January

Tons of snow in these parts. Over 200 inches according to the resort. I believe it. Thats almost 17 feet. The snow banks bordering the driveway are towering and our porch is surrounded by a wall of white. I like winter when it is this intense. The boys tend to like to get their snow gear on only to go from point A to point B. They like being warm and toasty. That said they have braved the slopes at the resort and the sledding hill in town for a little outdoor adventure. They also like to get dragged around town on the sled. Kai likes to "fall" off the back and then have to chase the sled down and dive back in. Gus also enjoys this process. Katie and I try to get out for an XC ski (or splitboard mission) to enjoy the outdoors - that and maintaining the driveway and porch, which is a chore when it is snowing.

The big project I have been working on for the past several months has gone live. Check out WoodwardU to see the school that my new company, Slate River Group, has been instrumental in getting up and running. It has been a big, challenging undertaking filled with peaks and valleys. I am very grateful to be working with an organization like Woodward and to be developing such a great program that is a world away from the traditional classroom setting. It has been great to work on such a dynamic and forward-thinking project.

The Winter X Games are next week. I am going into my 12th Winter X. Unbelievable! It has been a lot of years working with some very amazing folks. I love being in the middle of such a chaotic scene with the most motivated, detail oriented professionals. Put the most amazing athletes from around the world at the center of a live television broadcast going out to more than 100 countries, add a heap of crazy fans, and swag and the recipe is pretty crazy. I like being in the mix. Listening to the director and television and broadcast crew in my headset while the live event feed blares to the crowd around me and interacting with my team on the ground is an electrifying experience. I am anxious to get back into the mix. It is a longer trip this year as the events start on Wednesday. Leaving the madness the boys create for one manufactured by ESPN.

Overall I am grateful for everything on my plate right now. Katie is super-busy with work and trying to squeeze in some dance classes and time with friends into her life when she is not being a great mom. We have a good relationship and she is very good at keeping me on task - which I need. The boys demand attention or we suffer the consequences. It is always a quest for balance. I look out the window and get to go out there and interact with this amazing setting. Inside the window is another amazing setting. There is a constant battle to stay focused on right now and trying not to let too much anxiety about the future take hold of me. Trying to stay focused.