8th Anniversary: Wallowa Lake

Each year, Traci and I cancel any plans for our anniversary date and make sure to get out of town. This year was no different except now we have two kids who understand the meaning of having a good time. Since Joey had never visited Joseph, OR we decided it would be nice for him to visit a town that shares his name. We packed the Jeep and stayed in a small cabin at the south end of Wallowa Lake. We were only able to stay overnight, since Traci had taken 3 months off from work for her maternity leave. Nevertheless, we made sure to pack as much fun as we could during our stay.

After a restful night in our warm cabin, we woke up to squirrels running across the roof. We had a huge breakfast at the Old Town Cafe and I once again forgot that any dish comes with huge servings. Yet persistence pays off and I eventually swallowed my breakfast burrito and was left feeling a bit lethargic. While I felt slow, Ben had energy he wanted to burn so we decided our next stop would be to the miniature golf course. It is impressive how much hand-eye coordination it takes to play this sport but fortunately Ben was patient with me and showed me a few of his tricks. Afterwards, we headed to the boat ramp to skip rocks then splashed our feet on the cold, cold water for some unknown reason. Oh wait, I know why. Because it's fun. It's also fun to look at the fish as they head upstream to spawn so we made sure to show Ben the fish. Honestly, that was probably the highlight of the day for him. It truly is amazing to see how fish instinctively follow this cycle of life. A nice perk to visit Wallowa Lake this time of the year.

The reality is that this anniversary was uniquely different from the previous years. We only spent less than 24 hours out of town and now have two boys who persistently make sure we don't slow down. They too, have their own interest and each new experience is a new adventure to them. Keeping up with them and the constant alertness of making sure they don't get harmed or injured is exhausting especially when traveling. In all honesty, Traci and I were only able to have an uninterrupted conversation when we drove to and from Wallowa Lake because the kids were sleeping in the car. Truly it was more of making sure the kids were having a great time and not so much for us spending time with each other. Yet regardless, there are several mornings when I see my too boys and it feels that they've changed over night. Then there are the moments when they are able to steal our hearts away with their smile, laughter or thoughtful kindness and remind us that these moments are all short lived. It's difficult to take a step back and observe how fortunate I am during this stage of my life. The list goes on and on when I begin to count my blessings.

On our way towards Wallowa Lake we decided it was fine to allow Ben to sit up front since the Jeep has no airbags. He was excited about the opportunity to see more out the window and sit up front with his dad. As we drove under the bright moonlight along the country side, we heard a song by Lennon and Maisy called "A Life that's Good." Ben didn't know the words yet he mumbled and hummed along the tune, perhaps a reaction to the excitement of being able to sit up front. I glanced at the rear view mirror and saw Traci sitting in the back seat. We both were smiling and quietly took in the moment.

"Four wheels to get there, enough love to share

And a sweet, sweet, sweet song.

At the end of the day, Lord, I pray

I have a life that's good."

Thanks for the help.

This past summer I had enough of my front lawn and decided that it should not look like my house is abandoned. Since I have years of Bermuda grass growing freely, the top layer of dirt had to go and hence the fun began. I was able to pick up most of the dirt with a tractor but a good portion needed to be scooped up by shovel and wheel barrow. I aligned the trailer ramps with the tires of the wheelbarrow therefore leaving a small gap between the ramps. At first I remembered not to step in the middle of the ramps as I unloaded the dirt on the trailer yet after a short while, I forgot and the sensation began. My foot briefly made contact with the edge of the trailer before slipping and my shin was the next to hit that edge. Oh boy, what a fun experience. Notice how there is no exclamation mark at the end of the previous sentence. Especially while trying to prevent a wheel barrow full of dirt from falling on me. When Ben noticed that I was pain, he quickly looked around the yard to see how he could help me.

"Here Daddy!" He exclaimed. "This leaf will make you feel better!"

It did make me feel better. Surprisingly, his thoughtfulness did make a difference. So thanks Ben. You probably don't remember the moment, but here is a picture of the leaf you gave me. That was very nice of you.

Decision 2016

This is the last chance to make your vote count. Help your fellow American decide which spectacles look spectacular. The official ballot counter (myself) will present the results to the electoral college (wife). You can vote on the sidebar to the right of your screen. Please no protest, riots, or burning of the American flag.

1- Sibley

2- Felton

3- Verne

This guy is NICE!

I wonder at what point my kids will begin to take interest in reading this blog. I suspect that like most things that parents do, they will probably think it's weird or uncool. Perhaps the word 'cool' would be consider antiquated. Anyhow, I was raised hearing advice from my grandma and fortunately at the time of this writing, she is still around to give me more advice on life. There's an immense value in listening to advice rather than attempting to reinvent your personal wheel in life. The song "Humble and Kind" by Tim McGraw was fairly new when Joey was born and listening to it makes me wonder what this life holds for him. What will be his interested and hobbies? What challenges will he face? As I write this though, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to be part of his story.

You know there's a lot that goes by the front door
Don't forget the keys under the mat
Childhood stars shine, always stay humble and kind
Go to church 'cause your momma says to
Visit grandpa every chance that you can
It won't be a waste of time
Always stay humble and kind

Hold the door say please say thank you
Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie
I know you got moutains to climb but
Always stay humble and kind
When the dreams you're dreamin' come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride but
Always stay humble and kind

Don't expect a free ride from no one
Don't hold a grudge or a chip and here's why
Bitterness keeps you from flying
Always stay humble and kind
Know the difference between sleeping with someone
And sleeping with someone you love
I love you ain't no pick up line so
Always stay humble and kind

Hold the door say please say thank you
Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie
I know you got moutains to climb but
Always stay humble and kind
When those dreams you're dreamin' come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride but
Always stay humble and kind

When it's hot eat a rootbeer popsicle
Shut off the AC and roll the windows down
Let that summer sun shine
Always stay humble and kind
Don't take for granted the love this life gives you
When you get where you're goin'
Don't forget turn back around
Help the next one in line
Always stay humble and kind

Halloween 2016

Not much goes through my mind when I sit in front of a piano and begin playing a song. If a song crosses my mind, then I begin to play. For myself it's as simple as counting to 10 or eating a box of french fries. I don't think of which keys to play next or what minor or major chord to play, I just play. It's like walking for many of us. When was the last time you said, "Ok, here we go again with this walking trick... left foot, right foot, left foot..." It just comes naturally right? For some it's gossip. It just comes naturally.

Yet this whole writing deal takes plenty of energy for myself. It takes me 15 minutes just to write one coherent sentence and that's when I lock myself in a room with no distraction. Writing is my weakness. It is why I feel guilty and sad that I am unable to write the small stories of Joey and Ben as I would like to, especially Joey. I feel terrible when Ben repetitively will ask me to play with him through out the day and I give him the excuse that I am attending to Joey's needs or when Joey wants to be held but I must assist Ben in doing something. I am exhausted by the time the boys are in bed and writing is not exactly a walk on the beach for myself. I could sit in front of a piano right now and play "Amazing Grace" in any key on demand with my eyes closed, yet writing is just the opposite. I'm hoping one of these days I could get a few moments (or days) to write more on this blog.

I'm tired

Let's play a game and see who can close their eyes the longest.

You can Daddy.

I won by default.

Renowned Sea Voyagers

It makes sense why parents place aside their hobbies to focus their attention on the little ones. This blog is one example. Because although I would enjoy to sit and write about the many great memories each day brings; technically this blog falls under the hobbies category. However there is a one particular story that I want to make sure is not forgotten.

Where do I start? I woke up in the morning feeling a bit tired from not having rest enough.. Ok let's skip forward several hours. I somehow had made it my goal to visit every park in Bellevue during my last couple years of living there... Nope, let's skip another hour of just rambling. We arrived at Clyde Beach Park after enjoying a leisurely Saturday afternoon drive. The park is situated nicely between a quiet neighborhood and Lake Washington. Traci took Ben to the pirate ship play set and I quietly enjoyed a granola bar in the parking lot while Joey rested a few more minutes. While the Captain and the First Mate (Traci and Ben) explored the shores of Meydenbauer Bay aboard their pirate ship, they came across the lost T-Rex dating from the Late Cretaceous era. Being renowned sea voyagers across the seven seas, they used their years of experience to befriend the 65 million year old predator and played around the park for a little while and eventually the First Mate decided to take him home.

Moving on, Ben is at the stage where he is questioning everything and curious about his surrounding. Why is the moon still up during the day? Why did the moth fly inside the car? How come we can't visit Miss Heidi right now? Why can't I watch more TV? How come mommy's has to go to work? How come we have to fix the car? How come this car is old? The list goes on. It's great. I love all the questions. On this particular day, there were many questions revolving the T-Rex and why was it left at the park. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that the T-Rex was left behind by a kid and perhaps this kid would return in search of his lost toy. Ben explained to us that if he left a toy at the park, he wouldn't want anyone to take it. I'm honestly not making this up. As a matter of fact, after two hours of taking this dinosaur from the park, we returned back to the park right at dusk and Ben placed the T-Rex exactly were he found it. Neither did Traci or I nudged him towards returning it or attempted in teaching Ben a lesson. He made the decision on his own to return what didn't belong to him... Yes! That's my son right there! My son!

So despite that parenting engulfs my life as my two boys demand my attention; it's moments like these that I'm happy to place my hobbies to the side.

3 months - It doesn't seem fair.

A week ago we celebrated Joey's 3 months birthday... and it doesn't seem fair. I somehow had made up my mind that everything was under control. After all (deep sigh), I've done this before. Yet every Tuesday the garbage truck drives by our neighborhood and gradually picks any knowledge I had obtained on raising kids. Yep. It's Parenting 101 back in this house. He slept amazingly the first couple of months but perhaps ... well let's just say that he should be sleeping more than his brother is. I just don't get it.

So tiring? Yes. It's like a muffler shop at our place. It's just exhausting. (Notice the dad joke to keep the mood light.) But once again I catch myself wishing that the moments I hold Joey in my arms as I rock him to sleep will never end. If only I could grasp these moments and replay them over and over again. So despite how draining it is to raise two boys, Joey completes our family... or as big brother likes to sing... "With Joey in the family, happy happy home..."

Not even close.

Yesterday was Traci's first day back to work. Since her parents are in town, I took the easy route of tending to the need of my boys and pay the grandparents a visit. However, they will leave town in a week and I won't have much time (if any) for myself. So today I decided I will take on my two boys and ease my way back into the "Mr. Mom" mindset. Fortunately Joey enjoys sleeping in well past 7am, so that gives me enough time to get a few things done around the house in the morning. Since we all miss seeing mom around the house, we make sure to visit her during her morning break. It's only 10 minutes of a break, but at least it cuts the parent ratio to one-to-one.

At around 11:30 I had convinced myself that I would have a tear-free morning yet what was I thinking? I managed to place Joey to bed at 11 and Ben finally embraced the fact that he too was tired just half an hour later. Exciting don't you think? I could finally have breakfast! Just as I began reaching for the cereal, I learned I was not the only hungry individual in this household. I picked up Joey and began rocking him for 10 minutes until I figured one of us had eaten in the past two hours and that was not me. I knew Traci would arrive in the next 5 minutes so I placed the fountain of tears... I mean my son... in bed and said, "I'm hungry."

So, dad of the year award? Nope. Not even close. But I'm trying.

Happy Father's Day

My earliest memories of Josue Galan are sitting with him in the Mac lab at Walla Walla University and talking about almost anything other than the homework the two of us should have been doing. Over the course of that time he must have asked me out at least five times. I brushed him off each time, thinking that he was just joking around. (If any of you know Josue at all, you know his default setting for any uncomfortable situation is to smile and laugh.) Well, it's good for him that “he is a persistent little bugger, especially for a two cylinder.”* His persistence paid off finally with a date and after a little more time spent together I started to see that here was someone I could envision spending the rest of my life with.

Many days Josue will ask me why I picked him, what do I see in him that keeps me hanging around. That persistence I mentioned is a good place to start. He decided to get to know me and didn't give up even though it took a while for me to see the light. Josue is also persistent with his other friendships. He will go to great lengths to stay in touch with a friend, no matter the time it's been since he last spoke with them or how far away they live. I admire that and want to implement that in my own life. He is also persistent in solving a problem or learning a new skill. There are many things that he has taught himself to do, like greasing brake bearings, and he is constantly looking for opportunities to learn and add to his list of skills.

Watching how Josue treats other people gives the best insight into why I picked him. He is an incredibly selfless and giving person. There are many times he has bought something that he would enjoy having himself and given it away to a friend because he would rather see them enjoy it. If anyone asks him for help of any kind, he is quick to say yes and make sure the situation is taken care of. The jobs he held in college usually put him in the position of helping others. In the Mac lab, he would cheerfully assist with printer issues, give feedback on projects in progress, and help bewildered students figure out where they actually saved their assignments. There are many times that he has told me that he really doesn't work to get paid, he works because helping others is his reward. That attitude of serving is so special and rare, it's something I want our children to see and emulate.

Speaking of our children, it's Father’s Day and I want to share just how much I appreciate Josue as a dad. When we first decided that we were ready to have kids we both agreed that we wanted family to be watching/raising them as much as possible. Josue also expressed concern over whether he could even be a good dad since he didn't have much of a relationship with his own father growing up. As it turned out, Josue’s job ended when Ben was 5 months old and he has been a stay-at-home dad ever since. It has been the biggest blessing for our family in many ways. First of all, it has given him so much time to bond with Ben. There are stories on this blog that show the intimate moments they have shared and it is so amazing to see how much they love each other. Josue is loving and kind to Ben, but also gives him the boundaries that I would have a harder time enforcing if I was the one home all the time.

Another outcome of Josue being home is that he is a way better home manager (sounds better than househusband, don't you think?) than I am. He does dishes, vacuums, does laundry, picks up messes and clutter and that's just the inside stuff. Since Ben was born, he has also landscaped and barked an area for a playset, as well as staining said playset. He has put in countless hours working on two 48 Plymouths as well as maintaining the Jeeps. Josue built a storage shed in the backyard, helped take out the fence on both sides of our property, rototilled the front and back yards to put in new grass and a garden space, and the list goes on.

Having Josue at home means that I always know what new things are going on in Ben’s and now Joey’s lives. It means that if one of the kids is sick there is someone home to take care of them. There is only one work schedule to figure out when we take a trip. I can come home at lunch to see my whole family and they can come visit me on breaks at work some days. The boys are learning the morals and life skills that we both feels are so important. Josue spending time at home has benefited us all and I hope it can continue for a while.

There are many others things I can say about why I love Josue and what a great person he is, but I will leave that for part two. Most of all I want to say “Thanks!” This family is truly blessed to have you.

*If you don't get the reference, please watch the movie Cars.

Joseph Charles

I suppose I can begin this post by describing in a elaborate way of how beautiful of morning we woke up to. The glow of the vibrant yet calming sun rays shined through our curtains illuminating our bedroom. Outside the western deep blue sky merged into the rich pink scattered clouds as it made its way to the warm yellow sun rising over the blue mountains. Yet the reality is that after two weeks of hot and rather humid weather, we woke up to a nice cool day, with morning rain. I woke up a bit dazzled at the sounds of Traci walking into the room at around 6 am. Ben wasn’t awake yet so it startled me to see her up and ready so early. Unbeknown to me, contractions had begun 3 hours earlier and she was debating about going in to work for the day. Now, at this moment it would appear to the untrained eye that she was ready to do a roofing job, no matter the weather. Yet knowing Traci I could read through her pretty blue eyes that she was in pain despite the smile on her face. Yes, that morning she would leave the house but the car was not going to take her to work.

We alerted my mom soon after I woke up and after a few phone calls, she was able to take the day off to watch Ben while we made our way to the hospital. I had to make a quick errand before heading out and as I returned home I could see that Traci was experiencing a contraction while she talked on the phone .

“If today won’t work for you guys…” she told her mom with a puzzled smile. “You can come tomorrow morning.”

“Pass me the phone!” I said as I walked into the living room.

“Ok… You guys are coming today.” I said in a stern voice as my mother in law listened on the other end. “And that is final. There will be a new kid showing up today.” Boy, it felt strange to talk to my in laws in such a commanding voice.

I packed a few items in the car and we decided to spend some extra minutes at home as a family unit of 3. Despite Ben being hyper and bouncing off the couch, those final moments alone with him felt surreal as if though I was observing history unravel from a third person perspective. As we both played with him, I wondered how much this was going to change Ben's life. Everything he had known up to this point will alter in just few hours. How would he take it?

Eventually we left since the new kid began showing more signs that today he will arrive. We got into the Cherokee Chief that our friend Heidi helped us buy and immediately began worrying for my mom who was going to spend the next 24 hours alone with Ben. “Click” went the sound of my seatbelt as I buckled, followed by the sound Traci’s seatbelt. The sound of the starter turning came next for a split second before hearing that AMC 360 engine fire up. As I shifted into gear, I looked over to Traci sitting on the passenger seat and noticed her eyes filled with tears as her hand covered her mouth in an attempt to hold back an outcry.

“Why are you sad?” I asked

“I feel bad for Ben.” She answered. “This is everything he’s ever known and we are leaving him.”

“Well don’t feel sad for Ben.” I replied. “Feel sad for my mom. Ben has tons of energy.”

“Baa!!!” she exclaimed as she released her signature pent up emotional sound. “Poor Mother Clara!” she cried out. “She would never be the same again!”

Our first stop was at the WWU gymnasium for one last minute workout routine to continue working on our killer abs. Actually we just visited our friend Linnae who suggested we ought to eat a meal before visiting the hospital because they will not allow Traci to eat anything once she checks in. We took her suggestion and after visiting Yungapeti we ate some delicious veggie burritos at the parking lot just outside the hospital. Man, that sounds good right now as I’m writing this. Anyhow, we eventually made it into the hospital and I immediately began having flashbacks of the days following the birth of Ben. As we walked down the hallway I suggested using the stairs yet Traci simply laughed and continued heading towards the elevator.

“How can I help you?” Ask the nurse as we approached the front desk.

“I’m thinking of having a baby.” Replied Traci as she made humor of the situation.

We followed the nurse to the same delivery room where Ben was delivered and after having the nurse check Traci, we got ourselves comfortable and mentally prepared for the arrival of our new family member. The nurse was actually surprised at how far Traci was since she seemed so calmed despite her contractions. Perhaps it was because once again we brought the DVD of “Too Cute Puppies” and that calmed down Traci’s nerves. I’m not sure. Anyhow, we had arrived at the hospital at around 12:15 and things began getting serious after two hours of Traci acting nonchalant.

Dr. Wujek came in for a short visit at around 2:40 to check up on Traci and noticed that things had begun to pick up pace after a short examination. No longer could Traci hold her level 9 pain smile during contractions and that meant the doctor had to cancel his immediate appointments. I suppose I can continue into great detail of how the doctor dove into the room and caught baby Joseph in mid air like football as he flew into the room. But the reality is… does anyone really want to read that part? I’ve heard various people describe the moment as one of the most glorious moments with birds chirping in the background, a sunbeam shinning down from the heavens all the while sitting among a sea of daffodils. Yet witnessing Traci endure such overwhelming pain literally feels as though my heart hit the floor and trampled down. Seeing my closest friend withstand such immense pain is literally unbearable. So I will leave the details as oral history rather than written. However, at 2:49 pm our baby Joseph Charles was born and though he remained quiet for the first couple minutes, his parents were anything but silent from the joy of our new family member.

Our first visitors in the evening was Miss Linnae with her two daughters who were more than eager to hold Joey. Unfortunately since the baby was just 4 hours old, they couldn’t hold him and left a bit disappointed. That night before heading to bed I played a song for Joey. It’s by JJ Heller “I get to be one”. Come to think of it, that was the first song he heard. Anyhow, I think the song describes well the excitement we felt towards Joey. But anyway, we went to bed earlier than usual and slept fairly well since Joey only woke up 3 times that night. Actually, up to this day he still sleeps pretty good at night so you can say that we have been pretty blessed in that area. The next morning as Ben walked into the room, he immediately alerted everyone that he wanted to hold his brother and be near him.

“Hi baby!” he exclaimed as he brought his head inches away from Joey.

“He is so cute! Mommy! Baby Joseph is sooo cute!” He shouted while it brought a few tears of joy to Traci as she held the two them in her arms. “My hold him Mommy?! My hold him?”

Both Traci and I were concerned that Ben would react with jealousy towards his little brother and so to give Ben my undivided attention, I offered to take him for some ice cream. It turns out that we only made it as far as the vending machines downstairs before Ben insisted on going back up to see his baby brother again. Actually, on the following morning when Ben arrived into the room he exclaimed “This is my brother Joseph! I love my brother. Thank you for my baby brother!” Honestly, there is no prouder moment as a parent then to hear such words of appreciation.

I headed downstairs to pull the Plymouth around while Traci finished up some paperwork. Joseph was not happy to get acquainted with his carseat and told us about it quite loudly. Despite his protests we took him downstairs and got him settled into the car. As we started pulling out of the driveway in front of the hospital he was already drifting off to sleep. Even honking the loud air horn at Traci’s folks as we drove past didn’t phase him. So let’s see, a 68 year old car brought Joey home. Pretty exciting I would say.

Ok, so at this point I am going to take a detour to this blog post. First of all, I want to thank my friend Heidi for sitting me down and make me recall everything that happened when Joey was born. Writing is not my cup of tea. In fact, it’s the major reason why it took me 7 years to acquire a 4 year college degree. Nevertheless, it has taken me just about 11 hours just to write this post and I could not have done it without her help. I am an extremely slow writer yet I do this for my two boys. I hope you never miss out on the value of knowing your family history. Secondly, as I wrap up this blog post, I want to mention how I often catch myself saying… “How did I ever live without you?” I am being serious here. I wish there were words to describe how much happiness Joey has brought to our family. I sometimes wonder if life can get any better. All my prayers have been answered.