Monthly Archives: June 2025

Our Ninth Wedding Anniversary

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It may have been the best memory from our latest year of marriage. At around 11 p.m. on a May night in Disney World, Sid and I found ourselves decked out in 3-D glasses. With the park closed down to the general public, we were in a sectioned-off corner of Epcot riding Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. Energized by the savory kettle corn in our lap and emboldened by the open bar we had taken advantage of all night, we swayed together shoulder-to-shoulder as the attraction zipped us from scene to scene.

As we laughed out loud as we rode the attraction more than once, we realized that each time on the ride was different. Disney created Ratatouille Adventure to feature multiple perspectives and experiences based on what car you were assigned. Perhaps it was just the buzz I was nursing, but at that moment I realized the ride was like our marriage: fun, random, and a little crazy.

Sid and I pose for a photo before going on the Ratatouille ride.

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On this date nine years ago, Sidney and I entered into the sacrament of holy matrimony at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Myrtle Beach, SC. Although that is a neat fact, is it even worth it to celebrate a ninth anniversary? Perhaps married couples should just bypass it and gear up for the big 10th anniversary. Nah. As I said last year, an anniversary is an anniversary and should be recognized and celebrated as such.

What a blessing it is to celebrate our ninth anniversary! (📷: Nicole Lynn Photos).

And truth be told, I think recognizing today’s anniversary goes beyond just principle. Yes, I believe this past year of marriage deserves at least some celebration. After all, the professional moves we made in lockstep and the leadership opportunity we embraced did make it a unique year of marital bliss.

We said “I Do” on June 11, 2016, at St. Andrew Catholic Church

Don’t worry, I won’t dwell long on the “uniqueness” I just referenced. But with me accepting a director role at EWU and Sid ascending from a customer service position to an underwriter at Travelers, we got to climb the career ladder together and celebrate one another’s successes. We also had the pleasure of accompanying each other to our respective work banquets and parties, including Sid’s award recognition excursion to Orlando that provided the inspiration for the opening of this post.

Sid and me at the EWU Alumni Awards at the end of April 2025.

At the same time as our careers taking an upward trajectory, we were given additional responsibility outside of the office, too. In January, in a manner which was not unlike a conclave (😂), Sid and I were elected to serve as leaders of our Engaged Encounter community (Diocese of Spokane). Over the past six months, we have used our different talents and personalities to provide the best collaborative leadership we can.

In January 2025, Sid and I were selected co-leaders of the Diocese of Spokane chapter of Engaged Encounter. We were elected alongside our friends, Grace and Tim Trudnowski (seated next to us).

But besides those two developments, it has been another blessed year based on the tenets that have fueled our marriage for so long: A reliance on God’s grace, the solid examples of strong marriages from our own parents, and the special way our children enhance our relationship.

It has been another fruitful year of marriage and thankfully we had Swoop around to witness it first hand 😉

Give any couple those three things and let me know if they still aren’t happily married 50 years from now.

We are still smiling 9 years later.

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Sidney, I know our ride will remain twisty and curvy but I wouldn’t trade the thrill for anything. Buckle your seat belt because I can’t wait to see where it takes us this next year! Don’t Blink.

Managing My FOMO

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If you know me or if you are a dedicated Don’t Blink reader, you are probably well aware that I like to do things and make memories. My idea of fun is keeping a full calendar and jumping from one thing to the next.

I will be the first person to admit that I am afflicted with a very serious (but non-scientific) case of FOMO. For those not up to date with pseudo-syndrome acronyms, that stands for fear of missing out. A classic symptom of people who live with FOMO is the obsession with traditions. My wife tells people that if our family does something twice, it becomes an unbreakable tradition in my book.

She isn’t wrong.

On Saturday night, a sudden and painful realization hit me. I had totally forgotten about the YMCA Healthy Kids event that takes place at the beginning of June each year. It is an event with free t-shirts, a taco dinner, tons of vendors, valuable info for the kids to stay active during the summer, and plenty of fun. It could almost be classified as the kickoff to summer for our family and I felt awful for Sloan and Beau that I forgot about it.

The past two years, our kids have attended the YMCA Healthy Kids Day at the Spokane Valley YMCA. The event was held this past Friday but I totally forgot about it.

Sadly, the YMCA Healthy Kids event isn’t the only “tradition” that has not been (or will not be) continued this year. When I started my job at Eastern Washington University last August, my schedule changed a lot. I went from working primarily from home to full time in the office. Furthermore, my job entails that I occasionally show up/help at functions that fall outside of business days/hours. Because I am commuting a lot more and representing EWU at other obligations, I don’t have as much time to attend the events I established “traditions” with my family.

But it isn’t just my new job, which I really do love, that has derailed events and traditions. Sometimes it is just my own obliviousness—like with the YMCA event—and sometimes it is just learning to prioritize life. For example, later this month we will be missing Hoopfest—perhaps my favorite event of all-time—to attend an out-of-town wedding for a couple we prepared for marriage. Even though it is a no-brainer that we travel to the wedding, my FOMO ailment is already feeling like a thorn in my side.

Sidney is my “therapist” when it comes to my FOMO. She will tell me it is ridiculous that I feel the need to be everywhere and she emphasizes the value of just enjoying life without a full calendar and annual events “we have” to attend. Her counsel is helping but I also have to help myself. I need to do a better job of letting go and realizing that missing a community festival or failing to take an annual photo is not the end of the world.

So did I miss Bloomsday, the Lilac Parade, and YMCA Healthy Kids Day? Will I miss Hoopfest? Will I miss Beau’s pre-school graduation? Yes, yes, and yes. But I have also had the blessing of creating memories with my family via brand new experiences like going on a cruise and visiting Disney World. By not allowing myself to get too down about missing an event and keeping things in perspective, I can manage my FOMO and live a more balanced life. Don’t Blink.

Insomnia Thursday Rundown

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I hope everyone is having a nice first week of June. Although May was a very hectic month and June promises to move at a slower pace, this initial week has been a very busy one for us. Have no fear, I still have the time to write a Thursday Rundown. Here we go…

Absolution! – In yesterday’s blog post, I wrote that Sloan was just about to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Well, I can confirm, she did in fact make her first confession last night. When she arrived home, she was glowing, a true sign that God’s grace had been bestowed upon her. I am proud of her for genuinely wanting to receive reconciliation, the prep she patiently went through, and then the good confession she humbly gave. Thanks be to God!

Sloan made her first confession on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Spokane Valley. The middle photo is Sloan with Marie Bricher and Sloan’s friend, Charlotte. Marie is St. Mary’s director of religious education and led the reconciliation prep for Sloan.

Couch Memory – On this date two years ago, I sold the most comfortable couch I have ever owned. It was also the first joint item that Sid and I ever purchased. It followed us to four different houses but eventually it was time to say goodbye. The ironic part was that we had it for sale over the course of two days during an extremely busy community yard sale. After not receiving a single offer, I put it up on Facebook Marketplace and sold it in 10 minutes (go figure). Speaking of that community sale, the Camelot Yard Sale returns this weekend. If you want to see an impressive and slightly chaotic scene filled with a wide array of items/junk, head up to north Spokane to check it out for yourself. Just make sure to tell me “hi” as I will be hanging at my parents’ house who live in the neighborhood.

It only took 10 minutes on Facebook Marketplace for us to sell the couch. We then loaded it on my dad’s truck and we delivered the piece of furniture to its new owner.

Milkilicious – I took the kids with me to Dollar Tree over the weekend. When we returned home, I started unloading what we bought. Much to my chagrin, I pulled out a candy bar that I absolutely did not authorize the purchase of. Both Sloan and Beau promised they didn’t sneak it in my cart. Oh well, I guess I trust them. Anyway, I had never heard of a Hershey’s Milkilicious bar before. The description states “milk chocolate with creamy chocolate milk filling.” Even though I was still a little mad, we had to do something with the candy bar…so we ate it. I gave some to all four of us to sample. The verdict? Very underwhelming. Although I was intrigued with the idea of “chocolate milk filling,” the interior of the candy looked like any other chocolate bar…and it tasted the same too.

Wasn’t too impressed with this “Milkilicious” Hershey’s bar.

JUMANJI – On Friday night, I looked through Disney+ to find a movie for my family to watch. After taking too long to make a choice, I settled on the original “Jumanji” movie. I know I had seen it when it came out but I had absolutely no recollection of everything that went down in the film—cause come on people, it was made in 1995! And, according to Sloan, it definitely looked like it was 30 years old based on the special effects. But Sid and I explained to her that it truly was cutting edge for the time. Despite the “fakey” effects, Sloan loved the movie! I was pleased to have her captivated for nearly two hours. Beau on the other hand? He eventually went upstairs and watched his own show. For me personally, it was fun to watch a film from my childhood and I am always happy to watch something with Robin Williams in it.

Watching “Jumanji” was a fun way to spend a family-focused Friday night.

Insomnia Cookies – While we watched “Jumanji” on Friday night, my wife made a somewhat impulse purchase. She put in an order with Insomnia Cookies, a company that specializes in delivering hot cookies to the doors of customers. Sid ordered from Insomnia Cookies while a college student and was hoping for a little bit of taste bud nostalgia. Sloan enjoyed opening the door when the knock came. The cookies are sized like regular cookies (not ginormous like Crumbl or Crave) and they deliver on their promise…HOT! They weren’t bad for a Friday night treat.

Sloan posing with the Insomnia Cookies we ordered on Friday night.

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We have temperatures forecast in the 90s for this weekend! Hope everyone stays cool and I look forward to catching up next week. Don’t Blink.

Sloan’s First Confession

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“Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (John 20:23)

It is a big day for Sloan. Tonight she will make her first confession.

Sloan has been preparing herself for the Sacrament of Reconciliation since the start of the year. At the beginning of January, she attended her first class with her peers to learn more about this incredible grace instituted by Jesus himself.

While engaged in these lessons, she learned how the sacrament reconciles her with God, fills her with peace, strengthens the Church, and showers her with healing. Sloan attended each session with reverence, curiosity, and—yes—some nerves.

Well, let me tell you, those nerves are even more pronounced this morning. Over the past few days, she has been honest about the anxiety she feels to confess for the first time. But you know what? That is a good sign because it shows contrition. And, let’s be honest, I still get nervous before confession myself, so how do you expect an 8-year-old to feel?

As a way to calm some nerves, St. Mary Religious Ed Director Marie Bricher allowed Sloan’s reconciliation prep class to walk inside the confessional at this past weekend’s retreat.

But the butterflies and nerves will all be worth it when she receives absolution tonight. The glorious joy of receiving God’s forgiveness for one’s sins outweighs any discomfort or anguish.

Thank you to Marie Bricher and her staff at St. Mary Catholic Church (Spokane Valley) for preparing Sloan and her friends to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Much gratitude to the same crew for helping us parents enhance our love and understanding for this sacred grace (we took classes too!).

Please pray for the St. Mary children who will be entering the confessional tonight. Don’t Blink.

It Just Makes Cents

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At the direction of President Trump, the U.S. Treasury will soon stop producing pennies. The department will cease production once its supply of blank pennies run out, most likely at the beginning of next year. It is important to note that producing a single penny costs nearly four cents.

For the most part, I am supportive of the move. These days, I find pennies more of a nuisance and germ spreader than anything. Although I receive satisfaction when a penny helps me pay with exact change, I find myself consistently throwing away pennies when I empty my pockets.

I do have a few short stories that deal with pennies (which will probably bore you)…

Beau holding a couple pennies—which he practically considers gold.

– I took swimming lessons for several years at a pool in the neighborhood I grew up in. After the instructional part of each lesson concluded, we dove/swam for pennies at the bottom of the pool. We then exchanged those pennies for prizes. I don’t think copper coins ever looked as beautiful as they did when resting on the blue floor of that pool on a sunny summer day. Shoutout to the Sally Davis Swim School!

– My Knights of Columbus council participates in a program called Pennies For Heaven. At every monthly meeting, we pass around a large container and drop our “pennies” into the opening. As you could probably guess from how I punctuated that sentence, most Knights drop money of the paper variety into the container despite the name of the initiative. With all that said, with the elimination of the penny, many charities will most likely face a decrease in donations as they work to replace penny drives.

– I will never forget that one time as a broke 10-year-old when the ice cream truck came through the neighborhood. With parents unwilling to treat me on this particular day, I managed to scavenge enough pennies in the house to purchase the cheapest ice popsicle offered (which I believe was $.50…this was 28 years ago). I honestly remember this so vividly: I put all my change on the mini platform right outside the ice cream truck driver’s window and started counting it out. The driver stopped me halfway and told me I was good.

The penny had a great run.

It is time for the penny to go but I appreciate the memories it provided. Don’t Blink.

Wrapping Up Spring Sports For Sloan and Beau

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A very busy spring sports season will wrap up for our family this week. Sloan will conclude her soccer season this evening with her team’s end-of-year party and Beau will play the final game of his tee-ball season on Wednesday night.

It was a fun season watching both our kids play their spring sports.

How did my kids do? Well, neither Sloan nor Beau will earn MVP honors for their respective teams. 😜

Sloan and Aminah after the first game of the spring for the Purple People Eaters.

But being the best isn’t what playing sports is all about. And you can take that from your esteemed blogger—because I know firsthand. 😉

Beau batted at times right and at times left during the season, causing him some confusion.

When it came to Sloan’s spring season with the Purple People Eaters, it was incredible to see how much the team improved. They went from a squad in the fall that probably lost more games than they won to a force to be reckoned with in the spring. They won most of their games, blowing out many of the opponents they faced. Although Sloan doesn’t match the talent level of most of the girls on her team, she still put forth a solid effort. She exerted some moments of brilliance and kept showing up.

Sloan during a soccer practice this spring.

As for Beau, I didn’t see as much progress as I would have hoped from last season. However, it wasn’t entirely his fault (watch his highlight/blooper reel here). He batted from the left side of the plate the entire time last season. This season, he would be lined up to bat right on some occasions and left on others. This caused him major confusion as he never really knew where to stand when he went up to bat. During the off season, I must do much better finding out exactly whether he is a righty or lefty at the plate and make sure it feels second nature for him.

At the first game of the season, Coach Jason Willey helps Beau with his stance.

Even with the inconsistency at the plate, he still had a wonderful time playing. And when I saw “playing” I literally mean playing—as in jumping around, throwing his hat in the air, and chasing balls hit to the other side of the field. With all that said, he still exhibited some moments of promise. He volunteered to play catcher multiple times, he made some excellent stops on ground balls, and he did make solid contact for some nice hits.

Beau played catcher a lot during this tee-ball season.

If there was one obvious consistency between the soccer season of Sloan and the tee-ball season of Beau, it was excellent coaching. Caleb Hatch was Sloan’s soccer coach once again…a true blessing. Sidney and I have been so impressed and grateful with the patience and kindness he has shown Sloan. Even though there are some excellent athletes on her team, Caleb has never looked past our daughter. As for Beau, the organization and communication saw a major upgrade this season under the leadership of Jason Willey. Things definitely weren’t as chaotic this year.

Can’t say enough about Coach Caleb Hatch and how he has been such an awesome coach for Sloan.

Even though our kids weren’t the stars on the field, I can’t express enough how glad I am they both got to play a sport this spring. Even at their young ages, playing with others and honoring a commitment are important lessons to learn early in life. I am proud of Sloan and Beau for competing and making it through their respective seasons. 👏🏼

Special thanks to my parents for attending so many of the spring sports games (and helping with the transportation) of Sloan and Beau.

Sid and I will be happy to re-establish some order back into our weeks. The spring sports season took up pretty much every weekday in April and May. However, even though some nights we would question our hectic schedules, we are happy for the experiences afforded to Sloan and Beau through these initial forays into athletics. Don’t Blink.