticking off runs that he has been eying at each resort. Jack has been his partner for many of them. Logan's tick list is complete so far except for Corbet's Couloir in Jackson which was, unfortunately, closed during our visit. It is definitely something to go back for next year!

Logan has a fondness for lifting up heavy objects repeatedly for short amounts of time. He isn't quite sure why he finds enjoyment in this, but it is a thing. 

Logan always has at least one book that he is reading, and many times will go through a few at a time. This year Logan read his favorite book off all time: "War and Peace." He also enjoyed re-reading "Brave New World" and "1984" at the same time. I read 1984 this year also, leading to some great late-night conversations. 

Logan is still loving where he works! This year his office has gone through an overhaul with procedures, and their patient base. Logan is enjoying the technology available at his fingertips.  He loves a good challenge, and has many lasting relationships with his patients. He got into his profession for the science and technical aspect paired with the patient connections that he would build. He is still loving both of these things, and he genuinely enjoys going to work. Dentistry is rewarding and brings fun challenges. 

Logan has always said that he was confident in his body, and that he could run a marathon any day and at any time. This year he tested that theory. Mark, a dental school friend, came to visit CDA for the fun things to do around here and because he and a friend planned to run a marathon that weekend.  They invited Logan to do it with them.  Logan had not trained for a single day, and hadn't run more than a couple of miles in over a year. He was up for the challenge though to see if what he always proclaimed was true.  He woke up early, and then proceeded to run an entire marathon before checking in at work that same morning. Who does that???? Oh yeah, my awesome husband. 

Along with reading books for himself he has been reading books nightly to the kids. I love listening in on the conversation topics that are brought up around each book.  I recently received a compliment from Jackson's teacher that he has a very extended vocabulary for a student his age, and she has repeatedly has to define words he uses to the other kids. I think this may be true for our kids, and I think a lot of that credit goes to Logan for the nightly reading and conversation. Here are their favorites for the year:

Evelyn: Animal Farm, Uglies

Adalie: Refugee

Jackson: Words on Fire

Maren: The Unteachables

Lindsey: How to Steal a Dog

Logan may have been born in the wrong era.

Logan has an odd preoccupation with goats. This makes for some great Christmas presents. This is a goat from Lindsey that screams when you press it. It currently lives on Logan's desk at work.

Rachel

I have a yearly fitness rotation that has worked very well for me, and this year was no different. My cycle begins when school starts in September.  My weight training cycle continues through fall and winter. As soon as Spring hits it is race training, then racing season begins and ends with my final "A" race. Then the cycle begins again. This year my A race was the Priest Lake Olympic length Triathlon. To be honest, this was my rockiest race to date. I have a lot to learn, and will do much better next time! I am currently figuring out my training schedule for my next race.

 

Rock climbing has been a part of my life for fifteen years, and I have enjoyed it immensely. This year, however, marks a bit of a change for me. I have begun pushing my limits at the gym, and have been sending climbs that were previously untouchable. The result? My onsight grade has increased dramatically. I am curious to bring my gym training outdoors and see what happens. Trad multi pitch routes are still my favorite, and hopefully I can push the grade there this Summer!

Skiing is another sport that has been part of my life for the last few years. In the past, it has been more centered around kids, but there was a shift this year. The kids are now old enough to ski on their own, so I have found myself with more time. And, let’s be honest, some of the kids are now skiing better than me and they are more than willing to be my partner when I want to push my limits. We are all great cheerleaders for each other!

A few months ago the kids and I took care of my friends’ plants and her cat while she was on vacation. As I walked around and watered her plants I had the feeling that I was adulting in a new way and I kind of liked it. I had always considered myself to have a brown thumb when it comes to plant care. I think this was just an excuse for me being lazy and not wanting to take responsibility for killing my plants. I decided to try again. I am proud to say that I have a few small plants that have been with us for a full year now. I even have a plant that I put in a closet for three months without water to create a new bloom cycle. Who has even heard of such things!?!? Well, it was a success. I am learning that the old adage that plants need sun, water, time, and soil is simply not always true. Now I am working on saving plants from indoor aphids. Who knew that was a thing?

This section would not be complete if I did not mention CDAIDE. I have been with the organization for a few years, and this year was the busiest for me. I had a great team on the Silent Auction Committee, and I enjoyed the goal setting and organization that was required. Everything went off without a hitch, and things have since slowed down quite a bit. I have made some great friends there, and I am glad to be involved.

One of the defining events of this year was moving from my Sorenson office in Spokane Valley to my permanent at-home office. This has been an adjustment for the whole family, and I am more than grateful for my detached home office! I am moved in, and very comfortable. I love my commute, and the fact that home and work are able to be separate. I recently added curtains, and am looking forward to decorating and adding furniture to my space

I have been working in here for a few months and it is glorious! I am surrounded by windows, and I love the atmosphere in here.

Life is sweeter with friends. These ladies are great! We definitely have fun times together. This was from a ladies weekend a few months ago. 

That wraps up our yearly update. I am impressed if you stayed here this long. We had a great year, and are excited to see what next year brings!

From our family to yours- Have a great year!

Fast and furious- that was the theme for the week. Because of an upcoming dental meeting, it was a shorter weekend for us, but we crammed a lot into those days.

On Friday we all went to see the play "The Little Mermaid." One of Addy's friends had a minor role in the production and it's always fun to have someone you know up on stage. The show was fun and we all enjoyed the evening. I'm saying this because the photo we got would indicate otherwise.

It didn't end until around ten, and people were tired and ready to go. Jackson had apparently already left. I forced everyone else into the photo. It really was a good night though!

The next morning we got up early to get things ready for Maren's birthday party. The theme was "Topsy-Turvy" in order to reflect Maren's fun, quirky personality. It was mostly pretty chill with few activities, though at some point everyone made little houses for these fuzzy worm things that Maren likes (no worries- they're not really alive). Rachel made an amazing cake to fit the theme, we did pizza, and everyone left happy.

Immediately after presents were opened at the party I threw my skis in the car and headed up to the mountains. Conditions were firm and fast, I had no kids attached, and I was able to ski the entire afternoon just for myself. I got around 30k vertical in during the three hours I was there. Not bad for a half-day!

It was a race-ski kind of day :)

When I got home from skiing I took a quick shower and got ready for the date Rachel had set up for us. It was a fundraising event for the school district, complete with great food and drinks prepared by many different local restaurants, good live music, and a silent auction. I thought it was funny walking around with Rachel. If you know her, then you'll recall that she just helped pull off a comparable event for the non-profit she is a part of a couple weeks ago, and it was clear that she was making comparisons. "We did that part so much better!" or "I really like how they ____ ....We should do that next time!" were common refrains as I walked around with her. Finally, I settled on just sitting and enjoying the music with another guy who's wife was similarly engaged. 

The next day we split into two. Early morning, I met up with a group of friends and we drove to Vantage for a great day of climbing. Meanwhile, Rachel went to church with the kids and then headed up to the hill to get some skiing in for herself. Snow had fallen overnight to soften things up and she said they all had a great time. Her and Addy both had some personal breakthroughs, Lindsey got to scare herself a little (in a good way), and Maren learned the joy of moving downhill to her own personal soundtrack.

What's going on in this photo? Well, Maren had kind of a rough run and was feeling down. Rach had a great idea to boost the morale. Switch helmets! This accomplished two things. First of all, Maren thought it was great seeing her mom with bunny ears. And second, she got to reap the full benefits of a bluetooth enabled ski helmet. She was jamming her way down the hill in no time and the rest of the day was a breeze!

Here's me with a pretty good group of climbers. This time of year is always a little rough as the ski season comes to an end. Especially this year. This trip put a bright silver lining around that though, and reminded me how much I love just getting outside and moving gymnastically on rock. What a day!

Alright, that's it. Not bad for a two-day weekend.

Have a good week!

Sometimes skiing is about athleticism. Sometimes it's about overcoming risks and challenges. Sometimes it's just to get outside in a beautiful place, or to move fluidly through a wild environment. It can be a psychological lifesaver during the long cold winter months, and there is definitely an aspect of "essence" to the activity that can't even be described in words. 

But sometimes it can also be about just having some really good days with some really good friends.

That was this weekend. 

Maybe it would have happened anyway, but one could make a solid argument that if it weren't for the Meisners and the Ericksons we wouldn't be a "ski family" at all. We would simply be a family who skis. There is a difference. And this last weekend we all went together on a trip that may have to become an annual tradition.

We have been to a lot of "destination" resorts this year. And don't get me wrong- it has been phenomenal. A year like this changes you, and I'm pretty sure these big trips will be a part of our winters for some time to come. But in spite of all that, I would say that this weekend, at a small family resort outside of Wenatchee, was one of the best of them all. It was the combination of everything: The snow was great. The people were better. And all the small moments in between the turns were just as good as the time on the snow. What a great trip!

Here's most of the gang

These three ladies are the drive behind this trip and did all the planning. It's really nice to just be along for the ride

Yeah, that's me and my girlfriend. She's pretty ok, and she skis real good.

Friends on the mountain

Here's Phil exiting a chute with some sweet tele turns. 

And here's John making fresh tracks. Not an easy area to get to, but some of the best powder skiing I have seen all season.

Getting together at lunch and swapping stories

I have to include Lindsey in her littler snow skirt. Cutest kid on the hill? Maybe. But I'm biased.

More group photos. 

The hotel was fun too. After swimming in the indoor cesspool swimming pool and eating dinner, we split into three rooms- kids, teens, and adults- to do our own thing. This was a great setup. But maybe I just think that because the kid's room was somewhere else and I am guessing it got trashed? I could be wrong, but I like that I don't know.

Celebratory dinner on our way home. What a trip!

Sometimes it feels like there are two very different versions of myself- the first being the guy who has completely sold out to the great American Dream. Nice house and car, five kids, a stereotypically dependable job, and a relatively secure future; our kids take music and dance lessons and go to church on Sundays, we are card-holding members of various civic organizations, and we visit the theater on a regular basis. Things are stable. Predictable. It's all that a person could ask for, right?

But then there is the other version. The side of me that craves adventure and risk, loves feeling small, and is constantly seeking out new experiences. The passions often dance around from one thing to the next- unrestricted- constantly looking toward the next "flow state." Physical sensations are intensified, time stands still, and the entirety of one's existence is distilled down to a single moment that makes everything else fade away. That split second in time stands there in front of you, sparkling in its brilliance and filling you with a profound sense of wonder and awe. And then it cracks, just as suddenly, into a million pieces as the world races by and you are left staring at yourself from above, taking part only as a spectator as your body continues to move, to flow, to experience, to feel. Sure, it's a little selfish- but this, you tell yourself, is what living is all about.

And then the next day, it's back to work. Back to stability. Back to the world of planning, taking on responsibilities, paying taxes, buying groceries, shuttling kids, making financial decisions, relaxing comfortably, and having "fun." And there is nothing wrong with this world- Health, financial stability, and relationships all lead to long-term rewards while at the same time enabling a solid foothold into the more unfettered life I sometimes like to dabble in. It can just be jarring sometimes to go back and forth between two very different and seemingly incompatible mentalities.

That is how I feel right now as I write this blog. "Jarred." Yesterday morning I was standing alone on the side of a mountain. Visibility was low, the angle was steep, and the possibility of skiing off a cliff by accident was very real. My body went into motion, the turns came fluidly, and obviously things were fine. But that world of immediate, in your face action and consequences seems so remote to my current setting that it almost makes me question whether or not it actually even happened.

I enjoy that. Just like how pairing two very different flavors sometimes helps to accentuate the qualities of both, I feel like living in both worlds- the one of stability and the one of adventure- gives me a sense of gratitude and appreciation for each one that I wouldn't otherwise have. It's a good life.

*****

The hoops we had to jump through to get the whole family into Canada were almost enough to deter us from taking the trip. Everybody got passports a long time ago, and we thought things were good. But then, Canadian Covid restrictions came.

Everyone needed vaccinations. Check. 

Everyone needed to have a negative test that was taken no more than three days prior to entry. Check. 

Everyone had to be symptom free and ready for possible random covid testing at the border. Check.

Everyone had to have a plan in place to quarantine for fourteen days if any symptoms developed. Um...yeah. Check? We'll just take our chances on that one. 

In the end it wasn't that bad, but doing all this stuff times seven seemed like a lot of work to go through for a ski trip.

Was it worth it? You bet. On Friday night we made an uneventful drive across the border and continued on to our hotel in Golden. The next three days would be spent skiing in Banff National Park at Sunshine and Lake Louise, and it was spectacular in every way. The landscape was staggering in scope. The skiing was some of the best we have had (according to reports, we got some of the best days of the year), and we all made it out safely without injuries. 

I spent the early part of the days alone, exploring the big mountain feel of these places. At Sunshine Village these were the steep routes off Goat's Eye mountain, and at Lake Louise I found my happy place running laps off Eagle Ridge. I would then spend the afternoons skiing with kids- playing at terrain parks, blasting through powder-covered bumps, or cruising down easy groomers. 

There was one moment at Lake Louise when I was skiing with Maren and we both looked up at the same time to see a brief clearing through the clouds. Almost without realizing it, we came to a stop and just sat down mid-mountain to take it all in. How incredible this place is! Moments like these are priceless.

Not my picture, but this is more-or-less what we saw. Unfortunately, my phone was dead. The reason for this is to be found in the next paragraph.

There were also a few little "mishaps" during our trip that will be fun to look back on. For starters, the hotel we were staying at experienced an electrical outage that lasted two out of the three days we were there. I guess that because of the holiday (Family Day in Canada) they couldn't get the part they needed. The hotel was gracious and refunded the room to us, but also allowed us to stay if we wanted. We were perfectly happy with this outcome since we were just using the room to sleep, but getting ready in the morning was interesting without any lights. Also, when eating out we had to make the weird request to be seated next to an electrical outlet so we could charge our phones. Minor inconveniences often lead to funny memories, and this was definitely one of those.

Just hanging out at the hotel. It was pretty cloudy most of the time we were there, which was fine because that meant fresh snow in the hills!

Another little mishap was a more frustrating because it meant lost time on the mountain. On the second day, everyone was so good at getting an early start and we pulled up to the lifts just as they were opening. All the kids got their gear on and we went to take the skis off the rack, only to find a solid layer of ice inside the lock. We tried for a LONG time to clear it with various small objects and lubricant sprays, but nothing would work. We tried taking the entire rack, skis and all, off the top of the car to get better access. That didn't work either. I was on the verge of simply breaking the lock when Rachel decided on a much less destructive, albeit far more humbling tactic. Asking for help. The resort repair shop had a guy come out with a heat gun who opened the lock in about ten seconds. Ok then. I'm pretty sure I loosened it up for him. 

Lindsey had a personal breakthrough on this trip. She told me her goal was to ski three black diamond runs in one day. On the first day we were there she was having a hard time because her goggles kept fogging up. I let her use mine for a while and it was like giving Dumbo a feather- she was suddenly skiing with more confidence than she ever had before and she not only did those runs, but she did them with style. Go Lindsey! Evelyn also had a really good day- especially with all the fresh powder at Sunshine Village. She told me that for the first time she actually really enjoyed the steeper runs and the moguls, and even went out of her way to find them. This is big for her!

Here's me and Lindsey (and crew) eating lunch after her first successful run. Such a good day!

This year we very consciously allow the kids to be responsible for their own gear. This means that if they forget anything, they suffer the consequences. It's their problem, and not ours. For some, like Maren, the answer to this is to just be okay without any gear. She almost never wears a hat, goggles, or gloves. The real crazy thing, however, is that she also almost never gets cold! For other kids this "policy" leads to interesting improvisations. Jackson arrived only to find that he had brought two left ski boots of two different sizes. Not wanting to shell out the money for rentals, he crammed in right foot into the larger of the two and declared it "comfortable enough." We adjusted one of the ski bindings to accommodate, and that was that. Boots are overrated anyway, right? He also went an entire day with two layers of socks on his hands instead of the gloves that he had allowed to freeze solid. He didn't seem to let any of this get him down or affect his performance, but I think he'll check his bags twice next time, and maybe listen to sound advice about getting clothes wet!

This next story is one that our family keeps talking about but that I was going to leave out (you'll see why). When I asked Lindsey what she wanted me to write though, she was adamant about this one, so I guess she has a good sense of humor and is able to laugh at herself. Anyway- long story short is that Lindsey wet her pants. The kids were playing in the snow and she really had to go, and then she waited too long, and then she got stuck in the snow up to her armpits and couldn't get out and while everyone was laughing at her she started laughing too, and then her face changed suddenly, and then...well...yeah. She sat in the car with a blanket over her for a long time while we tried to dry off her snow clothes. This whole time we were also trying to figure out the ski rack fiasco so the car door had to be open and people were coming in and out and we couldn't go back to the hotel at that point so she just sucked it up and decided to have a good day anyway. I must have been away at the moment it was said, but apparently at some point she screamed/whined "BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY PANTS!" in a way that will be remembered and laughed at and impersonated for a long time in our family. Oh, the memories. She ended up skiing in slightly wet ski pants without anything underneath. She was a good sport and pronounced that her legs were never cold, only her feet!

At one point, Jackson and Lindsey went off to ski alone together. Without missing a beat, Addy turned to me and pointed out, "They won't be hard to find if they get lost- we'll just tell ski patrol to look for two kids who are skiing alone- a crying little girl with wet pants who is being taken care of by a little boy with socks on his hands and two left boots!"

Well, that comment just made me feel like the dad of the year. Fortunately, they are both very competent skiers and didn't get lost.

Actually, that sort of segues into a brief description of how these days run for us. I was perfectly comfortable with Jack and Lindsey going off on their own because I feel like we have figured some things out as a ski family. It helps that our kids are all skilled enough to get themselves safely down the mountain. But it also helps that we have developed some routines and systems, and besides our stupid lock freezing up we almost always have good days with very few hiccups.

The day usually starts with me reading a report on weather and snow conditions as people are getting ready. This helps people know how to pack. We then load the car, and if we are going to an unfamiliar location I'll read an overview of the resort to the family from the Powderhounds website. Using this information along with the current conditions, people each decide for themselves what kind of day they want to have. Sometimes there are specific goals. Sometimes people want to push themselves on the steeps. Others might just want to explore a lot of different terrain. Some might be really excited for a park or to cruise groomers, or to go off in search of powder. Traditionally, we take a warm up run all together, then split into groups based on interest. Each group gets a radio so we can stay in touch, and before breaking off we settle on a meeting time and place for lunch. An abbreviated form of this process occurs again at lunchtime, usually resulting in a reshuffling of people and of radios, but in the end it makes it so that everyone is able to get what they wanted out of the day.

To close the post, I want to go back to the last night of our trip. We were at a nice restaurant (sitting next to electrical outlets) and our food had been ordered. Conversation naturally turned to the trip, and people started telling "remember when" stories. "Remember when Addy ducked the rope so she could hit that jump!" "Remember when Lindsey fell in the shape of a cheerio!" "Remember that conversation with the people on the lift!" "Remember the crazy ice statue we saw!" "Remember sitting down in the middle of the hill as people skied around us just so we could look at the mountains!" 

Yes- I remember. Some of the memories will stay with me for longer than others. But what will definitely stick around is these days as a family. Remember when we would all ski together every weekend and how sometimes crazy things would happen, and sometimes we would bicker, and sometimes we would fall and get hurt, but how there was always someone there to help you or to laugh with you or to cry with you or to help you push through personal limits or to just enjoy the moment with you? 

Yeah. Those were good days.

Have a good week!

This has been a very full week for us! So...let's get started!

This picture represents SO MUCH HARD WORK! CDAide is a nonprofit organization that benefits hospitality workers. Rachel has been a part of it to varying degrees over the past couple years, but has recently taken on more responsibilities. This past Thursday was their biggest fund-raising event of the year, and Rachel played a crucial role in its planning and execution. There were tons of moving parts- a lot of work with individual donors- a lot of phone calls- a lot of visits- a lot of "spreadsheeting," and in the end things came together to "wildly exceed expectations." I'm not sure what that means. I do know that expectations were high though, so I'm guessing that's a good thing. They raised over 80k (and counting) in one night, and I think everyone involved is happy to have a quick minute to catch their breath before moving on to the next thing. 

Addy, Jack, Rachel, and I spent most of the day skiing at Schweitzer. The morning was spent racing down groomers, and then Jack and I went off-piste once things softened up a bit and hit most of the steeper lines. I was actually proud of Jack on this trip when he opted not to follow me down a run I had devised through some chutes with a couple "must-make" turns. He has skied harder and riskier terrain in the past, but he just wasn't feeling it that day and he backed off for an easier line. As a dad who likes pushing my own limits a little bit, this was comforting and makes me more inclined to do other hard things with him. It's good to see judgement being used, and it worked out great to congratulate each other on our own achievements once we met up at the bottom.

This is just a picture to show that I was there too and that it isn't always just me and Jack.

As soon as we got back from skiing, Rachel and I showered and then hit the town for Broadway's "Jersey Boys." I have to say, I was dazzled. I have seen plenty of jukebox musicals. They are entertaining, at best. A fun night out, but nothing that really sticks with you. This one though, really had me smiling. The acting was superb, and they absolutely nailed it with the songs. I'm not very easily impressed anymore, but this was just a level above the rest. Bravo.

This picture represents a lot of things. It is the super bowl party we had with friends. It is the hotel we stayed in afterwards. It is valentine's day, the time we spent window shopping, and the climbing gym we went to the next day. It is also the fact that all of this was so relaxing and enjoyable that this photo is all we have to show for it. But seriously, what a fabulous weekend!

This next week we have big plans as well. Assuming all goes well, the whole family will be skiing and relaxing in a Canadian lodge for a few days. The planning that is required to leave/re-enter the country with five kids is stupid right now with covid restrictions, but we think we have everything in order. I guess we'll see.

Until then- Have a good week!

We also need to do a shout-out to this girl! Maren is so fun and quirky that it was only fitting for her to ask to go to an improv comedy show the night of her birthday. She definitely adds a huge dose of personality to our family!