Life is Good

This about sums it up

2011-11-02T20:25:00.001-07:00

This picture is great. I love how my friend Tom framed this. the only downside is he is on the wrong side of the camera. He is often found there. His pictures are excellent, and thanks to him a lot of the trips we go on are well documented. This was a couple of weeks ago near College Place, in the Blue Mountains of SE WA and NE OR. Allen, Eric, Craig, Brandon, Tom, and myself all on a 35 mile loop. The views were amazing! Fall colors and sunshine are a delicious mixture to delight your senses as you lope along the singletrack trail. For more pics see this site: http://www.pnwds.com/t1583-10-20-11-a-perfect-day-at-harris-park and feel free to lurk around the site and see what else is out there. In 2 weeks we go back with our sons. Can't wait!!

the best medicine

2011-01-09T11:17:00.000-08:00

Remember when you were sick as a kid? It didn't matter what it was, but mom's hugs always made you feel better. I remember having the measles, chicken pox, and any number of other ailments. A little 7up and some help from mom always seemed to do the trick. Yesterday Gracie complained about feeling a little off, so we checked her temp.... 101. She came in our room last night and asked to sleep with us. This morning, she went from bed to couch:

A little while later she ate about 4 bites of oatmeal, had some spongebob time on the TV, then I didn't see her while I was working on my lesson. I went in our room to get ready for church and this is what I saw:

I think Gracie is feeling better, and mommy is pretty happy right now, too. Cuddling up with one of your little ones is one of the greatest feelings as a parent! I hope she feels better soon, but not too soon! ;)

crossroads

2010-09-23T05:25:00.000-07:00

Ever feel like you are at a crossroads? Like you are not sure where to go, or what to do? Life is full of decisions. Some are small. Which entree do I choose? Some are HUGE. Which flavor of ice cream do I choose? Ok, I just gave away my feelings for ice cream!

From Robert Frost


TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;	5

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,	10

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.	15

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.	20

So I wonder.... does it really matter which road? As long as you are true to yourself and your beliefs, does it matter the road? Both lead to a destination, though that destination may be different. If the destination is the end, then the journey matters the most, as that is where you will spend all of your time.

Those of you that know me well enough will correctly assume that I want to take both roads! I plan to take one as far as it will go, see what's there, then somehow get over to the other road and take it as well! Either that or I will seriously injure myself after the first few steps by trying to walk them both at the same time.

There is so much to see and do in this world! How do we fit it all in? People talk about a bucket list. They say things like "what's on your bucket list?" I say, "what's NOT on your list?" For me that would be a shorter list. As I sit here writing this, Shelli's blog is open in the background with her playlist music playing. It's GREAT music. Most of it is mellow, but with deep emotion, just like her. It's that kind of music that moves me. Listening to it evokes the kinds of emotion that mirrors my view on the world, and my life. Life moves me. It awakens me. It inspires me the way great mountains and oceans inspire me. It moves me the way the wind moves my sails. It warms me like the first rays of sun, just after dawn on a cool fall morning. It supports me and tires me, like the river on a long swim. It is fast and exciting. It is slow and relaxing. Life is a challenge, and its own reward!

If he were here today, I would say to Robert Frost, "You may have chosen to take the road less traveled but I, Mr Frost, have chosen to fly!"

2 People.....1 Horse.....miles to go!

2010-03-28T18:13:00.000-07:00

Here's my theory on how this sport got started. 2 guys had to get somewhere, but they only had one horse between them. They both wanted to ride, not walk, but they didn't want to be the jerk that made the other guy walk, so they came up with an idea. "I'll ride for a while, leave the horse tied up, then you catch up, take the horse, pass me, tie up, walk, I'll get the horse.... and so on. I am betting they liked it so much, they told their friends, and pretty soon the sport of Ride & Tie was born. Ira has been helping me get into horsemanship over the last couple of years, and I have to say it has been a GREAT ride! This most recent adventure rivals the mountain rides. Ride & Tie is an addicting and exciting sport! Thanks to my partner Shelly who flew in from Idaho ONLY to partner with me (just kidding) for this spectacular event hosted at Sunrise Canyon. I was glad she came, however, because her knowledge of horses and running were just the ticket! We did 11 miles on a horse we'd never ridden before (thanks Ben for loaning us Tia!) and had a complete blast. After 11 miles of trail, including one killer hill, we were both smiles and ready to sign up for the next one!

for more information visit www.rideandtie.org and see for yourself how much fun this can be. By the way, we won the 11 mile race (came in 2nd to Ira and Ben who technically were doing the 22 mile race. Good Job Partner!

wow, the blog isn't dead!

2010-01-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

It's been WAY too long since I've posted. Shelli keeps everyone up to date, so my blog has kind of withered away, but I too have a voice, and shall be heard! As this new year has begun, it's been with mixed emotions. There have been some exciting new beginnings, and some sad endings. I will surely miss the people who have passed on, and they will be dearly missed by their families.

In this new year I would like to get closer to my teenagers, get in even better shape by running/swimming/biking more, and will continue to play tennis and ride horses with Ira. I am convinced that our quality of life is more dependent on our health and diet than any other factors. I plan to work on the quality of my relationships with others, and stop trying to spread myself so thin.

And on a totally different subject, how about that movie AVATAR?! We went with Justin and Joanna yesterday, and got there late. Not many seats. We were working our way up the rows, trying to find 4 seats together (good luck) and happened upon Jeff and Kim, who moved over one seat and then we had our 4! You guys are great! How did you know we'd be coming?? . AVATAR 3D. All I can say is WOW! What an exciting movie, and worth the cost to see it in the theater! If you have any other movie suggestions, I am open to them.

Welcome 2010; Good, bad, or otherwise it is here. LET'S MAKE THE MOST OF IT!

A busy Tennis weekend for my sweetie

2009-05-03T17:31:00.001-07:00

Ok, so this isn't Shelli, and she didn't win a big fat trophy, but in my mind she IS a tennis champ! Her team had 2 injured players, so they put her at the #1 singles position (her most feared place to be) for the USTA tennis tournament this weekend. She plays some singles with me and with a couple of friends, but by far most of her tennis practice is doubles. She was soooo nervous!

Friday I couldn't be there to watch, but she won both her singles matches! I was so proud of her. The tournament "nerves" can be tough to overcome, especially during the first match. Saturday we drove to Yakima and I got to watch her at her first "away" matches. She was so nervous again that she gave away her first set 0-6! she came back and won the second set 6-3, then the ti-breaker 10-4! She won her next match 6-3, 6-3! 4 singles matches in one weekend, undefeated! Go Shelli! Henin may have retired, but you're on a roll! Love u!

It's nice being tight with the tooth fairy!

2009-03-15T19:07:00.001-07:00

Dear Sweet Skylar lost a tooth at school this week. She came home SO EXCITED and was just pumped to put it under her pillow. I got home from Tennis and Shelli told me about this. I went to check on her, and found this note under her pillow. What a sweet girl! In the morning she came in very excited! There was a small but ornate blue box with a $5 bill folded in an origami shape for her. She was very happy and quite relieved the tooth fairy didn't ignore her. Tanner was a little upset, though, because he never got that much, even though his teeth would always split into 2 halves right before he put them under the pillow (very strange, actually) and maybe he thought the tooth fairy would pay him double! Good job Skylar! The tooth fairy felt your pain!

Pepper.... It's not just a spice

2009-03-01T18:35:00.000-08:00

What happens when you get a nurturing mother, 4 kids; the youngest of which is 5 years old (gettin' too old to cuddle), and a dog that loves the dad and oldest daughter the best? You get Pepper. Pepper was given to us by a woman I work with. She breeds miniature Schnauzers, and had a little girl that was a runt and couldn't sell. Enter Shelli and the Larsons! So, without further introduction, I bring you Pepper, the runt that we all love!

A house of sick people

2009-02-22T10:07:00.001-08:00

This has been a rough week! Skylar started out with a fever on Sunday, turned into a cough. Gracie got the cough. Shelli and I had been fighting of a persistent cold that we keep passing back and forth (she can't help kissing me all the time), then Saturday Rachel said "I feel like I'm going to throw up". The sensitive dad in me said "Rachel, you say you feel like throwing up EVERY DAY!" It's no exaggeration. She says that every time she gets nervous, upset, happy, whatever. "I feel like I'm going to throw up". It started a small argument which I firmly ended with a convincing "whatever Rachel". I know, I'm very articulate. Anyway, I was on my way to a tennis practice and got a call from Shelli. "Guess what... Rachel just threw up in her room". I could hear the faint "I told you so... retch... dad. thanks.....retch....for listening.

We have run out of motrin for kids, running low on other cold/cough/sinus/stomach remedies. I remember when Gary Coleman was younger he said he took so many pills he thought he should rattle when he walks. This picture reminded me of that, and the kind of week we are having. Now more than ever I am READY for warmer "open up all the windows for an entire day" weather to decontaminate this house.

Anybody want to come over for dinner tonight?

Backyard camping...who's ready for spring

2009-02-09T22:23:00.000-08:00

Last year I asked the kids "who wants to sleep in the backyard tonight?" Gracie was the ONLY one who wanted to. So Gracie, Cotton, and I all piled into the little tent, built a fire, and fell asleep under the stars listening to the crackling of the fire, the sound of the owl that roams the neighborhood, and the occasional coyote howl. It kind of felt like the 3 amigos campout!

Well, I for one want that time back! I want to be able to camp in my yard, smell the fresh cut grass (thanks to the kids this time) and roast mallows, swing in my hammock, and spend some time on the river!

I got Shelli out in the kayak last year one time, and I got Cotton out there too! He swam from Rachel's kayak out to me so he could ride with me. What a fun day that was with the Jensens at Loon lake! Looking forward to that again, too. Can you tell I am ready for summer????

What do you miss most or look forward to most about summer?

Give life everything you've got!

2008-09-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

We went to French's orchard last week to pick peaches to freeze. I love this time of year! Fresh peaches, apples, corn on the cob, watermelon.... It just doesn't get any better when it comes to fresh produce. I love a tree-ripened peach. Wash it well, and dig in. Don't forget a napkin!

As we were pulling in to pick, I saw this little twig of an apple tree among the other full grown trees. It was right on th edge of the rest of the orchard, stretching upward with all its might. It reminded me of a little toddler trying to be accepted by the older kids in the family and saying "I can, too!" As I looked at this little tree in passing, I realized it had an apple on it. I stopped to take a better look, and there were two full size apples on it, and one on the ground under it that had fallen off! I had to admire that tree. It put all of it's energy into growing those apples, even though it had very little to give to begin with. It would have been acceptable for that little tree to go a few years with little or no fruit. Nobody would have cared. After all, it was so small. But that little tree didn't let its size or any other obstacle get in its way. Go little tree! Go!

Oh, to be young again

2008-09-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

I was at the club with Shelli playing tennis yesterday, and there were 3 older men waiting for their 4th to show up for doubles. They watched us for about 20 minutes, then when they were in the breezeway between courts heading out to play, one of them said "Oh to be as young as them again" as he watched us play. It was louder than he intended, so I heard it clearly. It made me think to be grateful for my youth, my energy, and to be at this stage in life. It also made me look forward to about 50 more years of tennis and life! I hope to still be playing at his age!

Rachel's poem. Remembering those teenage blues.

2008-06-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a poem Rachel wrote for school. I corrected a couple of minor things, but here it is and the picture she drew with it. It reminded me of how lonely the teenage years can be. How much those kids rely on others to make them feel accepted and "normal".

Sometimes I'm a shadow, sometimes I'm not.
My friends are here, but not a lot.
I feel kind of lonely, I do wear black.
I am a shadow, not very in tact.
I have lots of friends, but I don't always feel
like they're there, that they're not real.
I don't know why I feel this way.
I just do, that's all I'll say.
Not everyone's nice, life can be hard.
Sometimes my friends will leave me scarred.
I can be a shadow, I can be a light.
Depends on how I feel; sometimes uptight.
In this world, you're not always noticed,
it can't be helped. Not everyone cares.
The world is harsh, and I've been taught
sometimes I'm a shadow, and sometimes I'm not.

She's such a good girl, and it's hard for me to see her brooding one day, and happy the next. Fortunately she doesn't survive on her friends always being there. She's a little more independent and I hope it serves her well. I love her very much!

How does she do that?

2008-04-08T22:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, it might embarrass Shelli, but I have to tell you about her playing tennis. She has always loved it (it's in her genes, really) and played in high school. I remember when I first met her, she was really into playing on the high school team. I thought it was a little funny because tennis was a total sissy sport at my school. It was ok for girls, I thought. Then I tried to play her. Well, I got beat pretty badly, but it made me want to keep playing. I have many fond memories of playing tennis in the summer until late at night. We'd play under the lights, bugs swarming, sweat beading, competitive but in love at the same time. The winner (and the loser) would get a kiss over the net, and the game would go on. What great dates those were.
Fast forward a few years (ok, like almost 20!) until now. Tennis has never left her blood, but she had to leave it behind to help raise the kids and keep me in school. There just wasn't the time or the money. Now we have a little more money, and sometimes more time. Last year we decided it was time for her to take lessons and join a league. I thought it was a good idea since I could beat her all the time and she struggled with her serve and forehand.
Let me tell you about who beats who now! IF I win, it's a long match and often ends in a tie-beraker. She has gotten so good I want to discontinue her lessons until I can beat her again! We got to play in a Valentines day tournament for doubles, and we had so much fun! She has helped me love the game, but I don't know if many love it as much as her (and her grandma!)

I tried to find a picture of her playing to post, but I'll have to take some. I don't have any yet! She is a great player, winning all of her matches basically, and keeps moving up in her women's league at the club! I am very proud of her, and happy she is doing something for herself that she loves! What a great sport, and a great player she is!

Keep it up Shlolly!

I love water, and what exactly IS a stern squirt?

2008-03-30T08:58:00.000-07:00

I love being outside, and have a special love of the water. We are blessed with tons of water in this area, and some of my best times with my family have been on the river. We boat, swim, ski, tube, even pic-nic in the boat! We go for walks by the river, fish, skip rocks, camp, and many other things by the water. And.... we stern squirt! This is something I just learned to do in my little kayak. I have discovered it's called a stern squirt for two reasons. First, the stern is always your backside. This could be the back of the boat, or hypothetically your own backside. Now, a stern squirt is performed by paddling out of an eddy into the current, leaning the side/stern of the boat into the current which flips your nose or bow up into the air. If done properly, and you recover right side up, it's called a kayak stern squirt. If you blow it, roll upside down, and panic, it just might elicit another type of "stern squirt" for which you may need to dry-clean your dry-suit after the day! :) Check it out!

Couples

2008-03-03T11:21:00.000-08:00

1.	two of the same sort considered together; pair.

2.	two persons considered as joined together, as a married or engaged pair, lovers, or dance partners: They make a handsome couple.

3.	any two persons considered together.

4.	Mechanics. a pair of equal, parallel forces acting in opposite directions and tending to produce rotation.

5.	Also called couple-close. Carpentry. a pair of rafters connected by a tie beam or collar beam.

6.	a leash for holding two hounds together.

7.	Fox Hunting. two hounds: 25 hounds or 12¹/₂ couple.

–verb (used with object)

8.	to fasten, link, or associate together in a pair or pairs.

9.	to join; connect.

10.	to unite in marriage or in sexual union.

Lately, I have been noticing that the people we hang around with, correspond with, and generally admire are some of the neatest couples. We have some new blog friends (Travis and Camille) that reminded me of when we got married (15 years this year, dear - I won't forget our anniversary) and what a cool thing it is. Marriage isn't the easiest thing, but it is the greatest. A recent re-acquaintance of mine who is in his 50's and still single said it best while kayaking and talking about our wives "letting" us go and kayak now and then. He said "any relationship, even a somewhat restrictive one, is way better than being alone." Very true words indeed. So, to our friends, Benoits, Hickmans, Halversons, Cains, Wibergs, Rawlins, Robinsons, and so many others,to the couples who are making it, and making the world better together than they could on their own....thank you! You inspire me, and make me smile about all that's good about being together. And Shelli, thanks for being there through EVERYTHING! Home is where my heart is, even though my hobbies may take me far from there at times. p.s. wanna play some tennis while you still have the flu? Maybe I could win this time?

I fell off a 16' waterfalll!

2008-02-26T21:16:00.000-08:00

I happened to be in a kayak, and it was a bit scary, but after the first time it wasn't so bad on the following 2 times.

I'm in blue/yellow with a blue helmet and red PFD, and a little black kayak. What a thrill! The best part was how I submarined that drop. Not the best form, but it was kind of fun to disappear for a second or two, then pop back upright and catch my breath! Who's ready to go with me?

So, you think your'e in pretty good shape?

2008-02-11T21:34:00.000-08:00

Ok, for those of you out there who think you are in pretty good shape.....think again. And, if you would like to get in better shape.....think about this guy to your left. I had heard about Dean Karnazes in Outside magazine. I knew he was an amazing runner, and knew he had this book out. I finally bought it, and WOW! It has inspired me to get off my butt and get to work. This guy truly is an amazing piece of human strength and, no other way to put it, ENDURANCE. I am not saying we should worship this guy, but I think it's safe to say there are few if any athletes out there EVER that hold a candle to this guy. Check him out at www.ultramarathonman.com and see for yourself. Buy the book. It's worth every penny. Well, I gotta go. Time to go for a run!

to the 1980's

2008-01-31T08:36:00.000-08:00

This week I got a call from an old friend, inviting me to go see the new Rambo movie. In his voicemail, he reminisced about how we were so into those movies as young teens. We all had our own "Rambo" survival knives with the compass in the handle, and pretended we were survival specialists on boy scout campouts. I laughed out loud as I listened to his message, and thought fondly of those times. Then, I began to feel veeeerrrryyyyy ooooolllldddd. I had to pinch myself when I thought about how 1980 was 28 years ago. How kids that were born in 1990 (the year I graduated high school) will be graduating from high school this year. How kids now when they "dress like the 80's" for school are really like us "dressing like the 50's and 60's" when we were in high school. I am like totally an 80's child, a stud, buffed, rad, totally awesome, and whatever other words we used to describe ourselves as cool. I don't have a mullet, wear a white glove, or acid washed shredded jeans, or have "tight buns in 501's" anymore. I don't listen to Van Halen and jump everytime the song says to, I don't use the words stoner or jock. I don't wish I had a black Firebird with a little sliding red light on the grill, or drive a Ferrari 308 GT like Thomas Sullivan Magnum, and I don't swing my head around and pretend I am playing a jamming guitar solo, but I am still a product of the 80's. What a great era! Come on everybody FEEL THE NOISE!

snowboarding with the kids

2008-01-15T19:49:00.000-08:00

I took Rachel and Tanner snowboarding to Mission ridge ski area near Wenatchee. It was their 3rd time boarding, and they were able to use their very own boards for the first time. Tanner is doing GREAT at his carving and turns. He even rode a low rail at the end of the day! I was so proud of him. Rachel keeps a good attitude up, but is resistant to learning her carves. She is so funny, because she bruises her tailbone in the first 10 minutes of boarding each time we go, and then it bothers her the rest of the day. Solution? Stop falling down, Rachel! :)
It was great fun boarding with just me and the kids. I enjoy being with them, and now that they are growing up, they are really fun and interactive companions!

Daddy-daughter disaster day averted

2007-12-23T18:23:00.000-08:00

My brother and I decided to climb Rattlesnake mountain yesterday. Short on time, we opted to mountain bike it. Rachel said she wanted to go. I tried to explain to her what she would need to take (it was cold, yet we'd be exerting lots of effort - generating heat) and she was starting to show her teenage know-it-all attitude. We managed to get to the car without choking each other, and drove to the mountain. We started to ride, but I was definitely not cool by telling her "how to ride a bike". We got about 1.5 miles up on the moderate grade, stopping every 50' or so because she'd fall off, get tired, get weeds in her derailleur, etc... Starting uphill is a technique as well. One she didn't want to know about and wouldn't listen. I felt like such a "parent" on this trip. We spent way too much time arguing while Darren waited up ahead. Headstrong and wrong don't mix well together. We opted for plan B, biked down the hill to the Yakima river and followed it for a while. We ended up having fun as long as we weren't trying to climb anything. All worked out well. Rachel's butt is so sore after the ride, but that's how it goes for the first ride in a long time. The day was good, but not without it's glitches! This picture of Darren and Rachel says it all!

Here she is

2007-12-16T17:29:00.001-08:00

The first post on my blog has to be dedicated to the one thing in my life that matters most... my wife. I have been truly blessed to have such a wonderful companion. She is always there for me, and for our family. A fabulous mother, cook, companion, tennis player, and she has a go-anywhere-do-anything attitude. Sweet, empathetic, capable, athletic, gentle, humble, talented, and kind. There are many words which can describe her. As Tom Hanks said in "Sleepless in Seattle" when asked to describe his late wife... "Well, how long is your show?" That pretty much sums up how I feel about her. She is at the top of my list of good things in life!

All good things in life

2007-12-16T16:57:00.000-08:00

Ok, a little late, but never lame. This, my first blog, is dedicated to postings of all things good in life. Good friends, good food, good family (even some bad if they are still family), and good activities. Life is so short, and we must enjoy all the things we have been blessed with. This world has much to offer us. Beautiful places, people, and experiences. I'll attempt to post the things I love in life, and the good things I find out there. Thanks to my wife for starting her own blog, and inspiring me to do the same!