BlazerABE

I'm less full when I burp

2011-03-23T21:57:00.001-07:00

At dinner tonight, one of my daughters (to remane nameless) was enjoying her food and said "I'm less full when I burp". Then, a little later, another one chimed in saying the same thing. Man, the things you learn when you pay attention to your body! What a crack up. :-)

11/25/2010 – Thanksgiving in Seattle

2010-11-30T16:22:00.000-08:00

We spent thanksgiving with the grandparents in the Seattle area this year. I sure move me some turkey and trimmings. Let’s see, we did so many things, here is a short list: avoided a big ice storm by travelling on Thursday morning instead; enjoyed a great thanksgiving feast (thanks to g’ma and gm’pa); had a snowball fight with the kids; Melissa did some early-morning black Friday shopping (got some great deals); saw the new “Megamind” movie (I liked it); attended my nephews’ High School basketball games (both of them also participated in the 3-point contest…great shooting runs in the blood); drove the icy streets to the gym for an early morning workout (walking from the car to the gym’s front door was the trickiest part); got haircuts at aunt Iris’ salon (she does a great job); and had a great lunch at the Seattle waterfront. We got a great picture of a seagull with a starfish in it’s mouth. It was a great thanksgiving. Looking forward to a memorable Christmas season.

Oh yeah, did I mention the Boise State at Nevada game? Now that was worth staying up late to watch!

11/20/2010 – Blazers vs. Jazz

2010-11-30T16:21:00.001-08:00

First off. The shot by Nic Batum shown here was sicktacular. Wow. That was worth the effort to go to the game in itself.

My bro-in-law and nephews made the annual pilgrimage down to see the Blazers and Jazz play. With all the news about key injuries (Oden, Roy), it’s been downright depressing to watch them lately. This game was actually a fun one as it stayed very competitive and the Blazers leading through most of the game (I also really like to watch Deron Williams play). But, then the Jazz were shooting red-hot in the 4th quarter, sealing the deal for a Jazz come-from-behind win. CJ Miles just could not miss from downtown at the end. It was actually pretty amazing to see. I think most Blazer fans are feeling similar to how I am right now. We are in a bit of shock, not wanting to believe that our two primary sources of hope (Oden and Roy) are damaged and are likely to never achieve what we’d hoped for them/us – primarily due to injuries. Bummer. But we have to get past it. Losing key games is no fun, either. Man, am I glad the Ducks are playing so well (ranked number 1 in the BCS standings for the first time ever). It distracts me from reality.

11/19/2010 – Clara’s birthday

2010-11-30T16:20:00.001-08:00

It’s hard to believe, but wow…Clara has turned 3! She had a fun, small party at our house with a few friends. We also had a little family cake time with her as well. She is really becoming a very opinionated little girls. And man, is she good at articulating her opinion! You know right away if Clara approves or disapproves! This can be good or bad, depending on the situation and the personalities involved. Sor the most part, it often makes us laugh (well, not always). Happy birthday, Clara!

11/14/2010 - William’s blessing

2010-11-30T16:19:00.001-08:00

It was really special to see all the family members gather to celebrate our son’s entrance into the family and give him a name and a blessing as he enters mortality. I take these blessing very seriously and think long and hard about what a new child in today’s world would need to hear in a blessing (I recorded it and plan to transcribe it so he will have it when he is old enough to understand). However, a peculiar thing happens when the blessing actually begins. My mind goes blank and I simply speak from the heart and by the spirit. I don’t think I said much, if anything, of what I had thought would be “good”. I just say it as I fell it. Honestly, I’m glad this happens, because I feel like it’s coming from a more pure place, rather than my rational brain.

Anyway, I was so pleased to see the family gather and hang out for a while at our place. My sister even made a special additional trip from Seattle so we could swap a couple kids and allow them to have additional cousin time. Family is everything.

11/9/2010 – Blazers vs. Pistons

2010-11-30T16:18:00.001-08:00

Moriah and I went to the Portland vs. Detroit game. It amazes me that this Detroit team is almost the same team that won the championship a few short years ago, but with just a few tweaks in the roster and a different coach, it really is an entirely different team. Interesting how that works. Moriah had fun and we split a frozen lemonade, as is our tradition at games. But they switched from the Minute-Maid brand to Nestle, which is not as good…and man did Moriah notice. She was really disappointed that her frozen treat was not as good as she remembers. Kids at sporting events: It’s all about the food!

10/30/2010 – Halloween

2010-11-30T16:16:00.000-08:00

Since Halloween fell on a Sunday this year, the trunk-or-treat at the church was a major event. Even though it was raining, people turned out by the droves, man! We went through $40 worth of candy in just a few minutes. We had to close up shop! The girls dressed as: a vampire rocker, a “good witch”, a cheerleader and a fairy. Even William got in on the action, wearing his little skeleton outfit. Me, I was not in costume, but friends called me “guy in denial”, since I was walking around in shorts/t-shirt in the cold/dark rain. But hey, I felt great! I must be from Oregon.

10/30/2010 - Soccer season party

2010-11-30T16:13:00.000-08:00

I had a blast coaching 1st grade girls soccer this year. It was challenging for me simply because I’d never really experienced it from any perspective really. The girls had fun and I got some very nice compliments from parents after the season. Most importantly, some very helpful parents stepped up in a big way. It made the experience really fun for me. And the coaches gift at the end of the season was unbelievable. Myself and all 3 asst. coaches received some very nice (and expensive) Nike-Livestrong Air Max shoes. I couldn’t believe how generous that was. I love the shoes. Coaching also made me realize that getting some good coach training/certification would make me a much better coach. Lots of learning and lots of fun. But whew…I’m glad it’s over (for this fall anyway).

Dad, are we upside-down?

2010-10-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

I’m driving with our kids after sundown one day last week when a thoughtful question comes from the back seat. “Dad, are we upside down?” said Moriah. I respond: “Not that I know of. The car is driving on the road like normal. What do you mean, sweetie?” She takes a moment to put her thoughts into words, then says, “Well, during the day time, we are closer to the sun and on the top of the world. But when it gets dark, that means we are on the other side of the world and we are upside-down, right?” My first reaction was to explain gravity, etc. But then I got to thinking about it, and maybe she’s right. Hhhmm. One of those imponderables.

And you thought this was a question about the LTV ratio on our mortgage.

October 14, 2010 - Low Carnitine in the blood

2010-10-20T12:29:00.001-07:00

After the previous post, the next day we got a call regarding baby's carnitine level. Normal is "25". His level is a "4". So, there may be some issues we will have to deal with. Thankfully there is a supplement for boosting the carnitine in a child, so we'll be giving him that 4x/day for a while. Hopefully this does the trick and the 3MCC will not have much affect on him. It's tough to bring one of these little spirits to earth without "some" issues. He really is such a cute little fella.

October 12, 2010 - Baby Health Issues

2010-10-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

Our baby boy has had some issues to work through in his first few weeks of life. First, he was a bit jaundice. We had a jaundice child 10 yrs ago and the primary treatment was placing her under a special UV light to allow her to absorb the rays and eliminate the elevated bilirubin count in her blood. This time, the docs had us wrap him in a special fiber-optic blanket that has a neon-looking green glow to it. He could not take it off except for diaper changes and the like. It is plugged into a special light production box that resembles a computer, so he was not very mobile. It was expected that he would only be on this blanket for 24 hours, but it turned out he was in it for nearly an entire week. It appears the jaundice is mostly behind us.

The more significant issue he’s dealing with was suspected to be a rare form of a metabolic deficiency commonly called “3-MCC” (3-methylcrotonyl CoA carboxylase). This basically means that he is missing an enzyme that does not break down leucine (found in foods with protein). This enzyme essentially filters out harmful substances from the bloodstream. The potential effects on the child is that he may not process proteins correctly, thus not get specific types of energy that his body needs to thrive. 3MCC children are known to get very sick from simple, regular sicknesses like a cold or fever. It is likely that we will have to learn a whole new world of dietary needs. These were some of the many concerns floating around our heads as we tried to figure out what is going on with this deficiency.

HOWEVER, after a bit of research and getting more and more worried about the situation, our time to meet with a metabolic specialist came on October 12th…and we were basically told not to worry about it. Apparently most 3MCC children never have any significant symptoms and that we will simply need to monitor the carnitine levels in his blood. That’s a key indicator, which even if it does get low (not likely), it is easily treatable. So, it’s a big ... wheeew, that’s a relief! We were very happy to discover it may not be a big deal at all. If it does happen, we’ll be prepared. But it is great to know we’ll probably have a happy, healthy little guy. Sometimes these newborn screenings can uncover issues which can make parents worry more than necessary. I am glad we were able to gain some perspective by meeting with a specialist. Because the online reading I did about it made it sound like a “big” deal. Rare, yes. “Big deal”, probably not. But I am glad we’re aware of it and know it’s there in case it becomes an issue.

October 3 2010 - Pride and the Nutcracker

2010-10-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

General Conference weekend was last week and our family enjoyed most of the proceedings together. Some of the talks really struck a chord with me. Particularly President Uchtdorf’s talk about pride. He was reiterating the sentiment of Pres. Benson’s talk in 1989, but with his own signature on it. It really hit me hard that pride is a constant threat to my well being. He specified that “taking pride” in something, like your work, is different from the pride of comparison and “one-upping” pride that can be so destructive. It can be self-glorification or it can be jealousy. It can be seeing weakness in others and comparing it to yourself; then the leap of “therefore, I am better than you.” This topic really affected me and is causing me to reevaluate some of the things in my life. He said “We have no time to become absorbed in ourselves”. I’m grateful to have inspired men leading us today.

On that note, there was funny moment when I paused the conference for something while one of the speakers was delivering his address. Our 8-yr old daughter looked at him and said, “Dad, why does he look like the nutcracker?” I looked at the screen and the double-chin action and overall look. She was exactly right. Now I can never look at that person again without thinking about the “nutcracker”. Kids speak the truth, my friend.

William is born

2010-09-22T22:29:00.000-07:00

Our baby boy, William Michael, was born yesterday, Tuesday, September 21, 2010. We've been through baby births a few times, and I tell you, it is special every time. William was born at 1:53 pm weighing 7 pounds, 8 oz and measuring 19 inches long. Mommy was cool, calm and collected through the process. She is amazing...probably in a lot more pain and discomfort than she lets on. We really struggled settling on this little guy's name(s). Lots of ideas, but in the end we knew he was William Michael. Both 'William' and 'Michael' are family names. His sisters have already started to refer to him as "Will".

William seems to be a very 'relaxed' baby, although it is only day one. I also got to witness the circumcision today, which was a new experience for me. It is a really simple procedure. It was kinda sad to see him in pain, but it really wasn't as bad as I imagined.

The girls are really excited to have a baby brother. They all want to hold him and see his little hands, feet, etc. Yup, this guy is going to be spoiled by his older sisters.

Any day now...

2010-09-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

Melissa has been REALLY ready to have a baby lately. Due date is this week and man, she has been enduring all kinds of discomfort. I’m so grateful for women and the stuff they go through to bring a life into this world. Man, it can be downright miserable at times. She has been induced for every baby birth, but this time she’s really been feeling like labor was coming naturally in the last week or so. But, now that we’re the day before scheduled induction, it does not look like naturally induced labor is in the cards. Late last week she kept telling me “today is the day” and to be ready to rush to the hospital on a moment’s notice. Well, that emergency didn’t come and it looks like we’ll have to wake the little fella up to get him to come out and play.

We’re really excited for baby boy to join us. I’m just so grateful that it appears everything is “normal” and no reason to be concerned for health issues, etc. Life is good. Tough times, but truly, sincerely good.

9/18/2010 - Bridal Veil Falls hike

2010-09-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning we had a few hours before the 1:00 soccer game, so I grabbed 3 little ones and headed up to the Columbia River gorge for an “easy” family hike to bridal veil falls. We stopped in downtown Portland at Voodoo doughnuts, just to see what all the fuss was about. As advertised, the line to buy a donut was wrapped around the front of the building. Then it was confirmed: a $1 donut, hyped into a $2 donut. Now I know. But the kids sure liked the monster-shaped donut they picked.

Bridal Veil falls is a nice, short little hike. The thing that surprised me was the elevation loss/gain. It’s a short hike, but you descend quickly, then climb back up on your way out. We took some great pictures at the bottom of the falls, then started back up the trail. But…then I noticed…darn, where are my glasses? I know I took them off briefly to take a picture, but they’re not in my pocket now. Where did they end up? I dropped them somewhere.

Long story short, I looked for 30 minutes or so, bummed about the situation. Then I said a prayer. After the prayer, I tried my step-by-step logic again, but added a twist: what if they fell off my head while adjusting the kids for a picture? Well, I had been searching around quite a bit in the area, then it struck me…it’s possible they could be in the big 18-inch pile of gooey-green sea-foam here. Maybe. I extended my arm into the goo and started feeling around. Something felt like a twig, and I felt around to find it again and pulled it out: My glasses! As simple as it sounds, I really felt this was an answer to my simple prayer. It was also cool that my 3 youngest girls were able to see it unfold. They saw daddy get an answer to his prayer. I don’t know if they’ll remember it for long, but even Clara understood. She re-told the story again the next day and it shocked me how detailed her version was. Even the 2-yr old knew what was going on. That was really cool. Oh, and the falls were really cool, too.

Speed workout (track training)

2010-09-16T14:53:00.000-07:00

I am now starting to add speed training to my workout routine. I know I should be doing more of this, but I've basically been cheating and counting basketball as my interval training. I also will often run suicides and time myself after playing, etc. But I know dedicated speed training will be good for my overall fitness and race performance. So, I went to the track yesterday and here are the times I came up with:

40-yrd dash: 5.56 seconds*
200m: 0:32.4
400m: 1:08
800m: 2:41

*Note: I was wearing long distance running shoes for my 40-yd time. I will try again in cleats to see if it affects my time.

This was a good start for getting a feel for my speed. I found myself noticing whether or not I am up on my toes or rocking on my heels, things like that. It also teaches my muscles to give more output when they are feeling maxed out, full of lactic acid and screaming to quit. I think I'm going to enjoy this aspect of training, at least a couple times a week. I'll find ways to improve on the times above. My body had some similar "post-race" symptoms of back pain and the like, so I can tell it pushes me to the limit when I am racing against the stopwatch.

September 5 2010 – Labor day hike – Little Zig Zag Falls

2010-09-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

We spent a great deal of labor day just prepping our house for the new baby coming. After two soccer games and a number of tasks, I decided I wanted to take my little ladies on a hike. So we hopped in the car and hustled up to Mt. Hood for a quick hike. It was worth the effort. Although a short hike (perfect for young kids and a pregnant wife who decided at the last minute she wanted to come), the falls are really a stunning site when you fist walk up to them. We went a little while there, Moriah and I hiked up above the falls for a few minutes, then I shared a short message from the scriptures with the girls. Basically, the thought was about Moroni and when he was wandering alone for so many years, he probably found some beautiful places like this near water and pondered the important things of life (pride cycle, becoming more Christlike, etc). I also mentioned Alma teaching and baptizing at the Waters of Mormon. It was a fun day hike and a great way to cap off an eventful summer.

September 4 2010 – Moriah’s baptism

2010-09-16T10:49:00.000-07:00

Moriah’s baptism was special occasion. Both grandpa’s spoke and both grandma’s helped with the music. Aunt Heather Witnesses were bro. Fink and bro. Jensen. She was welcomed into the ward by bro. Risenmay. In her typical somewhat-shy way, Moriah really just took it all in without saying much. I was able to perform the baptism ordinance and was touched as we embraced after she came out of the water. She’s a good kid trying to do the right thing. It was a special day for our family.

Also, we took some outdoor family pictures just before going to the baptism. That’s becoming a tradition for us, as we took family pictures on Emery’s baptism day as well.

September 3 2010 – Moriah’s birthday

2010-09-16T10:48:00.000-07:00

Wow. Moriah is 8. Time is flying. I am so proud of the little woman she is becoming. Her big hope for this birthday was to get a pet, preferably a frog or a lizard. Due to some particular issues that might make that a bad decision, we decided to surprise her with 2 hermit crabs. I am surprised at how cool I think they are. When I bought them, I was surprised at how they look and act. They are actually pretty interesting little creatures. They like to climb, change shells, etc. She’s having fun bringing them out of their cage daily and playing with them. Her party was a success, although not exactly what we had hoped. She wanted to use the pop-up pool in the backyard, so Melissa planned a big “luau” themed party. Unfortunately, my pool maintenance skills are not up to snuff. I keep trying to add chemicals, shock it, etc…but it keeps getting algae growth and I have to replace the water. Aarrgghh. That comes along with another set of issues, so we decided to skip the pol and have a slip-n-slide party in the back yard. Still did the luau action with games, Hawaiian music, etc. Tried to teach the group of friends how to hula dance with a DVD, and it was funny to watch, but I’m not sure they were totally in to the idea.

Later, my parents and I headed down to the aviation museum and were able to spend 10 minutes or so just looking at the Spruce Goose and quickly walked around the floor before they closed. They got a feel for what a quality museum it is and plan to spend a full day or two in the near future.

For Moriah’s birthday dinner, we went out to Red Robin. That was fun. When the staff sang to her, she stood up on the table and beamed out at the people in the restaurant. She was so happy and proud of her birthday. Another funny thing was what my dad ordered. He said he wasn’t very hungry, so he just ordered an oreo milkshake (ice cream) and french fries. He said he didn’t realize that the fries would be so big, but he downed the whole thing. Since they don’t have fry sauce there, I showed him the old bbq sauce/mayo/ketchup combo and he was hooked. I told him he ordered his food like a teenager! And he loved the meal. You just never know.

Happy Birthday, Moriah! It's hard to believe...where has the time gone!?!

August 13 2010 – Ball visit

2010-09-16T10:47:00.004-07:00

My sister and family visited for a few days to attend her 20th high school reunion. It was a blast having them in town – they have children with similar ages to ours, so it was an instant party! We spent one day at the beach (Pacific City). It was a rare day that the temperature got above 80 at the beach, and there were a TON of people there, considering the usual size of the crowds. We climbed the sand dune at Cape Kiwanda. I’ve climbed at least 6 or 7 times now…but wow, now that was some HOT sand on a hot day. It felt like my feet were going to burn right off. On the top, Emery had a defining moment. She was whispering to me “I did it!” She was so proud that she got up that dune. It was a tough climb, and the hot sand made it miserable for all of us. But we persevered, and especially Emery. It was a very cool moment for me. I was so happy for her and was so glad she was feeling so strongly about it. On the way back down, I’ll never forget Dovie and Andy whooping and hollering as they raced down the dune. Good times. Then we went over to Tillamook and toured the cheese factory. Cool stuff.

After arriving home that night, Dovie went to her reunion activities while Andy and I took the kids to an outdoor movie. A friend of mine has rigged a big screen in his cul-de-sac and showing movies on summer nights. So we saw “Honey, I shrunk the kids” outside. Fun times.

On Saturday, we got to head down to the aviation museum in McMinnville where the Spruce Goose is on display. The kids had fun. I was most really impressed with the quality of the museum and all of the amazing things they had inside and outside the place. The IMAX movie they show as really cool, too. It was a fun weekend with family.

August 9 2010 – Coaching soccer

2010-09-16T10:47:00.003-07:00

Now I’m in for it. The rec. club said they needed a few more coaches to volunteer or they would have 24 1st grade girls they’ll have to turn away from playing. So, since I have a girl in the system, I agreed to give it a shot and coach her team…even though I have never played a lick of soccer in my life! I figure since the players are only 6 yrs old, they might not notice if I mess up a few rules here and there. The point at this age really is to make sure they have fun. And I am also blessed that I have 3, count them 3! Asst coach/parents helping me out. So, I’m figuring the sport out and actually having a blast. Since basketball is “my” sport, I have some basic concepts of soccer. But man, now that I’m giving it a shot, I realize hey, maybe I should have done this as a kid! Short people like me can be pretty good players! What was I thinking, falling in love with basketball, a tall-man’s sport? Well, ok, so soccer isn’t as cool as basketball, but I am learning to appreciate the game and having a good time coaching my daughter and her new friends. I hope I don’t mess up too bad!

August 6 2010 – Brother’s 40th

2010-09-16T10:47:00.001-07:00

My big bro turned 40. Wow. Time is flying. Guess I’ll be there soon enough. So his wife surprised him with an unexpected trip here to Portland, so we got to celebrate with them. Funny thing: when they came into town, he needed a haircut, so I recommended my barber. Right after he left there, I get a call, saying; “dude, that was the most disturbing barber experience of my life.” So I’m thinking: “oh no, what…bad haircut?” Then he tells me that the haircut was great, but the disturbing part came at the end. Just before finishing the barber give him a final look from the front and decides to do some finish work…and starts snipping his eyebrows. He was mortified because they will usually at least ask if he wants them to do this, but this time, right on his 40th celebration trip, the barber sees it needs to be done and just goes for it. We gotta get used to it sometime, I guess.

So they went and enjoyed a few days at the Oregon coast. Upon their return to town, my two sisters from Seattle made the trip down and we had all 4 of us siblings, a couple spouses and our kids to throw him a little fiesta party. Mexican themed because we LOVE Mexican food in our family...he and I have a special affinity for Burritos. Just one of those little joys in life when you down a satisfying, delicious Burrito. It was a fun party.

Next day, we headed over to our favorite day-rafting spot on the Clackamas river. He and I inner-tubed the 40-minute route once just to make sure it wasn’t too bad, then took my little girls down in small rafts the second time. Barlow took Moriah and Brooke in his raft while Clara sat with me. In retro spect, it was a bit sketchy to have Clara in there with me. The water was very cold and I couldn’t seem to keep the water out of the raft (even got out and dumped it a couple times). So, she was cold, but having a great time. At one point it started to rain on us while we were on a smooth section and the drops on the water looked really cool hitting the river surface. Clara looked at that and said: “Look dad, it’s sparkling!” What a cool way to describe it. You never know what’s gonna come out of the mouth of a 2 yr old. It’s so fun to see her wonder at the world around her.

On the way home, we had a big fat bummer. The minivan loaded with 8 people broke down. Turned out to be the water pump, but at the time, all I could see was gushing antifreeze and hear a terrible grinding noise. We tried to get at least somewhat close to civilization. We ended up being able to limp along and park at a pizza joint. The family ate while I did the tow truck dance. Had a cool conversation with the truck driver about religion on the way to Sherwood. He had been rehabbing for over a year from a terrible accident (he was a pedestrian run over by a truck) and we talked about the existence of God, and the conversation steered toward the Book of Mormon and its significance to the human race. It was a really cool conversation. You never know when an opportunity like that is going to arise. We dropped off the vehicle and I raced back to pick them up with my other car. Again, another reason I’m grateful to have the new vehicle with additional seats.

Happy birthday, bro! Sorry about the breakdown on your last night in town, guys! It was a bummer, but at least we got in some tubing/rafting and some good pizza! It wasn’t a total loss. In fact, it worked out pretty well, all things considered. It’s kinda amazing how things work out sometimes.

August 4 2010 – Hagg Lake Sprint Series Triathlon

2010-09-16T10:46:00.001-07:00

Athlete’s lounge has been organizing a Sprint Series of casual training races at Hagg Lake this summer. I was able to go this final one on August 4th. It was a very short 300-yd swim in the lake, then bike the roads around the lake, and finish with a 2 mile trail run. I was on my mtn bike again, and had only a rough idea of how long it should take. But I figured I should be able to finish in less than an hour. I came in at 56:09-ish, so I can’t complain too much. It was not officially timed, but I think I got 9th place out of 66 people. Of course, I got lots of “you’re insane” type comments about competing like this on a mtn bike. I have to admit, I like it when guys on fast road bikes get frustrated that they can’t quite shake me on my mtn bike. When they comment, I just say: “Hey, anything I can do to level the playing field, man.” A little harmless banter is always fun. It felt good to get out and “try” to compete, even if it wasn’t a real race. I wonder how I’d do on a “real” bike? Hope to find out someday, but for now the trusty old (and I mean old) Kona Cinder Cone suits me just fine. This is a really cool event. Glad to hear they’ll be doing a few more again next year.

July 31 2010 – Timothy Lake triathlon (sort-of)

2010-09-16T10:45:00.002-07:00

Since I’ve grown to love the addicting sport of triathlon, it’s been a bummer that my schedule has conflicted with pretty much any relatively local race I could compete in this summer. So, what was my solution? Why not put together a casual version with friends? So that’s what we did. 7 of us guys gathered at Timothy Lake to have some fun. Most were just there for the bike ride, but 3 of us swam a half-mile or so first in the lake, then rode the 19-mile mtn bike trail around the lake. It was beautiful for sure, and tough too. I’m impressed at a few of these guys who haven’t been riding at all. Their rear ends must have been sore after! I also went for a short run at the end, just to feel like I did all three events. The main gig? BBQ, baby! We had a feast at the end. Wives & kids were waiting/swimming/playing while we rode around the lake, so we had a hungry crew at the end. We grilled up some awesome hamburgers, etc right there next to the lake. It was a fun day. Needless to say, we slept well that night…and early morning church the next morning was a bit brutal.

July 26 2010 – pop-up pool

2010-09-16T10:45:00.001-07:00

Now we gone done and did it. Got ourselves a pop-up pool for the backyard. Thought I’d never do such a weird thing, but man, the kids really love this thing. It’s not big, 12ft across and approx. 3 feet deep. Just right for our size little ones. They had cousins in town for a week or so and it was key to keep them entertained in the heat of summer. Even with all the headache of up-keep, I’m glad we did it.

July 22 2010 – Cooking camp

2010-09-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

Melissa has been running a “cooking camp” for each of our girls and a few of their friends. I thought this was a cool idea. The local community ones seemed a bit too spendy, so they created their own. The girls learned to make homemade pizza, jam, cookies, etc. I think everyone had a good time. Nice job, Mel!

July 21 2010 – Scout camp

2010-09-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

Got to spend a few days at scout camp with the troop. We went to “Camp Pioneer” in central Oregon this time. Cool place, much smaller than the other summer camps in the council. But it was great. The lake was nice. Eric and I won a scoutmaster canoe race where we had to keep jumping out of the canoe, switch ends and climb back in every time the official blew his whistle. He probably did this to us 7 or 8 times during the race. We got pretty efficient at jumping out, swimming to the other side and climbing in simultaneously. Good times. Then the next morning we had the “Polar Bear Swim” at 6:00 am. Brave scouts and a few of us crazy scoutmasters went to the dock and jumped in. We had to come up, scream “Good morning camp Pioneer!” as loud as possible, then sing the “Fuzzy Wuzzy” song. Funny thing was, I thought the water was much more bearable than standing on the dock in the cold morning. I didn’t want to get out of the water! It’s fun to go to camp and re-live some scout memories with the boys. The scouting program really did make a profound difference in my life as a young person. It’s nice to at least give ‘something’ back by helping out.

July 6-12 2010 – Idaho/Utah trip

2010-09-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

Took a special trip to Utah for a baptism. Because mommy is pregnant and Emery had other commitments, it was just myself, Moriah and Brooke. We had a great time. We veered a couple hundred miles out of the way to visit Sun Valley, Idaho on the way down. I had some business to tend to. It was cool to see the place, as the last (and only) time I was there was 1987. It looks pretty different during summer! But I tell you what else, it made the trip feel SO LONG. I don’t know what it was, but man that highway seemed like it was never gonna end. The kids were troopers about the whole detour thing, and actually asked when we’ll be heading back there. I guess they really liked the hotel pool or something because man, that was a haul.

Then we headed down to Utah and were able to celebrate my father’s 76th birthday with family. We got to stay with my brother’s family for a couple nights. Man, those cousins had a blast together. I also got to see my bro’s office in downtown SLC and go to the “legacy center” for a swim with the kids. Fun times, man. Fun times.

The highlight of the trip, of course, was my niece’s baptism. It was particularly special for me because I was able to perform both ordinances. She asked me a few months before, and man what a special thing that was. I told her that I hope she writes it down in her journal and never forgets what this day was like for her. I really felt blessed to be able to a small part of that. She has a bright future ahead of her.

I had a moment of triumph on this trip. I bought an SUV a few months ago and wanted to give it a good test. I knew of a spot up on one of the mountains near Springville where you veer off the main trail and can climb a wall-like steep spot that feels straight up, then pop out on a tiny mountain top, just big enough for your vehicle. They call it the “Camels back” and has an incredible view of Mapleton and Springville. I had to try, so I grabbed my dad and my bro-in-law and we headed up the canyon. The road is very bumpy and has some rough terrain, but nothing too bad. Then you get to the turn-off spot and see the “wall” you’re about to climb. Two 4x4’s were at the bottom, drivers talking to each other, seemingly lamenting that they couldn’t get up the hill. But I was not deterred. I had come this far, I had to try. We got up half-way just flooring it in AWD. But then it literally stopped moving because the power was totally sapped. Not because it lost traction, but because the engine couldn’t push us up that steep of an incline. Wow. You look out the windshield and all you see is sky. It feels like you’re pointed straight up. I knew if I tried to go backwards it might get even uglier, so I had a moment of adrenaline. I could tell that even my even-keeled dad was looking at me with wide-eyes, internally cursing the predicament. Later, he said he thought we were gonna fall off the side of the hill. I also learned that many a vehicle has rolled off from that spot. Yikes. But I was not doubting. I threw the transmission in first gear and locked it in 4WD (has to be in 1st to lock, otherwise it’s in AWD). Gave it some gas. We rocked a bit, and with some real engine-revving effort, we hopped right out of the spot and climbed the remaining 100 feet or so. When we got to the top, I was in awe. Jumped out, ran to the front of the rig and saw what would have been a great advertisement photo. Sitting there, on top of the rocky mountains, having just conquered a tough climb. I was impressed. We spent the next 15 minutes or so looking over the view of the towns below. Really cool moment. And we made it down the mountain without tumbling. That was a bonus, too.

We also got to spend a couple nights at grandma and grandpa’s house. Got to play some hoops with my bro-in-law. Introduced the game “Tip 21” to him. Pretty fun game…I can play that game for hours and hours and not get tired of it. (In fact, that’s just what I did during many of my teenage years. But I digress.) This trip reminded me again how cool our family is and that there’s a reason we make all the effort to maintain family relationships, even (or especially) from afar.

A last note: The return trip from Utah to Portland always seems so much shorter to me. Of course, you gain an hour coming back, so during the summer you can do the whole trip during daylight. And the Idaho detour made the trip there seem much longer. But there’s something else. It just seems so much shorter heading home than it does going there. Lots of reasons, I suppose, but I still always am amazed at the phenomenon. Time for some forensics!

June 16 2010 – Emery’s birthday

2010-09-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

Wow. Emery is 10. She had a fun “Friends only” party, which meant I had to keep the other sisters contained while they par-tay. Her big gift this year? Two holes in her head. That’s right, she got her ears pierced. Growing up. Wow. Sometimes I look at her, see how big she’s getting and can’t believe it’s been that long since she was little. Gotta enjoy it while they’re around, ‘cause something tells me the next decade will speed by as well.

My buns get scared

2010-06-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

We're horsing around with the kids yesterday and 6-yr old Brooke looks at a scratch on my hand. She gets a concerned look on her face and says: "Daddy, whenever I look at someone's ouwy, my buns get scared." I respond: "Your buns get scared?" (glancing at Melissa with a smirk) "What do you mean, sweetie?" "Well, I look at someone's ouwy and I don't like it, so my buns go "ccghtt" (gesturing with both hands clinching) "You mean your buns tighten up?" "Yeah, they get real tight."

Couldn't contain the laughter at that point. So we concluded that she sees someone hurt and feels compassion on their pain and her physiological reaction is to tighten her cheeks. Now that's something I'd not heard before. What a sweetheart.

6/5/2010 - Run for the Roses

2010-06-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

Ran the Sherwood 10k Saturday morning. Absolutely perfect weather for a race. Sunny and cool. 8:00 am start time. No excuses. Since I haven't run the 10k distance in the past, I didn't know what to expect, but hoped to beat my previous PR of 6:52 mile splits, which would put me somewhere under 43 minutes overall. I reached those goals, as I finished with 41:21 overall time, running 6:40 mile splits. I'm happy with that. Turns out I was 9th place overall out of 139 participants. But boy, every time I run one of these, I think to myself: "why am I doing this? This is so unpoleasant!" I think, for me, it's the build-up, training, performance and feeling of accomplishment. The overall challenge to see what this body can do. There just seems to be some competitive dude inside me that likes to get out there, push hard through the pain to see what the outcome can be. And hey, I got 3rd in my age division (males 30-39), which was good enough to win a glass and a ribbon. What's better than that?
A really cool thing about this event was that the route ran right behind our house, so Melissa was able to snap these photos while I passed them. You can see Moriah's outstretched hand giving me a high-five in the first shot above. That was a cool moment. Ironically, this was also the moment the guy behind me (who I was trying to KEEP behind me) was able to pass me (you can see him on the road on the right side of the first picture above). C'mon, bro! In front of the family?!? Have you no respect!? I'm celebrating with my kid! I spent the rest of the race trying to catch up to him, but wasn't able to catch 'em. Punk. (kidding)

6/4/2010 - 33rd Birthday

2010-06-06T14:12:00.001-07:00

Wow. I'm 33 now. Well...could be worse...guess I could be 34! (kidding, future self reading this wishing I was still 34) The family made a special breakfast complete with Melissa's famous high-protein pancakes and homemade fresh blueberry syrup (awesome). The picture here says it all. They gave me a basketball rebounder I've been wanting (so I can stand there and shoot for hours with minimal ball retrieval). They also got me some clothes and to top it all off, we went to the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner. Birthdays are cool, but families are cooler.

5/31/2010 - Oregon Coast trip

2010-06-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

We took the family out to the coast for the memorial day weekend. Stayed in a condo at “Otter Crest” (in between Depoe Bay and Newport) for 3 nights and really enjoyed the Oregon coast in a different way than I ever have. It’s usually a quick day trip or an overnight campout when I head to the coast, so it was cool to spend a fair amount of time there, especially with the family together. The resort had a pool on a cliff overlooking the ocean, so that made it pretty cool.

We swam in the pool, spent time on the beach, went to church in Lincoln City, drove my new SUV out on the beach near Pacific City and even got to try out my new wetsuit in the ocean water. WOW. The wetsuit makes the Oregon beach experience so much more enjoyable. Even though the water is 55 degrees or so, it felt totally comfortable in the wetsuit. Only one problem, though. There was a shark lurking not too far away from me. Literally, you look out and the fin kept circling just a hundred feet or so away. The picture shown here is for real, there was a shark right there! I couldn’t believe it. So, needless to say, I didn’t go out very far and I got out of the water pretty quickly. But I was in just enough to know that having a wetsuit at the Oregon coast is pretty darned cool.
We also got to experience the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport. I’ve heard of this place all my life, but had never actually been there. They have done a great job, allowing the public to see sea lions, otters, sharks, etc. Probably the coolest thing there is the shark tunnels. There are 3 of them in the attraction and they do not disappoint. Some of the coolest looking sharks are literally swimming right over your head while you walk through. Really cool. The kids also got to touch some live starfish and other sea creatures. Moriah really wanted to see an alligator, and they had a few, and even one to touch/pet. They had a huge display of reptiles this time, so we saw so many different kinds of snakes that they all started looking similar! I would say the most peculiar creature there (to me, of course) is the jellyfish. What an odd creature. No eyes, no brain, and no central nervous system. But really cool to look at. Just don’t touch!

We had a blast at the coast this weekend. 3 days was just about right. It also reminded how cool the place where we live truly is.

5/22/2010 - Vancouver Lake Mock Triathlon

2010-06-03T12:35:00.000-07:00

I was able to run in the 2008 Vancouver Lake mock triathlon put on by the PTC (Portland Triathlon Club). Weather conditions were not encouraging as I drove up to the ‘couv at 6:30 in the morning. Temperature gage stayed right around 44 degrees, meaning hopping into a cold lake (fed by the Columbia River) might not be very pleasant. They did some clinics on each general phase of triathlon (swim, transition, bike, run, nutrition). Well done and well worth the time. So, then it was time to dawn the wetsuit and hop in the water. The skies were threatening rain, but not much had really fallen yet. Did a mini warm-up in the water and it was time to rock.

SWIM: As we began, I was reminded how different race day is from training doing laps in the pool at the gym. I was toward the front of the pack, so there was a lot of body contact (arms and legs hitting each other, people swimming over other swimmers, etc). I was glad it wasn’t a real race, and I was also glad I did it because it reminded me of what to prepare for on race day. In the water, I also had some minor ‘panic’ type moments. Not severe enough to actually stop swimming, but I definitely found myself constantly popping my head out of the water to take in my bearings and assess the best path where I would not be hitting other swimmers’ bodies. I really never found that path until the end, so I ended up very uncomfortable and really felt like I was in ‘survival mode’ most of the time. Even though this was a very short swim (600 yard or so), I just didn’t want to imagine going on for a longer distance. I don’t think the panic was due to cold temperature, although that must have had some affect on me. I think it was just the overall banging into other swimmers and trying to sight where I was trying to go. Basically, all of the technique stuff I’ve been working on: out the window. It was survival time. It made me very inefficient, but I stayed alive and got out of the water ready to tackle the bike. All-in-all, the swim was rough, but very good to have experienced to prep me for future races.

BIKE: As we got out of the water and transitioned to bike gear, I found myself dizzy, which is very unusual for me. Interesting, even in a mock situation, the adrenaline is pumping and the body is trying to adjust after being in the water. Once I was on the bike, the rain began…and I mean it started to pour. One great thing: I was borrowing a friends road bike (not my mtn. bike), so I felt lightning fast. Since this was not a timed event, I had one simple way of gauging my progress: how many people passed me, and how many people I pass. I can happily say not one person passed me, but I passed many folks on the bike. I think the rain conditions made people a little more tentative, so I was able to make up some ground. I really enjoyed the bike leg, as it was a beautiful setting on a country road next to the Columbia river. Very flat, and I felt like I was flying since I was on a bike much faster than my mtn. bike (which I love, btw – but is not made for road racing).

RUN: The run was a nice combo of trail and country road setting, and relatively uneventful for me. I tried to count the folks ahead of me and I believe I finished around ninth or so overall in the sprint distance. My stopwatch read 1 hour, 26 minutes at the finish. Nice thing was, after the bike leg, the sun came out, so the group had a nice BBQ lunch set up for us at the finish. The photo shown here is one of the BBQ’ers cursing the rain during the event, but it turned out to be pretty nice in the end. Unfortunately, they had to set up during the worst weather. Interestingly, the rain hit hard again as I drove home, so it would seem the clouds parted for some nice sun just for us.

This was a really cool event and I look forward to participating in the future. A great way to start out the triathlon season.

5/11/2010 - Gender ultrasound

2010-05-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

Baby’s gender ultrasound was today. With 4 older sisters, we’re gonna have a…BOY! Yup, we saw his business all up in there. We’re excited about the little fella on the way. We had all the girls with us at the ultrasound event and they were all happy talking about their little brother growing inside mommy. They’ve really wanted to have a brother. That’s why this caught me a bit off guard, too: I had the 3 oldest in the car with me and said; “Are you guys excited to have a little brother?!” They said yes, but Moriah had a scowl on her face. I asked what’s wrong and she says: “Your gonna love him more than all of us girls.” Woah…didn’t expect that one right away. I explained that I’ve been excited when we found out each of our little ones on the way. Girls are special to me, and especially because Heavenly Father has sent His special daughters to our home. Very special. I think she gets it, but she’s thinking, man. Always thinking. So, we’ll have to be sensitive about the excitement level. And it’s true: I’ve been psyched about all our girls. The boy news just means it’s a slightly different kind of journey for us.

So, they all have different opinions about boy names. Here’s how it shakes down:
Emery: Charles William
Moriah: Dylan
Brooke: Jeffery

Mommy and daddy have their own name ideas, too. I haven’t even revealed mine to anyone yet. Thought it would jinx the process, so I’ll probably hold out a bit longer. We thought this day wouldn’t come. Wow.

3/18/2010 - Hornings Hideout

2010-05-10T12:17:00.000-07:00

Last March Grandma and Grandpa Pearson were in town, so we took a family trip to Horning's Hideout, a family-friendly joint located in the hills northwest of the Portland area. They have a lake with paddleboats and fishing as well as frisbee golf and mountain biking trails. The highlight of the day was catching a salamander. Moriah loved this thing so much she named it Sally... She's holding it in the picture here.

Now, put Sally back in the water, sweetheart.

Stinky fish

2010-05-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

Emery made a great point yesterday. I'm fixing some tuna for the family and Moriah says: "Yuk. What stinks?" I explained it was tuna for lunch and she was cool with it. Then Emery pipes in: "Of course it's stinky. Tuna is from fish. Everything from fish is stinky." She has a point.

5/6/2010 - hangin with siblings

2010-05-10T12:01:00.000-07:00

My sister and brother paid a visit to town Thursday afternoon. Since they don't live in the Portland area anymore, we wanted to get some views of the city. It was actually pretty cool to go all around downtown and look for cool views of the skyline. We ended up at the Merrick (photo above) as well as the Burnside bridge, Vista bridge, eastside esplanade (photo below) and the aerial tram. All were pretty cool, but just spending a few hours with my bro and sis was cool in itself.

5/8/2010 - Lake Run

2010-05-09T16:31:00.000-07:00

It's amazing...the voices that visit your head when you're running a tough race. But that's for later in the post. The 34th annual Lake Run came 'round again this weekend. It's a 12k run around Oswego Lake and is known as a very hilly course (brutal). My sister Abbie and I have created a tradition of this event, and this year was great. We tend to run at our own pace(s), so this time we consciously did not run together at all and would just meet up at the end. Last time I ran it, I placed 72nd overall out of 751 runners with a time of 54:03, running 7:15 mile splits. My goal for this year's race was to place in the top 50 overall, finish under 53 minutes and even shoot for mile splits under 7:00. All attainable, I thought. However, I ran the exact course during training last week and was a little surprised that I came in at 58 minutes flat. I wasn't sure what to make of that. Can I really improve by 5 minutes just based on the adrenaline and competition of race day?

Well, as the horn sounded and the race began, I felt great and trotted right along. Then the first hill came... I pushed through it. A great part about the course is that it runs through many of the neighborhoods I roamed while growing up. Fun to see some of the old personal landmarks, etc.

However, it's amazing how many demons visit my head during competition. "You can't run this hard all the way." "Maybe you're not as good as you think you are." "This is really hard, you should probably take it easy." "This hill is steep...Walk for a bit." "What are you doing here? You're not a runner. You can't hang with these guys." All kinds of thoughts (negative and positive) roll through my mind as I'm going. I want the nay-sayers to go away, but it's so easy to start doubting...and even strong consideration of giving up. At least I would have an excuse, right? Just say I was pushing too hard and my body said "stop". Well, I know my body too well, and I know what I can handle, and I wasn't gonna to give in to the demons. Yeah, it'll hurt tomorrow...but I'll know I gave it my all. Nearing the finish line, I could see I was going to hit my targets. Should I ease up for the final stretch? No, of course not. I want to make my best time. So I started striding harder. Then I noticed a dude in a blue shirt passing me. I definitely didn't like that, especially since I was hitting it hard right then. So, I dug deep [...REAL deep] and sprinted as hard as possible. Man did it hurt. But somehow it strangely feels good. I just can't explain it. He saw me turn on the afterburners and it was on. We both sprinted as hard as possible all the way to the finish. After crossing (he did beat me, but barely), through the pain we managed to smile and high-five as we panted for any morsel of oxygen we could find.

My time? 51:12 with 6:53 splits. 32nd place out of 808 runners. I feel very good about that race. Abbie also acheived her goals and paced/placed better than last time. We were both happy with our performance. Could I do it again? Yeah, probably. Can I improve on that time? Maybe, but I'm not positive it'll be by much. I really hit it hard. I feel good that I gave it my all and beat my goals soundly. I also discovered that I'm an uphill guy. I like to push hard up the hills and end up passing some people. But then, down the hills and on the flats I'm getting passed by the same folks. Hhmm. Gotta work on my downhill/flat game.

A good start to the race season. As I write this the next day, my legs are SO sore. Walking down the stairs is particularly painful. It's primarily sore calf muscles, but I've also never had ankle pain like this after an event. New aches! Aging is a real drag, man. I have a few more races this year including a mock triathlon in 2 weeks, a 10k in June and I'll compete in my first olympic distance triathlon in July. Why do I do this? Well, I guess it keeps me motivated. The energy of raceday is great, too. I suppose the sense of accomplishment and overall competitive outlet are major factors. But when you're this sore after a race, it's hard to imagine competing again!

4/30/2010 - Iris' Play

2010-05-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

My sister continues to make strides in the acting world. She played a great role in "A...My Name Will Always Be Alice." There were some funny parts. Well done play. I laughed A LOT during this thing. Apparently the hardest part is the "monologue" (no singing). Iris did a great job and even got some positive reviews. Rock on, sis. We enjoyed the show!

4/12/2010 - Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge

2010-05-09T16:14:00.000-07:00

While in Vancouver we also took the advice of locals and checked out the Lynn Valley suspension bridge. We were not disappointed. Great place to go with the family. The bridge is 166 feet above the river and you are in one of the thickest old-growth forests around. Lots of short-or-long hikes to choose from. It really is a beautiful place to spend time with loved ones and see some BC beauty while still close to the city.

4/11/2010 - Vancouver BC trip

2010-05-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

The Vancouver BC temple is opening soon, so that gave our family a chance for our kids to see the inside of a temple before they are old enough to participate in ordinances. So, we packed the kids in the van and made the 6 hour trip north. We stayed with family in Vancouver. I had forgotten what a beautiful city Vancouver is. It's a really cool place. We enjoyed an evening/morning with them (so gracious to host distant relatives) in their beautiful home with a gorgeous view overlooking the bay from west Vancouver. It's a stunning view to wake up to. Wow. It turned out that he was also a temple open house tour guide. We got to see the grounds and tour the interior. What a great experience, particularly for our kids. I was tending to 2-yr old Clara, who happened to be acting up (tired) while we were inside, so I hung behind and tried to keep her quiet. An interesting moment, while we entered the celestial room, she was still having a hard time being still, so I distracted her by telling her to look up. While in that beautiful place, she was able to be still only while looking up. Now I also realize the gorgeous, sparkly chandelier had a lot o do with it, but it made me think nonetheless. This was a great experience that I believe our family will never forget.

4/8/2010 - Grade School Concerts

2010-05-09T15:11:00.000-07:00

It's concert season for our grade schoolers. We've had some fun at our concerts. Emery's third grade concert, Moriah's first grade concert (pictured here) and Brooke's Kindergarten concert. Our school teachers do great work and should be commended. When a teacher can make music fun for a child, it greatly enhances the educational experience. It's fun to see them perform, too!

3/23/2010 - Brooke's Birthday

2010-05-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

Wow. Brooke is 6 now.
Each of our children's birthdays come as a bit of ashocker to me. They really are growing up. We only have them in our home for a short time. So, she insisted on Chuck E Cheese (CEC) for her party. Had about 12 of her friends come. Grandpa Elton was even there, too. What surprised me was what an enjoyable experience CEC was. Every other time I have been there, it's crazy...let alone trying to keep track of 12 or so kids in a busy place. But this was not that way at all. It was a mid-week, daytime party, and that made all the difference. We were the only ones back in the party area, and the games were not overwhelmed with people at all. I highly recommend, if you have to do a CEC party, do it during mid-day. Seriously.

2/11/2010 - Space Needle Salon

2010-05-09T14:57:00.001-07:00

My sister is a hair stylist in Seattle. I took the opportunity for a road trip, just me and my little girls, and drove up to get their hair done and see some family. I knew her shop was in downtown Seattle, but I was surprised when we got there that, you sit in the chair, look out the window and BOOM, there's the space needle right there in your grill. That's pretty cool. Oh yeah, and she did a great job on our hair, too. :-)

Prayer for the bored

2010-02-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

(click to enlarge image)

The ‘portrait’ she made at school for father’s day last year adds some insight to this post.

In the last week or so, Moriah has independently decided to include me in her prayers. Without any input from us (that I’m aware of), she has said something similar to this in multiple family prayers recently:

“…and please help dad at his job, because he does boring stuff all day. He sits at a computer and prints out paper and reads and stuff. Help him not be bored.”

The best part about this is that she’s totally sincere. She is concerned that daddy might be getting too bored during the day. Hey, who am I to argue? If she wants to pray for a little excitement at work, an answer to that prayer may or may not turn out to be a good thing!! Hhhmmmn.

Superman is in town

2010-01-15T16:02:00.001-08:00

Joel Przybilla is out for the season so somebody else will have to man the critical "Watch Dwight Dunk from Under the Rim" defensive position tonight. Fortunately the Blazers still have the "Touch the Butt" and "Knock Your Knees in Fear" spots manned.

BLAZERSEDGE (best team blog out there) had this photo and caption regarding tonight's game.

When he looked like a girl

2010-01-04T09:52:00.001-08:00

Moriah has been really under the weather this weekend. Earaches, fever and general flu symptoms. Poor kid. So, Saturday we were catching some tube together. Since I knew she likes Michael Jackson, I turned on a “Remembering Michael Jackson” special. One of the first videos we saw was the old “Rock With You” video – you know, the one where he’s in a sparkling disco outfit dancing with a single light source behind him. Brilliant song. But 7-yr old Moriah wasn’t having any of it. Her comment: “Dad, Michael Jackson was better when he looked like a girl.”

I presume she was referring to his music.

Happy New Year

2010-01-04T09:50:00.001-08:00

The new year is upon us. We had some friends over for a new year’s eve celebration. Fun had by all. On new year’s day we watched the rose parade and I got all geeked up for the Rose Bowl. The ducks started out flat, with the Buckeyes scoring the first 10 points. But Oregon surged back, tying the score at 10 in the 3rd quarter. I had hope…but then it was dashed to pieces in the latter part of the game. Ohio State simply executed well. It is also being reported that their athletes are just plain bigger than Oregon athletes. I noticed this when the Buckeyes walked out on the field. They just looked big compared to our team. In the end: Buckeyes 26, Ducks 17. I was disappointed, but it only took a few hours for me to flush it out of the system and look forward to next year. It was a great year. I think the young team learned a lot from this experience. It’s tough to make it to this game. I want to see them get there again soon.

Blazers 101 - Clippers 99

2009-12-31T14:18:00.000-08:00

Emery and I went to the Blazers-Clippers game last night. She is 9 now and is becoming more and more fun to enjoy a game with. I really love taking the kids to games. Especially the 1-on-1 time talking about the game…and whatever. It’s a fun tradition we’ve been enjoying each year.

Portland keeps coming up with scrappy wins. The team is now tied for leading the Pacific Division. Considering injuries and roster depletion, this is shocking. It may have something to do with teams coming in to games thinking they are dealing with an inexperienced team with no true big man in the middle. However, the Blazers are also showing that they have resolve and chemistry previously unknown. I mean, sheesh. We even lost LaMarcus Aldridge in the 1st quarter last night. Yet the team still found a way to confuse the opposition just enough to win. Defensive switching (zone, trapping, man and intensity) proved to be effective against the Clips. Is it enough against elite teams? Probably not. But even with all the frustration of this challenging season, the remaining guys are giving us reasons to be engaged and interested anyway. Go Blazers/

PS: Odd moment: So, now that the girls are growing up, what am I supposed to do when it’s time for me to hit the bathroom? I can’t leave her out there in the concourse with thousands of fans milling around. Seriously, what’s the solution? In this case, she was a trooper and went along with standing in the sink/mirror area while I ventured into the depths of the men’s room. She said she was really embarrassed. But I also recognize it’s awkward for all involved. I think she’ll be fine out in the concourse in a few years from now…but there are definitely a few years of gray area here. One of the many dilemmas of a father.

12/27/2008 – Mormon Tabernacle Choir

2009-12-29T14:19:00.003-08:00

Today, Melissa was smitten. Not with another guy, of course, but by a choir. She was able to attend the weekly broadcast of “Music and the Spoken Word” in Salt Lake City. She admits it. She is smitten. The broadcast was so impressive and the choir sounded perfect. Our bro-in-law directed the choir for the final song - an awesome arrangement of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”. The whole experience was particularly impressive to her. And yes, she has re-kindled the notion that, someday, just maybe, she would like to audition for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Just...maybe... I fully support her ambitions there and think it's awesome she wants to be a part of something so special. Of course, we’d probably have to move back to Utah before she can do so….so, we dunno. The "MTC" is awesome. And a lofty goal for her to dream about, too. Someday, right? Someday.

12/25/2009 – Christmas in the Wasatch mountains

2009-12-29T14:19:00.001-08:00

We had an amazing Christmas experience in the Utah mountains this year. Melissa’s brother has recently built a cabin there (just outside of Heber, UT). The family gathering there was really fun. The cabin can only be accessed with 4WD or snow chains. It felt like a perfect winter Christmas location. So cool. A few of us enjoyed a day of skiing/boarding at “The Canyons” in Park City (reminded me how bad I am). One bro-in-law and I tackled a tough black diamond run. I am not ashamed to admit I had a few moments thinking “What am I doing here? I can’t do this!” Pure terror. But we muscled through it. Good stuff, man. Of course, Christmas morning was fun with the kids. All the cousins were so pumped to check out what Santa had brought them. On Christmas day I also tried my hand at snowmobiling. First time in my life. We even got to check out a bit of the “back country” in the national forest area. Man, throttling that thing and getting up over 50 MPH is a rush!

12/22/2009 – Przybilla out? No, seriously?

2009-12-29T14:10:00.000-08:00

We made the long trip to Utah for Christmas, so I had limited access to check out the Las Vegas bowl featuring BYU vs. Oregon State. My father-in-law went with me to a sports grill to check out the game, which ended up being unentertaining because BYU totally dominated the Beavs. So, while watching the bowl game, I was intently watching the ESPN ticker at the bottom of the screen. As it scrolled through NBA scores, I was getting excited to see that the Blazers were hanging in there – at Dallas – and eventually saw that they won the game. I was stoked. As my father-in-law and I drove home, I explained to him all of the injuries plaguing (cursing, really) the team right now. So I was excited that, based on the score periodically flashing on the bottom of the screen, that the team probably played a good game. I was honestly most excited that they were likely “injury free” that night. Then, the next morning I check online and find out Joel is out for the season. Seriously!?! Better update this chart:

12/19/2009 – Portland Mormon Choir Christmas Concert

2009-12-29T14:09:00.000-08:00

Melissa is singing with the Portland Mormon Choir (www.portlandmormon.org). I am so proud of her – being a part of such a great group and working hard to produce a great show. The way they started it was so cool. The orchestra was on stage and played a couple songs, then the lights went out and two soloists were spotlighted on each side of the stage - a male and a female. They sang lines back and forth (in a beautiful chanting tone), then the audience begins to hear singing from behind. The choir members were entering the hall (approx. 2,000 audience members) from the rear doors, each holding a lit candle. As they walked down the side aisles, it created a unique surround sound. I tell you what, I felt the Spirit strong as they entered the concert hall. And the candles in each of their hands…wow. What a cool show. I thought it was a great mix of spiritual, Christ-centered material along with some fun, upbeat holiday favorites. Great job, Melissa…and all involved.

Chinese Doctors

2009-12-29T14:07:00.002-08:00

So we’re sitting at breakfast talking about the upcoming day. Emery informs us that one of her classmates was born in China. I thought that was cool so I asked her to elaborate. After doing so, it became apparent to her that the kid was not born in China after all. Then, to save her friend’s reputation, she says: “Well, when she was born there were probably Chinese doctors in the hospital.” Kids say the funniest things.

12/5/2009 – Oden Injury

2009-12-29T14:07:00.001-08:00

It is hard to put into words how tough the injuries have been on the blazers this year. Pendergraph (hip), Mills (foot), Batum (Shoulder), Outlaw (foot), Fernandez (back), and now the biggest setback of the year: Greg Oden’s (other) knee. The situation speaks for itself, but man is it a tough pill to swallow. Greg is a key component to a deep playoff run, and now we’re pedaling backwards again. Tough. Again… it’s tough to put into words.

12/3/2009 – CIVIL WAR GAME

2009-12-29T14:05:00.001-08:00

I’m not sure I’ll ever see another Civil War game with this much riding on it again. It also turned out to be a Thursday night game on ESPN. A few friends came over to our place to watch the game together and the game truly lived up to the hype. We often caught ourselves turning to each other saying “Wow, what a game!” Both teams came to play.

Now, off to enjoy the Roses on New Year’s Day!

11/26/2009 – Happy Thanksgiving

2009-12-29T14:04:00.001-08:00

We had a “non-traditional” thanksgiving this year. 3 other families came over to our place and we enjoyed the holidaym, not with the traditional extended-family group, but this time with friends. It was a fun twist. A cool holiday with cool folks.

11/23/2009 – Blazers vs. Bulls

2009-12-29T14:03:00.001-08:00

Moriah and Brooke accompanied me to the Bulls game on Monday, 11/23. A friend also brought his son and sat near us. Blazers blew them out 122-98.

11/21/2009 – Ducks win at Arizona

2009-12-29T14:01:00.000-08:00

Man, that was one intense battle in Tucson. I was watching on TV at home and found myself standing up in anxious anticipation. That was the most nervous I’ve been during a sporting event in a long time. And man did it pay off. Double-overtime thriller with a ducks touchdown to seal the deal. Whew! Now a civil war to decide the fate of the Pac-10 championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl. I was jumping up and down, literally freaking out when that final touchdown finished the game. Dickson’s celebration (photo above) was perfect for the emotions we fans were feeling right then. Wow.

Clara's Birthday!

2009-11-20T17:01:00.000-08:00

Clara turned 2 yesterday. I planned my business trip so I could return in time to celebrate her birthday with the family. It’s hard to believe how quickly time flies. So we ended up going to an indoor play structure and playing for almost 2 hours. Then, while at the restaurant waiting for our dinner, we went around the table and each said something about Clara that we appreciate. We ended up going around the table 2 or three times, and there were still lots of things we hadn’t said. It’s fun to spotlight a member of the family like that and reflect as a group on why that person is so special to us. We then came home for the cake & gifts ceremony.

Little girls are so fun to celebrate a birthday with. They are so IN-TO it. And Clara, she was so sweet, climbing on her new little tricycle. She’ll be riding that around the house for months. She also got a few clothes and special items. She was just so darned happy with the attention and gifts. It was a good day.

Arizona trip

2009-11-20T17:00:00.000-08:00

I spent 4 days this week in Arizona on business. I spent most of the time in Phoenix, but also had to travel 200 miles northwest to the town of Kingman. I saw one very peculiar thing while driving back. 2 workers on the side of the highway actually hosing down a cactus. I don’t know if they were cleaning it, watering it or just giving it some good old-fashioned love and attention. What the devil were they doing? Hhhmm. I also noticed how many cacti were propped up by man-made supports (boards and such, kind of like how you might prop up a weakened plant in your yard). I was just surprised at how many of these I saw. I wonder if the cactus population is endangered, or that’s just typical to see cacti being held up by man-made structures.

Arizona has a very deserty landscape for sure. And I will admit, it was nice to get out of the Portland November rain for a few days, but returning home was so gratifying. This place I live, the Portland area, has its own unique, majestic power. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so I’m not going to make a statement on that. Everywhere is beautiful in its own way. But I sure am an Oregon boy!

While there, my rental car was a Chrysler 300 (touring edition). I was previously skeptical of the whole “hemi” marketing and all. So it had something to prove to me. But I tell you what, that car grew on me. By the end of the 4 days, I was sad to give it back. It could get up and move when & how I told it to. And on the long trip to Kingman, the cruise control was impressively accurate, even on hills. Summary, the 300 is a nice ride. I have become a convert.

On the return flight home, we flew directly over the Grand Canyon. It looks really cool from the air. I bet it is even more amazing from the ground. I hope to visit there with the family some day soon.

Grown-up talk (waah waah)

2009-10-19T10:08:00.000-07:00

Moriah really wanted this book called “Body Science” when she was at her school’s book fair last week. It has great photos and descriptions of different things going on inside your body (i.e. energy, balance, brain, muscles, bones, 5 senses, etc). So, the last few nights, that’s been our bedtime reading (sometimes I have to edit to make sure there’s no scary nightmare-ish fodder). It's actually pretty cool. So, last night I’m reading some pages with her and I notice her eyes glazing over a bit, so I ask: “Are you liking the book?” She says: “Well, yeah, but most of the time it’s just adult talk. I only want to hear the cool stuff.” I had visions of Charlie Brown’s teacher “waah waah” in my head. That’s what it is for a 7 year old, even though the book is aimed at kids (albeit probably for kids older than her). Even when reading a book she chose, I have to mindful of too much “grown up language.”

MoTab by Moriah

2009-10-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

We were watching uncle Ryan lead the choir on TV this week and Moriah decided to draw him conducting (click on the picture for a larger view). I love this picture. From left-to-right, we have a bass/cello player, a flute player (the lines that look like flames coming from her body represent the music coming from her), the conductor (Ryan) looks the part for sure, the organ with lots of music coming from its pipes, and I believe it’s a violin player on the far right. Below are all of the choir members with their music books open in front of them.

Go uncle Ryan!!

9/28/2009: Family funeral

2009-10-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

We attended the funeral of a family member this week. Since it’s not my place to blog about specifics, suffice it to say that it was an excellent service. We have been praying for the family during this grieving period. The passing of a life is always difficult, but also is an important time for the rest of us to reflect on the impact that person made, as well as take a personal inventory of our own impact on others and the world around us. Money, accolades, etc. How much of it really matters in the end? How did you treat other people? Did you have a relationship with God and were you always striving to improve? Did you try to help others along your journey? Those are the things that really matter in the end. While funerals are usually difficult for all involved, it’s also a great opportunity to take stock in the things that really matter. And hug family members… you know, the rest of us left behind.

Also, my younger sister Iris sang a great rendition of “How Great Thou Art” during the service. I’m glad she’s willing to share her talent with us. She can hit certain notes that are unique to her talent. Well done, sis.

9/26/2009: Alpine Slide: “This is soooo awesome!!”

2009-10-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to the Alpine Slide (www.skibowl.com) on Saturday. As the kids get a little older, I realize this is a really fun spot to enjoy with the family. Emery wanted to wait in the car with g’ma and a sleeping Clara, so Moriah and Brooke hopped on the ski lift with Melissa and I, on our way to ride the slide down the hill. Riding the ski lift alone is a blast with a 7 year old. She was so amazed that we could sit on a chair in the sky like that. We got into the toboggans together (Moriah in my lap and Brooke in mommy’s lap) to cruise down the hill…

Then, a moment I won't forget. As we started down the track and gained a fair amount of speed, Moriah spontaneously yelled “This is SOOOO AWESOMMME!!!” It was pure glee, making it so much more fun for me, too. Something about that moment will stick with me for years to come. Of course, I put the pedal to the medal and we cooked down the hill at light speed…just for the awesomeness of it all.

Discovering the Old Salmon River Trail

2009-10-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

After the 10k race in Estacada, we made it a family day at the mountain. G’ma Elton was with us and we headed up to Mt. Hood with a packed minivan. As we approached Welches, OR, G’ma and I decided it would be nice to pass the old cabin our family had there during the 1980’s. We did so, reminiscing of the good times as we sat in front for a few minutes. Then, I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to take a right on East Salmon River Road to see if the old swimming hole and hiking trail was just as I remembered. I’m really glad we did. It’s only less than 4 miles up the road to the campground and trail head. I didn’t realize it is also open to mtn. bikes, so I think I’ll make a trip out of it one of these days soon. I also think it’ll be a great spot to take the kids camping once in a while.

9/26/2009: Melissa’s first 10k

2009-10-01T14:03:00.001-07:00

Mel ran her first race ever this weekend. I was impressed. She was doubtful to actually do it (knee problems, etc) until just before race day, so she hadn’t trained extensively for it. She figured she’d walk some if necessary and just focus on finishing. Well, she found that she has fire inside after all! She ran with a group of friends and they all went without walking. The race, called “The Best Dam Run” (dams on the river, folks...), is a beautiful setting along the Clackamas river, ending in downtown Estacada, OR. I was there with cameras in hand (her friends camera as well), waiting to take the shot of glory while they sprint to the finish. We waited for sometime and for whatever reason, did not see them approaching and was not prepared when they rounded the corner. By the time I saw it was them, I had to fumble to turn both cameras on and sprint next to them to try to get a good action shot. Well, it didn’t work out so well. I looked like an idiot doing it and the photos are none-too-impressive. I tried, sweetie! Melissa finished with an overall time of 1:06:20, equaling 10:42 splits.

Our girls were excited to see mommy race, too. Moriah made a great sign to hold up at the finish line that read simply: “Go My Mom!” I love that it wasn’t just “Go Mom!”, but she had to specify that it was HER mom that she was cheering on. Love it.

Beggars, choosers, frauds?

2009-09-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

I had an interesting experience this week. Last Sunday, our gospel doctrine lesson was on ‘saving’ and ‘ rescuing’. Spiritually and temporally. The class had a good discussion based on D&C 52:40, which reads:

“And remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted, for he that doeth not these things, the same is not my disciple.”

I also like D&C 104:18 on the subject:
“Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment.”

Those are pretty strong words. If we’ve been blessed, we need to use our abundance to bless others. But the question may be “how?” – give $5 to the beggar we see on the street? Give him/her a sandwich? You wonder how you can really make a difference – in one life, or in many lives. So, all the while, I was thinking about a homeless man who I see regularly at the freeway offramp near my office. Tuesday morning I was on my bicycle commuting past this offramp, saw him and decided to stop and chat with him. Generally, I wanted to get to know him and find out if I could do something to really help him. He was nice enough, and I think he was glad that I stopped to chat. It was interesting to note how specific he got with the things he “wanted”. I was glad to hear it, but what I was really interested in was his story; why he is where he is, what he truly needs, etc. So it was interesting to chat with him for a while. I found out that he grew up in Hillsboro (just 20 miles or so away), is now 57 years old and sleeping under a trussle bridge.

He told me about his horrible diet (primarily corn dogs, beer and cigarettes, all of which he had sitting there with him). He was very specific about the food he wanted me to get him (expensive delicacies, etc), and he was adamant about wanting a bicycle. I said I could probably make that happen (thinking of used bikes I could get a hold of, etc), but he wasn’t very interested in that. He wanted MY BIKE. The one I was sitting on at the moment. When I told him I’m not giving him this particular bike, but that I could get one for him, he started looking at my bike and telling me which accessories from my bike he wants (rack, water bottle cages, etc). It wasn’t that he wanted me to get a hold of similar items for him, we wanted me to give them to him right then and there. He was dead serious, and I found it intriguing how the conversation developed. I started seeing his sense of entitlement. He had been begging for so long, and people have been handing him something for nothing, he has become used to people giving him what he’s asking for. We talked about a number of other subjects, all of which helped me get a better picture of his situation and what might help. We talked about whether he wanted work (which he essentially did not, because he was specific about what he did not want to do…basically anything that required work and responsibility). I tried to be honest with him that, if I gave him money, I didn’t want him to spend it on his vices (beer, cigarettes), explaining that I want it to do some good for him, not contribute to the things bringing him down. So, I challenged him to quit drinking/smoking. He was receptive, knew it would be a good thing, but not interested. He said: “Ask me when I don’t have a bottle sitting next to me. It’s hard when I have it right here with me.” I appreciated his honesty.

All of these things revealed a little more and more. So, we got to the point in the conversation regarding his health. I was concerned if he had pressing health issues that need attention. He said “Oh, yeah. I need this tick removed!” He lifted his shirt to reveal a nasty wound right in the middle of his chest. I mean nasty. It looked like he had tried to work on it himself, because there was gauze and other items stuck in it (looked like possibly a napkin). It looked painful and dangerous to live with.

Destination: Boise: At this point, he started telling me about how badly he wanted to get to Boise, Idaho. I asked why, and he said there was a shelter there and free medical care. I said yes, absolutely, you need medical attention for your chest. He was insistent that I go buy him a bus ticket, one-way, to Boise. He told me his exact name to put on the ticket and even offered that I could make it non-refundable, so I wouldn’t worry about him cashing it in. I said, “I’ll see what I can do.” I explained Boise isn’t the answer for his medical situation, that there must be somewhere around here he could go. He acknowledged local shelters, but that medical care was way too expensive. He didn’t like my response and said he’ll be waiting right here until I return with the ticket. I told him not to hold his breath, but that, again, I’ll see what I can do to give him a hand. His primary need was medical care, and told me getting to Boise was the only way he would be able to afford it. I wasn’t sure if he was confused or feeding me a line, but I decided to take it at face value for the time being.

So, I ride away, hurrying to a meeting at work and really start thinking about how I could actually help this brother. I had approached him to find out what he needed, but instead he peppered me with a miscellaneous assortment of wants. Nothing of real substance. Interesting. I didn’t expect the incessant demands. But I had gained enough of a picture of his situation to do something. Later that morning I started researching medical options and how he could get his chest looked at. Regardless of how “entitled” he might feel and that I was not getting him specifically what he asked for, I felt strongly that no one in this great country of ours should be walking around with a nasty gash in their chest like that simply because he can’t afford medical attention. After a number of web searches and phone calls, I found a place where he could get free medical attention. Alternatively, he could also walk into any emergency room and get treated free of charge (non-profit write-off). I figured that, but wanted to find a better situation where it wasn’t a drain on the hospital/emergency room resources. It would also be nice to get him connected with a resource where he could regularly get attention when he needed it, not just an emergency room. I was able to narrow it down to a clinic one mile from him. I got the specifics about time/location printed on a paper along with a personal note from me encouraging him to get medical attention. I felt good about the information and that I would be filling his need, even if it wasn’t exactly what he “wanted” and how he wanted it.

I was excited to get the info to him, but I passed the location twice (Tues evening, Wed morning) and he wasn’t there. Last night, Wednesday evening, he was there and I presented the paper to him. At first, he saw me handing him a piece of paper and thought I was giving him a bus ticket. He looked excited. But as I was handing it to him, I was explaining about the medical clinic and how he could get his chest taken care of. He was incensed. “I told you Boise!” he yelled. I mean he was mad! He wouldn’t even take the piece of paper. He was even somewhat combative. I explained there are free medical clinics locally that he can take advantage of, that he didn’t have to go to Boise. He said: “Free medical?! That’s everywhere! I told you Boise!” I responded that he’s acting very ungrateful. I told him I had researched and made a bunch of phone calls to find him a doctor who would work on him for free. I also told him I was disappointed that he lied to me and reminded him that he told me "Boise" because he wanted medical attention, and now I find out that wasn’t the motive at all.

Did I handle that right? Maybe not. Probably not. I hate that I used the word “lie”. But I felt it was exactly what I needed to say right then. I wanted him to know that if I’m going to help him, there needs to be some trust and that I don’t want him to trick me. He definitely didn’t like that. I told him I didn’t appreciate his response, but he really should get his chest worked on. He said he could do that anywhere and was still fuming that I wasn’t handing him a bus ticket. I rode away on my bike as cordially as possible, saying I’ll see him later. This morning, he was in the same spot, and at the red light, I said, “Hey John! Good morning!” He acknowledged me, and I’m not sure if he wanted to say something because the light turned green and I rode away (on purpose). I intend to check in on him soon, but I felt this morning was too soon after the incident.

So, have I handled this the way you would? Probably not. I wanted to help and I feel shot down. He is stuck in a rut from years of begging. An organization is probably better equipped to help someone like him. So many layers of issues to work through, and his defiance makes it that much worse. So, I ask you: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” If so, what’s the best way to help someone like John? I plan to talk with him and give him nutritious food occasionally, but how can we really HELP? Life’s most pressing issues rarely have an easy answer. Especially when you’re on the front lines. Something to ponder.

Unngm

2009-09-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

Is that how to spell the “gulping” sound? You know how you can learn to speak “kid”? – and particularly how each kid has their own way to learn words? Well, Clara is 21 months old now and learning all sorts of words: Mama, Dada, Emmie (Emery), Buuk (Brooke), Riah (Moriah), Duug (dog), Fruug (frog), Baw (ball), Okee (o.k.), Hat (helmet), Mewk (milk) and of course, “Baa baa”. But there are a couple of mysteries happening here as well. She refuses to say her own name. We are sure she knows it, because she has said it for us. But she basically refuses to say it when we ask her to. She’ll go through all the body parts and names of family and friends, but when we ask her to say “Clara” … no way, not happening! It’s a crack up. Also, she has a very funny word for “water”. She knows what we mean when we say the word ‘water’, but she doesn’t want to say it herself. Her substitution is something like “unngm”, a unique version of the gulping sound. She often also points to her throat when she does it. That means she want a drink of unngm. My heart melts every time.

Boating the Willamette

2009-09-22T13:20:00.001-07:00

For FHE last night, friends were kind enough to take us out for some fun on their boat. The kids took turns in the tube, then the adults got to ski/wakeboard. I was impressed with Mel’s mad skeeelz. Melissa has not been waterskiing many times in her life (neither have I), but she popped right up on her first shot out of the water. I was amazed. As a teenager, I tried to waterski a few times, but never quite got the hang of it (maybe got up once or twice). Similarly, I tried wakeboarding as a teenager, but was never able to get up. So last night I got up on the wakeboard on my first try, then after a short lived second attempt, on my third I was up for quite some time. I even tried jumping the wake a few times (not successful, but fun). Wakeboarding is a BLAST! I really enjoyed it.

I have to say this: the Willamette is shockingly cold right now. I haven’t swum in it recently, but I used to jump/swim in it regularly in the early 1990’s. I’ve never experienced it this c-c-cold before. Call me a wuss, but it was chilly! OK, OK, I am a wuss. I seemed to be the only one who was really cold.

9/15/2009: Bike wreck

2009-09-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

Man, I haven’t had a real bike accident since 1997, but this morning was my day of reckoning. I was on my morning commute to work and while taking a right turn in Tualatin, caught a lip and got taken off balance just enough to lay the bike down and scrape myself up pretty good. Now my right leg is scraped in 4 places and my left elbow has three scrapes. My right wrist and ankle are pretty sore as well. I fell on the right wrist and leg pretty hard, so that made sense. And the foot must have stayed caught in the pedal clips too long, so the ankle soreness makes sense. But how did I get the left arm involved? I’m still trying to figure that one out. My handle bars ended up backwards, so I’m guessing my arm flipped around with the bars while I was falling and the left arm ended up in an awkward position. Whatever it was, it was no fun. Traffic stopped to check me out and a pedestrian close by was really concerned for me. Thinking back on the fall, it must have looked really bad. But after reorienting myself, I got back in the saddle and finished the second half of the ride. I definitely have a little more respect for the road after that. Wrecks can be good…well, sorta.

9/12/2009: Drift Creek Falls, Beach & Pony rides

2009-09-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

It was a great Saturday today. I was able to go on a short bike ride with some ward friends in the morning. Then, after Melissa went to the gym, we packed up the kids to head out to the coast. I had heard of the Drift Creek Falls hike and have wanted to go for a month now. On our way out, we stopped at a fruit stand on the side of the road. They also happened to have pony rides. Moriah has wanted to ride a horse or pony for so long! They each got a short ride on the ponies and all of a sudden we had some stoked kids.

The Drift Creek Falls hike is perfect for a short family jaunt. You have to leave the highway and travel on an old logging road for 9 miles or so. Great hike that takes about ½ hour each way with kids. A fair amount of small hills that present a challenge for kids. But we really didn’t get much whining from them. They were troopers. I think it helped that we were tallying all the caterpillars we saw along the trail. Anything to distract, eh? The suspension bridge at the falls is really impressive.

After the hike, we headed down to the beach at Lincoln City. The tide was way higher than I’ve ever seen it before. It was somewhat chilly at the beach, so we only spent less than an hour there, then headed to dinner and home. It was a lot of fun for us. I was surprised at how the kids’ demeanor changed. I know that if we had stayed at home it would have been a day with friends, which always includes some bickering, etc. Man was this better! Family time is so important. Not to mention I got out of mowing the lawn for the day…but that just makes the day of reckoning that much worse!

9/12/2009: Scooby dooby…Pop!

2009-09-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

So, Moriah tells me today, very matter-of-factly, with no smile on her face: “Dad, if Brookie keeps watching Scooby Doo, her head is going to pop.” Emery simply chimed in with her agreement that Brookes head will soon “pop”.

Background: Brooke loves watching episodes of Scooby doo. I, too, loved Scooby doo as a kid. My sister Jo used to call me “Scoob”..in fact I think she still does once in a while. So, I kind of get Brooke’s obsession. But man, she is INTO it. When the kids get to enjoy some TV time, we have to watch our words how we present the opportunity. Brooke will dominate the choosing and insist they only watch Scooby Doo videos. So we have to break it up and only allow her to choose in turn. Well, at least her head hasn’t popped yet. But maybe one of these days we’ll peel a mask off her face and find out she’s really old farmer Jane from down the street or something.

9/11/2009: MJ is a knucklehead

2009-09-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

Michael Jordan is a jerk. Immature. Conceded. Arrogant. That’s not news to anyone who has paid any attention to him over the years. But this hall of fame induction speech on Friday night was amazingly petty. In basketball terms, it could have been a speech for the ages, but instead it turned into miscellaneous thoughts of a conceded jerk. Many of the things he said were totally inappropriate and further exposed him as ironically insecure. One writer used the analogy of a bully tripping nerds in the lunch line. That’s exactly what it felt like. It’s like he has no respect for pretty much anyone. He’s the ultimate sheltered super-athlete. He’s been told all his life how great he is. And even with all his championships and high-lights, he’s a great example of how things can go horribly wrong when the world recognizes you as the greatest ever in your craft. In a strange way, I feel sorry for the guy. It’s like he’ll never obtain the peace he is seeking. He may not even recognize that he seeks it…but everyone around him does.

9/10/2009: First day of Kindergarten

2009-09-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

The kindergartners had orientation for the first couple days of the school year, so now Brooke started her first full day of K today. She was so excited. That she had one friend that she knows from church. However, when recess time came, that one girl, who Brooke was so excited to play with, said she had enough friends and wants to play with them during school. Ouch. Brooke cried when she got home. She was so set on playing with this one girl. However, what she doesn’t realize is that this forced her to make some new friends. She was talking about others she got to know and play with. While it hurt for a short time, I don’t think she consciously realizes that this probably expanded her friend base and also may have made her more charitable toward others who want to play in her group. It’ll work out. Tough to hear as a parent, but I honestly see it as a positive. Additionally, her teacher (who taught Emery in Kindergarten as well) said Brooke was very attentive and obeyed all the rules. This is a good sign!

9/8/2009: First day of school!

2009-09-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

Emery started 3rd grade and Moriah started 1st grade today. Back to the school year grind. Fun to see them so excited for school to start. Something tells me that’ll change in a few years…so I better enjoy it while it’s here.

9/8/2009: Girls weekend

2009-09-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

Melissa was in Hawaii with her sisters for 5 days last weekend, so I’ve been able to see first hand how hard she works every day keeping the little ones busy and in line. Yup, 5 nights on my own with our 4 little girls. We’ve had some fun together. In celebration of mommy’s trip to Hawaii, we went to a local Hawaiian restaurant (Aloha Grill, Hawaiian BBQ) to have some Hawaiian food. We also chopped up a fresh pineapple to enjoy with a couple meals. While definitely a handful (whew, the sassiness can be amazing sometimes), these little girls are so great. I know I only have a short amount of time before they’re grown and off to lives of their own. It makes me a little sentimental at times. These are good days.

9/3/2009: Moriah is 7!

2009-09-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

Moriah turned 7 today. Wow. Time is passing so quickly. Last night (Sept 2nd) her uncle Chris and his girlfriend along with aunt Heather were over and we had the family party & cake. Then, Mom left the next morning on a trip, so I got the privilege of taking her and sisters to Red Robin for her birthday dinner. What an eventful birthday!

8/22/2009: The Gateway in SLC

2009-09-16T13:49:00.001-07:00

It’s been around for years, but I haven’t been able to spend any time in the new Gateway district of Salt Lake City. We got the opportunity to walk around it Saturday night. Pretty cool spot. Bigger than I expected. Great place to enjoy summer evenings.

8/21/2009: 50th Anniversary!

2009-09-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

The anniversary party for my parents’ 50th was very memorable. They brought in a big inflated “jump house” for the kids to enjoy and we had a great dinner/evening together. Barlow compiled an amazing video of old photos from mom and dad. It was neat to see old pictures that I had never seen before. Furthermore, since returning home, I’ve taken the opportunity to get more details from them about how they met, courted and the wedding itself. Each love story is unique. I, for one, am pretty happy they found each other! If they hadn’t, I couldn’t be… wait, my arm is fading into nothing… must stop typing… (“Back to the Future” reference)

8/21/2009: Seven Peaks waterpark

2009-09-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

As we awaited the big party at my folks’ home in the evening, we decided we could get a bunch of kids out of the house by taking them to the waterpark! I forgot how much fun Seven Peaks (www.sevenpeaks.com) was. The only bummer was that we were only able to enjoy it for a couple hours. We hit the tube runs, high slides, wave pool, kiddie pool and the lazy river. A little bit of everything. A great way to enjoy a day with the family. The kids keep talking about it – what slides they’ll hit next time they go, etc. They’re big time 7 peaks converts.

8/19/2009: Mt. Timpanogos Summit

2009-09-16T13:44:00.000-07:00

On the Wednesday of our Aspen Grove week, Melissa and I (as well as Iris, Mike and Andy) were able to leave early in the morning for an all-day hike/climb up Mt Timpanogos, the second highest peak in the Wasatch range. It’s a pretty serious climb. Aspen Grove is at approximately 6,850 feet above sea level and the mountain peak is approximately 11,750 above sea level. The trail is estimated between 8 and 9 miles each way. After a few miles, the rest of the group wanted to move faster, so Melissa and I hung behind and took our time moving up the trail. It was really nice to spend that time together. We saw beautiful waterfalls, lakes, rock walls and herds of mountain goats. A few small glaciers were challenging for Mel because she only had tennis shoes on. Without traction, walking up icy snow can take some determination.

We reached the peak around 1:00 and ate lunch, then decided to take the “quick” route down by sliding down the southern glacier on our rear ends. We knew this was a risk, especially in August, with rocks poking out of the snow, etc. Turns out they have a lot of injuries (some serious) up there every year. So in hind sight, I don’t know that I recommend it to all…but man, it was a real blast. Looking down at that glacier from the top, knowing I have to take the plunge, was pretty scary. So steep, without knowing when I would actually be able to stop myself. Not to mention I was in light shorts and a t-shirt, so my rear would be soaked and numb quickly. But we did it. Once I went down and was able to stop myself after only 100 feet or so, Melissa gave it a shot. Man, if I only had video of that! When she went, she started flip-flopping crazily as she gained speed, so snow was flying everywhere, but I could see her legs and hair whipping wildly in the “flurryball” she was creating. Seriously, it was straight out of a cartoon or something. I was standing in the middle of the run with intentions to try to stop her, but once she got to me and I could see she was fine, I jumped out of the way so she could zip past. The rest of the glacier trip down was a blast, too…between rump-riding and walking some sections. I would say it was the highlight of the hike. We both have minor scrapes and bruises to prove it! I smashed my thigh against a big nasty rock and Melissa got a mystery scrape on her arm…it’s a mystery because she was wearing clothing over it which did not get ripped. Hhhmmm. Fishy. But the biggest mystery is how my camera survived. After I was so disappointed that I hadn’t shot video of Melissa coming off the glacier lip, I decided to tape myself rump-riding. It started out fine, but I got moving quickly and lost my handle on the camera. It fell in the snow just a few feet in front of my feet. But the camera was moving at exactly same speed that I was, so it just continued in front of me, while I was yelling and lamenting that I had just ruined my camera and I can’t even reach it because it’s moving at my same speed. It was still capturing video when I dropped it, so all you see is sky and you hear me in the background saying “Oh no! My camera!” Over and over again. It was getting covered with snow, thus thoroughly drenched. Miraculously, it survived. I am still in shock about it. That thing breaks with the slightest provocation (it’s been in for repairs many times), but for whatever reason, it lived to take more pics…even immediately after the “slide” down the glacier.

Once we got down to Emerald lake, the hike took on an endurance feel to it, as the trail just seemed to stretch out forever and like we might never reach the end! But we got back to the lodge around 5:30 pm, so overall we enjoyed almost 11 hours of good times together on the mountain. Glad we didn’t get injured (other than the sore muscles).

8/17/2009: High Ropes Course

2009-09-16T13:41:00.001-07:00

At Aspen Grove, we wanted to try our hand at the high ropes course. This includes a tall pole (like a telephone pole) that you have to climb, then transition to a 12-ft rock wall before reaching the top, where you have to navigate through the tops of the trees on a ropes course. Melissa rocked it, man. It takes a lot of determination, strength and coordination to get through it. I found it to be a bit unfair because different size bodies (i.e. longer limbs, etc) make the course that much easier. So, it’s a tougher challenge for some, just due to the body make composition. But we both got up there and navigated the ropes. Cool.

8/15/2009: Aspen Grove

2009-09-16T13:35:00.002-07:00

So, the same day we were rafting, we raced home to pick up the kids, re-packed the family minivan and headed for Utah. What a crazy few days. We ended up in Boise that night, then on to Aspen Grove family camp (see http://aspen.byu.edu/). My siblings and their families were gathering for my parents’ 50th anniversary, so essentially everyone came. They said it was 50 people in the group. 50 years, 50 people. Not bad!! My sister Jo had t-shirts made for all of us to wear. We participated in all kinds of family events…it is just the coolest family camp. Something for everyone, including young kids all the way up to grandma and grandpa. We went one time 5 years ago in 2004, so we plan to make this a 5-year tradition. We love it at Aspen Grove. Next time: 2014, we think.

8/14/2009: Anniversary – Columbia Gorge

2009-09-16T13:35:00.001-07:00

10 years already!?! We were able to celebrate our anniversary at the Skamania Lodge in the Columbia river gorge. I experienced my first professional massage in my life during the “couples massage”. Wow, now that was relaxing. The lodge has an excellent restaurant and we enjoyed a gigantic meal there. The lodge has some cool hiking trails (including work-out stations throughout), so we took advantage of those and the pool/hot tub. Overall, a great experience.

RAFTING: Then, in the morning my surprise for Melissa was a rafting trip down the White Salmon River. It was really cool. And I mean COLD. It was a hot day, but that frigid mountain spring water requires a wetsuit even in the hottest weather. The ride was great, with a few class 3 rapids. But in the middle, they ask all who are not willing/extreme to exit while the “crazies” go off a 14-ft waterfall. Count me in, man! So I went down the waterfall and was the only on in the raft to not be totally immersed in the water. This was because I made a mistake in the way I braced for impact, causing my body to be up, rather than down. I got lucky, held on for dear life, and lived to tell about it. Good times, man!

8/7/2009: Daddy-Daughter campout

2009-09-16T13:29:00.002-07:00

I got to take 3 of my ladies to the beach for the daddy-daughter campout. Cape Kiwanda is great. The guys in our ward, particularly Paul See (www.paulsee.com), a fellow “4-girler”, do a great job. We climbed the sand dune again, but with a new twist: Brooke on my back for the second half. These ladies make it exciting, that’s for sure.

8/1/2009: Quick reunion

2009-09-16T13:29:00.001-07:00

My wife has a cool family. We got to hang with extended family members for a couple days at a beautiful home near Lake Sammamish, Washington (east of Seattle). So, you think you’re a big sports fan, eh? Well, check this out: their back yard features a full basketball court (sport court) completed in BYU cougar blue and white, including the BYU logo in the middle. That’s pretty hard core. It was nice to hang with some immediate and extended family. We even got to visit the Northwest Train Museum in Snoqualmie and enjoy a 70-minute train ride with the kids. Thanks for a great weekend!

7/24/2009: Scout camp

2009-09-16T13:25:00.001-07:00

Spent a few days at scout camp with the boys. Yup, it included lots of surprises that can only be supplied by the creative minds early-teen boys. Quoting episodes of “The Office” seemed to be the rage, especially using the line “Boom, roasted.” whenever possible. One boy even caught a fish and decided to bite the head off of it with his teeth. You just never know.

I hadn’t been to Camp Baldwin since I was a scout myself in the early 1990’s, so it was nice to hang out there again for a few days. A cool new activity they have there is called “Mountain Boarding”. It is like a cross between snowboard and mountain bike. Basically a snowboard with big wheels. I tried my hand at it. While scary the first time down the run, I hit the jump and landed it without crashing (but came close to hitting the fence before stopping).

7/19/2009: Montana trip

2009-09-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

We made the bi-annual trip to Montana for the weekend. We stopped in Spokane to see g’ma (great-g’ma for the kids) and had lunch with her. That was really nice. Then moseyed over to the bustling metropolis of Plains, Montana for the family reunion. As usual, it was very hot, but everyone finds ways to manage. The kids love the riverfront near the fairgrounds. It has a small, sandy beach and the water is very cold, so it’s great for a hot day. My older brother David and I took the opportunity to jump off some high rocks into the river, then we (David, brother-in-law Andy and his two teenage daughters) were able to secure some innertubes and float the river for about an hour. It was great. However, I ended up on an air mattress (plastic kind for a pool). It was just fine, except I found that my limbs were in the c-c-cold water most of the time and they started going numb. My legs started cramping and I also found that I couldn’t move my hands like normal. Even on a blazing hot day, I was VERY cold riding along the water’s surface. I can definitely see how even the strongest swimmers can get in trouble in cold, fast-flowing water. But I made it back to the beach without incident. It reminded me of how much I enjoy floating on rivers during the summertime. There’s something therapeutic about it for me.

It’s interesting, some of the things you can learn at a family reunion. You hear lots of fragmented stories…and sometimes the right person is present to pull the whole story into view. It’s fun to hang with folks in general, but especially family. One revealing moment goes something like this: As background, my maternal grandmother died of cancer in 1985. She was a chain smoker (so was grandpa) and my mom has always detested smoking because of the strong presence of smoke in her childhood home. So, the fact that it eventually took her mother’s life prematurely, my mother has been a crusader for clean air and banishing smoking. So, my cousin is an MD and he found occasion to pull grandma’s file to see what the true cause of death was. Turns out it was cancer, but not lung cancer as we have been told all these years. Now, she DID have lung cancer, but the report shows that she actually died of COLON cancer. As far as we knew, none of the family had ever heard that she had any other type of cancer. It’s still not clear to us whether she even knew that she had colon cancer. But man…when my cousin told us about the report, my mom had a look of amazement on her face. Of course, lung cancer is terrible and would likely have taken her life prematurely anyway, but it’s interesting to be reminded that life will throw curve balls. Even during difficult times, something more challenging may be lurking – sometimes unbeknownst to us. The challenge is to make the best of what we’ve been given and not lose sight of eternal perspective. Easy for me to say, right? But man, family reunions can be enlightening.

7/11/2009: Triathlon at Hagg Lake

2009-08-31T16:44:00.000-07:00

Well, the day of reckoning finally came. I participated in my first triathlon. I’ve been wanting to do so for years, but never got fully motivated. A few friends (ended up being 7 of us) decided to go for it and we have been training for a couple of months now. I have never been a strong swimmer, but enjoyed learning a bit about how to train in the pool and in open water. Cycling was something I’ve always enjoyed but have never done it competitively. And running is something I’ve always considered myself strong at, but with my back pain lately and other factors, I was hoping to simply “finish” the race. I finished with an overall time of 1 hour, 25 minutes. I’m happy with that time as my first shot. I’m also encouraged that I know I can improve that by at least a few minutes, if not more next time. Here’s the breakdown:

SWIM: So, the swim was interesting. Due to stories I’ve heard about the pandemonium that takes place in the water in a triathlon, I planned to wait 30-60 seconds after the starting gun to let the coast clear (pun) a bit before heading out. After 10 seconds or so, I decided to go for it. With a wetsuit on, swimming in open water is far more bearable. As expected, there was a lot of “contact” with other swimmers around me (my legs were hit multiple times, as well as my side). But I can honestly say that I don’t believe I hit anyone with my arms. Maybe I was a bit too conscious of it. I was able to secure what I felt was a respectable ½ mile swim time (14:18) and am confident my time can be improved significantly next time. I gage it by what Moriah (6 yrs old) told me before the start: “Don’t drown, dad!” She said it to me twice. So, as I came out of the water, Moriah was cheering me…and all I could think to say was: “I didn’t drown, MoMo!” My transition from swim to bike was smooth, but took way more time than necessary (over 4 minutes). If I can improve my transition times, my overall time will benefit tremendously.

BIKE: Once on the bike, I was in the zone. However, I was “zoning” on a mtn. bike, while most serious racers are on faster road bikes. I tried to hold my own on my mtn bike, but know my time would improve significantly on a road bike. A positive is that I think my slower bike made me push harder. In my own competitive way, I took exception to anyone wanting to pass me. Road bike or not. So I tried hard, regardless of how silly I may have looked on my “amateur bike”. Makes me wonder…

RUN: The run was something I was not focusing on, primarily because I’ve had a lot of back pain lately, making running extremely painful. Consequently, as of late, I’ve only been training for the run once or twice a week. The transition from bike to run is a unique sensation. During the bike, your body pumps extra blood to your quads for cycling power. When you hop off the bike and begin the run, you can feel the blood shift focus and work on calves and overall leg strength. It’s a unique feeling. So, the run is hilly on this course, and during the first half of the out-and-back, it felt like the turn-around (halfway) was never going to come. I was getting pretty fatigued at that point. Then, on the way back it was rough. I was buoyed up by friends running the other way…high fives, cheering and what not. But it was not much fun. Then, just as I was cresting the top of the hill and about to turn into the parking lot for the finish line, my left hamstring cramped…and cramped hard. I’ve never had a cramp like that. My left leg stiffened right up and every step was excruciating combined with the back pain. But, I was only 50 yards from the finish! I couldn’t stop! I knew it was just a cramp and wouldn’t be a long-term risk. So, I hobbled my way down the road to the finish line. I stopped right after the timing mat/finish line to stretch out the hammy. Then, I heard Melissa yelling at me: “FINISH!” – I looked ahead and there was another timing mat 10-20 feet in front of me. I guess that was the real finish. So, it turns out I stopped when I thought I was done…right in front of the real finish line. There has to be an analogy in there somewhere. I hobbled a few more steps to cross the line. I must have looked like such a knucklehead. But, hey. I finished. That was a key for me. As I type this 3½ days later, my hammy still hurts… a lot. But it’ll go away. I hope.

I definitely want to compete in another triathlon – sooner than later. Next, I will probably do the “Olympic” distance, although it would be interesting to see how I can improve my time in the Sprint distance. Good times. It was particularly cool that a group of buddies were able to train and compete together. Now I’ve experienced my first and know what to expect for the next time.

7/10/2009: Coldplay concert

2009-08-31T16:41:00.000-07:00

Melissa and I had been looking forward to the Coldplay concert since purchasing the tickets back in February. And the show was no disappointment. These guys really know how to put on a concert. We were in the rear of the “covered area” (lawn seating behind us), and had a decent view. But, after a few songs, the whole band made their way up to a mid-crowd stage right next to our section. So, we got to see them perform a few songs right in front of us. Later, they made their way all the way up to a small stage in the lawn area. It was really cool. While up there, as a tribute to Michael Jackson, they busted out their cover of “Billy Jean”. The show was a blast. Melissa and I have similar music tastes (well, okay, she’s not into some of the hip-hop, I’m not so in to the country and what not), so going to concerts for groups that we both like is a real treat. Every time we do it, I’m reminded that we really should go more often.

7/4/2009: Champoeg camping & fireworks at home

2009-08-31T16:37:00.000-07:00

On July 3rd, we went camping in a Yurt at Champoeg state park. It was cool because we went with some friends and just had a nice, laid-back time. We set up a badminton net and had some fun with that, too. Family biking is definitely the focal point for us when we go to Champoeg. So, on Saturday morning we headed out on a family ride. We did the 4-mile loop to “Butteville” (an original settler town) and back. The kids are growing up and able to ride better and better each time we go for a ride. It’s fun to track their progress.

For the 4th of July celebration, we headed home and enjoyed fireworks with neighbors in our street. Man, legal fireworks are just so boring. So we started lighting multiple fireworks at a time. It actually became entertaining. At one point, my neighbor and I decided we would try to light 6 big ones together – at once. As they were all going, I ran around the inferno with both fists in the air. Now that’s what the patriots and founding fathers were talking about!

6/27/2009: Trip to Sisters, OR

2009-08-31T16:35:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity to head to the town of Sisters in central Oregon for the weekend. Melissa’s cousin invited us to join them in a family-owned vacation home there. On Saturday morning we ventured out for a short hike to see the “riverhead” of a local river (natural spring). Then we headed down to the fish hatchery. There are so many fish in this little place. Fun to throw food to them and watch ‘em swarm. After a nice picnic and walk around the pond, we re-loaded the cars and headed to “Scout Lake” for some swimming fun. It is a nice little lake for summer swimming like this. However…yikes there were a lot of rocks on the bottom. Sheesh. Walking without water shoes was a bad idea. I was also able to do some open-water swimming training for the triathlon coming up. It was nice to do so in such a pristine place. Oregon has lots of hidden treasures. Thanks, Pearsons, for a great weekend!

6/16/2009: Emery turns 9!

2009-08-31T16:34:00.000-07:00

Emery had an “un-birthday” this year. This means that every other year she has a regular, big party. On the odd years, it’s a more informal, small celebration with family and maybe a friend or two. So, this year, she decided she would take her sisters and a couple friends to a movie. We also went to Red Robin after. It was fun to have a simple little celebration. She was happy and we all had a fun time. I can’t believe she is NINE!

6/10/2009: Moriah’s Kindergarten graduation

2009-08-31T16:33:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe our kids are growing up. Moriah’s kindergarten graduation/celebration was another reminder for me that we only have finite time with them as youngsters in our home. They are changing every time I turn around. Congratulations, MoMo. Now, stay small…at least for a while! It feels like it’s going so fast.

6/4/2009: My 32nd birthday

2009-08-31T16:32:00.000-07:00

Yup, I got just a little bit older on June 4th. Of course, we all get “just a little older” every day. But birthdays just compound it by acknowledging the process. The family was good to me. The plan was to take me to “Bullwinkles” in Wilsonville and enjoy some batting cages, bumper boats, etc. However, as we pulled into Wilsonville, a bizarre, freak storm was forming an ominous wall in the sky. All kinds of strange wind and raining started pelting the area. So, they closed the outdoor activities and we decided to go bowling. It was actually a lot of fun. We bowled, then headed to a new BBQ restaurant to try out the grub. Did I mention I love BBQ!?! Overall, it was a perfect birthday experience for me. Hanging with the family and eating some great grub. Not bad…for an old guy!

5/25/2009: Memorial day: Lake Run with Abbie (and hoop up!)

2009-08-31T15:58:00.000-07:00

My sister Abbie and I have begun what we hope is a long tradition of running the Lake Run every year. The official date for it this year was May 9th. Since that was the same date we needed to be in Texas for our sister’s wedding, we decided to do the run ourselves on a different date. So, their family made it down to town on Memorial Day weekend and Abbie and I went and ran the lake course together. I tell you what, that sister of mine is a warrior. She had some foot cramping problems, but persevered and got it done. I was impressed. I was also able to secure the t-shirts from the official run, so we each got a shirt from our tradition. Hopefully we’ll continue the tradition each year. It’s a very hilly course and pretty tough for a 12k. A good challenge.

Also, their family was super-kind and helped me install my new hoop in the driveway. I mentioned that the mailman knocked the previous one down in January. It was a long, frustrating process to fight getting the post office to assist in making it right. The battle bore no fruit. However, I was able to secure a much nicer hoop at a rock-bottom price due to a local sporting goods retailer (“G.I. Joes”, rest their soul…I loved that place) going out of business. I bought it a few weeks earlier, but hadn’t figured out how I would actually install the thing. I was able to borrow the heavy-duty cement drill from a kind neighbor. When the Finks came to town, I lucked out with them (with their strong teenage boys) being willing to help put the hoop up. Long story short, they took the time to help and we got to play a great inaugural game of hoops on the new system. We played old dudes (myself and Jonathan) vs. the young guys (teenage nephews Jake and Adam). These guys can ball, man. It looked like they were gonna put us away, but I think our old-dude pride kicked in and we came back from “a bunch” behind and won the game by 1 point. It was really fun for that to be my first memory with the new hoop. It was really cool of them to spend some of their vacation time helping me with a not-so-fun project like that. Family. Gotta love it.

5/9/2009: Jo’s wedding

2009-08-31T15:56:00.000-07:00

Melissa and I were able to get away for the weekend for my sister Jo’s wedding in Texas. It was a whirlwind trip for us. Mel’s parents were kind enough to come stay at our place and watch the kids for a few days while we took off (bless their hearts). It was a beautiful in a wedding facility located in a newly developed “village”. The setting was very nice. I was able to offer the opening prayer in the ceremony and Melissa sang a beautiful song for the group. I really enjoyed the ceremony. Boy oh boy, if Brad (her new husband) only knew what he was getting into with our family!! (kidding) After the formal ceremony, we had a great dinner and danced the night away in the dance hall. This was one of the rare times when my siblings and I have danced together. It is A LOT of fun to dance as a family. My sisters can shake it! The low point was probably when I performed my rendition of “The Humpty Dance”. Leave it to me to be totally inappropriate. But I think I was forgiven. It was a blast. Afterward, the bride and groom would spend the next day (Mother’s Day) with the family, then head off on a long honeymoon, I believe to Bermuda. Nice. Melissa and I caught the earlybird flight back to Portland and were able to have Mother’s Day lunch at home with the kids just before heading to church. It was a quick trip, but really was fun. Congratulations Brad and Jo!

4/25/2009: Wapiti camporee

2009-08-31T15:51:00.000-07:00

In my Boy Scouts role (11-yr old scoutmaster), I attended the Wapiti district camporee with our troop. It was interesting because Friday afternoon when we left, the weather was gorgeous. We all showed up in shorts an t-shirts, set up camp and played some ultimate Frisbee. Everything was going great. Then (queue doom music) the district told us that campfires were not allowed at this camporee. Yikes. So it started to get colder at night and we all huddled around the propane stove with the burners on high. It was ridiculous. And cold to boot. The next day, we discovered that most of the boys did not pack any warm clothes because the weather was so nice when we left. It never warmed up that Saturday, so it was stinking cold for all of us – all day. Fortunately, another adult leader was kind enough to make the hour drive home to pick up some coats for all of us. It was a very memorable lesson in why layering your clothing is so important on a campout! You never know!!