One year ago, on the Saturday after the first week of school, the students from Circle went on a field trip to an area about an hour from Circle called the Ketchum Rocks. In an area of gently rolling hills, the Ketchum Rocks are abrupt rock formations jutting up out of the ground – probably a remnant of some volcanic activity thousands of years ago. I’d heard about how cool the area was and had wanted to explore it along with my students, but I was unable to go with them that day.

Two days before that field trip, I got a phone call from Stephanie who was in Fairbanks waiting for our baby to be born, telling me our expected baby girl was a boy after all. The next day, one day before our field trip, I got another call from Stephanie telling me to drive to Fairbanks right then if I wanted to be present at the birth. On the day my kids were scrabbling around the Ketchum Rocks, Stephanie and I were in the L&D ward welcoming Tobias into the world. And so I missed the field trip.

Yesterday, one year later, we took all of the kids from school to the Ketchum Rocks again. It was a gorgeous day, cool and sunny. Stephanie and the boys came along as well, and it was fun to scramble around the rocks, trees and trails with them. While we there, Stephanie and I talked about the events of a year ago this very weekend. We can’t believe the year has slipped by so quickly. Tobias is one. Another year has gone by.

Tonight we had a special dinner for Tobias. He loved his lasagna.  

After dinner, we had cake. Stephanie made this one from scratch. I went to get candles and imagined taking a picture with all of the candles blazing. I forgot for a moment that there would necessarily be only one.  

I was looking for the signature "digging into the cake" shot, but he started eating and kept eating before he every got dirty enough for a picture.  

No, we don't dress him like this every day. After lasagna and then cake, the clothes we somewhat soiled. Happy Birthday, Toby!