Flag's a-wavin'

The sweetness of the long weekend with my beautiful wife has turned, once again, to the grime of scholastic labor. Someday I will be able to go to work, come home, and actually spend quality time each day with my family without the worry and stress of exams and exorbitant expectations.

I got the chance to jog a few times during our little excursion to Glenwood. I jogged late at night on the dirt ATV trails which traverse the foothills of Cove mountain, and because the moon was mostly absent the sight of the stars was intoxicating. I also watched the sunrise from the summit of what I have unofficially named Volcano's Peak. It was quite the task to ascend straight up the side of a mountain, but the real difficulty was picking a path on the way down. The juniper grass nearly succeeded in eating me alive.

It was wonderful to spend time with Stephanie the past several days. She is definitely pregnant, with a tummy that leaves no one wondering about whether or not she is due in the next few months. I am so excited to have Braeden join us in October or November! Stephanie is leaving her job in the beginning of September, and I will officially be the breadwinner after that. She needs a couple of months before the baby comes; after all, it will be the last time that she really has to herself for many years. I am excited for everything at the moment, and even though it will be a fairly stressful year financially I believe that it will be an experience for all three of us to remember forever. Life is great, there's food in my backpack, dessert in the refrigerator at home, and the big orange ball is shining with as much zest as it can muster!