Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

Well, well, well, it has been a bit since my last post.  I feel like I am going all the time and rarely have a minute to sit and just rest for a bit.  I am the type of person that needs to slow down occasionally and just enjoy what I have otherwise I get angry and bitter about how I don't have any time to just sit and watch a show or a game I like. 

I really want to just sit by the fire on some snowy day soon (assuming it snows in the next few weeks) and just read or think.  I like to do this because it helps me stay grounded and confirms what I have been working for all my life. 

Anyway, we are just six days from Thanksgiving and my favorite time of the year.  I have to admit that it has come slowly this year because we are working diligently to payoff our student loans by this spring.  I remember when I was a kid and it seemed like days took years when you were waiting for Christmas day.  Well, I guess this may be my new Christmas day as I look forward to getting these things paid off.  It will be a huge--HUGE achievement to get these out of the way and the day that happens will be great day. 

We look forward to enjoying time with our loved ones and all the good and wonderful blessing that come from remembering why we are here and that God does love us and is actively working to help us find joy. 

Happenings

It has been awhile since my last post.  All things of a blog nature are organic and they wax and wane.  I have definitely waned.  We have been around a bit this summer with trips to Mexico, Lake Tahoe, Brianhead and Seattle. 

In May Shauna and I went with our friends to Playa del Carmen and had many adventures and some great food.  We stayed at the Grand Hyatt and had the breakfast included, which was a total win for us.  The food was delicious and the one meal allowed us to get out and sample the food around town as well. 

We went fishing and exploring on the ocean and hit a storm that would later become a hurricane that hit the US.  We met a bunch of nice people and were still able to hit the gym.  Shauna picked an excursion to Sian Kahn which turned out to be really fun. 

Fishing the Maya Riviera

Blake reeling in a Dorado.

Me reeling in a dorado.  Took me like 20 minutes.

On the boat.

The catch.  Sorry Blake luck of the draw.

Shauna and Isaias.

Look at the food here, not the expressions.  El Fogon!  Awesome. 

Sian Kahn.

View from a tower that was swaying in the wind.

Crocodile

After the storm passed.

Lunch and a salsa lesson from Flavio. Name fits him perfectly.

Hotel restaurant on the water.

All of us at dinner. Aubrey thought her drink was spiked.

Aktun Chen caves.

View from house in Anacortes.

Sunset.

Our team Vik, Amy, Shauna, Josh and Paul.

Vik in his BYU Hawaii shirt.

Shauna looking awkward while supporting Josh.

End of the race.  I was the last runner that is why I am sweaty and in a different shirt.  Front - Shauna, Vik, Heather, Amy. Back - Paul, Josh, Todd, Tiffany, Jill, John and Gary.

Lake Tahoe team - Blake, Kyrah, Servando, Shauna, Paul, Jill and John.

In June we went to Lake Tahoe to run the Lake Tahoe relay.  This is the 10th year I have run the race.  It has changed a bit, but we had a bunch or cool people running this year. 

In July we had a family reunion up at Brianhead with 32 people and considered buy something up there.  It would be great for race training because you are at 10,000 feet.  We did a bunch or running, hiking and hanging out with family.  Also, watched the World Cup. 

A couple weeks later we returned to the Northwest and ran the Northwest Passage Ragnar which was beautiful.  John also found us a house right on the race course with an amazing view of the water.  I do miss Seattle in the summer--the winter is a different story. 

The race went well, except my car took a little nap around 3 am and lost track of me.  I ran my 9-mile leg without any support and arrived at the exchange and no one from my team was there.  It turned out okay and I found that I was running really fast miles and they were not expecting me.  This is what happens when you train at 10,000 ft and then run at sea level in nice cool whether. 

Anniversary!

Well, it has snuck up on us and we find ourselves at year 15.  This morning was not really any different than any other.  Hustling and moving kids out the door to school with shoes, socks, toast trailing out the door.  If you would have asked me 15 years ago how I would have invisioned my life, I might have been able to hit on some of the generalities of my life now, but I could never have invisioned the cotidian details that really add the contour, smells and flavor to a life.  Sometimes these are not always pleasant--but at least they make things interesting. 

It is awesome to think we have been together for 15 years and we have managed to pull together a reasonably competent life.  It has taken loads of work and a fair amount of blood, sweat and tears, but again this is what makes up the substance of life.  I guess maybe you can say this is the "dark matter" of life.  It is the bulk of what makes life, yet it is pretty much unseen and unacknowledged. 

The other day Sam got in trouble for doing something he should not have been doing and his response to being disciplined was to say "I am not going to school!"  Well, needless to say I was not that worried because Sam is not in school.  This gives you an idea of the what our kids say when they are trying exercise power in a situation. Pretty much all of the time I do not like to hear this, but one day I may miss it so I am glad I wrote it down. 

We are not problem free in our house by any means and we have arguments, power plays, fights, bites, scratches, hurt feelings, mean words and faces.  However, we also have hugs, kisses, sybillings reading to each other, family home evening, trampoline time, hoops, passes, parks, hikes, hills and meals. 

May the next 15 be even better!  Love you Honey!

Lice infestation.

April Fools!

That hair!

Two year old.

Too small, but classy.

Quite a hike. 

Joaquin at one.

Who's the underdressed one?

Temple wedding.

Goofballs!

Taking a break.

This is Sam.

This is Joaquin.

Hugs.

Call of the wild.

Chocolate

Face towards the sun.

Trampoline time.

Jazz dancer.

Summertime walk.

Watching the Ipad.

Sisters.

Track stars.

Gabe and Joaquin.

Reading books.

Love.

Shauna's mission reunion.

Good kids.

Car ride.

Yellowstone.

Good times.