No, This Is The Happiest

Tonight easily surpassed the night of the last post. It didn't start this way. No plans for the evening, and Levi was supposed to work later into the early evening but ended up finishing early. So we went to see a movie. But I'm getting ahead of myself. 

I'd been feeling a tremendous amount of emotion in recent days. I would say that I'm worried about an imminent heart attack (he wrote on the blog that something felt strange, like he knew he was going to pass...). But I'm not sure. The moxie it took to write that last bit.

A short trip to Nashville with my nephew Matt reminded me of the amazing thing that is family. A trip to see a trio of Canadian bands. The first band was Stars, they should have been the headliner. One song in particular caught my attention. I didn't know the name of the song at the time (having listened to a total of 4 different songs by the band before the night of the show) but I was struck by the song Elevator Love Letter. I've been listening to it for the past 3 days. The line "take me home" repeats a few times and that's what got me. 

So I was appreciating home a little more than usual since Wednesday. Tonight was impromptu movie night. Levi had already seen Spider-Man (whatever the August 2026 one was) but agreed to see it again. Right away I could tell it was going to be something special. Levi drove, Eva in the front seat, parents in the back. His driving was impeccable. He was taught well. Levi and Eva engaged in conversation. Some strayed toward Levi's work as a nursing aide. He spoke about helping people, and how that gave him joy. He said that the residents said they enjoyed his company, and told him he was very polite. Can there be any greater joy for a parent than to hear those words?

The movie came and went. Same configuration for the drive home. Same impeccable driving. Same banter coming from the front seat. Some stuff about bladder size and Eva using country sizes as a comparison. They are friends. They enjoy each other's company. 

Since beginning I'm on my fifth loop of Elevator Love Letter. Take me home indeed. With one moving away to college in less than 2 weeks, and the other planning for next year I don't know how many nights like tonight I have left. I'm going to miss tonight.

I know I should go to sleep. Levi has work tomorrow at 7 and I want to get up and make him breakfast. But I just don't want to lose this feeling.

The Happiest I've Ever Been

My wife positively flips when the storm clouds move in.

  

It must be something she's heard since she was a child. If you do a cartwheel every day you'll be able to do a cartwheel when you're 70. That and change your underwear because you never know when you'll be invited to the White House. Or meet the President or something.

Then came the day. Tuesday, July 28. The first day of Levi's career in healthcare. Full disclosure, the picture was taken at the end of the week on Friday afternoon.

And we wrapped the week with a birthday. It began with tea, and continued on with hair brush art.

 

Later the night we capped the day, and the week, with family sushi. That evening was the happiest I've even been in my life. Not saying I haven't been as happy before, probably have been at least a few times. Close to it hundreds of time. But I don't think I've ever been happier. And there isn't even a picture. I take that as a good sign. After 18 years of recording my family life I now feel less urgency to get it all down and am OK to just revel in it.

Meanwhile, dogs.

 

Two Things

First, a trip to Canada to see nana. Puzzles and knitting and perhaps the best picture I've ever taken on my mom.

 The very next day Levi and hit the gym. Stay tuned to this space for some before/after pictures. 

  

The one thing that doesn't need even a day to notice is an increased appetite to fuel all that muscle build. Around double. 

RestFest26 Plus

 RestFest has come and gone.

 Back home not much was happening.

 

 

Get a haircut, hippy. 

And I became an internet celebrity. When can I start influencing?  

 

Dogs and a Bit About People

Mom had been away for the entire month of June up until late last night, so I thought I'd document all that we've been up to since the last post. Lots of couch and chair time.

 

With the beautiful weather we would be wasting it if we didn't spend lots of time outside. On chairs and couches.

  

 

 In the kitchen, Rubble shows why he was best behaved dog three years' running.

Dogs were now in their beds (not), dreams of nachos running through their heads.

The first ever borscht made in our family. Extra beety.

Some of the food was from the outside world. 

 

Being the time around Father's Day, I was struck when going through old content and found my first ever text from Eva. From 2017. 

And a note that Levi put into my phone while driving south on I75, on New Year's Day 2015.

 The days are long but the years are short. Father's Day 2026.