Silver Creek Falls

Sara & I ventured to Silver Creek Falls today to go for a hike as a family. We invited some of our good friends, Justin & Melissa Sainton. They just had little Ava 4 months ago. We had an incredible time! It was beautiful weather in the Willamette Valley & we enjoyed taking Allison on a hike.

It is amazing to me how much Allison brightens my day. She is truly a joy to me & I simply cannot imagine my life without her. It's amazing to me how I could go almost 24 years without her & yet 10 months into her life...I never want to know what it's like without her.

She is starting to create her own little personality. It is incredible to see her grow & learn new things. She is "talking" all the time now & is very mobile. She moves all over the house & attempts to get into everything. She was such a trooper today. At this point we had gotten soaked by walking behind the falls & she was still having fun.

Things have been rather busy for Sara & I recently. Wrapping up the end of the year is always a little crazy. I have 12 seniors graduating & 20 kids we have to coordinate to get home. The end of the year is approaching fast! It seems Christmas was just yesterday & yet here we are heading into finals week on Monday. Where does time go?

At the same time I could say the same thing about my daughter. Today marks 10 months old exactly. I remember rushing Sara to the hospital & waiting for our little sugar to come into this world. I remember the ups & downs & labor. I remember the sudden decision to have a C-Section. Yet, here we are at 10 months. Her 1-year birthday is right around the corner. I remember my parents always saying, "When you get older, time just flies by!" Did I believe them? Of course not! When you're a kid time seems to go at a snails pace. Summers seem to last forever & school years are an eternity. Where does the time go when you become an adult? It's as if God says "Now that your starting to figure things out...try it at double speed."

Sara & I are quickly approaching our 3 year anniversary. I looked at her today while we were at the falls & I realized how lucky I am. I married my best friend & truly my better half. She is an amazing woman & such a good wife/mother. I realized as she was holding Allison while running behind the falls (as we got soaked mind you) that I am quite the lucky man. She is fun, spontaneous, happy, quirky, lovable, kind, sweet, affectionate, & simply perfect for me. I may sound sappy, love struck, or whatever phrase you may chose to pick, but the reality is I do love my wife! As our 3rd year quickly approaches, I am reflecting a lot about our life & what do I find? My wife & daughter are simply the best!