Choosing a Tree

We went to the Christmas tree lot near our house, and Whitney announced with all the sweetness of a fifteen year old daughter, "Daddy, it's your turn to pick the tree this year." 

"Okay," I said, "That sounds good to me," so then I inspected all the different trees and carefully weighed my options. I decided to bypass the grand fir. They have that rich, Christmas tree smell, but they tend to dry out faster. The nordman fir tends to stay green longer, but the girls don't like the needles because they look "weird." 

While I was still searching for the perfect tree, Whitney revised her announcement and said, "Uh dad, I like this one." 

"But I thought you said it was my turn to pick the tree," I said. 

"But I like this one," she said. Apparently that settled the issue. Who's tree do you think we bought? I think everyone knows the answer: Whitney's tree is now standing in our living room, the lights shining softly in all different colors. I love that tree and I love this memory of my daughters. 

unexʷ ckʷinč

Earlier today, I posted several pictures of my daughter wearing a Robin Hood costume and holding a homemade bow. I called the bow ckʷnčeyeʔ - a pretend bow; however, after I posted those pictures, McKenna went back outside and shot an arrow about 50 feet across the yard. We were both totally surprised. It may not be as strong as a hardwood bow, but it turned out to be the real thing after all - unexʷ ckʷinč. 

ckʷnčeyeʔ

McKenna spent her birthday money this year to buy a Robin Hood costume for Halloween. Not long after, she said with a sparkle in her eye, "Dad, I want you to make a bow and arrow for my costume." Using an old piece of birch wood ply board, we cut a four-foot stave. Then we sanded it, filed notches in both ends, and attached a long string. McKenna was so happy that she literally skipped.  

In the Spokane language, a bow is called ckʷinč. The suffix -eyeʔ makes something false or pretend, so the word ckʷnčeyeʔ would be a pretend bow or a toy bow.  This is what my daughter and I created today. It will be a special memory for years to come. 

McKenna makes a beautiful Robin Hood.

Stone Bridge

We didn't have a lot of free time during the Nauvoo Pageant, but whenever we had a few moments to ourselves, we tried to visit some of the historical sites. The first week, Dakota mentioned a stone bridge that was filmed in one of the Joseph Smith movies. We found the bridge and got one of my favorite pictures of the whole trip. 

Beauty and the Beast

 

This weekend, my three children are finishing their performance of Beauty and the Beast with CYT Spokane. This has been a wonderful opportunity for them to develop their talents, make new friends, and perform with their cousins Ethan and London. Sadly, this is Dakota's last show with CYT.  

Whitney and London as townspeople. 

Ethan as Gaston's sidekick LeFou.

Dakota as Lumiere.

The beast.

LeFou and Gaston.

McKenna and Whitney as townspeople. 

Belle.

Beauty and the Beast

My children are performing Disney's Beauty and the Beast through CYT Spokane at the Bing Crosby Theater. As always, the talent is amazing. This is Dakota's last CYT performance. 

Japanese Garden

McKenna and I had some daddy-daughter time 

this evening at the Japanese Garden near Manito Park. 

These are beautiful, cherished moments.

A red Japanese maple overlooks the fish pond. 

Red maple leaves. 

Detail of pagoda. 

Pagoda...

Dogwood flowers in water. 

My daughter rarely allows me to take pictures. 

Dogwood is one of my favorite flowers. 

An abundance of dogwood flowers.

Don't know this flower. 

Riverfront

qʷamqʷmt ye sxlxalt.

It was a beautiful spring day, 

perfect for taking a walk in the park. 

xʷeʔit łuʔ sewłkʷ n sƛxetkʷ.

yoyot łuʔ stip'metkʷ.

i stmčʔelt.

Hog Canyon

My daughter and I visited Hog Canyon near the end of the day, and the setting sun caused the light to change from moment to moment. It was a beautiful sight!

And of course, I thought of my friend Adam who first introduced me to this place.