From Spencer

Hey all. I've just read Molly's latest post (yes, a few days late, but better late than never). It's a great post. I've actually been thinking of writing about the same topic for a while now because, like Molly, I also get asked all the time how I do it (refering to raising five kids and juggling our lives) . . . Oh wait, come to think of it, I never get asked that. Now I'm starting to wonder why not. Is it because even though I think I'm doing it, I'm really not, and you folks don't want to point that out by asking how I do it? Is it because you all already know the answer ("you're married to Molly and she's got you on her back my friend")?

Regardless, Molly's answers to this burning question are pretty much what I'd say, except she missed the one about doing it to please your spouse and perhaps score some favors (a little golf time, one night a week out playing hoops, quality spousal recommitment, renewal and refill the tank time, etc). For the most part though, it's because we love what we do. We love our kids so much. Molly has been known to say how much she loves motherhood, and I couldn't be more grateful for that. I love fatherhood. I love nothing more than being with my family, playing with my kids, holding our babies. I am incredible blessed with a wonderful family, and fortunately, one that takes a lot of work and responsibility and effort and time and sweat and tears and pain and struggle because those things make me appreciate and love my family even more. One of my favorite things to do each night is to go into the kids' rooms after they're asleep and lay my head on their pillow, feel their soft cheeks on mine, and tell them I love them. I get tingles on my arms every time I do that. They are so special!

Our lives our never dull. This week has been as crazy as ever. Yesterday our neighbor's house got hit by lightening and suffered major fire damage. We grieved for them and their loss, and we were reminded how fragile and freakish life can be. We are grateful for our home, even though I've seen more of it lately than I'd care with painting pretty much the whole upstairs and now finishing a basement room (anyone want to help me tape and putty dry wall this weekend?). Cort was sick over the weekend and now Caleb has croup. I've spent a little more than my fair share of time dropping the kids off at the pool. For those of you who took that last sentence literally, let's just say I have become well acquainted with King John; I now have white porcelain tattoos on my backside; I've been doing a little plumbing lately; I . . . am probably going to get in trouble for these references by my significant other so I'll stop there. And in case there are any readers who still don't know what I'm talking about, give up.

The highlight of our weekend was the BYU game. Well, it was one of the highlights. We also spent a really nice evening at our family's cabin. The mountains were so beautiful and the clean, crisp evening air really made me excited for fall. We're looking forward to our first real family vacation in quite a while in a few weeks when we head down to San Diego. Right about now I could stand to sit on the beach and veg. Or, more accurately stated, I could stand to run along the beach and into the water chasing kids and trying to prevent drowning and digging myself out from under the bury-Dad-in-the-sand hill.

Well, I've got to run. I have now fulfilled Molly's request to update the blog, and in reference to an above comment, hopefully this kind act on my part will translate into some special favors later on.