Chelan

Just a quick recap on our recent weekend trip to Lake Chelan.

Steph has a massage therapist who has been helping her regain the use of her right wheel, which has been burdened by plantar fasciitis for 3+ years.  In addition to eliminating physical pain from Steph's world, this nice lady also offered some mental cleansing and rejuvenation, by way of letting us enjoy her family home in Chelan for a relaxing weekend earlier this month.

We had a great time, tasting wine with our friends Megan and Ross, skipping rocks into the lake, and knocking out a 500 piece puzzle of Waikiki in record time (no thanks to Ross, who participated in the first and last 50 pieces or so).

Although he is a lazy puzzler, Ross is a fine rock skipper

Don't feed the lion!!!

Pictures from animal week at Jackson's pre-school.  Included was an "animal feeding" and a field trip to the pet store.  Kenzie was lucky enough to feed her brother, the lion, and join in the fun at Petco!

Game Ball

I often think about how many of life's special moments just happen out of nowhere.  You can wake up on a morning that seems just pretty much like any other morning, and have no idea that something magical is going to happen.  Saturday was just such a day for Jackson.

If you know our family, you know that Jackson has a very, VERY, deep passion for baseball.  He wakes up asking if the Mariners won the last night, who his tee ball team plays next, how many days until his next game, if I think "at some point we might be able to play catch?"... on game days, the first thing he says when he wakes up is "it looks like a great day for baseball!!"

Recently he has been consumed with whether he will get the "game ball" after his tee ball game.  This prize is given to the teammate who exhibits hustle, sportsmanship, and strong play in the game.  On the drive to this week's game, he talked about it a lot, kind of thinking through what he needed to do to get a game ball.

On Saturday, everything came together in ways I never would have dreamed.  He started the game with  a line drive hit that made it to the edge of the infield in the air, rolling deep into the outfield, while the other team had to chase it down.

In the field he played shortstop the first inning and made two nice stops, following with pretty good throws to first base.  Nothing too crazy, just your basic baseball plays.

In his second at bat, he again laced a solid hit, this time a hard grounder up the middle.  We have been working on little adjustments to his swing.  He has always had a nice batting stance, but we have found that he gets more power on his swing when he focuses on keeping his back elbow up.  This made a big difference on Saturday, as his two hits were easily the hardest hit balls he has had all year.

A nice game turned magical in the bottom half of the second (and last) inning.  The second to last batter for the other team hit a grounder to the pitcher, while Jackson went to cover the bag at first base and waited for the throw.  The pitcher threw the ball hard, but low and to Jackson's right.  What happened next will be frozen in my memory forever.  Jackson's instinct took over and he dove hard to his right, making a fully extended, backhanded diving catch of the errant throw.  It happened so fast, and took everyone by such surprise, that it was just silent for  a couple of seconds, before players and fans from both teams burst in to applause.  Steph later told me that she instantly teared up.  The smile on Jackson's face could have lit up the field for a night game.

Of course, I was beaming with pride..., and more than that, just felt so happy for Jackson, because I knew how happy his play in this game would make him feel afterward.  Then the last batter came to bat for the other team, last hitter of the game.   First swing, he drilled a grounder toward first base, again to Jackson's right.  Once again, instinct took over, and Jackson made another fully extended, backhanded catch of the grounder!!!  He popped right up to his feet and sprinted straight to first base and tagged the bag.  That's when Steph fully cried.  The game ended, I screamed myself hoarse, and Jackson ran as fast as he could to me, jumping into my arms, giving me a big kiss.

We have an awesome coach, and I trusted he would do the right thing, but I was still nervous.  As he called the players over after the good game handshakes, he drifted my way, and said under his breath "it's probably pretty obvious, Jackson is getting the game ball."  We gathered the players together, and the coach gave a game ball to a player who really hustled, had two great hits, great attitude, and two diving catches... Jackson!  Jackson took the ball, took a deep breath, and didn't say anything, looking at the ball with a small smile on his face.  I ducked to get a better look at him from under his baseball cap, and saw his eyes welling up with tears (he later would deny, but I know for a fact what I saw)... cue Steph for round three of her tears.

Jackson spent the rest of the weekend on a high from his moment in the sun, and of course has been doing all things baseball...

Proudly displaying the game ball

Time to get back to work!!!

Easter

Easter weekend was a good time for us to take a step back from all the hectic activity we've had getting our house ready to list and just focus on family time.  Before heading out to church, the kids came downstairs to discover their Easter baskets, filled with toys, chocolate, and a plush bunny rabbit.  I think they were particularly thrilled that he showed up at all, after the frank manner in which I answered their rapid fire questions about the Easter bunny the night before.  I didn't know if the Easter bunny is wild.  I didn't know if he was just a guy in a costume.  I didn't know if he was even coming for sure, but I did remember that he definitely came to my house when I was a kid at least once, although I never saw him.  So yeah, they were excited to see their baskets, and notice eggs hidden all over the back yard.

Making a new friend...

Noticing easter eggs in the backyard

The hunt is on!!!

All dressed up for church in our finest spring attire!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia!!

Little League

Jackson is officially a little league baseball player!  Last Saturday was opening day for his tee-ball team, the Angels.  He played last year, but it was through the boys and girls club.  Little League is much more serious.  I think of it as the first step in his career path to a major league baseball player.  I am an "assistant coach".  He got so excited when I told him I would be coaching that we wore a huge grin for the rest of the night.

I am working on all facets of the game with him.  Everything from fielding technique, catching in a position ready to throw, etc... to how to carry yourself on the field, being ready on every pitch, and showing respect for the game.  He has learned that big leaguers don't leave their gloves in the back yard where they can get rained on.

Jackson is a sweet swinging lefty with a nice line drive stroke, who looks great in a baseball uniform.  His first game was a ton of fun.  Jackson didn't get any balls hit to him, unfortunately, but he had two nice hits, the second with some good pop on it as he drove it back up he middle.  It's gonna be a fun season!

Images from opening day...

Mackenzie enjoys a little playground time between innings

And making dirt piles during the game!

10

This was a very special St Patrick's Day for me, as it marked the 10 year anniversary of the night I proposed to Steph, asking her to be my best friend for life.

Our story is as follows:

We found ourselves in Palm Springs for a quick getaway that Steph earned through stellar performance at her job at WB-TV (the Dawson's Creek channel).  I thought this would be the perfect setting to make my big offer.  After some research, I had it narrowed to two stages, each with impressive candidacies.  The first was a hot air balloon ride over wine country, where I would drop to one knee and make my pitch.  The second was a romantic evening glide on the rotating aerial tramway to the top of San Jacinto Peak, where I would deliver my proposal at sunset.  After carefully weighing my options I shrewdly decided that the balloon ride had too much risk... I could get nervous and fumble the ice out of the gondola and watch Steph's ring fall thousands of feet to the desert floor.  Better to play it safe with the mountain option.

What my research failed to illuminate was that the world's longest tramway would take us through several "life zones", starting with American Desert Southwest, and ending with Canadian Tundra.  I also failed to learn that the sun would set on the opposite side of the mountain.  So decked out in American Desert Southwest appropriate attire, we arrived at the top surrounded by snow, a brisk breeze, and darkness.  I contemplated my options as we dodged the unruly local youth who had made the same journey in order to have a snowball fight.  Discretion is the better part of valor, and while I had no backup, I wisely decided to ditch this poor plan.

We arrived back in town and found our way to the Hyatt Resort, and I decided that I was excited to do this, and wanted to get on with the anticipated celebration.  After some quick negotiations with the staff, I secured the gazebo for ourselves, and had 2 individual bottles of champagne delivered.  Ensue awkward conversation about dreams and futures... nerves delivered a classically clumsy lead in to the big moment.  A successful proposal really just needs one thing: two people excited to commit their lives to each other.  I dropped to one knee, pulled out a small box, and asked her to marry me.  She said yes, we both teared up, and we spent a blissful weekend in Palm Springs envisioning our future and family.

To commemorate the event 10 years later, we again drank champagne from 2 individual bottles, served in our toasting glasses from our wedding.  I am so happy and humbled by the blessings I have been given. I love you more than ever, Stephanie.