date: Wed 26 Aug 2026 09:33:04 PM PDT subj: a day for mom and dad ----------------------------------------------------------- ----------- My wife standing close to me with her hand on my arm, she just exited the labyrinth, she asks "Were your thoughts about work?" I answered "Nope." She smiles "See its good we got out here." She reminds me of what is good in life. We work hard, and don't get a lot of breaks. ----------- Today was a special day, our anniversary! There was no plan for today. Yesterday my wife reminded me of our special day, the dread built up a bit because I've been focused so much on work, and after work, we focus on taking care of our children, we do nothing else outside of these things. We both put in a request to take today off at our work months ago. Back then we knew we wanted to spend time together, but with kids and our busy schedules at work sometimes what we think its going to happen at the time we make a date to do something vs when that date arrives, is not inline with the realities of our lives. My wife is super busy, and my work is extremely busy right now, and has been very intense for weeks, to the point its almost all I think about. I'm so lucky my wife made sure I requested time off months ago for our special day. Last night my wife asked what we should do tomorrow. I had no idea, and I told her "I have no idea." I was stressed to the max and didn't want to think of anything extra. She said "I don't know either." Lately its been getting like that, it feels like we just make it to the end of the week and we got lucky we made it to the point were we don't have to answer to anyone but our twins. Both of us exhausted neither of us put up a fuss about not knowing or deciding what to do. I woke up today early and at least bathed so I could be as pleasant as possible for the love of my life. Then straight to the kitchen to make the babes breakfast before their nanny arrived. Its their last week with the nanny, and they've known her since they were a few months old. We think its time for them to go to daycare and learn from the other kids, and the people there. We hope we are making the right choice for them, we won't know until we try it. We know we both have to work, and neither of us have some of the training to enrich our kids at this stage in their life, but we do know they need more than our house. They are curious and energetic little people, and need more time to socialize and play outside. So as I made breakfast and coffee for my wife, my plan was get out of the house, and have someone else make our breakfast for once. Today was the second time while not on vacation we went out to breakfast since just before the babies were born, given its just too expensive. I thought breakfast would at least be a nice start. Off in the truck we go and it was an easy decision for breakfast heading towards the navel air museum. We arrived at the breakfast place and pondered the menu. Its been awhile, but we both picked something that would take our bellies down the road awhile. I had western omelette and my wife had a sausage egg scramble. Her's seemed to be the better choice, but I finished my plate. Its still early and breakfast is done. ------------------------- Thrift store shopping for the kids. I looked at an old Underwood typewriter would have bought it for $14 buckolas but I couldn't get the carriage to move, it was locked some how. I would love to be one of those people who could buy that nice old writer, clean it up, and then actually enjoy using it. I'm just barely finding the time to write these words, how can I add another thing to the not done list, and have wasted another sandwich amount of money? A sandwich won't go to waste in my twin's bellies. So we left with stuff for the kids, shoes, and a shirt. ------------------------ Having gone to the places nearby and without a plan I decided to drive to the park so we could sit and think. The park's parking lot faces the sound in Oak Harbor. I thought at least we would have a nice view. In our truck we looked out at the bay. The weather was overcast with a slight breeze. The tide was out pretty far, so the ocean looked very flat. I watched a family playing. The boy was throw potato chips to the seagulls. The other family members weren't really doing anything extravagant, and I wondered how they seem to have so much joy just doing simple things. Not knowing what to do we talked about not knowing what to do. We each expressed our feelings of wasting moments. So much of our time these days is filled with some task we have to do, right up until we lay down to sleep, so having an entire ten hours without anything we have to do, coupled with the urge to not waste our time doing nothing while awake, our freedom feels unordinary even bad, as if doing nothing is a sin. As we shared our sorrows on it, we worked through what was preventing us from doing anything. I thought I was fine with doing, but I'm older these days, and doing nothing right now less energy than decided to do something. Luckily my wife had a better thing in mind, she decided she wanted to see the Earth Sanctuary. Easy enough, we drove to Freeland. She paid the fees for us, then gathered a map, and the informational pages. ------------------------- Best time at the sanctuary, my wife had the map and info about each exhibit along the path. Good thing she had it because I can't read small print any more. At each fork she looked over the map and informed us which direction to each exhibit. It was so nice to be on a relaxing walk in nature with the love of my life in the sanctuary. No rushing, no worries, just the best company I could ever ask to be in the presence of. I watched her as she walked, and talked. I watched her smiles and expressions and she looked at different things. I was so happy to spend time with her. I hadn't had that kind of time with her in what felt like an eternity. The morning light on her hair and face reflects her beauty. Her smile with the most perfect teeth in the world to me. Its like I was in heaven a lot of the day. ------------------------- On our walk we arrive at the prayer circle. With my bare feet on the stones and ash, I walked clockwise facing outward stopping east at the yellow flag to start my prayer. In the prayer circle I prayed, and made an offering to the creator. When I look back on my prayers, I realize my selfishness. I prayed for my son, my daughter, my wife, all to be healthy, happy. In the sanctuary were other areas of prayers to be left, and likewise those too were just as selfish; to be with my wife and for her and I to watch them grow up. ------------ As I walked I realized my prayers and wishes were a reflection of my selfishness. I even rationalized and considered my prayers inline with what the universe wants me to do and know. I wonder are my wife and children my gateway to understanding and experiencing love and service? Although my children are their own individual beings, I feel possessive of them as part of me, part of my wife, certainly part of their mother, as I watched her grow them insider her body, the experience of this life feels as if I'm part of them and their lives and I was supposed to be; lucky enough to be gifted these chances, with my struggle to support them, provide for them, work for them, love them, and learn something about being a husband and a father, something I always wanted to be, and experience, not knowing what it was like. In my walking I also wonder if its quite possible my wife and I were destine to be a model in some way for our children. Maybe its our children who's fate we are linked as their life experience; my wife and I's ability to give. I can't claim my/our abilities to be the best, but rather only within our power to give. Its the time with my wife that rejuvenate my will to keep trying. It is our children, two of them, two souls who chose my wife as their mother simultaneously. I think that says a lot of the universe about who she is. Two souls on the wheel of life chose the same person to start this new life and experience from. This is why I'm so lucky. I tell her this, and I tell her she is a nice person. She really is a person who has a good heart towards others. Even with these thoughts I felt better after being in the prayer circle, the entire day. -------------------- Along the trail their is a spot that opens up to the pond, where a nice bench rests. My wife and I take a moment to sit and enjoy the view. Green all around, the trees on the edge of the pond, the large lilly pads, millions of tinny water plants with their small leaves like a green carpet spread out in the water. Cat of nine tails, and the calm water reflecting the late morning sun. My wife gave me a card for our anniversary, and I read it sitting on the bench. I loved it, her writing brought tears in my eyes. At such a beautiful place we used our tripod to help us take a photo together at the pond. My wife says with excitement "A turtle!" Amazed I gaze at the turtle, "remember we used to see them in Kent (at the creek). That turtle seems like its in the perfect place to live." Turtles are my wife's favorite animal (reptile). ----- We left the pond and visited all the exhibits, participating in each one if it had something to participate in we interacted with them. We spent a few hours in the sanctuary, it was what I probably call fun. Fun at my age isn't what it once was when I was young and most volunteer activities the goal was to have fun. I do know I really liked being in the sanctuary with my wife. One more thrift store. -------------------- On the way home we found another thrift. We found some shoes, and a toy key fob our babes. -------------------- We stopped one more place to share left overs from my wife's breakfast as a snack before dinner. On a nice bench at Green Bank Farm, we ate, eggs, potatoes, sausage, and a English muffin. -------------------- Back in town we had to end our day together with some ice cream cones. My wife got cheesecake something, and I got chocolate peanut butter. There was live music near the ice-cream shop so we stood and watched the bad play and listened to a few of their 90's and 80's songs. -------------------- -------------------- Being with my favorite person, in the world, all to myself was perfect. I love you. <3 :) <3 :) -----------------------------------------------------------