Harvest

Not sure where to start on this one, but gratitude is always a good place. I don't deserve the life I have, I have the greatest wife and some pretty awesome kids too. We are blessed to do some pretty cool stuff, which I take for granted probably more than I care to admit. Shame on me. I suppose all this is a bit serious for this blog, but it also seems like there is enough messy stuff going on around us to call for a focus on the good that goes on in each of our lives every day. If you're reading this, chances are good that you have a good deal to be grateful for. How do I know? You obviously have enough free time to sit down (ah, relax!) at your computer (ah, technology!) and read about our shenanigans (ah, um...not sure where this fits in, but thanks for reading!). I am assuming several things about your life, obviously. In addition to a little extra time and the financial resources to have web access, you are probably not hungry, or you would be out foraging for food. You're not thirsty or you would be up getting a glass of water. You're not blind, because you're reading this. You're not cold or you would be getting a blanket or huddling closer to the fire. You see where I'm going with this? We all have a ton to be grateful for, and we (and by "we" I mean me) would do well to stop taking it for granted and appreciate it. Oh yeah, before I forget: go vote!

So I title this post harvest a couple of days ago. The idea was that the pictures in this post are all the harvest of my life. Day in and day out I do my thing. Not perfectly, sometimes not even well. But I do it. Every so often things happen that are the harvest, or the results that come from the plowing, planting and watering that gets done in my life. I'm not taking credit mind you, this life of mine is a partnership with the big man upstairs and my wife. They both deserve a heck of a lot more credit than I. But the point I'm making is that I still get to reap the harvest. And the yield is abundant!

I can't remember if I have posted these or not. Probably not, considering I have two or three posts in all of 2014. Cute bugger ain't he? If you look close though, there's the glint of mischief in that face. Buyer beware!

The weight of over nine years of life are behind this picture. I could (and probably should) write an entire post just on this picture. But that's not the point. If I tried to do that, I would probably start it and never finish it. I am bad at finishing stuff. Just ask the lovely lady in the picture with me...

But I digress. This is the cross on top of Table Rock in Boise, Idaho. Autumn and I had a belated anniversary celebration about a month late. One of our activities? A hike. That turned into a run. Run hike? Either way, we started at the old state penitentiary in Boise and climbed about 1000 feet to the cross. One of the main reasons is that when Trinity gave a scare all those years ago and had to be flown by helicopter to St. Luke's in Boise, Autumn saw this cross on the flight in for the first time. It wasn't the first time that Autumn had been to Boise, not even close. But she'd never seen this cross. So we thought a visit would be a nice thing to do. Someday we'll take Trin up that same hill, and talk about how much that night has meant to us all.

I don't usually post pictures like this very often, but this one's kind of fun. Me in my natural environment. Fun!

Lucky me to have such an incredible woman for a wife!

Appetizers at Barbacoa!

My dad and step mom kept the kids overnight while Autumn and I painted the town red, or whatever color 40 year old married folk paint towns. We came back (Autumn made me!) and went with the kids, my dad and Sue to a pumpkin patch for a little fun.

Opa and Trinity tearing it up! It's harder than it looks, pedaling with a small child on your lap!

I have this picture in for three reasons. The first is that I am proud of Teagan for pushing through his impulse to run away and not do this. He worked through the nerves and got it done. Good job boy! The second reason is that the name of this ride is awesome: The Dangle Hopper. Say it out loud...awesome! The third reason is that Teagan is stinkin' cute. But you already figured that out.

My dad and my kids. Pretty cool.

I think Teagan was having a Teagan Moment. So we snapped a photo of the cooperative ones...great picture!

All in all it was a great weekend in Boise with (and without) family. Many thanks to Oma and Opa for taking the kids while my wife and I had a few hours to ourselves!

This picture is from today. Why? Because Trinity is turning into a Jack O' Lantern. She's losing teeth left and right! And...it's a good brother/sister shot.

How many young children do you know who graze on raw kale from the garden?

Well, now you know of two!

So, this picture pretty much makes me cry. I don't always have the chance to celebrate with Trinity. She is really a sweet soul. She's generous and she works really hard. That's important because most things in life are simply a little harder for Trin. But it also means that we don't always get to celebrate triumphs because she isn't always able to do the things that she wants to do. But tonight she was able to do something that she has talked about for at least a year. She was a cheerleader! So proud. Thanks also to the all the Baker High School cheer squad and leadership who took the time to teach about a million little girls to cheer, you guys are saints, seriously.

It looks like this is a Trin post. This was when Trinity and I were at Costco having lunch. Teagan didn't want anything that Costco offered at their little deli place, so he was with Autumn getting a few things. But Trin and I sat and had lunch together. It was really nice to just sit and talk to her and share a meal.

Alright, I'm done being sappy. Keep calm and carry on.