My apologies for last week’s lack of a Thursday Rundown. Disney World kind of got in the way. But don’t feel too sad because I am back tonight with five random topics…

Five Amazing Years – On this date five years ago, with COVID turning the world upside down, Sid and the kids landed in Spokane to begin a new chapter with me (watch Sloan and I re-unite). I had moved to Washington a couple months before everyone else so I could start my new job at WSU while giving Beau more time to acclimate/grow post-NICU. I am so proud of how everyone adjusted—especially my wife. She took a chance, showed courage, and ultimately thrived by allowing us to move out here. I know others look at her as a role model in terms of what can happen when you move outside of your comfort zone. Thanks be to God for the grace he bestowed on us.

Sidney holds her sign moments after landing in Spokane on May 8, 2020.

Crowning 2025 – It is the Month of Mary and one way to honor our Blessed Mother is by crownings. Sloan and Beau had their Mary crowning at school earlier this week. Every student was invited to bring flowers to lay at the feet of the school’s Marian statue. When I brought them to school on Tuesday, we spent some prayerful time with Mary in the courtyard…a truly great way to start the day. St. Mary, pray for us!

Sloan and Beau hold the flowers they presented at St. Mary Catholic School’s (Spokane Valley) crowning of Mary.

Sword in the Stone – I didn’t share this photo in my Disney recaps so I figured I would place it here. If you have ever watched the Full House episode where the Tanners go to Disneyland, you are probably familiar with the Sword in the Stone. Park attendees can try to lift the sword out of the stone (just like King Arthur). If they are successful, a contingent of dignitaries come out of the woodwork to recognize the noble person. Unfortunately, Beau’s muscles weren’t enough to make the sword budge.

Beau tried his hardest, but he couldn’t remove the sword from the stone.

Squirrel and Bacon – Like pretty much every other place in the United States, Disney World is also home to lots of squirrels. As our group assembled outside of our resort to head to another park, we watched this squirrel chow down on some bacon. I bet it tasted so good.

I took this photo of a Disney World squirrel eating bacon. That is all.

Dum Dums Surprise – The lighthearted story I enjoyed the most from this week was the Dum Dums ordering spree an 8-year-old boy went on. He wanted to host a carnival and give suckers to those who attended so he made the “quick” order while playing on his mom’s phone. He evidently thought that 70,000 Dum Dums would be enough. Despite his mom’s best efforts to cancel the order, the large shipment arrived at her house and she was on the hook for $4,000. Luckily, everything got sorted out as the candy was eventually returned and the mom received a refund. If you are a longtime reader, you might remember a blog post I wrote 11 years ago that addressed why Dum Dums are special to me.

Me with some Dum Dums.

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Thanks be to God that we have a pope! Please pray for Pope Leo XIV as he begins his new ministry. Thanks for reading and I wish you a magnificent spring weekend. Don’t Blink.