dancing in the streets

Sandi and I have wasted no time – we’re now a family of four. We’ve adopted two adorable 7 week old runners. Our retriever-chow puppies tangle the leashes up with each other and our feet something fierce until we pick up a slow jog. Then they trot along quite happily and out from underfoot. Exactly what we wanted in our kids. And for the right price. A man walked into the restaurant where we were enjoying our Friday night date, seeking a home for a tiny tan bundle of cuteness. Sandi had already answered the phone for the waitress / owner while she visited the outhouse and practically sold the barbeque to the caller. Now we were holding two squirming puppies at the table. Only in a small town!

Having new additions didn’t stop us from doing our 8 mile run in the ceaseless sunshine on Saturday and stopping along the way at the famed Cherry Festival to drool over the pies and ice cream, or from hiking a mile into a stark desert ravine, cactus-dotted slopes rising around us, to rock climb with old friends, or from going on another date Saturday evening – to dance on the streets of Cloudcroft to the not-always-melodious strains of a live band. We stood out on the deck that night, puppies rough-housing at our feet, marveling at the myriad of stars so thick and close you could almost run your hand through them like water.

We’d had dinner on the deck that evening, watching the sunset, as we have most days. Sandi cooks and cleans, freeing me to do things like this – write to you all. In a rare role-reversal, I made a fruit smoothie this morning. I joked that it was the only thing I could make and Sandi countered, “I know something else you make…you make me happy.” So when people ask now how I like married life, I have to say it’s pretty amazing now that I actually get to live with a spouse like Sandi. May you and all of yours know what that is like!