The Decemberists

Last night we (Merilee, myself and my niece Catie) went to the Decemberists concert. It was a great concert. However, I am seriously paying for it today. My legs ache from standing for 3+ hours. The opening band Psuedosix was a little too mellow for a show starting at 9:00 pm. That could be that I am just getting old!
The Decemberists show started a little slow. I didn't even recognize any of the first 8 songs. Halfway through the show it turned. The energy started coming, the music started beating faster, the crowd started moving - that's when it started for me.

Turned out to be a great show, they played for 1:50 minutes. There is not much better then going to bed with that ringing in your ears. I love it!

Basketball

Tonight I have basketball practice with Mason's 4th grade team. I have volunteered to coach his team and I really love it. I enjoy watching the kids progress throughout the season. What I enjoy most about it though is spending time with my kids. I have coached each one of them and I love it. Even if I don't know much about the sport I really enjoy interacting with the kids. Does this mean that I am at the same intellectual level as 4th graders? Merilee - don't answer that!

Anyway, here is to another season of basketball. I hope I am not too tough on the kids. The first practice we ran suicides and I think I got a few evil eye stares from some parents. We will be running again tonight so they better get used to it! The downpart of me coaching my kids is that I think I may be too hard on them. I am sorry Boston, Mason and Sid. I love you guys!

Only 5 fights...

On Friday Merilee had some party to go to where they were watching that lame movie Pride & Prejudice. I think the movie is like 7 hours long or something. First of all, who could even sit through a boring love fest movie for that long? Sounds like torture. Plus, there are too many things that need done to just sit in one spot for 7 hours.
Because Merilee was gone I had the kids. I was trying to think of something fun to do with them since we don’t have a lot of “without Mom time”. Should I take them to hotel for the night? Movies? Ice skating? Chuck – E – Cheese?
I decided to take them to a hockey game. I also let them each invite a friend to go with them. So we piled in the van – all 7 of us – and headed to Memorial Coliseum for a game that started at 7:00. We were going to have a very healthy dinner of whatever would be available at the arena so we left early – 5:00’ish. We got to the arena at 6:00 and found a perfect spot to park. We noticed that the parking lots were pretty empty – weird. When we exited the parking garage the plaza looked like a ghost town. Did I look at the date wrong? Was the game really Saturday night? No, we were just an hour and a half early. The game really started at 7:30. We had 30 minutes to kill before we could get into the arena. We bought our tickets and I let the kids run around a little bit.
The hockey game started and it was looking like Portland was doing ok. End of the first period score was 1-0 Spokane. The second period looked a little better. Portland scored their first goal and the first fight was on the books. Third period got a little out of hand as Portland lost 6-2. The third period did have 4 fights. All 6 kids loved the fights. They would rush the boards and pound and yell as the hockey players dropped their gloves, removed their helmets and started to bob and weave.
Overall a great night. All of the kids had fun and they were very well behaved. I am so grateful I have good kids who also have good friends.

Mason:


Sid and Eliza:


The whole crew:

Last Week

We spent last week in Rhododendron, Oregon at a little (emphasis on little) cabin with my sister and her kids. We had a great time even though the space was limited. We had snow for the kids to play in and a hot tub to relax in after the day skiing/snowboarding. Merilee even stayed with us for a few nights. She went from one extreme to the other - hot AZ to cold OR. Not a bad way to spend New Years. Here are some pics...

Our little cabin


Backyard




On the road to the mountain




Driveway to Mt. Hood Meadows


Views from the lift

Christmas 2007

Another year has come and gone. I can’t believe it’s almost 2008. Where did this year go? Oh, I remember…
Work, grad school, kids activities (hockey, baseball, basketball, soccer, dance, skiing/snowboarding, school activities, cross country, scouts, etc.), family vacations, Merilee’s multiple trips to AZ (why does she need to go 4 or 5 times a year???) and our everyday life just seems to get busier and busier.
This is a time of reflection, especially as I am turning 35 tomorrow. As I sit in my office today I can’t believe where life has taken me over the last 14 years or so.

Below are a few life changing moments...
- It started when I moved to Phoenix in 1994.
I met Merilee, Elise and Marcy in the fall at a Single's Ward FHE (that is so weird).
- Merilee and I were married in August of 1995. We were so young and we didn't know what we were doing. I think it's a miracle we are still married sometimes.
- Boston was born June 16, 1996. We had a brand new baby boy, how are you supposed to raise a child? At this point we really had no idea. (I am not sure if we are better off now though)
- In December 2006 started at Gould Electronics. Even though this was a crapper job I somehow am part of their retirement plan and I get $500/month when I turn 63 or 65.
- In May 1998 Mason was born. He has added so much personality to our family. Go Mas!
- In March 2000 Sidney was born. She completed our little family. How sweet it is to have our little Sid. I love it when she comes and gives me a big hug!
- August, 2000 I start school at University of Advancing Technology. Merilee becomes a single parent for the next 3 years. I think I averaged 14 credits plus a full time job. Nothing like working from 5 am to 5 pm and then going to school from 5:30 - 11:30 at night. Good times...
- December 2001 I was laid off at Gould Electronics.
- July 2002 Ruben got me a job at Lex Solutio - and the eDiscovery adventure begins.
- April 2003 I graduate from UAT.
- May 2003 I start at Solutions @ Law.
- September 2003 Fios, Inc offers me a job in Portland, OR.
- September 2003 our family moves to Beaverton, OR.
- January 2007 I start graduate school at Willamette University. Working on my MBA, I have really enjoyed this one. It has been a great experience, but again, Merilee is a single parent.

There are so many things that have happened since we have lived in Oregon, but I can't really list them all. I am so grateful that we are here. I believe living here has made my marriage stronger. I am so dependent on Merilee that I don't know what I would do without her. I believe our family has a stronger bond now than we ever have. I love having Joyce and her family so close. Sharon is such a wonderful Aunt, it's great. Chris B. is close so Merilee can have her family over too. (Although, we don't see him much)

Merry Christmas to all and Happy Holidays!

We made it!

It took me a while but I finally made it up to the mountain. It was pretty good. We actually went twice this week. I took the kids up Wednesday night after school. We left at 4:00 from my office. The traffic was so bad, we didn’t make it to Meadows (www.skihood.com) until 6:15. Since Merilee didn’t go I had to get the kids ready all by myself, which takes about 25 minutes. We then had to go inside to get our pictures taken for our season passes (we got passes for Christmas!). By the time we actually hit the slopes it was almost 7:00! But, we did get some good riding in. We stayed mainly on the little slope. I did leave the kids once and went to the top to get at least one good run in. By the time I made it down my legs were burning! All in all a good warm up to the season.

Thursday I worked and the kids went to school – we were all exhausted! I came home from work and crashed hard for a few hours – sorry Merilee.

Friday, I took the day off and kept the kids out of school and we went up to the mountain again. We met sister Joyce and my nephew Zach. It was really a great day.



Sid was doing really well. She made it down some blue runs ok, but was really doing well on the green runs. She no longer snow plows on the easier runs. The boys were happy to hit the parks to try some jumps and the half pipe. Meadows has a mini-pipe that Mason was killing!



Sidney was even cruising down the pipe. Boston went to the other side of the mountain with Joyce and Zach to cruise some of the natural half pipes that are available. The kids are pumped and ready to go again! Now if we can just get Merilee up to the mountain that would be a lot of fun.

1 month off!

The title is a little misleading. I do get 1 month off, but not from work. I am back in school working on my MBA and last night I had my last final of the term. I am half way through, by this time next year I will be done! It was a good semester but I am glad it’s over. I am excited to be able to come home after work every night. I won’t have to worry about homework, study groups, reading, etc. I am worried that Merilee will be ready to ship me off to school again after spending so much time with me.

However, I sometimes still feel like this...