As I write this, the last of our extended family is on their way to the airport. It has been a very full week, with everyone from Rachel's side of the family making it up to stay with us as we hosted the Almond reunion. We reconnected. We played. Distant cousins became close friends and we got to showcase the beautiful area where we live. It isn't hard to do in the summer. 

As for activities, I have a ton of pictures to put on here and I'll just caption them instead of trying to write anything. Overall though, I think everyone would agree the reunion was a success. It certainly went smoother than I had predicted, with just the right balance of activity and leisure for people to sort of choose their own adventure. 

Here are the photos, mostly in chronological order but not completely. Have a good week!

Climbing. Not a ton to say here, except it was kind of neat to watch the older kids helping the younger ones. This actually became a theme for a lot of activities that we did, and I was surprised (in a good way) at how much both parties seemed to like this arrangement.

Not a lot of pictures were taken at home, but we definitely spent a good deal of time just "hanging out." BBQs, deck nights, games, conversations, and naps filled in all the time between major activities. The house itself performed nicely, allowing for each family to have a private area, morning/night people to have places to go and talk, and an office for Rachel and Shannon to work from home at odd hours without interruption.

Just a picture of a bunch of people on a swing.

We brought skateboards/roller skates, etc to the park. Another kid came over and "challenged" me to a rollerblade contest. Hey- you can't compete with these old-school dad tricks. It was fun skating with everyone.

Another instance of old helping young. Pretty neat.

These next few are from a hike we did on Tubbs (a walking trail near the CDA resort)

I'll admit this picture turned out better than I expected. I was a little grumpy at the time about trying to get everyone to sit still for it, but I think it was worthwhile as it is one of the few we got of everyone together.

Just playing at the lake. 

Lunch at Dockside (with Gooeys for dessert). Always a priority on lake days

These three formed a little gang that stuck together for most of the reunion

The five of us went to a farmers market in Post Falls. The intention was to catch some live music and do some dancing, but we got there a little too late. Still a beautiful evening though.

The next several pictures are from a day that we spent boating. We had a private beach with a dock that we were able to use as a base for people who were swimming or eating or resting. In the meantime, the boat made several out-and-back trips on lake Pend Orielle.

I like us

Laying on the deck is always nice

The next few are from a park/garden in Spokane where we spent an afternoon. This place is beautiful and one of my favorite local retreats in the city.

Adult date night. The Pentagon is a place that Rach and I go a lot. We brought Shannon here last time she was up, and apparently one of their appetizers has forever changed her relationship with tomatoes.

Mini-vans and sport car convertibles are basically the same thing for these kids

Cedar grove walk. This is one of my favorite places.

Rach's photo bomb

Fairy houses

This is an afternoon we spent at the Wallace house and town. 

There was a punk band that was playing in Wallace and a few of us decided to stay late to see them. It was loud and fun and, in some ways, cathartic (as punk music tends to be). Before the show we were also treated to a pretty cool stoke film for skiing that was made locally. That was unexpected and a nice reminder that the weather will cool off one of these days. It was also entertaining to watch Evelyn and Adrian join the mosh pit. As for me, I enjoyed the music from a little further back.

Just a big picture of all of us on some rocks.

On Sunday afternoon a small contingent of adults went up to Arbor Crest for lunch and to walk around the gardens. This is another place that Rach and I go a lot, and it's nice to share it. Actually, for us, that was a big theme of the reunion- sharing the life we live with other people. Lake stuff, Wallace stuff, restaurants, gardens, hikes...all of these things are pretty routine for us, and I think that is really cool and I am proud to share this kicked-back lifestyle with as many people as are interested in it. We live in a great place.

While we were at Arbor Crest, Grandma stayed home and made pictures with the kids

This picture represents so much hard work from Lindsey. Back story: The Wallace swimming pool requires kids to pass a swimming test to gain access to the deep end of the pool. All of our kids passed on their first try. Technically. But the lifeguards on duty didn't like Lindsey's form, because she actually did most of the swimming under water. She has asked them bluntly- "what do I need to do," and although she has done everything asked of her, they still won't let her in. They told her to keep her head up. She did. They still didn't like it. They told her to make "arm circles" while swimming. She did. They didn't like it. They told her to kick her feet. Same story. We have gone there three or four times now, and Lindsey has yet to pass the test. I think they have it out for her. But she has always kept a good attitude and has been determined that "I'll get it next time." Well, that next time finally happened. See that purple arm band? Ya. She earned that.

Instead of diving for rings, Jackson is making his own with air bubbles. He spent a lot of time learning to do this with Wesley.

Laying on the deck is always nice

Have a great week!

I hope this picture means something to someone out there. If it does, then your childhood might have been similar to mine.

Anyway- we were ninjas this week. We drove into town under cover of darkness, spent the day with most of my family, including my parents (!), and then left again early the next morning. A quick strike, but one that was totally worth it. My parents have been overseas on an LDS mission for the past 18 months, so it was good to catch up with them. Kids also got to hang out with cousins they haven't seen for a while, which I think is really good. We aren't having the "official" Hazard reunion until later in August, but these short visits make it so that once we all meet again we will be off and running, so to speak.

On Sunday we raced home to meet Marissa (Rachel's sis) and family who had landed at the airport a few hours earlier. We had a quick second to re-introduce kids to each other, and then the adults were off to see Footloose, the Musical. The show was high energy and fun, and a great way for us to ease into the week. Tomorrow, the rest of Rachel's family will be arriving at our house, and for the next several days we will host the Almond reunion. It will be good, but probably a little hectic, and sitting around the yard last night, cooking on the grill while listening to chill music and just hanging out was a nice calm before the storm.

Anyway, that's it for us. Have a good week!

Most of these photos are going to be from Egin Lake. It's actually kind of a puddle in the middle of a bunch of sand dunes. It never gets more than about 3 feet deep and is a great place to cool off in the heat of summer.

Is this an Axolotl? We found two of them in the lake. Random.

Jackson let his cousins dress him up. Kids are weird.

Poem writing. I think it's worth making this larger to read the poems.

Addy got into the dress-up scene as well

Here we are at Footloose. Great people. Great show. Great afternoon.

What a good weekend it has been. My sister, Courtney, came up to visit with her kids. Also, my brother and sister-in-law (Griffin/Erin) came with her.

Though there is too much around here to do everything we wanted, we were able to fit quite a bit into their brief visit. Parks, bikes, hiking, rollerblading, relaxing at both of the houses, beaches, swimming pools, and a night out with the adults to see a VERY low-key community-level play (a little cringy tbh, but fun). It was so good, as always to catch up with people. The activities were great, but it was also nice to sit around the fire and talk, or to watch the kids get to know one-another. It was just a good visit all around.

We should have taken more photos than we did, but here are a few. A lot of these people we will see again in just a few days when we go down to Rexburg. 

Little Annie Lee (Like the Poe poem) is Courtney's kid. She's a chill kid. I like that.

We went to "the caves" at the nearby park

Hazel (also Courtney's) kept up just fine with all our climbing and jumping around on rocks. I had to smile whenever she was faced with a challenge because she would always utter a quick "I got this" under her breath before launching into the unknown.

This is a lunch stop on a bike ride we went on

Russel. There was once when him and Lindsey took off down the trail together and Lindsey was skipping and I just couldn't help but thinking of the song "Tony Chestnut."

Another quick stop on the bike path

Annie slept in the pack most of the ride. When she wasn't sleeping, she was hitting me in the back of the head to make me go faster.

This is the official center of the universe

Gooeys are always a treat

Maren and Annie have bonded

Adult night in Wallace. Court was there too.

Have a good week!

Friday: Kids are watching the house, and just Rach and I drive to Wallace for the annual Blues Festival. Great music. Food. Dancing. Late nights out like this make me feel like we are still two kids in college just having a good time. Tons of fun. We spend the night in our Wallace home.

Saturday: Back in town in time for Post Falls Day parade with kids. We sit next to several families with younger kids and it strikes me how grown up we are all looking. We spend a lot less time running into the street for candy, and a lot more time waving to people who we know in the procession. We have made a home here.

From the parade, we walk down to the park for more music and fun on the Post Falls beach. Home for a quick lunch, and then to the swimming hole for afternoon cool-off. Play in the river with kids. 

That evening we throw meat on grill and welcome Colby, MyKel, and family to our house. I haven't seen Colby (cousin) for a long time, but he was a part of a lot of childhood memories. It's super good to catch up with them.

Sunday: Morning with Colby's family, and then they have to leave. Rach and I go to grand opening of new climbing gym where we volunteer for event. We take turns demoing the Moonboard, bouldering, shuttling kids around, and hanging out with friends. Chill atmosphere with booths and live band in the courtyard- it's clear that a climbing community is growing here, and that is really cool.

As part of the opening, I get to meet with one of my longtime heroes of the climbing world. Alan Watts changed the face of climbing in America due to his willingness to go against the rules of his community. That's not an easy thing to do. In the context of a the new gym, surrounded by friends who, like me, climb hard but see the sport as only one of many competing priorities, it is easy for me to draw a direct line through history from his glory days to the present moment. The bolt wars. The magazines. The first 5.13. Changing tactics. The first 5.14. The first manufactured climbing holds. Sport competitions. Guidebooks and the sharing of beta. Really, the whole climbing world as we know it today. It all passes through this guy. In fact, there is a very real possibility that, had he not been who he was, a large part of my own life today would be nonexistent.

Me holding the first ever manufactured hold. Kinda cool.

Rach and me with Alan. This guy is a living legend.

Anyway- it was a really good weekend. Meeting Alan was a highlight for sure, but it seems there were lots of smaller parts that just made me feel very content with the way things are right now. Friends. Family. Community. Hard work mixed with fun and relaxation. Enjoyment of nice things/healthy bodies that we are able to have. Makes me feel lucky.

Have a good week!

This morning, Rachel and I were sitting on the deck (as is customary) eating our breakfast of avocado toast (living up to that millennial stereotype) and enjoying time together before kids and work took over the day. It's a nice way to start. Anyway, as we talked, we both realized that this last week was pretty full of good stuff. Many little things and one very big thing which, ironically, we didn't get any photos of. 

The most important part though, was that Rachel interpreted the play she's been working on. She got a bio in the playbill and everything, and it was very well attended. She always puts in a lot of hours and hard work when she does these things, and it is definitely a labor of love- love for theater, love for a language, and in a way, a certain love for performance. This last one isn't supposed to be acknowledged though, because...politics? But seriously, I think that the performative aspect of interpreting a stage performance cannot be overlooked.

Anyway, Rach and I went to the show together on Friday evening, and then Addy and her friend went on Sunday to watch Rachel at work (and to see the play). This seemed fitting since both girls are very into musical theater at the moment, and both of them, as a summertime "hobby," have recently enrolled in ASL classes together. By all accounts, Rach did a great job and is ready now to relax a little bit.

Besides the play, there were many other little things about the week. Mostly though, we just seem to have found our stride with this summer vacation thing. 

Happy 4th of July to everyone, and have a good week!

I laugh so hard at this picture! Context: Rachel always makes fabulous cakes for the kids birthdays. Honestly, I think she does a pretty good job. She actually recently raffled off one of her cakes for like a hundred dollars, which seems ridiculous to me, but it speaks to her talent.

That said...this one didn't exactly turn out according to plan. What you see is supposed to be a fire breathing dragon. What it looks like is a fat, hastily made dinosaur, who is smoking a cigarette. Even more tragic is that as this picture was being taken, the head fell off. Like, seriously. In the end Rachel was putting a lot of time and effort into a cake she did not like at all. When it started crumbling she grabbed Lindsey and took a picture, then happily went climbing with us.

You win some and you lose some. Lindsey had a great birthday in spite of the cake problems.

Here is the actual party. Notice the small store-bought cake that we pulled in at the last minute? It worked. But the dragon cake tasted better.

Party people

It was supposed to be a makeover party, but it quickly turned to stage makeup and dress-up.

We spent some time this weekend up in Wallace. They have opened their public pool which is just down the steps from our house and gives us yet another reason to love this place. The pool is free and, for a borrowed sandal, they will lend a pair of goggles to the kids.

Pool time

A legit climbing gym has opened in Post Falls! It has been a long time in coming, but it is finally here. We are all excited about it, and we are excited for the owners who we consider to be friends. We went there for the first time a few days ago and I am actually super impressed with the quality of the holds and the sets. What it lacks in vertical height (hopefully a short-term limitation) is completely made up for with everything else. This is easily the best gym in the greater Spokane area, and it happens to be less than ten minutes from our house. I love it!

The gym will have its grand opening this coming weekend. Rach and I are helping with some of the organization and staffing of this one-off event, and it should be super fun. If anyone in the area is reading this, you should come down and check it out. Even if you aren't into climbing I think it would be worthwhile to come just to see this amazing facility that we have in our area.

Happy 4th!

And here is a random picture of Evelyn. She recently got her hair cut. She doesn't like it, but everyone else thinks it's cute.

Have a good week!