Hiking in April

As Spring sprung this year, we decided to go for a hike. Jen packed a picnic and we had it all planned out. There was a trail that led down to the lakeside and a nice little beach where we could have our lunch. The trail was not too difficult and should only take about 45 minutes to get there. Miles was in the backpack and Ani walked some, and rode some. At the trail head, there was a bathroom. As Ani and I opened the door, we heard tiny footsteps that turned out to be a mouse. It had built quite a t.p. nest and had apparently been waiting out the cold.

About an hour into the trail, as it seemed to be getting higher and farther from water, we decided to look for a spot to eat. The brush wasn't terribly thick but we weren't finding a nice warm spot in the sun to settle for a few minutes and eat before backtracking to the car. Another 15 minutes and the trail tok us close to the road we drove in on. We decided to hop over to the road and walk back the more direct route to the car. We were farther from the car than we thought because it took us nearly 45 minutes on the road to ger back to the car. Luckily Jen, in her infinite motherly wisdom, had packed readily-accessible snacks.

When we finally reached the car, we loaded up and drove to a nearby beach and had our picnic. We skipped some stones, and just enjoyed the Spring sun. It ended up being a lovely day.

Barnhart Picture Day

On the first Sunday of November in 2009, Kaitlin and Eric brought the family out to Larry and MaryAnn's farm for some family photos. Jen went out to the field with them and got the shooting underway. The kids and I stayed near the house, playing a bit. Then I got the bright idea to put them in the trailer behind the lawn tractor and take them for a ride. We stayed in the backyard for a while. When that started getting old, we went out to the field where they were shooting the photos. Our arrival not only disrupted the session, but also was enough to pique the horses interest and draw them over. That was sort of the end of it for Maylee, and pretty much the end of it for everyone. But it made for some cute photos with kids and horses.

Random Kid Photos

Hiking the Mickinick

We took, what may be, the last hike of the year today. We made it a little more than a mile up the trail and Ani walked almost the whole way. We had the backpack for her to ride in, but she liked being on the ground.

The trees were gorgeous. The air was fresh. The weather was comfortable. We wanted to get at least one more outdoor activity in before the snow flies, and it was a blast.

THIS IS IT

In the blink of an eye it's gone.
Why not...
Squeeze it. Don't let go so quick.
Hold on and feel it. Really feel it.
Adore it.
Love it so hard it makes your heart drip with hurt
ooze adoration
gratification.
Get dirty and get to know it.
In the blink of an eye it's gone.
Play.
I'm a baby, you're a baby
2,4,6
It doesn't matter just play.
Absorb it.
Don't fret.
Enjoy.
Tune in and run with it.
Skip with it, laugh hard.
Love it like a crazy lady.
Don't hurt a heart to help a house.
It's a greedy beast.
See the sweetness.
Breathe it in.
Hold it, hold it.

Jen Jeffres Landis

Scooter Fun

For several months, Jen hung out with Mary Ellen and Betty Black on Thursdays at her folks' house, while they went to Coeur d'Alene. I went over after work to stay with the ladies so she could go to her yoga class.

One of our favorite pastimes is to ride two little scooters around the perimeter of the living room. This became a possibility once I lost enough weight to be below the maximum limit for the scooters. Whether we were riding casually, racing, or bumping each other, Ani and I had so much fun. And Miles was on my back in the backpack all along.

Bad Pictures, Great Memories

In our family, we try to be very intentional about not allowing easy entertainment to get in the way of good family fun and relationship. We definitely do better sometimes than others.

February 15th was a night when we did this well. I don't remember how we all ended up hanging out on the bed together (though it's becoming something of a post-bathtime tradition) but we all ended up there playing together and hanging out. Miles was laughing like crazy, which never quite translates on video, but it was a great evening.

Dinner With the Daughertys

We went over to Jen's sister's house on Wednesday for dinner. We took veggie burgers that Jen made, and they really enjoyed them. It was a blast hanging out together. The kids played really well together. At one point, we didn't see Ani and Logan. Jen went to investigate, and they were sword fighting on the porch. Ani had a wooden stick and Logan had a bb gun. Apparently we have different perspectives on the sae handling of firearms with kids in the house.

They showed us a very cool documentary about Richard Proenneke. He retired at 50, built a log cabin by hand in the Alaskan wilderness, and lived there or the next 30+ years. It was an amazing story.

We really had fun hanging out with the Daughertys. We all agreed we wanted to try to do it more often. Hopefully that'll work out.

Time For a Change

As we were doing some grocery shopping at Yokes the other day, Jen mentioned that she was ready for a change...in hair color. When we first got married, we were both much more adventurous when t came to our hair styles and colors. These days, I don't think we're any less willing, but life holds more responsibilities than it once did, and the energy necessary for coiffure creativity has long been diverted to doing an extra load of laundry, or a quick tidy of kids' books.

So it's a good sign that today Jen is dying her hair. It seems to signify, in some small way, a relaxing of early parental intensity, and a willingness to let the kids live a bit without our constant stamp of approval.

Or Jen might just be dying her hair.

Anywho, she told me, in no uncertain terms, that she would not be happy with me if I post the following pictures online. Hopefully, by the time this is revealed to her, she'll just be glad for the record of our life together.

Snow Walk

We took a nice walk today down to Starbucks and then to the beach. Ani trudged through the deep snow to get to the playground, although I didn't get any photos of that. I was pulling Ani on the sled, and at one point decided to run so she'd go fast. The rest of the walk she would often scream, "Run, Daddy, run!" So I did more running than initially planned, and we had a blast. Winter time is so much more enjoyable when we get out and enjoy it.

My Incredible Wife

Jennifer Ann Landis agreed to marry me on July 24, 2004. I'm so glad she did. She is such a loving, conscientious and compassionate mother to our children. She is passionate about life in general, and is willing to do whatever it takes to live out her convictions. At times when the status quo offers comfort, ease and simplicity, she is still willing to choose what's uncomfortable and unpopular.

Don't get me wrong, she's far from perfect. She maintains impossibly high standards in most aspects of her (and our) life. She will work herself to the bone without a thought for rest, and she insists on tickling me mercilessly and then threatening (and often inflicting) great pain on me if I reciprocate.

We have had some challenges in our marriage. And I'm sure those are not over yet. We've also had a ton of fun. From road trips to raft trips, hanging with the kids to our times without the kids, she's my favorite person to be with. And I would do it all over again. I am a much better person for the past 4 years of marriage to Jen, and I don't see that growth slowing anytime soon.

I am so thankful for my wife.

Father/Daughter Fun

Ani and I were running some errands last weekend. We didn't plan on getting lunch together, but we'd been going for a while and we were both pretty hungry. We swung by Taco Bell for a little (*ahem) nourishment. What ensued was a really nice time hanging out.