after the manner of happiness

Kids need wonders only seen outdoors

2012-01-07T20:50:00.002-07:00

A brief article about a child and a dad that I can relate to:
Kids need wonders only seen outdoors

Backpack #4

2011-10-23T12:10:00.005-06:00

This past Friday and Saturday, I went on my 4th backpacking trip with the kids - again taking the three oldest. I have been inviting other dads and kids along, but I ended up being the only adult along to fend off the mountain lions, black bears, and other wild imaginations.

The 2.2 mile trail traversed a canyon wall amid oak and pine trees above a scenic river. I had never seen acorns quite this color before!

We camped on a large bar (sandbar) where L found these two heart-shaped rocks. She thought her teacher would like them, so we captured a photo of her with the rocks. This way we were able to "leave what you find" (Leave No Trace principle), and we avoided her filling her pack with every beautiful rock she found.

The photo above is special as it marks the place where I lost our digital camera on the hike in. Night was falling, so we took off our packs to get out our headlamps for the last half-mile or so. I forgot that I had taken off the camera case and must have kicked the camera case (with camera) off the path when putting my backpack back on. In camp the next day we realized the camera was missing. This spot was the only place I could think of having removed the camera case from my neck, but the case was not there when we hiked out. I prayed for help, and A remembered asking me what I had kicked after putting on my backpack the previous night. We wondered if instead of a rock, as I had presumed, it was the camera case and started looking down the steep bank along the trail. Thankfully, the strap of the camera case had attached to a small plant only about 6 feet down the hill where I could safely get to it. We offered thanks and cheerfully hiked homeward.

There really were big kitties and bears nearby! We didn't meet any though.

August Campout with Friends

2011-08-19T23:04:00.007-06:00

With summer break drawing to a close, we enjoyed one last hurrah with the company of friends we hadn't seen for a few years. Camping season was in full-swing, but we were able to find two available campsites located in a cool area between our two families' cities.

We like going to hike-in campsites,

Dutch oven cooking,

going on more hikes (the photos from our twilight hike did not turn out well),

wading when it's hot,

and being with good friends.

Looking forward to the next adventure!

Summer with Family

2011-08-19T22:10:00.008-06:00

We spent a good portion of our July visiting family and having a great time together. Below are snapshots of just a few of the things we did. Enjoy - we sure did.

Campouts with Kids

2011-06-28T22:29:00.004-06:00

The boys and I enjoy the tradition of an annual father and son campout. We get together with other dads and sons from our church congregation for a fun night of campfires and sleeping out in commemoration of the restoration of the priesthood.

The place chosen this year was rather interesting to me - note the cooling towers in the background of the canoeing photo. It did remind me, however, of some of the high desert ponds near where I grew up. As we pulled off the highway to the campground, we rolled down the windows and heard the meadowlark's song multiple times before reaching the grassy area and pond. We played and shared food with friends until late and had a nice group breakfast before packing up in the morning.

Since the boys get their regular camping trip with dad, we started the tradition of an annual daddy-daughter campout a few years ago. This year we pulled a small group together and headed out to see some of the Sierra Nevada's notable sequoia trees. I prefer a bit of nature when camping, so we selected a pair of campsites where we walked in a couple-hundred yards from where we parked the car. One of the other dads and his adventurous daughter suggested a night hike. Although the moon was not shining, the stars practically lit our way. The girls got the courage to turn off their lights at one point and we looked gazed around at the bright stars revealing themselves between tall trees. We also found beetles, spiders, and a rubber boa on our hike.

The next day was very satisfying for me as we walked through a grove of sequoia trees. I had done this when I was the age of our oldest child. They are really awe-inspiring due to their size - some over 30 feet in diameter, their age - some are thousands of years old, their history - they have contributed to our identity as a nation, and the separate world of life they contain. In my opinion, they are one of God's most splendid creations.

Lots of Water Time

2011-06-27T22:51:00.003-06:00

May and June brought us out to the water (since the water finally stopped falling on us). H and I went fishing on the big lake on a boat with some friends. It was a windy morning, but we had a fun time together eating candy and zipping over choppy water while dragging sparkly things behind the boat. I hadn't been fishing in a long time and had only bought a 1-day fishing license, so I made the best of it by biking down to the river later in the day with A to get our lines wet. She improved her casting skills somewhat and we had a fun time together - that's what counts, right?

We returned as a family to the lake a few weeks later to celebrate A's birthday according to her tradition. So far she's been able to float her cake in a new body of water each year - and so far none of her cakes have been dumped! We ate the seaworthy cake and spent the pleasant evening examining rocks and throwing them into the lake.

April Family Camping Trip

2011-05-09T22:55:00.003-06:00

We took the whole gang camping last month and had a great time. The area - recommended by a friend - is located a whole 15 minutes from our home. It's hard to tell what you're looking at on the online reservation system, but when we arrived, we felt like we had the best site in the campground.

We really enjoyed the setting and privacy offered by large boulders, oak trees, and healthy grasses and shrubs. Several rounds of hide-and-seek were played by all.

We enjoyed eating together, including chili and chips for dinner that helped H fulfill a Cub Scout requirement to plan and cook an outdoor meal. We also ate s'mores in the evening and a satisfying breakfast of Dutch oven sticky buns. Having never camped at a state park here, I was pleasantly surprised to find hot running water that made dutch oven clean-up a breeze!

A couple of outings with our oldest

2011-03-22T23:06:00.005-06:00

I need to report on a couple of fun activities before they are forgotten.

Last month was the Great Backyard Bird Count, so I made a date to count birds with A near the lake that is just down the road. The photo shows A with a couple of turtles sunning on a log (the third was shy and slipped off into the water when we pulled out the camera). We did see plenty of birds including pairs of common mergansers, a western grebe, and a pie-billed grebe on the water and approximately 150 sand hill cranes making noise way overhead, not quite sure whether they were coming or going. We stopped to count at another location that was much quieter with turkey vultures and an oak titmouse passing by. Although we are amateur birders, the sun was shining and we had a fun time visiting.

Just last Friday, I went on another outing with A. We had planned on a wildflower hike, but rain has been continually in our forecast. Instead we went bowling and for ice cream. The photo shows A eating her gigantic sundae with chocolate sauce (she had already eaten the top 2 inches off). Mine had caramel sauce. Both of us brought home leftovers. Good times - though I am ready for a little more sunshine.

Talented Little Lady

2011-02-16T16:31:00.003-07:00

Anna is hijacking the blog to post a video of A's recent talent show performance at her elementary school for family (and whoever else wants to watch). They had so many participants (over 50) that they limited each act to 1 1/2 min so it ends mid-song. I didn't get the beginning during the intro music where she was looking through a telescope into the 'stars'. It was quite the juxtaposition amidst all the popular music. We are proud of her courage and talent. Enjoy.

Backpack #3

2011-01-04T22:57:00.004-07:00

Between Christmas and New Years, I took our three oldest kids on a backpacking trip - this was L's first! I took Thursday and Friday off work as these days were forecasted to be the only real sunny days of the break.

We set out in the early afternoon on the shady side of a ridge. We soon climbed up this ridge into the bright sunlight and followed its back for a couple miles down toward the river. The winter sun was low in the sky as we followed the river to where we would camp.

There were no established campsites, so we found a nice spot among the oaks on a relatively flat part of a hill (I learned that you can prevent some slipping across your sleeping pad by placing a fleece jacket or other non-nylon article of clothing between your sleeping bag and pad). We set up our tent and made a quick dinner by roasting hot dogs over a twiggy fire (not the typical backpacking fare) followed by Swiss cake rolls (to keep us warm, you know). It soon became dark, and we retired to our warm sleeping bags to visit and read scriptures before going to sleep.

I slept amazingly well (after following the inspiration to use my jacket to prevent the downhill slide) as did the kids. We awoke to a white, frosted world. The icy rain fly glittered in the morning sunlight warning us that it was chilly outside.

After a little coaxing, I left my sleeping bag, put on several layers, and hiked down to a smaller creek with H to filter some drinking water (since a lecture on my first backpacking trip, I've been cautious not to contaminate the "out" hose with the "in" hose). Soon we were heating some water on the ol' Whisperlite for a breakfast of oatmeal and hot chocolate.

As the sun rose higher, the world quickly thawed back into color. We packed our gear and set out on the trail the way we had come. I'm still a little baffled as to why the trail was so much muddier on our way out than on the way in. We stopped to refuel and play at a friendly large oak with low-hanging branches, and we got the closest to a turkey vulture that I have ever been (after a close aerial inspection, he must have decided we would make it out alive and left us alone).

What a great trip. I've been thinking about spring wildflower hikes...

Birding

2010-12-18T23:44:00.003-07:00

The weather this weekend is wet and stormy. I was browsing through some photos and saw that I hadn't posted anything from a family outing of last month. Here is a belated account from our Veterans Day birding trip when the weather was spectacular.

The photo above is toward the end of our hike and just after L slipped off the boardwalk and into the slough. She was cheerful about it at least. I was glad we were favored with blue skies and warm temperatures.

With the kids, we took the boardwalk trail. This is about the spot where we saw the sandhill cranes flying just over our heads. The book H is holding was only slightly useful as we are not in Idaho.

Here are the kids glassin' the slough. It was a bit of a noisy place with thousands of waterfowl and other birds (they out-did us). I'd like to go back to this unique spot to do some paddling on the river portions some day.

The Golden Gate

2010-11-28T11:28:00.004-07:00

Our crew visited my brother and his family for a day in San Francisco last month. A much-anticipated highlight of the trip was a walk on the golden gate bridge. At first H didn't believe we would actually be able to get out on it - he had known of the bridge's fame for some time before.

We were happy to have the weather hold out for us as we walked on the busy bridge's surface. We ate lunch at a park near the bridge and were nearly finished when the rain began to pour (see the 2nd family photo). We were able to escape to our van and spent the rest of the afternoon visiting and playing indoors. We had a great time with family in the bay area.

Daddy-daughter kayaking

2010-09-14T00:38:00.003-06:00

A Daddy-daughter camping trip just hasn't been working out with schedules this summer, but I knew they were really excited to go paddling in a place "less-bumpy" than the Bois-Brule River in Wisconsin. L needed a better association with the sport.

We rented a tandem kayak with a child-sized seat in the middle and set out to explore the lake near home. We saw geese, gulls, cormorants, and mergansers on the water and circled an island. After investigating a small inlet, we turned around and could see the spire of the LDS temple beyond the trees over the port bow. Look in the photo just above A's black cap.

We had a very pleasant time on the lake and hope to get out more often.

Labor Day weekend fun

2010-09-13T23:58:00.007-06:00

The Saturday before Labor Day we finally set up a makeshift slip and slide the kids had been requesting. Ours was basically a huge tarp we once had manure delivered on in our driveway (we didn't remind the kids until they were done sliding). Anna sat at the top of our little backyard hill in command of the hose while we slid down our lumpy backyard. It was fun and our setup worked out well. (Don't pay any attention to our stunt doubles atop the hill.)

On Labor Day we took a short drive to the hills to visit a couple of apple orchards which celebrated the opening of their season with crafts and a petting zoo. Papa Peine should be excited to see the tractor the kids took turns "driving".
The drive was beautiful among the hillside farms and orchards. I am excited to go back when the apples have ripened for some freshly-pressed apple cider - maybe we'll find an orchard of our own to tend someday in the future.

Lunch with Dan

2010-09-05T10:26:00.005-06:00

I figured this post fits with the theme of my blog pretty well - that of family relationships.

I was in the bay area for work this past Friday, so I met up with my brother, Dan, who works in San Francisco. Not having been there since I was a kid, it was exciting to recognize some of the buildings and architecture I had seen from the passenger window as a child while crossing over the bridge into SF.

I enjoyed walking to lunch with Dan from his office, and visiting over spicy Thai curry - Dan didn't seem as affected by the spice even though he ordered a hotter version. It's good to hear that his family is doing well and adjusting to their recent move to California.

The poor cropping on the photo was left to show the bridge above Dan's office in the reflection on the glass. Maybe next time I will consider a more lovely background of the bay instead.

Kayak Date

2010-09-05T10:01:00.005-06:00

Most of my posts show activities involving my children. That is important, but my relationship with my wife is of even greater importance.

A couple of weekends ago, Anna and I went for a paddle on the lake near our home. I had been wanting to get out on this lake for some time, so we rented a pair of sit-on-top kayaks and spent some time together while a good friend watched the kids. The weather was pleasant with a bit of a breeze pushing sailboats around us.

It was fun to be outside having uninterrupted conversations with my dear friend. Experiences like this remind me how much I love and appreciate Anna - and that I just like to be with her.

Pioneer Day Celebration

2010-07-26T00:25:00.004-06:00

This 24th of July celebration commemorates the Mormon pioneers entering the Salt Lake Valley with Brigham Young in their quest to live according to their faith. I appreciate their historic efforts as well as the efforts of those who gave their time and talents to plan and carry out our local festivities.

Our family plus a friend dressed the part and enjoyed such activities as sack races, graces, apple bobbing, listening to guitar and fiddle music, and eating.

Exploring our neighborhood

2010-07-26T00:15:00.003-06:00

Anna recently learned about a new nature center not too far from our house. We set off to explore it and the creekside trail that adjoins it. Turned out the center was not open, but we took the trail down toward the creek and found big, juicy blackberries along the way. It's fun to find the little pockets of nature nearby and learn what the native plants and animals really are.

I returned over the weekend to complete the trail with H and L. It was warm, but we spotted quite a bit of wildlife. H wasn't as disappointed as I was to find no snakes along the route.

An eventful summer vacation

2010-07-08T18:44:00.003-06:00

Our family spent a week on the road visiting relatives and being part of my brother-in-law's wedding - it was wonderful. We packed in a lot of activities including stays at grandparents' homes, visits with cousins and friends, birthday celebrations, independence day festivities, swimming, kayaking, etc., etc.

Easter Sunday

2010-04-04T21:43:00.003-06:00

We enjoyed a lot of family time today for Easter. We listened to great talks focusing on the teachings of Christ from worldwide Church leaders over the internet (with a very reliable connection) as General Conference was scheduled for this weekend. Time and time again I could feel how they desire the success of our families.

Anna had put together new outfits for the kids - making good use of local thrift stores. Our children sure are beautiful. Anna also prepared wonderful meals for our Easter celebration: a breakfast casserole with tangerine juice from tangerines I picked from a neighborhood tree (yes, with permission) with A and H's help; a lunch of broiled fish, honeycomb, and small loaves of artisan bread; and a dinner with ham and red and sweet potatoes. You can tell we enjoy food. I had fun playing Sunday games and otherwise entertaining the kids throughout the day.

A weekend on the coast

2010-04-04T21:03:00.005-06:00

Last month our family went to visit my brother and his family on the California coast. Our kids hadn't seen their cousins for a very long time and had never been to the ocean. We had a great time and experienced sunny (yet windy) weather as we spent most of our Saturday at beaches within minutes of Arn and Megan's home. The kids played in the sand while L and I watched Arn surf at the first beach. We hopped across rocks at the second and examined tide pools finding critters stranded by the low tide.
We are looking forward to visiting again. (Thanks Megan for contributing some of these photos.)

No Place Like Home

2010-02-07T22:42:00.004-07:00

Life can often be summed up by the wording on the top photo in this post - the photo was taken through the back sliding door with static-cling letters on it.

We have been enjoying our back yard this winter with different activities than those we enjoyed in Minnesota. It's fun to watch a frustrated or irritable child wander out back and lose him or herself in watching wildlife, raking leaves, playing in the dirt or mud, or swinging on the tire swing Grandpa made. There is a calmness and introspection that comes from unstructured time outdoors.

I remember spending hours climbing the trees behind my house when I was the age of my oldest child. Having been away from this area since that time, it has felt natural to me to climb the trees in our yard to hang a tire swing in the oak and to prune the plum tree.

Picnicking and Hiking - is this January?

2010-01-17T22:33:00.003-07:00

We enjoyed a few days of sunny weather last week and decided our family needed to get out-of-doors on Saturday before the rainy weather returned. Yesterday Anna packed up fixin's for a picnic lunch while I mapped out an open space about a mile from home to explore.

We walked past the shaded playground area with picnic tables and were drawn to a small prairie with leafless oak trees. We threw out our blanket and made lunch as the kids ran through the grasses and hid among the trees. Lunch was tastier than usual as we lounged between the tall grasses and hazily sunny skies.

Refueled, we started down the hill along a damp trail into thick trees. We were amazed by the thick, thorny berry bushes running along the mostly-dry stream bed. Most of the fruit remained - dried on the vine. We soon found many splinter trails but no signs. I chose routes that led us in the general direction of the river. After a couple of steep climbs, we found ourselves on a ridge overlooking the river where a couple of kayaks calmly paddled in our direction.

All along our hike, Anna found bottles and cans and encouraged the children to collect them as well. Many of them were stashed in my backpack. This litter was carried out both to clean the area as well as for cash redemption. The kids each earned money for a treat when the bottles and cans were turned in after our hike.

Biking to School

2010-01-17T22:20:00.001-07:00

We've been able to leave the car parked several times over the past week or two while I've waited for my new job to begin. The three oldest kids and I have powered ourselves about 1 mile each way to and from their school on bikes. Our fashionable bright vests have allowed us to ride safely along neighborhood roads and discover just how hilly our area is. (In this image L - in blue - is not wearing her vest as she rode home in the bike trailer.)

Hoping that we can make biking more of a habit, our two-car garage houses the van in one bay and the bicycles in the other - ready to ride.

Fall means working together

2009-11-18T09:57:00.003-07:00

There's a lot to enjoy about autumn. My senses are at full alert this time of year with the sound of crunching leaves beneath my feet, smells of drying plants or on other days the return of rains, the tastes of harvest and the vivid colors of leaves as they lose their chloryophyllic camouflage.

Being at Grandma and Grandpa's house, we knew there would be much work to do raking up after their many fruit and other hardwood trees. Everyone was enlisted in the cause. Who wouldn't want to be outdoors during the beautiful weather we enjoyed as we worked together to pile and bag leaves? As you can see by the leaves still on trees in the photos, this was not a one-weekend event. We were together on many evenings and Saturdays attending to the constant flow of leaves that have now left the trees bare for a season.

As a side note, we were delighted to learn that a neighborhood leaf "recycling" bin was available at a local park, and most of our leaves were transported there and will hopefully work to enrich soils when spring arrives.

Backpack Trip #2

2009-10-04T12:48:00.004-06:00

The kids had a couple days off from school this past week and my work schedule was flexible, so we decided to get another backpacking trip in before winter. At first, I was looking at some mountain areas but found that snow was in the forecast. Instead we visited a canyon in the high desert where temperatures would be pleasant.

My guide book must be pretty outdated - it took us a couple of hours and several attempts to find that the access roads described no longer exist as they once were. I ended up calling the BLM field office and created my own route based on the roadside maps they directed me toward.

We maneuvered through some rough dirt (and rocky) roads deciding to hike the last 200 yards of road instead of white-knuckling the descent to the trailhead. Finally we we donned our packs and began our much-anticipated hike.

The red rock formations were impressive and the overall effect reminded me of spring break treks in southern Utah's Glen Canyon NRA - only this was a younger, wilder and much less trammeled canyon. A narrow green strip of trees lining the canyon floor gave away the creek's location.

We hiked the trail for about a mile, crossed the creek and found a campsite among tall sagebrush. We soon found ourselves in the shadow of the canyon walls as we prepared dinner. We ate among the sounds of the babbling creek, an owl and several other birds in the cliffs. My 8-year-old identified the waxing gibbous moon as it rose behind a tooth-like cliff. It soon shone on our tent as we read scriptures and retired for bed.

The morning was cool. We ate breakfast, broke camp and explored some other short sections of the trail before heading back toward the car. We had other family plans for the afternoon, but I hope we can return for further exploration someday.

Insect songs of late summer

2009-09-11T09:27:00.001-06:00

I found this insect jukebox on the Green Hour website. Find out who's making the evening music in your neighborhood.

Labor Day Hike

2009-09-10T22:37:00.006-06:00

On Labor Day, my dad and I took my four oldest children and their cousin for a hike. The weather was cool, so we went down into a warm canyon on federal land. I had done an overnight hike there with Scouts several years ago and remembered the sounds of coyotes and raptors and even having a midnight mouse visitor in the tent. This past weekend's hike was wild, but we brought in much of the wildlife with us (as shown in the photos).

We saw many visitors on horseback and a few people fishing when we arrived at a lake beneath the cliffs. Our cousin's mom packed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches enough to share, and we all took a break on a boulder at the lake's edge for granola bars and water. Later we stopped at a sandy spot near the lake's inlet to take off our shoes and wade before starting our hike back out through the fields of melon gravel boulders and dust.

Cherry Harvest

2009-08-24T22:22:00.007-06:00

June brought my folks a great cherry harvest - and we were in the right place at the right time. We picked buckets of the sweet red fruit for our family and friends and still left a feast for our winged neighbors. The tree has become so tall that 2/3 or more of the fruit is unreachable.

The kids kept busy picking what they could reach and then learned how to operate a small cherry pitter. With the pits gone, we enjoyed cherry cake, cherry crumble, dried cherries, cherry fruit leather, cherry lemonade, cherry muffins and have gallons of cherries waiting in the freezer for future use. Working and eating together was a sweet experience.

Our Trip West

2009-08-24T22:04:00.006-06:00

So I'm writing about it a few months later, but we had a really enjoyable trip west in early June. Having finished grad school and my teaching appointment during the snow semester, we packed up our home and headed west for who knows how long. On our trip we visited dear friends in Nebraska and loved the small towns, friendly gas station attendants and beautiful and productive countryside we passed through. Of course young children's bathroom breaks aren't as easy as when traveling the freeway with its regular blue rest stop ahead signs. Thankfully much of the roadside grasses were as tall as the kids.

The top image shows us attending my cousin's wedding at the Mt. Timpanogos temple in Utah where we stayed a few days to enjoy family. Anna had some great ideas for keeping the children happy during the drive with the anticipation for new activities each day.

First Backpack Trip

2009-05-31T20:17:00.007-06:00

This past Friday night, I took our two oldest children on their first overnight backpacking trip. We traveled to a nearby state park where we began hiking under cloudy skies. As we made our way past several scenic waterfalls, we felt some rain spitting at us. We continued our 3-mile trek up the river as the storm grew worse. We put up our hoods as rain increased and the sound of thunder and lightning grew louder. We spaced ourselves further apart and moved quickly along a high ridge scurrying to lower ground as rain began to pour heavily on us. Bravely, A & H kept moving forward inspired by the thoughts of shelter at camp and dry clothes. They did great! By the time we reached camp, the storm had passed and the nearly setting sun could be seen through the trees.

Warm, dry clothes and a hot dinner brought comfort and smiles to a tired group. We were the only people on the trail and at the campsite. We hung our food, said our prayers and slept well.

I was awakened by a woodpecker drilling nearby for insects. The morning sunshine filled the tent and showed promise for a beautiful day. We filtered water, threw rocks in the river, ate breakfast and packed up our camp for a hike back down the river. Blue skies, warm sun, reflecting water and freshly watered vegetation made the earth picturesque and our hike incomparable.

I learned a lot about my children on our outing - about their courage, their fears and their love for God's creation. We built confidence and trust in eachother and made lasting memories on this fun, weekend trip.

2009-05-31T20:10:00.002-06:00

It's fun to come home some days and find a note strategically placed on my bed from one of the kids. Sometimes they're simply drawings and other times they include requests such as the one shown above. It's satisfying to see that time is often what our children crave.

Our Annual Family Spring Street-Sweep

2009-05-04T08:21:00.005-06:00

For the past three years our family has adopted a portion of the street we live on to keep free of litter. Each spring we watch for the snow to melt off the grassy areas on the sides of the road in anticipation of our family ritual. At last in April the weather was conducive to dedicating our family night activity to collecting the trash on our street. We filled several grocery bags with all sorts of garbage that built up over the winter and had remained trapped under the snow and ice. Each time we walk, bike or drive down our street, we feel satisfaction in knowing we are helping to beautify our neighborhood and keep trash from collecting in sewers and running into our beautiful rivers and lakes.

2009-04-28T13:07:00.005-06:00

(Posted by Anna--hijacking Josh's blog)

Our son wanted to participate in the elementary school talent show by telling a few jokes in a sort of comedy routine. The video I took of him was too big to load here (or some other unknown reason that it won't work to upload), so I'll list his jokes below. There were two performances: one at school for all the children during school hours and another in the evening for parents following the PTA meeting. During the school-day event the good-natured principal had to come on stage to hush the children from their continuos giggling so Henri could proceed with all his jokes. During the evening performance the 'butcher' joke laughter lasted quite a while too.

While he and his sister had a tryout and two rehearsals to practice we have joked for years that the regular dinner guests we invite into our home get "dinner and a show", so really they've been gearing up for this for quite a while. We are grateful to the teachers who worked hard to provide this opportunity for the children and we are very proud of both of the kids for their display of courage and talent!

I’m going to tell you a few jokes.

1-What do you call cheese that is not yours?

Nacho Cheese

2-What nails do builders hate to hit?

Fingernails!

3-What happened when the owl lost its voice?

It didn’t give a hoot!

4-What did the ocean say to the shore?

Nothing, it just gave a little wave.

5-I need your help with this one:

Knock, Knock.

(Who’s there?

Olive

(Olive who?

Olive us LOVE Congdon!

6-What flowers do you carry with you all day?

Tu-lips!

7-How does a butcher introduce his wife?

“Meat” Patty

8-Why are frogs so happy?

Because they eat whatever bugs them!

9-Why do elephants paint their toenails red?

To hide in cherry trees!

10-What time should you go to the dentist?

Tooth-hurty!

2009-04-28T12:49:00.003-06:00

(Posted by Anna--hijacking Josh's blog)

Our daughter wanted to participate in her elementary school's spring talent show and we wanted to encourage her participation, so here is what came to fruition. I knew it would be difficult to capture a good video (especially on our little camera not meant for quality video) so I recorded her at home. This is the less-than-perfect one because the boys were fighting over her stuffed dog that stood as "Sandy" but I thought it was so hilarious I just had to post this one instead of the 'picture perfect' one. If you watch her face you can see her frustrated when her 2 year old brother takes off with the dog and then it dashes by the screen a few times. Ah, siblings.

Where does all that snow go?

2009-03-19T21:28:00.005-06:00

This morning I did my weekly presentation of artworks in our oldest's school classroom - the program goes for about six weeks each spring. To get from the university to the elementary school, I hike a beautiful trail (about 3 miles round-trip) each time I present. On today's hike, I was excited to see water blasting through the creek, so I decided the kids needed to experience where all of our melting snow goes.

This afternoon my three oldest and I started up a section of the trail. We picked up fallen white pine cones, looked at ice formations at the water's edge and raised our voices to hear each other over the roar of the cascading runoff. There was so much to see that I missed watching my son fall into a shallow pool. He received a first-hand lesson in the poor insulative qualities of cotton pants (jeans) but was soon warmed by blankets back at the van (no need for me to scold).

Despite the abrupt ending to our jaunt, we all had a great time experiencing the much-anticipated change of seasons in our nearby urban wilderness.

2009-03-19T21:12:00.003-06:00

Once or twice a semester it's become a tradition for Anna and the kids to come for lunch at the burger place on campus. Typically everyone orders chicken strips and fries. We sit on bar stools at the counter where we talk and watch college students come and go on the city buses. I imagine it's quite a spectacle for the college students to see a large family of young children take over their regular hang out. On this last time out, the young man who took our order was really interested in the kids and provided extra help and attention. The kids are doing well out in public and look forward to "going to Dad's school for lunch."

2009-03-09T17:53:00.001-06:00

Microfarming in Ecuador helps families

2008-12-20T16:53:00.003-07:00

Here's a quick video of the kids on snowshoes as we headed back home on our snowshoe adventure described in the previous post.

2008-12-20T16:15:00.003-07:00

A week ago during our family night, we welcomed snow in with tortilla "snowflakes" covered with powdered sugar. These were about as messy and fun as the actual snow that has arrived.

With my graduate coursework officially complete and the arrival of fresh snow, it was time to celebrate. I took our two oldest on their first snowshoe adventure on a hiking trail leading from our home to the local nature center and adjoining park (containing over 600 acres of undeveloped habitat with interspersed hiking and nordic ski trails). It's been great to live so close to this gem. We strapped on our snowshoes this morning and followed a trail we are regulars on but which looked unfamiliar to the kids in its blanket of white.

I wasn't sure how well the kids would do on snowshoes during their first time out. Once the shoes were on, they were up and away. The only time I saw them fall was when they tried breaking trail through some deep powder going up a slope. We're trying to make snow a reason to get outside and enjoy being together.

2008-12-14T20:34:00.004-07:00

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. To me, it's about being with people I love and thinking of all the blessings we enjoy. Everyone can find something to be grateful for. It's also been fun to invite others who cannot travel to enjoy our family.

The day after Thanksgiving was forecasted to be the last nice weather for a long while (probably for the next four months). We hadn't received significant snow at the time and the leaves were still on out front lawn. What a perfect day to get outside and, enjoy some sunshine and rake a big pile of leaves. After some good exercise, each child enjoyed several crash landings into a largely linden leaf pile.

After I decided I was too tired to continue launches, the kids made their attempt at picking me up to throw me in the pile. Eventually, they came up with the somewhat successful idea of pushing me into the pile.

It's interesting to see these pictures now with our recent snowstorm dropping 8 inches of fresh white over the landscape. As I complete the requirements for my MFA this semester, I look forward to some new adventure with my family. Stay tuned...

2008-10-25T20:03:00.003-06:00

We have enjoyed a nice long autumn this year. The leaves put on what seemed an extended show for us. They are now nearly all planning for next year's performance while enriching the soils they will receive nourishing inspiration from later. My son H and I went for a nice paddle recently into one of their theaters. He told me during a Sunday interview that he wanted to report about something fun we did together for show and tell at school. Realizing that we hadn't had any recent adventure, I told him we'd go canoeing. We borrowed a friend's canoe and launched from his place. On this trip (pictured above) we enjoyed sunny skies and watched kingfishers and cormorants flying low around us. I shout Encore!

We've also been enjoying some good indoor activities this month. From several of the apples Anna picked from generous friends' trees, we made caramel apples during a family night. I don't remember enjoying a caramel apple as much as that one.

Thanks to our new broadband connection, we could also watch sessions from the General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the comfort of our couch. We felt sometimes distracted, sometimes drowsy but mostly inspired by the messages of hope and peace brought to us by the living oracles of God. The kids were excited to see again the kind leaders they have come to recognize and know. They kept busy coloring the pattern of each of the brethren's neckties as he spoke.

2008-10-25T19:41:00.004-06:00

Despite the absence of any posts in September, it was a busy month for our family. School started up for the two oldest children and Dad. With the new baby on the way, Anna and I were able to arrange my teaching and classes so that I can take the school-goers to the bus stop in the mornings while the younger children stay sleeping. It's nice to have that little bit of extra time to visit and learn about my kids' lives as we wait at the bus stop. We have been noticing the change in seasons with falling leaves, migrating birds and dropping temperatures.

While on the subject of seasons, we enjoyed a much more bountiful harvest from our small garden this year. We pulled about a bushel of carrots. The kids kept asking if they could eat another carrot each time they passed the large bowl of bright orange veggies. This happens with apples picked from friends' trees too. Our garden also gave us peas, cilantro, corn, jalapenos, broccoli, onions, beans and loads of large green tomatoes (which eventually ripened indoors).

2008-08-31T09:03:00.005-06:00

We had a peaceful, enjoyable experience at the hospital as Anna gave birth to our new son early this "labor day" weekend. (Notice the little one yawning.)

At first I hesitated to back out of an overnight Scout backpacking trip I planned to take place two weeks before my wife's due date (she's never delivered early with our four previous pregnancies). That morning it was difficult to tell whether the labor Anna was experiencing was "it." When I finally talked to another Scout leader about coming to pick up the group's food I had assembled, as I would not be going, I felt peaceful about the situation.

Generous friends watched our children while Anna and I went to the hospital, and, in less than five hours, Anna gave birth to our new, healthy son. They are now both at home and bringing increased joy to our family.

I am amazed at our blessings when I consider the smoothness of Anna's labor, the perfectly formed body of our new child and the overall health and comfortable circumstances of my family. This experience has been a powerful reminder to me of how happiness comes from putting my family first.

2008-07-19T22:02:00.020-06:00

The other day at work I read an article called "Connecting Children and Urban Youth to America's Public Lands." I've been aware of studies and writings showing a declining trend of public lands use among our nation's youth. This article featured spokespersons from various agencies including the Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management telling their priorities and programs focuses. These agencies are doing much to introduce children to the outdoors.
As I read the article I began to wonder how families fit into the picture. Nature centers, youth groups and schools were discussed often as the means to introducing youth to the outdoors. I thought to myself, "Parents and other family should take a role in this process. Are we too busy working or fulfilling our own ambitions? We cannot depend upon nature centers and government agencies to do all the work." I was pleased to find that the last organization presented in the article, the BLM, included families as one of their three key areas of focus.

Naturally, I began considering what I have been doing with my family to expose my children to the outdoors. Here is a bit of a photo essay:

On Independence Day, my family went to our favorite spot on the beach (recommended to us last year by our neighbors as a good spot for children). We enjoyed great weather and had to tear ourselves away to go to a church Fourth-of-July picnic. After spending the day outside, we finished the day off with a simple camping trip in our own backyard.

Last night I took my two daughters on our second-annual Daddy-Daughter camping trip. We camped in a national forest with a couple other dads and their daughters and paddled a nice (though a bit bumpy) stretch of a beautiful wild river just 40 miles away from home. I expect that my children are developing a connection to and an appreciation for our wild places.

2008-05-29T20:44:00.012-06:00

Life is Like an Old-Time Rail Journey

Our stimulus check helped send us on a fun and much anticipated journey across a portion of the northern United States by rail. Many have asked how we liked Amtrak, so my industrious wife will be emailing a thorough review (based on a list she made while the kids were napping on the trip home to satisfy her need to keep her mind active and organized). (FYI-She approved this post.) Financially speaking the train was 1/3 to 1/2 the price of flying our family of six and 1/3 the time of driving (if you include stops and overnights), so it fit our needs beautifully. We rode on the Empire Builder, which runs from from Chicago to Portland/Seattle, going coach class on the way there and riding first class in two small sleeper cars on the return trip to get the full experience. Needless to say, with 27+ hours of travel each way, we spent lots of time together aboard the train. Despite the size of our party, Anna was pleased with one conductor's comment that we should get an award for packing light.

We vacationed for just over a week in beautiful Sandpoint staying with Anna's family and enjoying my family visiting from Southern Idaho (parents, sister and her son). They traveled nearly 9 hours one-way to see us--they must like us! I was amazed to see how much my niece and nephew had grown since last being with them. We hadn't been back to Idaho since leaving nearly two years ago for grad school. While we shared in on some of the chores, time was abundant for touristy activities, visiting dear friends, stopping in to catch up with Anna's grandma a couple of times, hiking the farm, riding bicycles and just hanging out with family. I kept pace on my running training schedule for a June marathon and enjoyed the scenery and challenge of increased altitude in North Idaho.

Anna and I celebrated our eighth anniversary while there and enjoyed an afternoon walking the streets in Sandpoint and window shopping while the kids played with Grandparents on the farm. We returned to town the next day and retraced our steps to a few places and purchased simple personalized souvenirs for each of the older three children to remember the trip. The kids were quite excited about the cow bones and turkey feathers they found during our hike through the cow pasture as momentos too. (The feathers and bones made it to show and tell in both of their classrooms.)

This get-away really allowed us to relax and take a break from the routine of life. While there was effort involved in day-to-day responsibilities, it was a treat to be with those we love, experience something new and be in a beautiful place filled with memories and friends.

2008-04-27T20:02:00.007-06:00

I returned from a professional workshop (the National Association for Interpretation) I attended earlier this month having won a new bird identification book, binoculars and with revived enthusiasm for birding (bird watching).

The kids have long been helping me look out for birds and can identify several bird calls and songs. At age 3, L would excitedly point out a "common gwackle" (common grackle). I recently attended A's class field trip to a local nature center where we went in search of birds. The kids usually beat Mom to identify the short song of a black-capped chickadee.

With excitement for the slowly approaching spring and an amazing variety of migrating birds in our area, we've spent a lot of time already looking through our family binoculars, matching up bird species in our book and creating lists of sightings. This is a fun way for us to spend time interacting with each other while learning about the beautiful world around us.

The backyard bird feeder, trees and neighboring pond have attracted birds such as mergansers (common and hooded), several species of sparrows, a coot, a downy woodpecker and many others.

2008-03-14T21:05:00.003-06:00

Looking at the past few posts, I'm realizing why it is said that the kitchen is the center of the home. However, we do other things besides just eating.

Last Saturday our crew went on an outing to the Children's Museum with a couple of friends. It was fun to see how the kids perceived work in the building and construction-themed activity stations. They seemed to have a great time. I learned something about each of the kids from watching them. E is a great observer and understands more than we sometimes think at his young age, L chose to work alone building elaborate block structures for part of the time, A often took the role of a leader, inviting others to participate and H saw a need for structure and regulation in his play activities--he kept putting up pylons to route the other exhibit visitors where he wished them. Impressive kids!

2008-03-14T20:50:00.002-06:00

I mentioned in an earlier posting how the kids love to help when we're making pizzas. Homemade pizza was a tradition in my home growing up, and lately we've been holding Friday night pizza dinners here. I'll usually come home a little earlier from school on these nights to share the chef's hat with an eager kitchen staff.

What can beat 50% whole-wheat dough, thoughtful topping "decoration" and enthusiastic conversation while enjoying a slice or three of great pizza?

2008-03-14T20:36:00.002-06:00

February is full of events for our family--including a couple of birthdays! We typically combine two special ladies' family dinner celebrations into one evening. Dinner always has a special twist as Anna prefers her dessert first on her big day. I make crepes for the family (Anna got them started this time--hence the apron) and we snack on crackers and a cheese ball afterward. Don't worry, L had a more normal cupcake dessert earlier in the week.

bon appetit!

2008-03-14T20:19:00.002-06:00

Valentines Day was a month ago, so I guess it's a good time to post about it. At the time, Anna had been craving the lemon berry slushies made at the Sonic drive-in food chain, but there are none around here. I was able to find some recipes online that claimed to be similar to Sonic's concoction and determined that I would satisfy my Valentine's taste buds. While in route to pick up our traditional Valentines Day Chinese take out, I stopped at a nearby grocery store and bought fresh lemons and strawberries. Scooping fresh snow from the backyard completed my list of ingredients, and we enjoyed delicious lemon-berry slushies for our dinner-date.

2008-02-01T08:09:00.001-07:00

Each Monday night our family gets together to sing, share a lesson and do a simple activity. It was my turn to present the activity this past week, so I decided we should make paper hats. My mother-in-law recently sent a fun activity book written in the 1970's where I found the instructions for this simple old-style military/baker/scout hat.
With several sheets of recycled newspaper, some instructions and enthusiastic art direction from the kids, everyone was outfitted in about 15 minutes and play continued through eating treats until bedtime. Through experiences like this simple activity, I remember that our families are happiest by working and being together--regardless of the amount of money spent or the size of the activity.

2008-01-18T22:38:00.000-07:00

I finally completed an intense design project and had a week of my winter break remaining to spend with my family. It was great to spend a lot of quality time with the kids. I enjoyed discussing how I use shapes at work to my older daughter's classmates, helping her and her friends lace-up ice skates for their class outing and later taking my oldest three kids sledding on a nearby hill for a couple of hours after school (and came home to warm, fragrant pumpkin pancakes for dinner). Today I took the oldest to my university's indoor ice rink to practice skating as part of a reward for improvement in school and home areas. We finished with hot chocolate in my studio/office on campus. Later I ended up "camping" with the boys in the basement while Mom was out with the girls.
I have been rediscovering the joy that comes when I lose myself in my family. It has been fun to break lettuce for salad and make pizza dough with my kids or to sit and read a children's book or three. A feeling of increased love comes into our home and we are better prepared to share this essence with others we meet.