Monthly Archives: August 2026

2026-27 School Year: Effective to Exceptional

Posted on by
Reply

Watch a “First Day of School” video of Sloan and Beau

The calendar was still stuck on August this morning but that didn’t stop the kickoff of the 2026-27 school year. The first day of school arrived before the Labor Day weekend but I don’t know if Sloan and Beau knew any better…they were ready to rock and roll.

Beau and Sloan on the first day of school before leaving our house.

No surprise there. This is our family’s seventh year at St. Mary Catholic School so you would expect some familiarity with first day of school procedures.

Sloan and Beau are no strangers to the first day of school at St. Mary Catholic School (nor this display) but there is still nothing like it.

Then again, no matter how many times you have done it, the first day of school usually packs some butterflies. Sloan even admitted to some “first day jitters.”

Even though the kids are very comfortable at St. Mary, Sloan admitted she had some first day jitters this morning.

But I am happy to report that both Reser kids made it through day #1. Sloan had her fourth grade debut in Mrs. Shannon Pearson’s class and her close-knit classmates are ready for another year together. All children who finished last year’s third grade campaign are back plus two new students.

Sloan flashes me a smile on her first day of school as a fourth grader at St. Mary Catholic School (Spokane Valley).

Beau is now a first grader and his teacher this year is Mrs. Marcy Dodd. Although new as a teacher to St. Mary, our family is familiar with Mrs. Dodd as she was a St. Mary parent before her staff appointment. We are looking forward to Beau’s reading skills progressing and crossing our fingers that he finally learns the difference between his “left” and “right” this year.

My handsome little boy is a first grader this year in Mrs. Dodd’s class at St. Mary Catholic School (Spokane Valley).

We are once again blessed that Mr. Stephen Hart is back as principal. This will be his fourth year in charge as he continues to challenge all students, staff, and parents to journey toward sainthood. This year his goal is to go from effective to exceptional. I love an educator who aims high, especially one who does it in a devotedly Catholic fashion.

Mr. Hart was a good sport and posed for this photo as I exited the school this morning. Stephen Hart is an incredible principal and we are so happy to have him leading St. Mary Catholic School.

And a new wrinkle this year is that there is a new pastor overseeing the school. Fr. Curtis Siedel succeeded Fr. Jeff Lewis this summer. Known for his prowess when it comes to both administering and teaching at Catholic schools, I am excited to see how abundantly Fr. Seidel blesses the St. Mary School community.

We love this school! Please pray for a great 2026-27 school year for St. Mary Catholic School (Spokane Valley) and for all other schools.

Please pray for not just the students returning to St. Mary Catholic School but all students. May all young people find joy, opportunity, and Christ as they pursue their education. Don’t Blink.

Summer 2026

Posted on by
Reply

It was a summer for the Reser record books. We covered many miles over the past 2.5 months while also taking time to enjoy the season here at home. Because after all, no one does summer better than the Inland Northwest.

Summer 2026 was incredible! We traveled a lot while still having plenty of fun in Spokane.

In the past, I have gone back-and-forth between recapping our summers in chronological form and summarizing them according to themes. However, this year I thought I would do a hybrid approach. I will do a brief rundown of what we did followed by a condensed smattering of themes (just five) that defined our summer.

Our summer got started right away with a trip to Mexico to celebrate our 10th anniversary. My parents gave Sloan and Beau a terrific start to their summer as well by letting them stay with them.

Sound good? Let’s go…

Our summer started once Sloan and Beau finished the school year on June 12. From there, things started off with a bang. Sid and I traveled to Cancun to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. The next week the kids attended Catholic Summer Camp. June then concluded with Hoopfest weekend as I served as a court monitor for the 10th time while Sid and the kids volunteered with me once again.

For the third straight year, my family worked together to volunteer at one of the 425 Hoopfest courts. The scorecard depicts the year (2026).

July was busy from the beginning as we opened the month by watching an outdoor movie under the Pavilion at Riverfront Park. Our Fourth of July weekend kicked off with a screening of “Independence Day” in my childhood best friend’s backyard. On the actual holiday we attended the American Heroes Parade in Coeur d’Alene followed by a cookout at my parents’ house and then capped with a fireworks show. A trip to Seattle then ensued that allowed me to mix work with pleasure. I presented at EWU’s Alumni Board meeting and once that concluded our family explored the city, took a ferry to Bellevue, gawked at the gum wall, and attended a Seattle Mariners game.

Happy 250th birthday, America! My family posed for this photo on July 4…it was a great day!

The month of August started in Atlanta for us. Sid and I attended the Engaged Encounter National Convention while my in-laws joined us at the conference hotel and watched the kids. When the convention concluded, we caught more Major League Baseball as we visited Truist Stadium to watch the Atlanta Braves play. We then drove to Myrtle Beach where we spent an incredible week with Sid’s family. Back in Spokane, we celebrated all the wedding anniversaries in my family with a special dinner, spent a day at Q’emlin Park, and had loads of fun during a Sunday at Silverwood.

Sidney and the kids pose for a photo inside The Battery in Atlanta prior to the Braves game.

Wow, I just recapped our summer in three measly paragraphs. That’s pretty good for me, right? But that just covered the major trips and events of the past few months. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the little things that really made Summer 2026 special. These five themes will help put it in perspective…

Neighborhood Fun – I was delighted that Sloan and Beau found neighborhood friends this year and spent the long summer nights outside with them. The neighborhood basketball court was a safe and engaging congregating place for the youth of Elk Meadows as my two kids routinely joined the fun. Because Sloan and Beau go to a different school than most children in the neighborhood, it can be natural to not reach out. I was heartened to see them make new friendships and go outside their comfort zone.

Perhaps not the best photo to share with the kid on top of the basketball hoop, but the general scene is what a lot of summer nights looked like this year. Beau would play at the basketball court with his neighbor friends (Beau is to the direct right of the red bush in the photo).

Camp! – Another way Beau and Sloan went outside their comfort zone this summer was by attending camp. In addition to Catholic Summer Camp, the kids spent three weeks at day camp presented by Spokane Valley Parks & Rec. They went on field trips, played at parks, and swam in pools. One of the “opportunities” they cherished the most was riding in a school bus—something they don’t do as Catholic school students. While enjoying all of this excitement, they met lots of new friends and were surrounded by camp counselors who were positive and terrific role models.

This year the theme at St. Mary’s (Spokane Valley) Catholic Summer Camp was “Cool Kingdom Party: Mary Leads Me Closer to Jesus.” I promise Beau was more excited for camp than how he looked in this photo 😂. Beyond Vacation Bible School, the kids also went for three weeks at Spokane Valley Parks & Rec day camp.

Pools – The summer was hot so thank goodness for water! I think Sloan and Beau spent more time in the pool this year than any previous summer. From the hotel pools to the county pools to the camp pools to the private pools, it was a good thing that our kids had more than one swimsuit. The culmination of all this swimming came during our theme park trip when we hit up Silverwood’s water park, Boulder Beach. It was here that Beau swam like a fish and showed what the summer in the pool did for his once-weak swimming skills.

Sidney, Sloan, Beau, and cousins splash in the pool during a humid afternoon during our Myrtle Beach trip.

Faith – Fr. Mike Kwiatkowski once told my kids that “We can’t take a vacation from God during summer because he doesn’t take one from us.” We tried our best to follow this guidance. While on the road this summer we attended mass at two different parishes (St. Cecilia – Bainbridge Island, St. John the Evangelist – Atlanta) and one that we used to call our own (St. Andrew – Myrtle Beach). We also spent plenty of time at our home parish but things looked just a little different. After worshipping at a sunrise mass he presided over and attending a special going-away party in his honor, Fr. Jeff Lewis left for his next assignment at the end of June. Fr. Curtis Seidel then took over pastorship of St. Mary on July 1. The transition has been seamless and we are encouraged and impressed by the talents that Fr. Seidel has brought to the table (or perhaps altar? 😂). 

Members of our Young Adult/Young Family group gather around Fr. Jeff Lewis during a going-away party for him in June.

Events – We tried to venture out into the community as much as possible this summer. Our family attended events such as Unity in the Community, Millwood Daze, Summer on the Ave., Cops & Kids, and YMCA Healthy Kids Day. What became plainly obvious is that Spokane is an awesome place to live and raise a family. Speaking of Spokane, I must mention the four Spokane Indians games we attended throughout the summer as another way that we got to connect with this awesome community.

Beau, Sloan, and I pose in a photo booth at the 2026 Spokane YMCA Healthy Kids Day. The “Get the party started” sign was appropriate as this event kicked off our summer in mid-June.

————————-

What can I say? It was another amazing summer. Thanks to Sidney, Sloan, and Beau for packing it to the brim and creating memories that I will always cherish. Although it is always sad to say goodbye to summer, there is comfort in the fact that autumn in the Inland Northwest is just as spectacular. Stay tuned. Don’t Blink.

High Moon Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
1

Although I didn’t write a Thursday Rundown on the first Thursday of August (darn vacation), I am here to write a Thursday Rundown on the last Thursday of August. Dang, I just wrote the word “Thursday” a lot for one sentence. So as we all get in back-to-school mode, let me offer five non-academic topics…

Silverwood Trip – This past Sunday, my family took our annual excursion to Silverwood Theme Park in north Idaho. The end-of-summer tradition allows us to reward Sloan and Beau for meeting reading goals during the previous school year. Let me summarize how much fun we had by saying this: We arrived at the park before it officially opened and left after it closed. We hit up both the theme park and water park as Sloan rode the roller coasters and Beau showed off the swimming skills he has developed over the summer in the wave pool. The highlight was when the four of us piled onto a raft and went down Avalanche Mountain, the largest water slide at Silverwood. Tap here for more pictures.

A family photo from our Summer 2026 Silverwood visit. We had a lot of fun!

Now That’s A Corn Dog – Please allow me to add one final anecdote regarding Silverwood. In between the theme park and water park, we ate lunch. Sidney scouted out a restaurant near the park’s main entrance called the High Moon Saloon. It serves exclusively hot dogs and corn dogs while offering a quirky dinner show of taxidermy animal heads talking to each other. Anyway, I ordered a corn dog that was drizzled in honey and covered in crushed Cheetos. It was a flavorful experience to say the least. By the way, I have written a lot about corn dogs.

This was the High Moon corn dog I ordered at the High Moon Saloon in Silverwood. It was really good.

Last Indians Game of Summer – We attended our fourth and last Spokane Indians game of the summer on Friday. This final game was significant for a few reasons: My brother and niece joined us, the kids got to go down on the field to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” we made the video board, there was a post-game fireworks show, and Beau got to play plenty of wiffle ball on the mini field right outside of the stadium’s concourse. The Spokane Indians organization does an excellent job at making these games ultra family friendly.

We attended our last Spokane Indians game of the summer this past Friday. The kids sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”, we watched fireworks, and we made the video board! Best of all, we welcomed special guest…my brother and niece!

College Tips – It was 14 years ago this week that I was feeling old. It had been 7 years since my freshman year at the University of Montana and I felt the need to impart my elderly wisdom on students going off to college. Although my reasoning was beyond corny, I thought the tips I provided were relevant. If you have a son or daughter heading off to college, you might want to send them this post I wrote in 2012 about how to make the most of their freshman year. From embracing school spirit to eating right to getting involved to taking class seriously (and lots more), I tried to offer a pretty comprehensive guide.

This was me on my first day of college at The University of Montana (August 2005).

Picture of the Week – This past Saturday, Beau and I attended an event called Millwood Daze (yep, “Daze” not “Days”). Millwood is a small community in Spokane County and the event is spirited and fun. Not too long after strolling down the residential street that serves as the focal point of Millwood Daze, Beau encountered a lady “wearing” a snake. He proceeded to touch it. That a boy, Beau!

Beau approaches a lady with a snake at the 2026 Millwood Daze event.

———————

It is the last weekend of the summer for Sloan and Beau before they head back to school on Monday. Verdict is out on whether it will be used to go out on a bang or to rest up. Don’t Blink.

Dolly Memories

Posted on by
Reply

It was a sad day yesterday when news broke that Dolly Parton had passed away at 80. From the coverage I have watched, she is being remembered not just for her talent but her generosity.

I have a few brief Dolly stories…

We were a Dolly Parton Imagination Library family that appreciated each month when a book arrived in our mailbox. Back in 2018 I praised the program and mentioned that the books we received from Dolly were some of Sloan’s favorites in her own personal library. We still have many of those books today.

Sloan “reading” the Dolly Parton Imagination book she received in the mail back in 2018 titled “Let’s Count.”

When Sidney and I visited Las Vegas in 2021, there was no doubt about it—the Dolly Parton slot machines were a highlight of our trip. Sid sought them out at whatever casino we entered and if she found a vacant Dolly machine I knew she was going to be there for a while. When Dolly was singing, Sidney was winning…I wish I heard just a little more singing.

Sid playing a Dolly Parton slot machine in Las Vegas in 2021. It was always a good sign when Dolly was singing!

And finally my favorite story came on Jan. 8, 2025. On this evening, I read Beau a biographical book titled “Dolly.” The pages were filled with kid-appropriate cartoonish illustrations but at the end of the book was an actual photo of Dolly Parton when she was a young child. The image was black and white and a little grainy. When Beau saw the old photo and used his reasoning skills, he asked a very sweet and innocent question.

“Is she in Heaven, daddy?”

Back in January 2025, Beau and I read “Dolly” (and “Everybody Tree” obviously 😂) and when we arrived at the end he asked a very cute question.

I told him “not yet” and explained that Dolly Parton was still alive.

Now that she has indeed passed, I don’t think Heaven is too far away for the lifelong Christian who made it her mission to serve others. Please pray for the repose of the soul of Dolly Parton. Don’t Blink.

Road (Mind) Construction

Posted on by
Reply

I thought it would take a week at most.

A construction project I thought would take a week on the road (32nd Ave.) that my family depends on to get place-to-place has lasted all summer.

As the 2025-26 school year concluded, one of those temporary digital signs showed up on the west end of 32nd Ave. in Spokane Valley. The sign read “road closure” with a June date. This particular street leads into the main entrance of our neighborhood and is heavily traveled by us on a daily basis.

I kept the road closure date in mind, knowing that it would add time to my commute and that I would have to utilize a detour. But I could handle the inconvenience for a week.

Well, on the eve of classes starting for many school districts, including the high school that is literally on 32nd Ave., the road project still isn’t complete. It has been two months.

Portions of 32nd Ave. in Spokane Valley are still blocked off as road construction continues.

What a messy, unpredictable ordeal. It seemed like the detour that ushered us through a random residential street (oh, those neighbors must have been so thrilled!) was annoying enough but when the bulk of the road construction literally took up residence right at the main entrance of our neighborhood, things got especially hectic. We couldn’t even access the established detour anymore as we were relegated to using the back entrance of our neighborhood just to reach pavement that was not blocked by traffic cones and heavy machinery.

You know what the most infuriating thing is? Before the construction started, I couldn’t tab a single thing that was wrong about 32nd Ave. And guess what? Now that the project is nearing completion and I can actually drive on a portion of the street, I can’t really tell what was done during the two months that it was closed.

The main entrance to our neighborhood is still closed due to road construction.

But perhaps this summer’s road construction is a metaphor. In life, we can sometimes go about our daily routine with an outward appearance that everything is okay when inwardly things are not. It is sometimes necessary to “get off the road” and work on yourself for a period of time. Once personal maintenance has been done, the motivation to get back on the road is present again. However, it is very possible that others sharing the road might not recognize the internal improvements made.

So I am going to trust that the work done on 32nd Ave. this summer was not in vain. I am not a transportation engineer much in the same way that I am not an expert at reading others. Perhaps it is wise to always give the benefit of the doubt. Don’t Blink.

Google Review Clout

Posted on by
Reply

Even though my marketing career has focused strongly on social media, it doesn’t mean my personal social channels are anything special. I have under 800 Instagram followers and my TikTok account never goes viral. But there is a platform of mine (besides brentreser.com, of course) that packs some social clout.

Five years ago this summer I wrote about my newfound motivation to write Google Reviews. I noted that I was already writing online reviews via my blog and that I might as well repurpose some of that work for Google Reviews. At the time, I had written just 10 reviews.

This month I surpassed 200.

Over these past five years, I have made a conscientious effort to write detailed, thoughtful Google Reviews of the restaurants, hotels, coffee stands, and attractions I have visited. I exert a lot of energy, add numerous photos, and write with decency. My plan is to never tear a business to pieces, thus the reason why probably 90% of my reviews are positive with ratings of three stars or above given out to most. I just assume skip writing a Google Review about a lackluster experience rather than torching the restaurant or hotel responsible for it.

Okay, back to that somewhat arrogant claim I made about clout. Because I have written so many reviews with such thorough analysis, my entries are prioritized by Google. The best way to explain this is that if I have written a review about “Business A,” that review will show up at the top on “Business A’s” Google business profile when Most relevant is selected.

I receive text messages from people who say they were researching certain restaurants only to see my review show up at the top. When my family went to 1898 Public House for our anniversary dinner, we all got a good laugh when my mom, sister-in-law, and even my wife had to admit that when they did their routine online restaurant scan, my review was the first one they saw. It even informed their ordering decisions that night!

I am part of the Google Review local guide program and currently hold Level 7 status (Level 10 is the highest). So even though I can’t create a TikTok that anyone cares about, at least I am doing okay with Google. 😂

I am currently a Level 7 local guide our of 10 levels.

Who knows what my standing will be with Google in another five years but I have no plans of ceasing my reviews. For community businesses that depend on honest Google Reviews, hopefully that is a good thing. Don’t Blink.

Cop Car Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
Reply

Happy Saturday Eve Eve, my friends. It is Thursday and that means I am at liberty to quickly offer up five random topics. I hope tonight’s menu is to your liking…

Beau Cop – We attended the Unity in the Community event in downtown Spokane this past weekend. Beau couldn’t resist the opportunity to jump into a Spokane Police vehicle. I took a photo and sent it to family members. My dad responded in the “most dad” way he could: Remind Beau it is preferable to ride in the front seat of a police car as opposed to riding in the back!

Beau takes command in the driver’s seat of a Spokane Police vehicle during the 2026 Unity in the Community event.

Karaoke – I am not a karaoke performer myself but I do enjoy watching others, including loved ones, belt it out. After the Reser family anniversary dinner on Saturday night, Sidney and I went out with my sister and brother-in-law to a dive bar. Both Sid and Jay took turns with the microphone. My wife did a great rendition of “Alright” by Darius Rucker.

Sidney sings “Alight” by Darius Rucker at the Lariat Inn in Mead, WA. Karaoke can be a lot of fun (just as long as I am not singing).

Leavenworth Memories – Because we took other vacations this summer, we won’t return to Leavenworth after visiting the past two years. I can’t recommend this vacation more. If you want a wholesome family experience at a really affordable price, you probably still have time to book at the Enzian Inn before the summer disappears. I wrote summaries of both our 2024 trip and our 2025 trip.

This is a photo of my family in Leavenworth in 2025. I highly recommend this vacation.

Arthur the King – Last Friday was family movie night at our house and we watched “Arthur the King.” Released in 2024, it stars Mark Wahlberg (huge fan!) as a disgraced adventure racer who recruits three hesitant team members to join him for one final shot at glory. The twist is that a fourth “teammate,” a dog named Arthur, joins the squad once at the race site in the Dominican Republic. I am not a big dog person, but this movie hit the mark (no pun intended) while teaching me about adventure racing. Most important of all, it kept Sloan and Beau engaged. If you are looking for a film that the whole family can watch and that teaches a good lesson about humility, I recommend streaming “Arthur the King” on Netflix.

It will be worth your family’s time to watch “Arthur the King.”

Have Some Lemonade – I have worked in higher education for 17 years now. The best hands-on lesson I have ever witnessed during that time occurred during my stint with Coastal Carolina University. In 2015, a management professor divided his students into small teams and sent them out to Prince Lawn (the student gathering spot/green space on campus) to see who could make the most money selling lemonade. The tactics these students came up with were beyond creative. From blended lemonade to self-serve lemonade to teal lemonade to invitation-only lemonade, it was so fun visiting the different stands and chatting with them about their business plans. As I reflect on National Lemonade Day, this memory from CCU is what comes to mind first.

The lemonade competition took place back in 2015 and it was a lot of fun to see what the different teams did. This particular team offered incentives for those who purchased their lemonade. If you bought some, they placed it in a re-usable cup for you to keep.

——————–

Try to take time this evening to remember the many families in Spokane who had their homes destroyed in the fires. With the event now a couple weeks in the rearview mirror it can be easy to forget those who lost everything. Thanks for reading and have a fantastic weekend. Don’t Blink.

Shake It Up!

Posted on by
2

A certain treat has emerged as our family’s dessert of the summer. The winner of the Reser clan sweet tooth?

The milkshake, of course.

It has been a summer full of milkshakes.

Perhaps I shouldn’t write “of course” like it is obvious. A milkshake can blend the line between a beverage served with burgers and fries or something to be enjoyed at night by itself. For us, it is the latter.

We have consumed our fair share of milkshakes this summer. When Sid and I went on our anniversary trip, ordering milkshakes at the end of the night to bring to our room was a joy. When I took the kids to an outdoor movie in July, we brought milkshakes with us.

Beau sits under the Riverfront Park Pavilion drinking his Zip’s milkshake while “Captain America” plays.

One of our fondest memories from our recent Myrtle Beach vacation was ordering milkshakes from Cook Out. When I took the kids to an ice cream shop during our weekend in Seattle, they didn’t care about a sundae or chocolate dipped cone…they just wanted milkshakes. Heck, I even made a special trip to Zip’s last night to pick up a tall, creamy vanilla shake just for my beloved wife.

When we visited Bainbridge Island during our Seattle trip, the kids ordered milkshakes at the ice cream parlor.

So you get the idea, right? But perhaps a few of the observations I made this summer amidst all of our milkshake sipping might not be so apparent…

1. Milkshakes are usually more expensive than other ice cream products on restaurant menus, including creations like Blizzards and the McFlurry that come with candy mix-ins. I think this is because shakes just take a lot more ice cream to make.

2. Thick or creamy? Do you prefer to wait it out until your shake thaws enough so you can suck up just the smallest of sips? Or do you want the goodness of ice cream through a straw right away? We have enjoyed both types over the summer and although I normally prefer to delay gratification, I like my milkshakes to be drinkable upon receiving them 😉.

3. Keep in mind that milkshakes take time to make. On at least two occasions this summer, I apologized to people behind me in line because our shake order took a long time to fulfill. My sympathy also extends to the poor teenagers who were on the receiving end of our order.

4. The most disappointing evening this summer was when I was craving a milkshake and Wendy’s was the only restaurant nearby. No, a Frosty does not count as a shake.

5. If whipped cream is offered, I am saying “yes” every time.

Do you have a favorite place for milkshakes? If so, please let my family know. After all, summer isn’t over just yet. Don’t Blink.

LinkedIn Sloppiness

Posted on by
Reply

I think one of the best developments in our AI culture was recently rolled out by LinkedIn. Users can now tag posts they come across as “AI Slop.” All you have to do is tap the three dots on top of an uncreative and obviously AI-generated post and select the “seems like AI slop” option. The action will limit the reach of the robot-produced post and also better train LinkedIn to spot AI-made garbage.

I support the “Seems like AI slop” option recently rolled out by LinkedIn.

My opinion is that in order to allow a new technology to flourish, you must identify/eradicate the harmful ways it is being used. AI has genuinely helped those intimidated by writing become more comfortable with it. However, it has also proven to be a slop-producer that enables laziness.

After tweaks, evolution, and trial-and-error, LinkedIn emerged as a powerhouse social media channel over the course of this decade. It truly helped and engaged working professionals by opening the door for thought leadership, best practices, and workplace triumphs/challenges.

Unfortunately, AI slop has made it a dumpster fire over the last 18 months.

Scroll for a couple minutes and the amount of regurgitated, cliché-filled, emoji-packed trash is overwhelming. It has totally stripped LinkedIn of what made it unique and worthwhile.

I commend LinkedIn for introducing this feature, even if it means a hit in usership. Claude also recently took a similar step by inserting digital watermarks into text and graphics generated on its platform. Again, it is risky as it might alienate its client base, but it needs to be done in order to discourage thoughtless generation.

As I have said numerous times, AI needs to be used to help the brainstorming and/or refining process. Ordering it to create entire documents, plans, and (oh, yes) social media posts will continue to produce sloppiness. Don’t Blink.

Celebrating Reser Milestone Wedding Anniversaries

Posted on by
Reply

Today it is an honor to wish my parents a happy 45th wedding anniversary. There is no marital relationship I admire more, and I feel so fortunate for the example they have set for Sidney and me.

Last night, my mom and dad continued a quinquennial tradition they started back in 2021. They took us three Reser siblings and our spouses out to dinner. The reason was not to just celebrate their own anniversary (I have such humble parents!) but to celebrate all our own coincidentally milestone anniversaries as well.

All eight of us around the table at Clinkerdagger for our first quinquennial anniversary dinner back in 2021. It was a little weird without our kids!

Admittedly, Sid and I celebrated our anniversary two months ago but since us four couples all have summer anniversaries (Miranda/Jay – June 4, Me/Sid – June 11, Glen/Carrie – July 4, Mom/Dad – August 16), my mom and dad deemed it worthy enough to include us all. What great parents, right?

My dad and mom at 1898 Room for a special milestone anniversary dinner with all the kids and spouses.

After celebrating the inaugural quinquennial anniversary dinner at Clinkerdagger in 2021, my parents made reservations for everyone at the 1898 Public House in north Spokane. We all gathered at a corner table that overlooked the golf course and after our server, Joyce, took the initial drink order, my dad presented her with a challenge…

My parents, siblings, and our spouses seated at a table at 1898 Public House for our quinquennial anniversary dinner.

Producing four cards with the different anniversaries we were celebrating (45th, 15th, 10th, 5th), my dad asked Joyce to use them to determine which card belonged to each couple. He passed the cards to our server and told her to take all the time she needed to make her guesses. Oh, dad!

Once we completed our appetizers, Joyce came to our table with some slight anxiety. She was ready to make her guesses! (watch here)

Joyce, our server at the 1898 Public House for our anniversary dinner, scrutinizes over who to give the numbered cards to. She was such a great sport!

She smartly started with my parents and correctly handed them the “45” card. After scanning our table under an obvious level of distress, she was ready to hand out the “5” card. She gave it to my older sister who celebrated her 15th anniversary with Jay this past June 🤦🏻‍♂️. I guess you just look young, Miranda? She then gave the “15” card to my younger brother, who celebrated his 5th anniversary with Carrie on Independence Day. But then Joyce redeemed herself by correctly giving Sid and me the “10” card.

Joyce didn’t mess up the milestone my parents were celebrating! She started off by giving them their “45” card.

We couldn’t help but convey our gratitude and support to Joyce for being such a good sport. We truly put her on the spot and she went along with it to make our anniversary special. The 1898 Public House is lucky to have her.

Jay and Miranda celebrated 15 years of marriage on June 4. This is them holding their “15” card last night at 1898 Public House.

As the dinner started to come to a close, I did the same thing I did at the 2021 dinner: I asked my parents for their best marital advice (you can watch it here). My dad answered with “Listen to your wife” while my mom replied “Be patient.” Take heed, everyone!

Joyce correctly guessed that we have been married 10 years!

Congratulations to my parents on their 45th anniversary. I don’t think it is a coincidence that all three children are happily married. Having that example that we have been provided is invaluable. In addition to the congratulatory note, I also want to thank my parents for the overflowing generosity they show all of us.

Glen and Carrie celebrated their 5th wedding anniversary on July 4, 2026. This is them holding their “5” card at 1898 Public House.

When we convene for the quinquennial anniversary dinner in 2031, my parents will be celebrating their 50th and my sister/Jay will be celebrating their 20th! Stay tuned for the blessings from that evening. Happy anniversary, mom and dad. Don’t Blink.