The Swarrell Life

Our good friend Angela moved last weekend to pursue a new career and be closer to those she loves. We'll miss Angela very much, she is always so upbeat and fun to be around. I know Autumn will miss her as a running partner too. So Angela, tell us how you REALLY feel! Kim and Quin. Cute kid, but he better stay away from my daughter! Kathie cuddling with Trinity, so cute! Here is the office crew giving us the most serious faces they can... The pictures that follow are a series... It's hard to find good help these days! Seriously though, Angela was great to work with and was a great friend to many. WE'LL MISS YOU ANGELA!!!

It is also known as Stage IV brain cancer. My friend Tim just had a tumor removed. Glioblastoma multiformae (GBM) was the diagnosis. There are some experimental treatments. Tim's wife Jana wrote this on Tim's Facebook page: This type of tumor is VERY aggressive and is an infiltrating tumor, meaning that it is interwoven throughout the healthy tissue in the brain. Without treatment, the doctors feel that Tim has a few months to live. With the standard care for this type of tumor, 25% of patients are alive 6 months after diagnosis. There are two new clinical trials - experimental drugs - that Tim is eligible to participate in. Each one has its drawbacks - financial considerations, time commitments, side effects and general quality of life issues. I don't relate to this very well. I only met Tim a short while ago, but he made a huge impression on me and will always hold a special place in my heart. He is a really special person, the kind you don't meet more than a few tim...

Last weekend there was a 5k Dog Fun Run/Walk that you can bring your dog along, but don't have to. There were separate categories for having a dog/not having a dog. My friend Chris and I have been running at lunch and Chris is doing as many 5k runs as he can. So we did this event, although neither of us felt like dragging our pups along. Neither would have lasted much over a mile. Here we are in good form: This was right near the finish line, only a little ways to go! Woohoo, we're done! Autumn and Trinity ran it with the jogger for the first time...a little different, but Autumn placed first for people without dogs! Go Girls! Here is our proud little girl after her first 5k run out of the womb!

The Swarrell Life is one year old as of last Friday, May 15. I can't believe it has been a year already. So here's to us and to you! By the way, here's why it all started:

So there we were, Trinity and I, up and at 'em early on a beautiful Saturday morning in Boise, Idaho. We were off to see Autumn, Angela and Lisa run 13.1 miles. That's exactly one half of a marathon. By the way, it is a real pet peave of mine when people say that they are running in a marathon, only you find out that they are running the 5k race that accompanies a marathon event. Every marathon is 26.2 miles. If you do not run in a race that is 26.2 miles, you have not run a marathon. I have have not run a marathon. But I know what one is. Read more about it here . Okay, I'm done ranting. We drove into Boise from my dad's house and luckily we found a parking spot right in Ann Morrison Park where the finish line is. This Marathon is the 31st Annual Famous Idaho Potato Marathon. It is referred to locally as "the potato race". It was a beautiful day for a stroll, so we tried out the stroller. We had debated the use of the folding stroller since the baby is suppos...

I don't know how far I'll get on this post because of the late hour, but we'll see what happens. I read a great blog post by Peter Rollins over at his blog . It was about how fundamentalism, contrary to current definitions, is actually not violent enough. Sounds crazy huh? I thought so until I heard him out. What he says is that our status quo is maintained by violence, making it the norm. He says it better, but really he says that by stepping out of the current of violence and standing for peace is actually more violent than what we normally think of when we say violence. Being still is actually more violent than violence? I thought of it like floating down a large river. It's pretty smooth until you try and stop moving with the current. Peter thinks that those that perpetuate violence in today's world, since that violence is really just the norm, are really not violent enough. Quote: In contrast to fundamentalism it is people like Mother Theresa and Martin Luther ...

But in the end it really doesn't matter who wins an argument, because that doesn't change how we treat people, it just makes us feel better about being right. I found this video through a tweet from the author of a blog I read and thought that it was pretty relevant to life today. I have written recently about a friend of mine going to prison; accepting and loving people wherever they are is certainly my flavor of the day. The great thing is that in this video you can substitute just about any other form of socially "unacceptable" behavior in place of "gay", and although the song wouldn't rhyme anymore, it reflects how I feel about accepting people where they are. I am no better than anyone, it is just that my mistakes aren't as public. For instance, a little white lie is much easier to swallow than a mistake that is against the law of the land. So, how do you feel about it? Is it just easier to write someone off because they have made a mistake. I...

Typing sucks right now because I cut the tip of my finger with a "safety" razor. Annoying. Most of my type happens with that finger, never did take typing classes. This post may take forever to make it from my brain to the page...post...whatever. I suppose I should have a point to this post, don't really have one. I mentioned my friend that is going to prison, talked to him this evening. It is really hard to talk to someone who is looking at 17 years of prison time. We had a good talk, but sheesh it's a different conversation that one you have with your neighbor about the weather. You get to the point quickly, no extra words if you can help it. It can be frustrating because there is nothing I can say to make him feel better. I tell him any news I have heard, tell him that I love him and pray for him whenever I think about him, which is fairly frequent as of late. I hate the lack of access I have to him. I can write a letter, but it takes soooo long. I can receive phon...

I have a good friend who is going to prison. It is a new experience for me, one that I am not happy about and most definitely not comfortable with. He made some major mistakes and now he is suffering the consequences. In fact, many people are suffering the consequences of his actions. But that's not the only thing that I am uncomfortable with. What bothers me is my natural inclination to assume the worst about him and act on it accordingly. It is as if part of me wants to believe the worst about him. Now, don't misunderstand me, I am not pretending to know what kind of a person he actually is. He deceived many people and committed grevious acts that have damaged all of his relationships and hurt many, many people. I am included in that group of people. I am hurt and part of me really wants to be indignant and judgemental about my friend and what he has done. I don't know him because in my eyes he is not the same person I thought I knew. The part that bothers me is that I na...

So I had an interesting thing happen the other day. A friend of ours calls me and says that she is stuck in a meeting and could I pick up her boys, since they go to the same day care provider. So I said sure, since it was not a big deal. I know the boys and they love Trinity. So I go and pick them up and drive them less than a mile home. We then keep ourselves entertained watching Trinity play around and then it is time to feed. So I told them about how a friend of theirs, who is six, fed Trinity while we were at their house and I asked if they wanted to feed her. Payton, the younger boy, says that he'd like to. So we prop up some pillows and away we go! Trinity is the easiest feeder, so it's not a big deal. Spencer took a turn feeding too! While they weren't feeding, they played with Trinity's toys...hmmm. I guess fun doesn't have an age limit! These boys sure enjoy being around Trinity! It's fun to think that she'll have them around to take care of her as ...

Maybe it's the lack of sleep, maybe it's parenthood, I'm really not sure. But this brought a tear to my eye this morning. Everyone needs a good friend. Hat tip to Karin Rene for the link!

Wow, 2009 is already here. It seems like just yesterday that Autumn and I found out the she was pregnant. But here we are with a little baby daughter who is almost six weeks old. That's just crazy. I still find it a little be odd that she's here to stay. The only thing that comes close in experience is getting married. Now I have two beautiful girls in my life that are here to stay. Life is good! I'll finish my MBA this summer, God willing. The possibilities are endless... We have more pictures, this time from the holidays. Trinity had her first Christmas and New Year. She celebrated both by sleeping heavily. She's her father's daughter, at least for now. I hear sleep patterns change. I have put a couple of albums up on the right, one is Christmas and one is the New Year celebration. Cheers!

I just came back to work after almost a week off. Now I have the holiday blues. I guess you could also call it the holiday blahs. That's how I feel after most vacations: blah. We had a great time this last weekend with my sister-in-law's family in McCall, Idaho. There was between 30-40 people for the weekend; we all stayed at a church camp facility, which means there was plenty of room for everyone. We all had our own rooms, mostly, and even though Autumn and I were not directly related, we were made to feel right at home. What a relaxing time! After being there from Wednesday to Sunday, we drove the slick and nasty roads to Boise and stayed with my dad for a night. It was great because we were able to drop Trinity off and go to dinner by ourselves. It was great for all involved. But now I am home, which is nice except for the blahs. On that note, Autumn's BFF Beth sent out this picture of her boys the other day. I'll just let you enjoy the picture without further descr...

I guess it has been almost a week since I last posted. This is just a quick one to let both my readers know that I am still alive. Autumn and I just had our first meal alone in a couple of weeks, it was a very nice lunch together while my mom watched Trinity. I am only now starting to realize how much I enjoy time with my wife, since we have so little of it together. My mom is down for the week to help us out and to get some good grandma time in, so Autumn has a little freedom, which is nice for her. We'll have to figure out how to get more of that for her in the coming weeks. I miss my wife and I miss my daughter now that I am back at work. My time home was really good. Parenthood makes time go faster. Yikes! Here is a picture of our little baby girl during some tummy time...good stuff! Also, I included a picture with Auntie Beth, since I heard that she was feeling left out. Cheers!

I feel like I am losing ground on the posts here and it will not get any better now that I am starting the fall term with not one, but two classes. Yikes. Autumn went to baby shower yesterday afternoon, our second one. This one was given by some of the ladies at church; about 20-25 people came. It was pretty amazing to have all those people, people that we don't know really well, come out and support our daughter. We have been greatly showered with gifts and I am grateful for every single one. The ones that have amazed me are the hand made ones. It is going to sound like favoritism, but it is really not. I just remember the hand made ones more, maybe because they are more rare. I have included a picture of a quilt that was given to us and it is beautiful. I sat on the couch and just looked at it for a few minutes. It is flannel and very pink. It is perfect for a little girl. While Autumn was at the shower, I was helping some friends assemble a lattice tower for a small wind turbine...