Three Deep Thoughts

Posted on by
Reply

Throughout the weekend and even today I have entertained thoughts about general consciousness that have entered my head. I thought I would document the three most prominent ones:

– My children are now in third grade and kindergarten. I have pretty vivid memories from both years. I have flashes of remembrance from preschool, but kindergarten is where solid memories started to build. This is important because I can now more easily put myself in the situation of my kids and relate.

– I am exactly one month away from my 39th birthday. However, more significantly (and also more depressingly), I am 13 months away from my 40th birthday.

– Speaking of being 38 and Sloan being in third grade, here is something for you: My parents were both 38 when I was in third grade. I remember my mom volunteering in the class and my dad coming to school to eat lunch with me a couple times that third grade year.

Sloan and I at a high school football game this past Friday night. My goal is to give her memories during her third grade year.

 

Okay, those are my three deep thoughts for this Monday. Hope everyone had a great start to their weeks. Don’t Blink.

Beverage Switch Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
Reply

September is here, school is in session, and fall is right around the corner—even if we are still in the midst of a heat wave. So please feel free to cool off from the 100-degree temperatures outside and read my latest Thursday Rundown…

First Day of School Drawings – A tradition my dad did for me as a child has continued with his grandkids. Whenever a big milestone comes around, my dad will always do a quick sketch to commemorate it. Below is what he did for Sloan and Beau on their first day of school.

These are the 2025-26 first day of school drawings my dad made for Sloan and Beau.

Costco Beverage Switch – In Costco news (no, I am not going to criticize their muffins), the food court beverages are now served by Coca-Cola. We noticed the change when we visited the wholesaler this past weekend to stock up on items for school lunches. Although I do prefer Pepsi, I didn’t lose too much sleep over the change. There will come a time when Pepsi will most likely return to Costco food courts just like it did in 2013—when it replaced Coke.

Hey Sloan, switch that Pepsi cup out with a Coke one! Coca-Cola is now serving the soft drinks at Costco’s food court.

Griz Vision Star – Before I appeared in a Darius Rucker music video, I developed my acting chops by appearing in a video with the University of Montana mascot. While working in the Griz athletic department, I helped produce “Monte Movies” that were played on Griz Vision (aka jumbo tron) during football games. It was 12 years ago when we released Monte’s Roommate. I will give you one guess on who his roommate was.

The opening scene of the movie I appeared in with Monte!

Expensive Clips – We took Sloan and Beau to Great Clips on Sunday for back-to-school haircuts. The venue was clean, the stylists were welcoming, and the overall cuts were satisfactory. With that said, perhaps the $21 price-per-child cut was worth it, but I kept hearing my dad in the back of my head remarking, “When I was a kid, the prisoners at the Walla Walla Penitentiary cut my hair for a quarter.” I know I complain about prices a lot, but I feel like a 10-minute cut for a 5-year-old at a discount salon should be slightly south of $20. We appreciate the Dum-Dums though!

Sloan and Beau get their ears lowered at the Great Clips off Sullivan in Spokane Valley. Each haircut cost $21.

Blood Falls – I saw the below photo of “Blood Falls” on social media and I immediately looked it up to verify its legitimacy. Turns out, the waterfall is truly bright red (but don’t worry, it isn’t actually blood). Blood Falls is in Antarctica and the 15-meter-high waterfall is red because of iron-rich saltwater. You can look it up on Wikipedia to learn more about the science behind it but the image definitely caught my attention.

Blood Falls is in Antarctica and the water is actually red.

———————-

Stay cool, everyone! Enjoy your first weekend of September and I will touch base next week. Don’t Blink.

FroFree

Posted on by
Reply

As an end-of-summer last hurrah, I told the kids I would take them out for dessert on Monday night…you know, First Day of School Eve?

Anyway, Sloan and Beau chose Froyo Earth—they didn’t even fight about it, that is where they both wanted to go. We get there and after the circus of them “needing” to try samples and overpouring the yogurt into those tiny tasting cups, they grabbed their actual dishes and we started going through the line.

At my threat of leaving the shop with no yogurt whatsoever, Beau wisely assumed the “point finger” role. He let me hold his cup, pour the yogurt, and sprinkle the toppings while I fulfilled my end of the bargain by performing those actions based on the flavors/toppings he pointed at.

Beau and Sloan enjoying end-of-summer frozen yogurt at Froyo Earth in Spokane Valley.

When it came to the yogurt flavors, he surprised me by at least staying with all fruit options. I poured him a little bit of banana, watermelon, and blue raspberry. The toppings? Well, who doesn’t like a combination of mini M&M’s and boba pieces?

When we arrived at the register to pay, the young man behind the counter notified us that it was “Guess Your Weight” Monday. No, this wasn’t some Biggest Loser body weight gimmick (thank goodness). Rather, it was a chance to guess the weight of your yogurt because we all know that is the metric that allows froyo shops to charge so much.

How cute! Beau and Sloan feeding each other froyo as if they were groom and bride.

I told the guy that I wouldn’t even know where to begin with guessing the weight of Beau’s cup. I am not a professional froyo eater and don’t go often enough to know how much it weighs. But the employee was super nice and gave Beau a range (7 ounces – 10 ounces) to guess. We guessed incorrectly but thanks to the hint at least we didn’t guess 15 ounces when it was really only 8.6 ounces.

Next came Sloan. She put her dish on the scale and once again the staff member gave a range (8 ounces – 11 ounces). Sloan thought about it for a moment…

“10.5 ounces,” she confidently said.

“Hmmmmm,” the store employee began, “What about 9.7 ounces?”

Sloan and I looked at each other for a moment.

“Say 9.7 ounces!” I told Sloan.

“9.7 ounces,” Sloan replied.

“You are right!” exclaimed the employee.

I then expected him to take 10% off or some other insignificant percentage that might cover the sales tax. Only he didn’t. Instead, he subtracted the entire $7.08 cost of Sloan’s froyo from our order. When we approached his register, he must have been determined to brighten the day of an 8-year-old. Sloan’s froyo tasted especially delicious on Monday night.

The young man at Froyo Earth was kind enough to “comp” Sloan’s entire frozen yogurt dish.

The gesture of the Froyo Earth employee was greatly appreciated and we will be back. Don’t Blink.

Ready For a Fruitful and Safe 2025-26 School Year

Posted on by
Reply

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

It’s the Tuesday after Labor Day and that means one thing in these parts: The first day of school!

Sloan and Beau attended their first day of school for the 2025-26 school year. Once again, they are attending St. Mary Catholic School in the Spokane Valley.

Sloan and Beau started their third grade and kindergarten years today. Believe it or not, this will be our SIXTH year at St. Mary Catholic School and we couldn’t be more excited.

Sloan and Beau are ready for another great year at St. Mary Catholic School (Spokane Valley).

This year, Sloan has Mrs. Mary Remer leading her classroom. New to the school for 2025-26, we look forward to getting to know Mrs. Remer. However, I think we already like her considering her last name closely resembles ours AND it is also a palindrome 😉.

Sloan all set this morning on her first day as a 3rd grader.

When it comes to Beau, his teacher is Mrs. Kristen Mead. We have a little more familiarity with her than Sloan’s teacher—when Beau started Pre-K4 last year, Mrs. Mead was leading his classroom. However, a last-minute teacher shuffle resulted in Mrs. Mead moving up to kindergarten. Although that ended up working just fine because Beau’s re-assigned Pre-K4 teacher was AWESOME, we are looking forward to finishing what we started with Mrs. Mead.

How is he a kindergartener?! He is in store for a great year.

Thanks be to God, Stephen Hart is once again returning to St. Mary as the principal. He will continue to run an unapologetically Catholic school that strives to help students and staff get to Heaven. His leadership is infectious. Enrollment is up this year, parents/students have bought in, and the vibe I felt this morning was so assuring. We are in good hands.

Mr. Stephen Hart returns to St. Mary Catholic School for his third year as principal. This is him opening up the school doors for the first day of school.

But even though we are in good hands with our leadership, there is some anxiety this year. With the tragic incident at Annunciation School last week, everyone is a little more on guard. St. Mary has already put in place a tighter security protocol, especially when it comes to mass, but prayers for a safe school year are very much appreciated.

Please pray for St. Mary School and all schools as the 2025-26 year begins.

I want to wish everyone returning to school—students and teachers—a fruitful year. Whether you attend St. Mary or not, I am pulling for you. Hope it is the best year yet! Don’t Blink.

Summer 2025

Posted on by
Reply

It is the first day of September at the end of Labor Day weekend on the eve of the first day of school. I guess this means the party is over, right? Summer 2025 is just about complete and it seems like the only thing left is to write the blog post about it 😂.

The summer was highlighted by many activities and events but as you will see, it also brought much needed rest. As I have done in years past, I will break down the past few months into 12 themes. Thanks for reading…

Beau smiles with his cousins, Johnny and Mik, at the Concerts Under the Pines series at Audubon Park in Spokane. Going to this park on Thursday evenings for live music was one of the favorite things I did this summer with the kids. Read on for 12 themes from the past 2.5 months.

Relaxation – As you read the below nine themes, you might think how did they even get a minute to relax? Well, I assure you, we did. No matter how busy summer is, the break from school and activities changes the pace of life. Our weekday mornings were less stressful and our evenings were so refreshing. Instead of attending a full slate of after school/after work obligations, we came home and just hung out. We ate dinner, watched shows, and went to bed early. Awww…summer is so sweet.

Although we did a lot, we also had many relaxing summer nights where we didn’t do much.

Colorful Beginning – On a Saturday at the beginning of summer, Sloan and I found ourselves covered in colored powder. We completed the Color Me Rad race in Liberty Lake, Washington, and truly enjoyed the experience. Although it was on the cooler side that morning, Sloan was captivated by the camaraderie that exists when people come together for a race. It was a RAD way to start the summer.

A selfie after we crossed the Color Me Rad selfie. It was a great way to kick off the summer.

Fests – But when the work week ended and the weekend arrived, we forgot about relaxation. Different festivals and community events drew us to different parks and spots all around Spokane. From Kids Fest to Unity in the Community to Cops & Kids to Millwood Daze to farmers markets to many more (literally), we had a lot of fun interacting with the community.

A look at the foam madness at Harmon Park in Hillyard. This was one of the most unique experiences we had at a community event this summer.

Thanks Be To God – At the last day of school in June, Fr. Mike Kwiatkowski told the kids we can’t take a vacation from God during summer because he doesn’t take one from us. Did I do a good job turning Fr. Mike’s preaching into practice? Well, I could do a lot better. Still, during this summer some cool things did happen. Sloan and Beau attended Catholic Summer Camp. I worshipped at a sunrise mass with a small hiking group led by Fr. Jeff. Sid and I became godparents again. Fr. Mike Schmitz’s Bible In A Year podcast took us through the prophetic books of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and more. And, we continued to attend mass at St. Mary throughout the summer while also visiting the parishes of St. Louise (Bellevue) and St. Pat’s (Walla Walla).

Me, Sidney, Fr. Jeff Lewis, Fidela, Neteyam, and Dylan pose for a photo in the St. Mary sanctuary after the baptism on July 6, 2025. Thanks be to God! (Photo courtesy of Dylan/Fidela/Family).

Water Is it even summer if you aren’t swimming? If you ask us, we would probably say “no.” From pools to water parks to splash pads to rivers, we had our swimsuits on a lot over the past few months. Sloan continued to be a fish while Beau’s anxiety around the water lessened. My favorite memory was racing Sloan down the water slides at Spokane County’s Northside Aquatics Center.

Rivers, pools, water parks…we did them all during Summer 2025.

Independence Day – It might have been just a day, but our Fourth of July receives its entire spot on our summer recap. We started the day in Coeur d’Alene at its American Heroes Parade. After an all-American lunch at one of the town’s drive-ins, we ended up at my parents’ house for their annual Independence Day celebration/cookout. From there, we went to Pavillion Park in Liberty Lake for the fireworks show.

Our 2025 Fourth of July was spectacular.

Picnics/Cookouts – Over the past few months, we never let a chance to eat outside slip by. Whether it was with friends, family, our Engaged Encounter group, or in a couple instances the general public, we enjoyed nature while eating meals. From pizza to fried chicken to hamburgers, it all tasted better in the great outdoors. Perhaps the most meaningful cookout of the summer was just this past week when we welcomed Sid’s Uncle Steve and Aunt Sharon to our home for burgers in our backyard.

This is a photo from one of our early summer picnics. We met my sister, Mik, and John in Browns Park and ate pizza.

Hoopfest – My family returned to the streets of downtown Spokane once again to volunteer at Hoopfest. I assumed my usual spot as court monitor while Sidney kept the books and Sloan/Beau helped keep score. It was another fulfilling experience that allowed us to give back while placing ourselves right in the middle of Spokane’s signature event.

My special 2025 Hoopfest crew.

Watching Sports – Nothing says “America” like baseball during the summer. When it came to Summer 2025, my family took this seriously. I took the kids to three Spokane Indians games where we had a blast at each one. What’s not to like about ballpark food, fireworks, running around the bases, and mascot fun? I also had the chance to go with my dad and brother to Seattle for a Mariners game. Don’t worry, we did branch out. In July, I took Sloan and Beau to a Spokane Velocity soccer match where they had just as much fun as they did at the baseball games.

It was Family Feast Night at the last Spokane Indians game we attended this summer! From the Indians to the Mariners to the Velocity, it was a lot of fun!

Weddings and Birthdays – In June, Sidney and I traveled to Brewster, Washington, to watch a couple we mentored—Katie and Tristan—enter into holy matrimony. Then, in August, the whole family drove north to Deer Park, Washington, where we attended the wedding of my niece, Zella, and her now-husband, Thomas. In July, we celebrated my nephew’s 8th birthday by attending his dog-themed party and then just a couple weeks ago we traveled to Walla Walla to attend the birthday bash of my cousin’s daughter who turned 1.

Weddings and birthdays played big roles during Summer 2025.

Parks Parks Parks – We lived it up at green spaces across the area this summer. Balfour, Browns, Discovery, Orchard, Q’emlin, Pavillion, and Riverfront are just a few of the parks where we climbed on the playgrounds and cooled down in the splash pads. We even watched outdoor movies in them! However, my fondest park memories from this summer took place at Audubon Park. It was here where we attended the “Concerts Under the Pines” series. On two different Thursdays in July, we enjoyed live music on perfect summer evenings.

How can an outdoor movie not be pleasant when the scenery is like this? This photo is of Beau sitting in his chair at Balfour Park on July 11, 2025.

Leavenworth Vacation – As you can tell, staying in Spokane all summer offers more than enough to do. However, we made a quick trip to Leavenworth for an end-of-summer vacation. The affordable, wholesome, and sunny adventure was just what we needed before preparing for the start of school.

This photo of my family epitomizes Leavenworth. We took a photo of us all at the exact same place last year and if we return again we will make sure to take another one,

—————

When summer ends in the Inland Northwest, we don’t get too upset. Autumn is gorgeous in this area of the country and with an exciting new school year on the horizon we are ready to transition. However, that’s not to say that we aren’t a little sad to see Summer 2025 pass by. However, In the words of a middle school cliché, we won’t cry because it is over but we will smile because it happened. Don’t Blink.

Cops & Kids

Posted on by
Reply

On Saturday, I took Beau to Cops & Kids, an inaugural community event that was held at Balfour Park in Spokane Valley. Cops & Kids boasted inflatables, games, food trucks, a car show, and—of course—law enforcement fun.

The Spokane Valley Police Department brought tools, vehicles, personnel, and more for attendees to view and engage with. I wanted to share a few of the things that Beau liked best…

The department’s SWAT vehicle was on display and Beau wasted no time climbing in the back. Inside was a police officer who patiently answered all of my son’s questions. Most of them dealt with the equipment inside.

Beau hanging out in a Spokane Valley Police Department SWAT vehicle at the Cops & Kids event.

Beau also met a SVPD K-9. Of course, Beau asked the officer about the function of the muzzle but I had questions, too. I asked about the dog’s training, length of service, and attack methods. These dogs do more than just jump on suspects—they bite them. But the officer I was speaking to stressed that the K-9 isn’t used for minor criminals but for those bad guys who pose a real threat to others. The dog will subdue the suspect by biting the arm, thus giving officers time to move in for the arrest.

Beau meets a Spokane Valley Police Department K-9 at the Cops & Kids event.

The helicopter definitely stood out at Balfour Park. We missed its landing and takeoff but seeing it up close was still pretty cool. They were allowing people to jump inside the cockpit but it was such a hot day that we refrained.

Beau poses in front of a Spokane Valley Police helicopter at the Cops & Kids event.

What interested Beau the most, however, was the drones! Yes, I used the plural form. SVPD brought a regular-sized drone and a mini drone. The latter is used to actually enter buildings and residences. The officer I talked to indicated that his primary responsibility with the department is to solely fly drones. The demonstrations were super cool as the video feed from the drone was projected onto a large screen in the back of a squad car.

Beau looks at a Spokane Valley Police drone at the Cops & Kids event.

Thank you to the Spokane Valley Police Department for playing such a big role in the Cops & Kids event! Your access and service are both appreciated. Don’t Blink.

Johnson Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
Reply

I skipped writing a Thursday Rundown last week so I am sure your appetite for five random topics is voracious. Let’s cut to the chase…

KHQ Meet and Greet – At the Unity in the Community event on Aug. 16, Beau and I met some local celebrities. We stopped by the KHQ tent and met anchors Hayley Guenther and Kalae Chock. I must say that meeting Kale was especially cool because I have watched her every weekday since moving back to Spokane five years ago. In the mornings I am always on the treadmill when the KHQ Wake Up show starts at 4:30 a.m. and although the TV is on mute, I follow along with the closed captions. It was neat to see her in-person!

Beau met KHQ anchors Hayley Guenther and Kalae Chock at the Unity in the Community event in downtown Spokane.

Visit From Family – What a blessing it was! Sidney’s Uncle Steve and Aunt Sharon rolled into the area this week on their RV tour. They have made several stops in different parts of the country over the past couple months and they finagled their route to pay us a special visit. On Monday evening we went out to their campground in Post Falls, ID. Then, on Tuesday, they came to our home for dinner. What a treat it was to have two evenings with these extremely fine people! It was so nice to catch up and show them our little slice of paradise. We can’t thank them enough for the effort they put forth to see us!

Aunt Sharon and Uncle Steve take a photo with Sid, Sloan, and Beau. It made us feel real good that they came and visited us.

Soda Machine Shenanigans – One of the unsung moments from our Leavenworth trip was Sloan getting two bottled beverages for the price of one. She went to the hotel vending machine to purchase a bottled water for me but when the product didn’t dispense, she quickly tapped the Sprite option. When she did, both the Dasani and Sprite came out. Of course she told the front desk what happened but her honesty was rewarded as they let her keep both beverages. When I was young, I remember tapping two soda buttons simultaneously and two cans dropping out. But I haven’t tried that in a long time.

Beau tries to replicate the luck that Sloan had with this Enzian Inn soda machine in Leavenworth. He wasn’t successful.

Last Day at St. Paschal – Today was the last day for Sloan and Beau at summer daycare. When school is out, we send them to St. Paschal Educare. This morning I dropped them off for the final time this summer. It was another great season of fun, crafts, outdoor play, home cooked food, and adorable pictures. Although St. Paschal offers a terrific program, we sent the kids just three days per week (we are thankful for the part time option!). Their time at St. Paschal was supplemented this summer by my parents watching them one day per week and them staying home one day per week (on Friday). It ended up being the perfect mix. Get ready because school starts next week!

Sloan and Beau attended their last day at St. Paschal EduCare (Spokane Valley) for the summer today.

Go Go Power Subway? – A couple dates in our country’s history to look back on tonight. Let’s begin with the first Subway opening on this date in 1965. The sandwich chain started in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and grew exponentially from there. I have written about Subway more than any other fast food restaurant. At one time I loved it but now I don’t think it is even worth eating at. Also, on this date 32 years ago, Power Rangers debuted. Even though I outwardly mocked it, I actually kind of liked it. A couple years ago, Beau surprised me by watching the original series—the one that I actually remembered the episodes from. Talk about a blast from the past!

These days, Subway is dead to me. 

——————

That will do it for tonight’s Thursday Rundown. However, this isn’t “see you next week” just yet because I will publish a blog post tomorrow. Until then, sweet dreams. Don’t Blink.

The World of Lotus

Posted on by
Reply

When we moved to Spokane in 2020, there was one aspect of the city’s culture that Sidney loved. No, I am not talking about marijuana smoking or pickleball. Rather, I am alluding to the incredible coffee presence that lines pretty much every square foot of this town. Drive down any street and you are guaranteed to pass multiple espresso stands.

So while this was great for Sidney (and not so good for our bank account), it didn’t do too much for me. Why? I don’t drink coffee.

Although I don’t drink coffee even though I am in a coffee-obsessed state, the espresso stands do serve an alternative caffeinated beverage for people like me. This photo is of me with a lotus from The Jar in Cheney.

However, at about the time we arrived in Washington, a certain non-coffee drink started to gain prominence in Spokane’s java huts. Called Lotus, the base of the drink is Lotus Energy (a plant-based caffeinated drink) combined with club soda and flavored syrup. Suddenly, someone like me who wanted a coffee “buzz” without the coffee taste could order something at the espresso stand.

And order I have! Over the past five years I have sipped countless Lotus drinks while experimenting with the diverse and wacky flavors available. Using the same flavored syrups found in Italian sodas, the combinations are pretty much endless.

Me with a Lotus I enjoyed earlier this month before we hit the road to Seattle (from Higher Ground espresso in Spokane Valley).

I have personal favorites like blue raspberry and coconut or watermelon and strawberry but usually I just tell the barista to make me a “surprise.” That is “espresso code” for make me something that tastes really, really good. Most stands will have themed-Lotus options based off pop culture that combine a lot of fun flavors.

But beyond the refreshing taste and flavor wonderland of Lotus is something I appreciate even more: the kick.

Because of the plant-based nature of Lotus, the caffeine effect isn’t the same as what I get when I drink a Rockstar. A 20 oz. Lotus from the coffee stand doesn’t pack the jitters and shakes that a traditional energy drink usually imparts on me. Although a Lotus does deliver the alertness and productivity that other caffeinated drinks offer, the “buzz” is much smoother and pleasant.

Of course, you will pay more for it. Whereas I can buy a Rockstar for 99 cents at WinCo, a 20 oz. Lotus will usually cost around $5. Because of that, I do try to limit my Lotus consumption. When I worked mostly at home, my wife and I celebrated “Lotus Thursday.” After I dropped the kids off at school, I would drop by our neighborhood coffee stand and pick up Lotuses for the two of us. I would then try each one and keep the drink I thought tasted best and hand deliver the other one to Sid 😉.

Lotus drinks from a past “Lotus Thursday” (from Swell Coffee in Spokane Valley).

If you do live out west and have access to an abundance of espresso stands, I recommend that you try a Lotus—whether you like coffee or not. If you are already a Lotus drinker, I would appreciate your favorite place to order one and/or your favorite flavor combinations. Drink up! Don’t Blink.

Leavenworth Round II

Posted on by
3

I swore we wouldn’t do it. After going on a cruise and visiting Disney World during the spring, I said there was no way my family would even think about leaving Spokane this summer. I was adamant that we would enjoy a relaxing time staying put in our local community.

Well, we made a slight addendum to that plan.

We ended up taking Beau and Sloan on a short trip to Leavenworth.

In June, Sid and I made the decision to take a very brief end-of-summer “getaway” to Leavenworth. Feeling like it might be nice to treat the kids to a few days outside Spokane borders, we decided to return to the place we visited for the first time a year ago.

This was our view from our hotel room balcony at the Enzian Inn. We spent a lot of time in that pool.

It just seemed right. When we vacationed to Leavenworth last August, we fell in love with the wholesome and quirky Bavarian-themed community. Luckily for us, considerations like the cost, the distance, and the offerings worked for the vacation-depleted budget we were working with.

Returning to Leavenworth was something we could swing.

To be honest, our second trip to Leavenworth was pretty much a rinse and repeat of our inaugural voyage last year…which was a good thing.

Although most of what we did in Leavenworth this time around was a rinse and repeat from last year, Sloan and Beau did try a new treat on our most recent trip. In this photo they are eating a Frostbite Freeze from Der Snow Cave. This treat is a slush drink infused with Dippin’ Dots.

Since our trip mirrored what we did last year, there isn’t a need to basically duplicate the post I wrote in 2024. If you remember, I pinpointed 10 themes from the vacation. Guess what? They were all pretty much prevalent again in 2025. Instead, I thought I would just highlight five of my favorite photos from last week…

Read on (and look on) for my five favorite photos from Leavenworth.

⛰️ This photo is my favorite from the trip because, it is, well…our family 😂?  We took the exact same photo last year, too. I don’t think we will go to Leavenworth for a third straight year in 2026 but if we do, you can imagine that we will pose once again on Main St. with the mountains behind us…

This photo of my family epitomizes Leavenworth. We took a photo of us all at the exact same place last year and if we return again we will make sure to take another one,

🐐 Look closely, do you see something besides Sloan and Beau? Ah yes, the goats! These cute guys have a habitat that hugs the putting golf course that is one of the amenities of our hotel, the Enzian Inn. They definitely add a spark of personality to the beautiful course…

Can you spot the two goats behind Beau and Sloan? They loved the goats so much that they each got a stuffed goat from the front desk at the Enzian Inn.

❄️ Brrrr it was freezing in Der Snow Cave, a unique cold treat spot on Main St. that combines shaved ice with Dippin Dots. You can see the treats that Sloan and Beau ordered earlier in this blog post but the photo that truly reminds me of this unique business is below. Sloan posed with the giant Yeti inside Der Snow Cave and I happen to really love it…

I love this photo of Sloan hanging with the Yeti inside Der Snow Cave.

🎶 I have a favorite photo of Beau, too! Every morning during breakfast at the Enzian Inn, they would play the alpine horn. Beau’s concentration on the musician, the colors, and the background make this an image that I will develop a hard copy of…

Everything about this photo of Beau watching the alpine horn performance makes me smile.

🍨 We got dessert every single night we were in Leavenworth (because why not?). But nothing beat the ice cream we got from Whistlepunk Ice Cream Co. the last night we were in town. Read my Google Review if you need more details but it was phenomenal. This photo shows Sid and the kids with their Whistlepunk treats and I just couldn’t leave it out…

Sid and the kids pose with their WhistlePunk ice cream the last night we were in Leavenworth.

Thanks to Sid and the kids for accompanying me on such a fun vacation. Like I mentioned above, I don’t think we will return for a third straight summer but as my wife always points out, I have a habit of making traditions out of things we do twice. Don’t Blink.

Falling Down The Stairs

Posted on by
Reply

It was like a one-sided bout against a prized fighter. But instead of getting my butt kicked by an actual person, my licks were inflicted courtesy of the stairs.

Last week around bedtime, I ventured downstairs to grab some water before going to sleep. Only, my leisurely “venture” turned into a rocky and painful ride as I slipped on one of Sloan’s toys and fell down the stairs. Out of 12 steps, I tripped on the 10th (from the top), resulting in a good amount of tumbling.

Our steps that separate our main floor from upstairs aren’t exactly forgiving. They are steep-ish and by no means soft. They were built to serve a purpose, not to cushion falls.

A look at the stairs I fell down in our house.

When I slipped on the toy, it sent me airborne for a short moment. I then landed on a top stair via my backside and crashed down the rest of them to the bottom. Although my clumsy descent down the stairs lasted a couple seconds at most, it seemed much longer to me. I was cognizant of each step my body bounced off, registering every single blow from the respective steps.

It wasn’t a silent affair. In addition to the sound of an adult male body falling down a flight of stairs, I managed to yell once I reached the bottom. As I sat there and let the pain register for a moment, I looked up the stairs to see Sid and Sloan looking down at me.

Sid was very concerned and made sure I was okay. She then turned to Sloan and scolded her for leaving the toy out and commanded her to apologize to me. Sloan’s initial response?

“It was daddy’s fault for not turning on the light.”

Yeah, that didn’t go over well with me.

But after Sloan gave an appropriate response/apology and my shock from the fall dissipated, I started to think about people—especially the elderly—who take tumbles down the stairs on flights much numerous and steeper than the one I tripped over. I am talking flights of stairs that aren’t even carpeted and might have some twists and turns incorporated. For someone like myself who is still equipped (at least for now 😉) to absorb a fall but definitely experienced some pain, I can only imagine how traumatic and agonizing it would be for someone a bit more vulnerable.

I was sore the next day but I moved on past my clumsy ride down the stairs. Rest assured, I won’t be challenging our staircase to any future bouts. Have you ever fallen down the stairs before? Don’t Blink.