No Cavity Club Thursday Rundown

Happy Thursday to everyone! It is commencement week at Eastern Washington University so I would like to congratulate all of the Eagles who will be graduating this weekend. Soar!!…

No Cavity Club – Sloan and Beau visited the dentist this week…but it wasn’t to get their teeth cleaned! Rather, they walked through the doors of Children’s Choice Dental to pick up their prize for being the No Cavity Club winners for June. They received t-shirts, free ice cream, and Target gift cards. When I was a kid, the only thing our family dentist gifted to the winner of the “No Cavity Club” monthly equivalent was a stuffed animal.

Beau and Sloan were the big winners of The Children’s Dental “No Cavity Club” promotion for June.

Beau is a Preschool Graduate – On Wednesday morning, Beau walked across the front of the sanctuary at St. Mary Catholic Church and officially graduated from preschool. Although I didn’t attend the ceremony, my wife and mom sent several photos/videos and said it was very touching. It has been a tremendous school year for Beau and I hope to elaborate on it in the near future. But until then, we now have a kindergartener in our house!

Beau walks across the sanctuary and shakes Mrs. Jordan Hoard’s hand as he graduates the St. Mary Catholic School preschool program.

Ninth Anniversary Dinner – For our anniversary dinner last night, we wanted to go somewhere the kids would never allow us to eat at if they were with us. We settled upon Vieux Carre and what a choice it was! Marketed as a “Nola kitchen,” Vieux Carre specializes in Cajun food and DANG was it good. Sid ordered shrimp and grits while I opted for jambalaya. We also ordered hush puppies as an appetizer. But for as good as the food was, the atmosphere may have been better. Nestled in a beautiful 1903 building, it is infused with New Orleans-style décor. We sat at the bar and enjoyed watching the employees sling fancy cocktail after fancy cocktail. We highly recommend.

Vieux Carré in downtown Spokane was delicious as well as an overall nice experience. Sid and I recommend!

Chalk Project – As I mentioned above, it is commencement week at EWU. For the first time in several years, the ceremonies have moved back to campus after being held in Spokane. One thing our marketing team has highlighted leading up to this weekend is the special bond that exists between EWU and the Cheney community. My team was able to implement numerous strategies to reflect this, but my favorite might have been the chalk art activity we did yesterday. Multiple downtown Cheney businesses granted my request to allow EWU-themed commencement chalk art to be drawn on the sidewalks in front of their shops. All morning on Thursday, design student and intern Alyssa Almond drew her beautiful chalk art drawings on the streets of Cheney. For me, it was a pleasure to chat with Cheney business owners, spread Eagle pride, and watch Alyssa work. Communication specialist Melodie Little wrote this story that covered some of our efforts.

Our intern, Alyssa Almond, works on her chalk art masterpiece in front of the Mason Jar. My marketing team did a lot to showcase the close bond that exists between EWU and Cheney.

Ananda Lewis – Growing up, my family did have cable but my parents did something very intentional: they blocked MTV from the channel lineup. They felt strongly that it wasn’t appropriate for children so they told the cable company to make it unavailable in our household. However, that didn’t mean I didn’t watch MTV over at my friends’ houses. During those early days, I remember watching Ananda Lewis vividly. She was young, hip, and fun—the perfect combination for an MTV VJ. Sadly, I learned last night that she passed away from cancer. Speaking of “young”, she was only 52. Please pray for the repose of Ananda’s soul.

I was saddened to hear of Ananda Lewis’ death.

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That will wrap things up for tonight. As always, thanks for reading, my appreciation for my loyal Don’t Blink readers is deep. Make sure to treat your dads well this weekend!

Disney Thursday Rundown

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.

Easter 2025

This Easter 2025 post is dedicated to Pope Francis. What a witness he was during this past Lent. He suffered greatly but was rewarded with one final Easter. Eternal rest grant unto Pope Francis, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.

Easter was late this year so perhaps that made yesterday even a little sweeter. After a challenging but much-needed Lent, we used this past Sunday to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As always, Easter Sunday is a very special day for my family so I make it a point to document it. Here is a look at how the Resers celebrated Easter 2025…

Easter Sunday started at our house with Sloan and Beau in hot pursuit of possible Easter treats. They arose at 6:30 a.m. and navigated their way downstairs where they found what they were looking for. There might have even been a smaller Easter treat arrangement for yours truly from the Sid Bunny.

Beau and Sloan hold their Easter baskets.

The most significant part of our day came at 9 a.m. when we attended Easter Sunday mass at St. Mary Catholic Church. The sanctuary was packed as Fr. Jeff Lewis presided and proclaimed that the empty tomb was the most welcome and triumphant site that Christians could have hoped for. After attending all the rich masses and services of Holy Week, including last night’s powerful Easter Vigil, the Easter Sunday mass was so fulfilling and encompassing.

Sloan and Beau pose for a photo inside the vestibule of St. Mary Catholic Church in Spokane Valley prior to Easter Sunday mass.

After mass we headed to the reception in the church gym. We sat with our good friends, the Andrades, and savored Jesus’ victory over death. Everything about the beautiful reception—including an elaborate photo backdrop—screamed the handiwork of Marie Bricher.

Our family posed for a photo in front of the backdrop in the St. Mary gym after mass.

We then came home to enjoy the late morning/early afternoon of Easter. While the kids hung out downstairs with their Easter candy and new games, Sid and I retreated upstairs to watch “The Chosen.” With the significance of Easter, the season 4 episodes we watched just seemed to hit even harder than usual.

Walking through the St. Mary parking lot on Easter morning.

Next, we headed over to my parents’ house for our Easter celebration. My siblings and their families also joined us as we rejoiced in the resurrection of our Lord. We shared a delicious ham meal and had some pretty entertaining dinner table conversation.

Delicious food and great conversation at the Reser Easter dinner table.

With our bellies full, we tried to burn some of those calories by staging the annual Aunt Carrie and Uncle Glen Easter Egg Hunt (watch video here). It was once again a competitive affair that saw a new participant this year—11-month-old cousin Olivia.

The Aunt Carrie and Uncle Glen Easter Egg Hunt participants after all the eggs were found.

Any calories that were burned from the hunt were promptly added back on with dessert. We gathered in the living room and kitchen to eat a brownie whipped pie and lemon blueberry cake. Conversation and bonding continued to take place during dessert and well beyond it.

Conversations in my parents’ living room lasted long beyond the dessert was consumed.

At a little before 8 p.m., we started the 34-minute drive home. Once we arrived at the house, we started to prepare for the week ahead while still feeling extremely thankful for the greatest gift ever given.

Rejoice! He is risen.

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On the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, Fr. Mike Kwiatkowski challenged us to look in the spiritual mirror. If we didn’t like what we saw, he questioned, could we improve that reflection by Easter? Much in the same way that you can take measures to improve your physical reflection, the same idea holds true for the spiritual reflection. Taking the Lenten season to pray, fast, and give alms results in spiritual reflection growth. Do I see any positive changes in my own spiritual reflection after Lent 2025? Sure, some. Is it enough? Hardly!  Thanks be to God that the Easter season lasts for 50 days and provides plenty more time to improve that reflection. Rejoice my friends, He is risen! Don’t Blink.

Easter 2024
Easter 2023
Easter 2022
Easter 2021
Easter 2020
Easter 2019
Easter 2018

2024: Making Moves

It was a questionable start. On January 1, I attended mass at St. Paschal Catholic Church. As Fr. Kevin Oiland chanted the Eucharistic prayer, a point in the mass that requires the faithful to be dialed in and reverent, I couldn’t take it anymore. Asking God for his forgiveness, I did the unthinkable and dashed out of the service.

I was sick.

The rest of my New Year’s Day was spent in bed or at the toilet throwing up. It was quite the miserable way to begin 2024 and I couldn’t shake what it might mean for the remaining 365 days (leap year) to follow. I wondered aloud to Sidney: Hopefully this isn’t an omen for the rest of the year…

Thankfully, it wasn’t.

2024 has been a blessed year for our family.

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I always say that even-numbered years bring about more change and surprises for my family than odd-numbered years. In 2024, this observation held true once again, at least from a professional standpoint. Duties, habits, commutes, and school drop-off routines were dramatically altered when I accepted the director of marketing position with Eastern Washington University.

But aside from that somewhat major development, the rest of our year was pretty low key. How low key? Consider that our family, at least up through yesterday, didn’t get on an airplane once nor did we visit any other state besides neighboring Idaho. Despite the lack of travel, we still managed to stay busy…

In January, Sloan figured a new way to generate revenue when she lost her first tooth. Speaking of my first-born, the next month Sloan asked me for the third-straight year to be her date at the St. Mary daddy-daughter dance. Also in February, Beau celebrated his fourth birthday with a Bluey-themed party and a few weeks later, Sid and I would present at our first Engaged Encounter retreat. Spring arrived and Beau played t-ball while Sloan hit the soccer field again. A Taylor Swift-themed birthday party for a certain 7-year-old was epically pulled off by Sidney. A new niece arrived in May when my brother and sister-in-law welcomed their first child, Olivia.

In January, Sloan lost her first tooth!

As is typically the case, things sped up during the second half of the year. A trip to Walla Walla to celebrate my aunt’s 60th birthday in June unofficially kicked off our summer. Wedding season also commenced this month as multiple couples Sid and I mentored entered into the sacrament of holy matrimony. Our family made memories volunteering at Hoopfest. In July, Sid’s parents visited from South Carolina and had their stay happily extended due to the CrowdStrike snafu. When the month ended, so did my employment with Washington State University. I would begin at EWU on August 1. After working my first week, we took a family vacation to Leavenworth. The fall was filled with festivals, galas, and birthday parties. Thanksgiving and Christmas were both celebrated with my family but the year is ending in South Carolina as the kids were given a surprise trip to visit “Gami and Dada” in South Carolina.

Sid’s parents visited us in July.

So that is the quick two-paragraph rundown of the events of 2024 but what about the themes? I am glad you asked. I can pinpoint two…

The first theme is emergence. Sid and I “put ourselves out there” by leading retreats and honing our public speaking skills. From a work perspective, taking a higher level job and overseeing more people also took a leap of faith. Sloan’s bravery increased as she became more comfortable in the water and fearless when it came to thrill rides. Beau shook off nerves and competed on his first sports team.

Sidney presenting at the March 1-3 Engaged Encounter weekend while Fr. Pat Kerst and Joe Schroeder look on.

We also faced disruption in 2024. As I mentioned earlier, our solid routines were turned upside down when I changed jobs. Sidney and I pretty much flip-flopped the household/kid duties we championed for the past couple years. It was tough at times but we managed and are now relatively comfortable with our roles. While we faced our own personal disruption, the nation was simultaneously facing its own. The presidential election was bitter and it polarized Americans. I followed the race extremely closely and was shocked when President-Elect Trump cruised to an 86-point Electoral College landslide victory over Kamala Harris.

Taking a job at Eastern Washington University caused some major adjustments to our daily routines and how we care for the kids.

In addition to those two unique themes of 2024, the same three values I highlight every year continued to be key for the Resers…

It all starts with family. With the four of us pretty much staying put this year, we had lots of time to spend together. Our house was a refuge as we spent lots of time reading, baking, and praying inside it. We cheered each other on at sporting events, volunteered together, and explored our Spokane community. A couple road trips resulted in precious bonding and our vacation to Leavenworth provided us with memories we will always hold dear. The Summer Olympics captivated our household and gave us hours of entertainment in which we learned about competition, the world, and pride for our country. Holidays, family dinners, and watch parties for my extended family became a tad more crowded this year. My niece, Olivia, was born in May but don’t worry—my parents had no issue finding extra room to accommodate the Reser family’s newest addition 😂. Sidney’s family also added a new face with nephew Patrick! I couldn’t be happier that Sid and the kids are spending time with him and everyone else in Myrtle Beach as this year comes to a close.

Sloan and Beau meet Olivia for the first time.

When it comes to our faith, it was another solid year. There might not be a greater blessing than sending our kids to the school that is connected to our parish. I’ll tell you what, Jesus was spot on when he lauded the purity of a child’s faith. It seems like each day that Sloan and Beau attend St. Mary School, they come home and teach me something about the bible or saints. Speaking of saints, Sloan was named a Future Saint of the Week in 2024. She also served as a lector, attended Catholic Summer Camp, and spoke of her faith development in the St. Mary promotional video. As a family we made a pilgrimage to the St. Francis of Assisi crèche in Spokane, attended every St. Mary Family Faith Night we could, and served as greeters at mass. Sid and I continued to grow with our Young Adult Catholic group, mentored more engaged couples for marriage, and presented at Engaged Encounter retreats. We celebrated the 13th ordination of Fr. Jeff Lewis, said goodbye to Fr. Kevin Oiland, and collaborated with Fr. Pat Kerst. Although I still continue to ask God every night to increase my faith, I feel I am making progress thanks in large part because of those I have around me.

My brother and I receive a blessing from Fr. David Gaines right outside of Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral during Bloomsday 2024.

Because of my supportive family and a strong faith, it allows Sid and me to pursue our careers with zeal. I couldn’t be prouder of the year my wife had with Traveler’s Insurance. She led multiple teams of international customer service employees, helped launch brand new software, participated in the company’s 24-hour Innovation Jam, and added so much to the daily workplace culture. I split my year between two great public Washington higher ed institutions. At WSU, my strategy to revamp our YouTube presence and the effort I led to recognize our system’s top graduating seniors earned award recognition from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). I was also proud of the #CougCounties social media campaign I introduced that spanned the state of Washington. At EWU I played a role in our brand evolution, assisted with the launch of our comprehensive fundraising campaign, and produced our holiday video. Over the past 12 months, the accomplishments at both universities were made possible by empowering bosses and talented team members.

Just like at WSU, when I started at EWU, I was connected with some awesome colleagues. This photo is of our film crew for the holiday video (L-R: Luke Kenneally, Sean Nelms, Me, Ginny Baxter).

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Wow, have I gone on long enough? I think so. But what do you expect? Like I said in my first blog post of the year, 2024 was an “every four years type of year.” As we lived our busy lives, a slate of 12 months highlighted by an extra day, the Summer Olympics, and a Presidential Election transpired in the background. It was a lot.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this year a great one for my family.

As 2024 comes to a close, I am thankful for the many fruits yielded over the past 365 days (with the 366th day coming tomorrow). I am also mindful of the sorrows. Sidney lost her Uncle Tony and although he was mostly out of my family’s picture for the past 23 years, my Uncle Cliff passed away earlier this month. With 2025 almost here, let’s pray for health and peace. Thank you to my readers for an awesome year and I will see you all on the other side of the ball dropping. Don’t Blink.

Easter 2024

After a fruitful Lent that culminated in full liturgical participation in Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the sacred Easter Vigil, our family was ready for Easter Sunday 2024! What a beautiful day it was…

Sloan holds a candle during the Easter Vigil at St. Mary Catholic Church in the Spokane Valley on March 30, 2024.

The early morning started with Beau and Sloan racing downstairs to find their Easter baskets. I am pretty sure both kids ran as fast as the “other” disciple when he dashed to the tomb. Anyway, the Easter Bunny definitely visited the Reser household.

Sloan and Beau pose with their Easter baskets.

The most important part of our day took place at St. Mary Catholic Church as we attended 9 a.m. Easter Sunday mass. The four of us were joined by my brother and sister-in-law as we worshiped in a full house surrounded by our dearest friends. During a mass with enthusiastic singing and powerful optimism, Fr. Jeff Lewis delivered a homily about the 8 effects of the Resurrection.

Beau and Sloan hang in the vestibule at St. Mary Catholic Church in the Spokane Valley prior to Easter Sunday mass.

We returned home and ate some brunch and relaxed. The kids took the opportunity to take a closer look at their Easter baskets and probably eat a little more candy than they should have. Sidney and I? We continued to watch “Jonathan and Jesus,” a documentary on The Chosen star Jonathan Roumie. It is an incredibly inspirational doc and Roumie, a devout Catholic, proves again and again that there is no Jesus actor better than him. It was the perfect Easter Sunday show to watch.

Taking a moment post-church to take a photo with the kids.

The four of us then piled into the car and headed north to my parents’ house for our Easter celebration. My parents, my siblings, their spouses, and our nieces/nephew were all in a joyous mood. After we all caught up and the kids expelled some energy, we staged the annual “Aunt Carrie and Uncle Glen Easter Egg Hunt” in the front yard. So much fun!

Glen and the kids after the “Aunt Carrie and Uncle Glen Easter Egg Hunt.”

After the egg hunt concluded, it was time for the Easter meal. Now don’t be too surprised but we ate something a little exotic…it was called ham 😂. Everything tasted delicious but as always, the conversation around the table was even better than the food.

Easter meal at the Reser household.

Once dinner concluded, the kids went outside to enjoy the gorgeous weather and the adults gathered in the living room to play a rousing game of Chameleon. I honestly don’t know who had more fun—the young people or the old people.

The adults playing “Chameleon.”

We then gathered back around the dinner table for dessert. But before we dug into the pies, puddings, and cookies, we sang “Happy Birthday” to my sister who celebrated her 40th birthday earlier in the week! After we stuffed ourselves even more, we continued to talk with each other and enjoy the day. Eventually, it was time for everyone to head one. When my family returned to the house, we were all ready for the bed. The preceding Holy Week masses/activities and the busy Easter Sunday had us humbly exhausted.

Miranda prepares to blow out the candles while holding her son, John.

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Although Easter Sunday was yesterday, it is important to know that the Easter season extends for the next 50 days. And, although Lent is now over, I must revert back to Fr. Jeff’s homily from Ash Wednesday. Lent should not be viewed as a 40-day sprint to Easter Sunday whereupon we throw out all the holy practices we developed. Rather, we must treat Lent as a boot camp that whips us into shape for the long haul—well past Easter. Rejoice my friends, He is risen! Don’t Blink.

Easter 2023
Easter 2022
Easter 2021
Easter 2020
Easter 2019
Easter 2018

Blue Cotton Candy Thursday Rundown

How lucky am I? It is Thursday and that means the pleasure is mine to offer five random topics for your reading entertainment. Let’s get started…

Beautiful Anniversary – Tomorrow will mark the 4-year anniversary of when we brought Beau home from the NICU! What a joyous day it was. Thanks to all the doctors, nurses, and staff who gave our little guy the absolute best care while he was a patient at the McLeod Health NICU Unit in Florence, SC. To learn more about Beau’s birth, the challenges he faced, Sid’s emotional ride, and the role our faith played, tap here. Thanks be to God!

This was the incubator that Beau rode in to the NICU.

Daddy/Daughter Dance – This past Friday was the annual St. Mary Catholic School Daddy/Daughter Dance. I shared photos on my social media accounts and made this video of the incredible time I had with Sloan. I will have an official dance photo to share in the near future but I thought for tonight’s post I would include some photos from dinner. Is there any question about where we went? Of course it was Red Robin (for like the 97th time since 2021).

Red Robin for the win! We double-dated with Sloan’s classmate, Colie, and her dad.

Cotton Candy Mess – My wife may have threatened my sister when she saw the mess Beau made with the cotton candy portion of his Valentine’s Day gift. The threat went along the lines of, “Miranda, if you ever give my kids cotton candy again, you will die a slow and painful death.” Verdict is still out on whether she really meant it or not 😂.

Beau made a big ‘ol mess with his cotton candy.

National Wisconsin Day – I am sad (actually, I’m not) to say that I have never been to Wisconsin before. But even though I have never stepped foot inside the state, I still feel like I have a connection. This past fall I wrote about my history with the University of Wisconsin. On two different occasions, I saw the Badgers play in the NCAA Tournament. The first time was when I was working for the University of Montana and we played UW in Albuquerque. The second time was when I was working Coastal Carolina University and we played them in Omaha. Then, this past football season, WSU hosted Wisconsin in Pullman. I had the opportunity to produce a video of Badger fans trying our famous Cougar Gold cheese. So, to the whole state of Wisconsin…I salute you.

This is me at the 2012 NCAA Tournament when Montana played Wisconsin in Albuquerque.

Lenten Anecdote – After my Lenten blog posts this week (here and here), I wanted to offer one final observation. I had the pleasure of attending the school mass at St. Mary yesterday with Sloan. These services are always a treat because Fr. Jeff Lewis always preaches so genuinely to the students. During his homily he noted that sometimes we frame Lent as simply a sprint to Easter Sunday and then afterwards we go back to our old ways. He challenged us to use Lent as a “boot camp” to prepare us for Easter but to also get us in shape for life post-Easter as well. Basically, what we do during Lent should draw us closer to God on a permanent basis—not just during these 40 days.

Fr. Jeff Lewis distributes ashes to a St. Mary student (photo from 2020 and courtesy of St. Mary).

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Thank you for your interest in Don’t Blink. Wishing you a fabulous weekend with plenty of relaxation mixed in. Don’t Blink.

2023: WE HERE

In November, Sidney and I had the opportunity to go to Pullman to watch the Washington State University football team host Coach Prime and the University of Colorado. When we walked on campus, we couldn’t help but notice the Colorado equipment truck parked near the fieldhouse. The back of the vehicle featured an image of Deion Sanders with his arms crossed in his signature shades with the phrase “WE COMING” written boldly across it.

The Cougars pummeled the Buffaloes that night. WSU was confident, prepared, and protective of their home turf. As we passed the truck on the way out of the stadium, Sidney and I couldn’t help but say “WE HERE.”

Ironically enough, even though we quipped that phrase on behalf of Cougar Nation, there might not be two better words that explain the Resers in 2023.

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The year 2023 will be remembered as the period in which we embraced our community, made a big commitment, and laid down roots. Surprisingly enough, for such a big year, things started out pretty quiet.

What a year it was for our family in 2023.

After such a tumultuous beginning to 2022, it was a smooth (and kind of boring) start to 2023. We threw my dad a retirement party in early January and then coasted through those first couple months. Probably the most exciting thing we did was upgrade from a queen bed to a king bed 😂. When spring arrived, the tempo started to pick up, beyond just my Bloomsday PR. We had our hearts set on a purchase even bigger than a new mattress. For the first time, we were seriously looking to buy a new house. So in between watching Sloan play t-ball and testing out the latest TikTok hacks, we were looking at homes. Thankfully we found something we liked.

My dad stands with the trophy that his employees presented to him at his retirement party.

Summer arrived and things heated up both figuratively and literally. While winter was laid back, summer was insanely busy. We attended multiple weddings, hosted Sidney’s parents, went on vacation, didn’t have a free weekend, and—oh yeah—closed on and moved into a new house. Autumn was also slammed. Both our children started at the same school, we traveled to Missoula for a Griz football weekend, Sloan played soccer, work was chaotic with the implosion of the PAC-12, I presented in Chicago at the AMAs, and we visited Myrtle Beach to spend Thanksgiving with Sidney’s family.

We had a ton of fun on our family vacation to Seabrook.

Of course there was much more to the year than that two paragraph rundown but I think that at least gives you an idea of the past 12 months, right?

When I truly reflect on 2023, I think of two unique themes. The first one is satisfaction. I know the popular adage is to never be satisfied, but I think we allowed ourselves in the second half of the year to be just that. With a home of our own, jobs we are fortunate to have, and both kids attending the same outstanding school, we permitted ourselves to be content. We have more goals and much to improve upon, but we took time to just be thankful.

We bought a house in 2023. During the second half of the year, we tried to be satisfied.

The second theme for us is unity. Sidney and I touch on this a lot with the engaged couples we mentor, but we specifically heeded it ourselves in 2023. The decision to purchase a home was part of other future plans that required Sid and I to be committed and united. We also had the blessing to take on some projects as a couple that required steadfast unity and teamwork. We are a force and so happy to be on the same team!

Unity was key for Sid and I in 2023.

In addition to those two unique themes of 2023, the same three values I highlight every year continued to be key for the Resers…

I start with family where it all begins with our Reser quartet. The four of us had a great collective year as we played, read, prayed, worshipped, ate, watched, and traveled together. A highlight was going on a vacation that necessitated we spend a lot of time in the car together. Driving to the other side of Washington and back gave us a lot of time to bond while the actual vacation on the beach was filled with memories. Speaking of driving, we made a road trip to Oregon for my cousin’s wedding that essentially doubled as an extended Reser family reunion. Before and after the nuptials, we stayed in a hotel where we shared a wing of rooms with my parents, my sister’s family, and my brother and his wife. When we weren’t spending time together in a random out-of-state hotel, you could usually find us all at my mom and dad’s house enjoying cookouts, celebrating holidays, and watching games. Hosting Sid’s parents in June was so nice and then flying to Myrtle Beach to spend time with Sid’s sisters and their families sure was a treat, especially after two years. Whether nuclear or extended family, we valued every moment we had together.

I thank my family for another great year.

Our journey to one day reach our heavenly home was hopefully bolstered by this past year. What a big role our faith played in 2023! Sidney and I mentored three engaged couples and continued our work with Engaged Encounter. Sidney organized a retreat for our Young Adult Catholic Group and I retained my involvement with the Knights of Columbus and our Catholic Men’s Group. We became godparents and explored a year-long theme of evangelization. I attended our diocese’s Eucharistic Revival event with Sloan and represented St. Mary at Hoopfest as our team of parishioners reached the championship game of our bracket. We had a blast at many family faith nights and enriched our prayer lives at home. I listened to the entirety of Fr. Mike Schmitz’s Catechism In A Year podcast. Through it all, St. Mary Catholic Church and School continue to be our epicenter for growing closer to God. We extend our gratitude to Fr. Jeff Lewis for his dispensing of the holy sacraments and his unwavering commitment to the St. Mary community.

Sloan and Beau stand outside St. Mary Catholic School on their first day of school on Sept. 5, 2023.

When it comes to career, Sidney definitely deserves to be mentioned first in 2023! She thrived in her first full year with Traveler’s Insurance as she continues to impress her bosses and receive high marks from her customers. She is used by the company as an example of “what to do” when it comes to training new employees. I had a very busy and somewhat tumultuous year. Our small but mighty marketing and communications team dealt with some major issues including the Idaho murder suspect, the implosion of the Pac-12, and college ranking messaging. But when I wasn’t arrow-focused on our comms efforts and was in my element doing marketing, it was another exhilarating 12 months. I ran point on our paid social media strategy for all nine installments of our #GoCougsMeans brand marketing campaign, oversaw an initiative that recognized WSU’s top senior grads, collaborated with the video team on some really cool projects, traveled to Chicago to present at a major higher ed conference, and managed to win our department’s personal trivia challenge at our holiday party this month 😂.

I presented at the American Marketing Association Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Ed in Chicago in Nov. 2023.

But as I said last year, my job is so great because I am allowed to be a father, husband, and child of God before I am a WSU employee. I love being a Coug, but there is a reason why the career portion of this blog post always comes after the family and faith portions. I am extremely thankful to my boss for always making sure that this is the case.

I feel lucky that family and faith come before work (photo courtesy of Ocean Simpson).

Time to send 2023 out with a bang as we savor these last couple days. As I wrap up this blog post, I feel extremely blessed that everyone within our extended families are healthy and that everyone who started 2023 with us will join us in 2024 as well. From just about every vantage point—whether it be from a physical, mental, faith, or foundational standpoint—I feel it is appropriate to exclaim WE HERE!! Thanks be to God for the past 365 days. Don’t Blink.

Learning About Marriage From Bishop William Skylstad

This past Saturday I had the blessing of listening to one of my early Catholic role models speak to a small group of us at St. Mary Catholic Church.

Bishop William Skylstad, who led the Spokane Diocese from 1990-2010 while also serving as President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, devoted his morning to speaking to our small group about marriage.

As some of you know, Sidney and I provide Pre-Cana/marriage prep counseling to engaged couples. We received this incredible opportunity from Fr. Jeff Lewis, our pastor at St. Mary Catholic Church. Although we should be the ones thanking Fr. Jeff for this blessing, he wanted to thank all sponsor couples in our parish with this exclusive audience with Bishop Skylstad.

I was a mere few feet from Bishop William Skylstad on November, 18, 2023, at St. Mary Catholic Church in the Spokane Valley.

During our three-hour visit with the 89-year-old Bishop Emeritus, he touched on many marital points and freely distributed advice while focusing on three themes: “The Call,” sacrament, and communication. Although I could recap the intricacies of this trio of topics, I just wanted to touch on three of the finer points he made…

Help make your spouse who they are made to be. We can become so focused on trying to change our wife/husband according to our own ideal on how we think they should be. Instead, it should be our mission and duty to help our spouse realize their true, authentic self that was molded by God.

Communication is key in marriage but realize what it is comprised of. Bishop Skylstad said that 60% of marital communication is conveyed nonverbally, 20% is through tone of voice, and the remainder is the actual content. I can say unequivocally that Bishop is right. Sid and I can say whatever we want to each other but if it is expressed in a way that doesn’t match our nonverbal cues than it will fall on deaf ears.

We don’t love/preach from perfection, we love/preach from redemption. Bishop Skylstad said numerous times during Saturday morning that no marriage is perfect. We can’t become discouraged when we encounter obstacles in our marriages but we must learn from them and grow from them.

A look at our group huddled inside St. Mary Catholic Church in the Spokane Valley just a few moments before Bishop William Skylstad started his third talk.

Thank you, Bishop Skylstad, for your precious time. What an honor it was to be mere feet from the man I usually saw on the news or from afar in packed churches. Don’t Blink.

Saints Alive!

A few days after dressing up for Halloween, Sloan and Beau put on different costumes. They ditched the witch and Spider-Man garb for something a little bit holier. Our children had the honor of dressing up as saints for the latest St. Mary Family Faith Night this past Saturday. Titled “Saints Alive,” the theme came on the heels of All Saints Day on November 1.

Sloan and a friend make a craft at the St. Mary Family Faith Night on Nov. 4. The theme was “Saints Alive.”

Sloan dressed up as the greatest saint of them all—St. Mary. Sid put the costume together and Sloan proudly carried her baby Jesus throughout the event.

Sloan poses for a photo before we went to Family Faith Night. Sid put together her St. Mary costume.

While Sloan depicted perhaps the most well-known saint, Beau portrayed one of the soon-to-be newest saints. He dressed up as Blessed Carlo, the patron saint of the internet.

Beau dressed up as Blessed Carlo Acutis. The favorite video game of Carlo was Mario Kart and he liked to play soccer. The paper Beau is holding contains a QR code linking to Carlo’s Eucharistic miracles website.

I was in charge of Beau’s costume and was so humbled to put it together. You see, the case of Carlo Acutis is a little different than what most people might think of when they hear the word “saint.” Carlo didn’t live 1,500 years ago, he wasn’t a clergy member, and he wasn’t a martyr. Rather, he was born in 1991, played video games, and liked to kick around the soccer ball.

Blessed Carlo…I mean Beau…throws a stuffed animal at the baskets that are situated in front of St. Francis of Assisi (patron saint of animals) at the St. Mary Family Faith Night.

In other words, he was relatable.

Blessed Carlo is sometimes referred to as “the first millennial saint.”

But just because he is a modern day individual who shared probably many similarities with us doesn’t mean he wasn’t holy to the bone. Carlo converted non-believers and non-practicing people to the faith (including his parents), he stuck up for the meek/vulnerable, and he had an incredible devotion to the Eucharistic among so many other things.

St. Carlo is the patron saint of the internet.

Carlo’s devotion to the Eucharistic spurned a huge part of his legacy. The computer genius documented the many Eucharistic miracles that exist and categorized them into a website. He then helped create panel presentations of these miracles that now travel around the world. Sidney and I have been blessed to see one of Carlo’s displays before.

Carlo Actuis during his beatification mass in 2020.

Like so many other beatified people and saints, Carlo would die young. The grace and bravery with which he handled his bout with leukemia is nothing short of inspiring and holy. When asked about the pain, he simply said “There are people who suffer much more than me.” Carlo died at 15.

Beau reels in a catch at St. Peter’s Fishing Hole.

To have a slated saint like Carlo is so beneficial to my children. When we watched a story on Carlo the other night, tears filled the eyes of Sloan. He not only resonates with my kids, he inspires them to be saints as well. And you know what? He does the same for me, too.

Sloan holds the doll she convinced to play Baby Jesus at the St. Mary Family Faith Night.

Thank you to Marie Bricher and St. Mary Catholic Church for offering such an awesome evening. May all the saints pray for us. Don’t Blink.

#QuinnTheDay

This past Saturday, our family had the blessing to attend a special wedding. We sat inside St. Mary Catholic Church as Brendan Quinn and Sarah Hiller entered into the sacrament of holy matrimony. We became part of the lives of Brendan and Sarah when Fr. Jeff Lewis asked us to provide their Pre-Cana marriage prep counseling. It was a very rewarding few months for all involved as we went through six content lessons plus an introductory meeting and then a casual debrief session at a Spokane Valley Mexican restaurant with Fr. Jeff.

A photo of us with Brendan, Sarah, and Fr. Jeff in March. This was taken at De Leon Foods in the Spokane Valley at the conclusion of our marriage prep program with the Quinns.

We were delighted and honored that Brendan and Sarah extended the relationship we had forged by inviting us to their special day. The entire afternoon/evening was beautiful but here are three quick things that I remember especially fondly from the #QuinnTheDay experience.

Sidney and I pose for a photo with Brendan and Sarah at their wedding reception.

Holy Wedding – Whenever I attend a Catholic wedding, I am always in awe at the reverence devoted to the most holy sacrament of matrimony. Saturday’s mass was incredible and such a fantastic start for the Quinns. In Fr. Jeff’s homily, he preached how God made woman as the perfect complement to man. However, he illustrated this point in the direct context of Sarah and Brendan which was pretty hilarious. Brendan was portrayed as a golf-obsessed cave man and Sarah was the woman who carried him out of the stone age 😂.

Sarah and Brendan up at the altar with Fr. Jeff Lewis. Sarah and Brendan were married at St. Mary Catholic Church in Spokane Valley on July 22, 2023.

Sidney on the Altar – Brendan and Sarah humbled Sid and I by asking if one of us would do the opening reading at their wedding. Believing that the guests would be more captivated by a sweet Southern accent proclaiming God’s word instead of my boring, accent-neutral monotone, Sidney represented us. She read Genesis 2:18-24 and did a really nice job. Sidney has expressed interest in becoming a full-time lector at St. Mary for regular Sunday masses and this was a perfect way for her to get a taste of what it takes…I think she has it!

Sidney delivers a reading at the wedding of Sarah and Brendan at St. Mary Catholic Church in the Spokane Valley.

Butch Appearance – The reception was at Center Place in Spokane Valley and it was so much fun! Sloan and Beau had a blast dancing the night away and the food/drink was such a treat. But what really stood out was the ultimate wedding reception surprise of all! Early on, the DJ teased that a special guest was about to make an appearance. At that moment, the WSU fight song started to play and Butch T. Cougar ran out onto the dance floor, a grand entrance indeed! Butch stayed for a couple hours as he interacted with guests, posed for pictures in the photo booth, and gave plenty of well-deserved attention to the Coug-crazed bride and groom. Both my kids were starstruck!

A big highlight of the #QuinnTheDay experience was Butch. What a surprise!!

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Sidney and I wish the Quinns a happy, faith-filled marriage. It is worth saying again: We are so blessed to be part of their lives. Don’t Blink.