A Quiet Evening

 It has been a long, peaceful Sunday.  The dogs were up early, and the daylight savings had all of us a little jilted ad unsure of what time it really was all day!  Lots of cleaning including laundry and dishes has me feeling prepared for the week ahead.  Haircuts, a drop-off to Goodwill, and a grocery run added to the feelings of accomplishment!  The highlight of the day for me was a long 8 mile walk with the dogs before the house was awake, but I had already had coffee and the dogs were ready for some exercise!  There is something about walking with them that, after a short while, they call into a rhythm and we all just have a good runaround and an excellent rest on the couch after we return.  

The entire day was filled with warm sunshine once the morning winds died down.  There is something about the sunshine and increase in temperature that lifts the spirit, especially after such a bitter winter.  The day was filled with warm breezes and often I felt a little too warm when standing in the direct sunlight once the light winds die down.  The days give promises of spring (...and summer) break just a few short weeks away.  

It is a bitter-sweet time in that we are starting to talk more and more with Audrey about plans after high school, which are often difficult for me to even comprehend.  I see a few close friends who have already sent their children off to college and beyond...but there really isn't anything that can prepare ultimately for her first true steps away from her first home.  Sigh.  I am just so proud of her...of Violet, and Sam, too.  

Watching them find success in their own lives is just so special to observe.  Getting to watch Sam swim each week and get a little faster and a little stronger when he had a broken leg just a few years ago...

Seeing Violet perform amazing solo and duet pieces, earn high honors, and continue to be just such a unique person outside of school....

Sitting as I watch Kim direct meetings of significance for her company, and knowing that she loves what she is doing, and is superbly qualified at it...

I am just so proud of my family.  They will do so many things in their lives that will add value and beauty and kindness to the world.  I love them so much.  What a lucky man I am.

-a

Early Morning March

 This past February seemed to take much longer than the calendar would suggest.  I don't know if it's the darkness of the winter, the extended plateau of bitter cold days, the waves of flu and colds that worked their way through our family....but February was a long month for us.  There is something about reaching the month of March that is refreshing and invigorating in terms of planning and looking ahead towards warmer days, more sunlight, and appreciating the little things like birds chirping in the morning and Spring Break is officially later "this month"!

Speaking of adventures...some possible rough outlines of plans to return to Juneau this summer are beginning to emerge, so that is something to truly savor and begin to look forward to!  There are many possibilities and dreams, and we are fortunate to be able to choose our own adventures for the most part.  I hope that dreaming of adventures and looking forward to events and experiences is something my children continue to do all of their own lives.  It is important to seek the next experience and find the fun.  It gives hope and provides purpose.  

The sun has now fully risen into the morning sky and there is a crisp bite to the morning air as some of the overnight frost retreats from the moving line of sun on the back lawn.  A fire is going in the fireplace and pushes a comforting blanket of warmth into the room.  The dogs are enjoying their full access to the couch, curled-up on blankets and pillows, dozing in their after-breakfast glory.  

The day lies before us...as does the new month...as does the rest of the year....and so on and so forth.  How lucky we are.  

-a

The last few weeks...

 ...have been filled with lots of adventure and packed with work and family life, and the daily grind.  I was lucky enough to be invited on the 8th grade field trip to Washington, DC as a chaperone.  It was a fantastic experience and we got to see A LOT in just three days!  

    Audrey and Violet continue to dedicate their time to their instruments, hobbies, academics, and friendships.  I could not be more proud.  We are looking forward to more adventures as the weather finally seems to be letting-up and spring may finally emerge.  We remain optimistic from under our layers of blankets as we watch the Winter Olympics!

The US Marine Corps War Memorial / Iwo Jima Memorial

The US Capitol

Audrey performing

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

The Constitution

The Abraham Lincoln Memorial

One from Facebook Vault:  I love the look in Audrey's eyes.  

Doesn't get much cuter than these two as little kiddos!

Before 50

 So many goals and so little time.  A quiet and drizzly Saturday morning with dogs snoozing around me.  Time to think and contemplate.  Again, trying to envision how I will use my energy and where I will invest my time in the future.  I have always been a goal-oriented person.  Independence and discipline have never been my strong suit, but goals and projects and timelines truly help me structure my life and give it purpose and drive.  I hope living my life using some of these principles will help me find fulfillment and purpose in life moving forward.

With that in mind, I think ahead to the next few years.  Approaching my 46th birthday later this month, it makes me consider the goals and projects I can accomplish (and hope to do so) before I turn 50 in just a few short years:

-Another (and final) degree in my education and possibly a published book of some kind.

-Travel with my family including Ireland, Europe, Japan, New Zealand, Hawaii (again), and as many visits to my hometown of Juneau as possible.

-Visit national parks, museums, and places of education with my children.

-Adventures and experiences including interactions with animals, zip-lining, skydiving, hiking, hot air balloon.

-Experience more live music, sports, and entertainment, and promoting my family to seek-out more live experiences with the arts.

So many adventures, so little time.  These are some of the dreams and goals to invest my energy and time into moving forward for the next few years.  What a nice way to rise each morning, with such things to look forward to...

-a

Spending in 2026

 

2025 was a special year for our family, with many highlights.  Below are just a few pictures of what made it a year of growth and fun and adventure.  Traveling and exploring are so much fun, and I hope to set more dates and locations to enjoy moving forward!  One concept that is worth considering is how we spend our energy.  While the new year often brings resolutions, I now prefer to reflect on the previous year and then consider how I might better spend my time and energy in the year ahead.  More travel, more fun, more adventure, more laughter, more trying new things, more new places and experience, and be sure to revisit our favorites when we can!  How will you spend your energy in the next year?  

-a

A special meal at White Fence Farm with family to remember our Cousin, Carry.  A great meal with lots of laughs.  

Abel and Sam attend the traveling Broadway production of Clue!  So much fun!  

Our family traveled to New York in 2025 to watch Audrey perform in Central Park with her band!  What a fantastic time, and so many memories from the Big Apple!

2025 brought us Rosie, our newest family member!

Sam started 2025 playing in the snow.  How will 2026 start?

Violet and Abel attend the Chicago/Lakers game!  The shot of the year!

Baseball has a special place, not necessarily because of the game, but because we get to just be and enjoy together.  

Getting to visit Hook and Ladder was a thrill in 2025!

Audrey and family in Central Park!

Go, Cubs, Go!  A Cubs game with Uncle Fred is always a special treat, and 2025 delivered!

Hawaii in 2025 with my family was a highlight.  

Audrey and Sam, Oahu 2025.

I love this picture.  We are just returning from the luau and it is tradition to leave your lay on the Stitch totem for good luck!  

My family at Pearl Harbor on our last day in Hawaii.  

The single greatest experience of 2025 was seeing an erupting volcano in Hawaii.  This picture reminds me how special life is, and how fortunate I am.

Violet and Abel on Lemisure Island, Alaska, 2025.

Surprising Kim with Savannah Banana tickets in Pittsburgh!  2025 reminded me to always take the adventure!

At the Buddhist temple in Hawaii with my family.  A place of peace and inner reflection.

A special meal with family in Pittsburgh before the Savannah Bananas game!  The view only overshadowed by the company! 

Violet in Juneau holding a chunk of the Mendenhall Glacier!

I am so thankful for Kim and Audrey in 2025, and always.

Family Christmas photo, 2025.

Audrey in Flute Salad.  She is so talented!

2025 brought Sam's first swim competition!  We are so proud!

I am so thankful for Violet in 2025, and always.

Audrey and Violet playing for the first time together.  I am so proud of these two young ladies.  They work so hard and care so much.  I hope they know how much they are loved.

I am so thankful for Kim.  She is my rock and represents everything good that I have in my life.  I am so fortunate.  2025 was a good year because of Kim!

The final picture on my camera roll.  Our family (and Audrey's boyfriend) enjoyed bringing 2025 to a close at the Great Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells!  2025 was a special year for our family.  

Sunday Silence

 I like this Sunday morning time to write and think and post.  Thre is something special about sitting in silence or in a quiet space and just letting thoughts flow freely.  I was talking to Sam last night and explaining silence because he said he was afraid of darkness and silence.  I told him that darkness and silence are very important because they allow us to be still and take-in the world around us.  Our senses become heightened in the darkness and when engulfed in silence.  Silence often allows us to hear what is going on in our minds and bodies.  Even this morning, I am savoring the time to just sit with some coffee and listen to the quiet of a Sunday morning as the world wakes up and I can listen to what is happening inside my own head and heart.

The days are moving and the children are older.  Audrey is driving and working so hard in school and with her flute playing.  Violet is on the basketball team and earning high marks.  Sam is responsible every day for his work and cleaning and seems to learn a little more each day and leaves his small child self a little further behind.  

There are adventures on the horizon, which keeps me motivated and excited.  The older I get, the more I look forward to adventures, new experiences, and making memories with my family and friends.  There are few material things I want anymore that are out of reach, so there is a peace that comes with recognizing that people and time are the most valuable things to me, and ot necessarily the latest tech. or gadgets or toys (although those are still very fun, too!)

This is the second half of my life now.  There is a lot that races through my mind when I come to grips that I am more than half-way through my own life.  Time seems infinite until a point, and I think almost all of us realize that we are moving closer to the end than the beginning.  There is something very freeing about this concept to me, as I feel less pressure to perform for others, and more to simply be true to who I am and how I feel internally.  I am thankful for all of this time, and hope to make my family proud and accomplish the things I find most important in my own life, and not be so consumed by what the rest of the world is telling me.  

So these are the things I am hearing inside my own head right now as I sit in the silence of this Sunday morning.  The rest of the world is stirring, so this may be a good time to stop this ramble.  After I publish, I think I will try my best to sit still for just a few more minutes to see what else I can hear...

-a

One Step at a Time

 A quick check-in today.  The family continues the daily grind of school and work and such.  We have time to laugh and play and all of the other things, too...which is really nice.  Everyone has their own lives and it is quite the thing to see how the kids deal with the challenges life throws at them.  It is difficult, as a parent, to see new stresses and anxieties your children take as the world expects a little more of them each year...and it is just awesome to see how they simply continue to respond to their challenges with courage and dedication to be a good human and their best selves.  

On a simply outrageous note...

I learned a valuable lesson last night:

Don't leave brownies outside to cool, as they attract a giant opossum that hisses in a terrifying manner.  

Sometimes just letting the brownies cool on the stove top and being patient is best.  

-a