Birthdays!

Jamie has one of those coveted "Just before Christmas" birthdays.  Really, for the first three it didn't make any difference, but for the fourth, it was time to step it up to a party with friends.  We planned to do an "un-birthday" at the 6-month mark, but as it turned out, we were busy right through July and August with all kinds of good and fun things...except un-birthdays.  Finally, the week before Caitin's birthday, we made it happen! 

We stole the Kitty-Theme idea from a party that Caitin went to last year, and made a little obstacle course that each kitty had to navigate.  All the kitties cheered (meowed) each other on:

We also held a kitty photo-shoot.

Jamie had a great time, and I think her friends did too.

 They decorated kitty cupcakes,

 ...dressed up like princesses,

...and ate a Star cake.

Caitin saw how much fun Jamie had, and her plans to have a quiet little party completely changed.  Instead she had a pizza and swimming party!  It's probably not very often that we will be able to do that at the end of September, but the weather here was perfect for it.

We did NOT have a cake at Caitin's party.  She wanted banana splits instead.  We did NOT have banana splits at Caitin's party.  We forgot to buy bananas.  We DID have ice-cream sundays, though, and plunked the candles right down in the ice cream.  Aaaaaannnnd...we forgot to take pictures.

Weekend Water is Great Water

Yesterday we had a great day on the lake with our friends, the Allens.  It was a no-rush day with plenty of sunshine, and tolerable traffic levels.  We had fun. 

We were proud of the kids for trying new things.  Caitin and Brynnley both water skied.  They were awesome!  Of course, they didn't do it without some worry and hesitation...and a bit of bribery was laid on the table. 

The wakeboarding was great.  We all tried new things.  I could go on and on...so just watch the movie:



Here are a few shots of my backroll attempt of the day:

Becoming Me

I now interrupt this recent string of video-blogging with this long-winded piece about something that's been rattling around my mind for the past while (don't worry, it's just one post...for now):

I occasionally get a feeling inside that I'm not who I want to think I am. My identity is always in question, I suppose, but in these moments I feel a deep nagging sense that something is changing.

This is most easily described/felt in my physical world. I love to get into new things. I like to set goals and accomplish them. Then...I move on. Sure I like to repeat and improve, but there will always be something new to try.

For instance, in recent years I have dedicated many long hours to physical challenges.

It began with cycling. When I first heard of people riding 100 or 200 miles at a stretch I thought it was crazy...and then I wanted to do it. So I did. Then I did it three more times, twice alone, and once with a friend in a large group. I drug my friend to my goal despite his best arguments against it. I learned about the Tour de France and cycling techniques. For the first time in my life I was memorizing athlete profiles and jumping into conversations about sports. I enjoyed cycling so much that I vowed deep that I would never give it up.

Next came the marathon. I had a nagging desire to complete one. So I worked through immense pain to do so. Then I did it again to improve and do it right. I enjoyed them both. I could be satisfied, but given the right social stimulus (read: peer pressure) I would do it again.

This summer I thought I would continue cycling. You know, cause I'd never give it up. Unfortunately my road bike has seen less than 100 miles of pavement. I have no idea how the Tour went this summer. BUT I have completed at least 100 miles in the last month on my mountain bike.

The difference this year is that I've put my time into other venues. Instead, I've been on the water behind a boat more in one summer than ever I have in my life.

Wakeboarding has been a different animal to me. In order to go wakeboarding I must depend on other people. I'm glad there are wonderful people out there who would take a bum like me under their wing and show me the ropes. So I've let myself get wrapped into the water sports realm. Between riding sessions I am often thinking about how I would like to improve my skill-set the next time I'm out.

Like my teenage days, I yearn to be identified by the things I do. I'd like to be a wakeboarder. Just like I have been a runner, a cyclist, an artist, a dirt biker, a scholar, an RC hobbyist, a wrestler, a musician, an engineer, a cowboy, a gamer, a scouter, a snowboarder, a writer, etc. I desire to be this person so much that when a season comes to an end there comes with it a tug against my identity.

More than a tug, it has, at times toppled me mentally and spiritually. Because that's really what it is: The natural worldly pull against my spiritual path. Thankfully, I've always had a foundation to lift me back up and remind me who I really am. Despite the bragging and incessant showing off of what "idendifies me", my family keep a steady base for me to re-stabilize on.

Truly shocking to me is the fact that as a father and a husband, I am a stabilizer also. I really hope my swaying motions - from one adventure to the next - will not overwhelm the occupants of my home.

Do you IDENTIFY with this piece?

Summer on the Water

This week the girls and Sarah swam about 5 out of 7 days. It has certainly been a summer on the water. While we were together with the Astle clan we were fortunate to get out on Deer Creek Reservoir for some boating fun.

Caitin and Jamie had previously been scared of doing anything outside of the boat. BUT watching their cousins go tubing changed everything! Jamie is a brave little soul, and quite adventurous. She told me that she wanted to go. As we were gearing up for the next turn Caitin decided that she would also like to go...as long as we went slow! While we were out tubing, Caitin informed me that she was nice to go tubing so Jamie wouldn't be scared, and that's why she decided to go tubing. Anyway, here's the video:



Note that my surfing skills need a little work. Both Caitin and Jamie told me not to do it, and I still tried. Guess my listening skills could also use some work.

Well, at least there's hope for the surfing part:



Despite the overwhelming trembeling on Caitin's part, she was talking the whole ride about how much fun it was. She liked the warm froth against her legs, and she enjoyed holding onto that handle...so much that it took some real convincing to get her to let go!

Jamie was just chill the whole time. So fun to get them out behind the boat on a night that we all got in the water!

The Duckie Slide

While camping on the Green River with my family, we had several Duckies (inflatable canoes) which we discovered are fun as boats...AND as waterslides!



I particularly loved watching my nephews, the "Velcro Brothers", who pressed on and eventually were able to slide the entire length of the canoe and get their faces wet in the river.

Thanks to my sisters who: brought the duckies, provided a wet box for the camera, and conducted filming while their brothers/husbands splashed around like little kids!