Nelson Nut Factory

What do I want to be when I grow up?

2014-02-28T12:53:00.001-08:00

Answer? Still deciding. But maybe I want to be a fashion designer...

Or a construction worker...

Or a male model...

Or a thug...

Or an artist...

Or a co-pilot...

Or a narcoleptic.

(yes, that is Elijah asleep in a moving cart at the grocery store)

Here's to career aptitude tests!

Merry Christmas

2014-01-17T09:56:00.000-08:00

Our best present in 2013 was the arrival of our beautiful baby girl, Reese Oriana.

(Disclaimer 1: No, I did not forget that I had a third child. The truth is that I am just too lazy to upload pictures from the camera. I hope that one day my children will forgive me.)

It wouldn't be a Nelson birth if everything went smoothly. But aside from the crazy people across the courtyard who were concerned they could see into our room and the computer technician who wanted to fix the computer while Bridget was about to give birth, the day was fairly uneventful. Bridget was able to rest, and an early epidural kept everyone a little happier than in times past.

(Disclaimer 2: Bridget did not approve the posting of this picture.)

The real excitement came when the baby's heartrate decreased suddenly. The nurses and doctor rushed in, trying to act nonchalant. Can I just say that it is really frustrating when medical personnel won't tell you what is going on?

Anyway, aside from that hiccup, the delivery went well. Reese was a lot smaller than her older brothers, and a lot more stubborn. What kind of newborn tries not to rest her head on you? I'll let you decide which of her parents gave her the strong personality.

But aside from that, Reese has been a joy. She sure gets a lot of attention.

And she sure knows how to get around and get into trouble.

But mostly she is just a happy baby. A few months down the road, she is smiling all the time, laughing at Elijah, just starting to scoot around the floor, hating any real food, refusing to stay quiet during church, beginning to say "da da," and making us all smile.

(Disclaimer 3: Yes, we do actually celebrate Christmas. At my current rate, I will probably post about Christmas around the Fourth of July.)

Right and Wrong

2013-12-18T06:10:00.001-08:00

I always thought that I would be a really good dad. And I had visions of my children being the smartest, friendliest, most talented people in the world. So as Elliott’s developmental delays became more apparent, it was easy to be in denial. But the older he gets, the more I realize that there is nothing “wrong” with him. He just goes about things differently, and along the way he helps me become a better parent.

For example—some parents worry about whether their kids will make friends with the right crowd; I worry about whether mine will have friends at all. Some parents worry about whether their kids will learn bad words; I worry about whether mine will learn any words. Some parents worry about whether their kids will be successful enough in school; I worry about whether mine will be able to finish school. Some parents worry about whether their kids will be able to withstand negative influences from the world; I worry about whether mine will be aware enough to even be influenced.

Now, don’t get me wrong. When we’re at a birthday party and Elliott doesn’t want to participate, I still get embarrassed. When we’re at a friend’s house and Elliott is screaming, I still get angry. But I am learning more and more that he really is a special little spirit—and that’s not just something we say to make ourselves feel better.

So, dear person at the park, or at the store, or at church, please keep your dirty looks and dirty comments to yourself. I am fully aware of my child’s behavior. Trust me. But if you knew him like I know him, then you would know that he is alright. In fact, he’s better than that—he is all right.

Brothers

2013-10-06T17:00:00.001-07:00

I have such fond memories of my big brother taking care of me when we were little--cleaning our room, taking me on trips to Ameristop, bringing me souvenirs from his trips, etc. (and even though they dropped me on the cement and tried to push me into Niagra River, I have some fond memories of my sisters, too!)

Along with Elliott's syndrome comes some social awkwardness. It makes me sad to see him around kids his age because he just doesn't want to interact with them. And some people don't invite him to things because he can be so difficult. I have worried that Elijah would be the same way and that the two of them wouldn't get along. But then I see things like this, and it just warms my heart.

Thank goodness for brothers (and sisters)!

H2O

2012-12-06T18:26:00.001-08:00

It all started with the faucet. Since Elliott has a problem with aspiration, he has always had thickened liquids--from the day he was born. So when he finally figured out that he could turn on the faucet by himself and get his own drink (with no thickener!), it was a big deal. If he went missing, we could usually find him hiding in the bathroom with the water on. And ever since then, the boy has loved water. Drinking, splashing, spraying, bathing, swimming--you name it. He just loves water.

For example, we learned that if Elliott was ever having a rough day, all we had to do was turn on the hose. He would play with it for a long time. And it certainly made the summer go by faster.

Of course we had to buy a pass to the water park. And the giant water slide where you go on a raft with an adult? Yeah, I was sure that he would be terrified and avoid it all costs. Boy was I wrong. After about 20 times down the slide, I finally had to tear him away.

My birthday party during the hurricane? We couldn't keep him out of the rain. Some people tried to keep him dry, but I was just cracking up at how excited he was to be absolutely soaked.

Unfortunately, we had to put a stop to the bathroom adventures when Elliott flooded the bathroom. Twice.

But that doesn't mean he enjoys the water any less.

Trip to Myrtle Beach? Check.

Indoor water park? Check.

Bathtime ritual? Check.

Lucky for him, Elliott found someone who enjoys the water just as much.

Thank goodness for H2O!

Birthdays

2012-11-29T19:41:00.000-08:00

The good thing about waiting three months between blog posts is that you can include all of your family's birthdays in one post.

Way back in June we celebrated Elliott's third birthday with an ocean-themed party. We might have gone a little overboard (ha ha--get it?) with the food.

We had several activities for the kids to do, but Elliott was mostly excited about the food.

Oh yeah, and the sprayground. Elliott and Elijah had a ton of fun playing in the water.

In July, Bridget threw me a surprise party. She created a whole story about how she had a meeting at the park, and I totally bought it. Little did she know that the party would take place during a HUGE thunderstorm.

The food was excellent--even if it was a little water-logged.

I don't know how much fun the adults had, but the kids sure had a great time. Especially Elliott. Man, that kid loves water.

All in all, it was a fabulous surprise. Even if it was during a hurricane.

A couple months later came Elijah's first birthday. His party was pretty simple, with a few other one-year-olds. Bridget did a great job of making a bumblebee party.

We spent way too much time making these little fondant bees, but we were pretty happy with the result.

And the judge? He seemed pretty excited about it. Although I must admit that we was more excited about using a fork than he was about his first taste of cake. He is certainly turning into Mr. Independent.

Luckily Elijah is nice enough to be content with just about anything. I think his new toys lasted about ten seconds before Elliott claimed them as his own.

Last but not least was Bridget's birthday. By this point, we were done with parties. So all Bridget got was a store-bought cupcake.

Just kidding. I invited a few friends over as a surprise (and I am still getting grief about having people over without cleaning the house!). I forgot to take pictures, but at least you can tell that Elijah had a good time:

(Don't worry--if you look closely, you can tell it was Martinelli's)

Did we miss anyone? I sure hope not!

What is wrong with this picture?

2012-08-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

a) The windows are dirty

b) Elliott's bike has been left outside

c) Elijah is nine months old and standing like a pro

Maybe all of the above. But seriously, we never knew that Elijah could be so motivated. He was actually a little slow rolling over, which was just fine with us. But then he reached the nine-month mark and said to himself, "Hey, Elliott gets to run all over the place, so why can't I"? And that was the end of any concept of tranquility in the Nelson home.

Now, he insists on walking everywhere. He only crawls if he needs something right away. Otherwise, he is walking . . . and usually following Elliott around the house. He also gets very upset if the blinds are down and he can't see the backyard.

Honestly, though, we can't complain. He's pretty dang cute.

A Miracle

2012-04-22T18:21:00.001-07:00

I would venture to guess that most people do not describe the bar exam as a spiritual experience.

And for me, the first one wasn't. I was just amused by the person next to me who was extremely upset that the bar examiners would not allow him to set up a shrine to Shakespeare during the exam. By the time I found out I had passed the exam, I had already started another year of school. And the results were so slow in coming that I had almost forgotten about the test.

But this time around--wow. When Elliott got a fever a few days before the test, I wasn't that worried. Elliott gets sick fairly frequently, and it usually doesn't bother me. So imagine my surprise when, the night before the bar exam, I feel myself getting a fever. And not just any fever--the crazy-high, fill-your-body-with-chills type. So I didn't sleep much at all that night. And the next morning I was having trouble standing up let alone concentrating. By the time the exam started, I was pretty freaked out.

But, somehow I completed two days of the exam. As luck would have it, I felt much better by the end of the second day. As the next few weeks went by, I really wondered if I had passed. Bridget was pretty sick of my whining.

And, yes, I did actually pass. I'm not exactly sure how, but I did. And it may not be the parting of the Red Sea, but in my mind it was definitely a miracle.

What We've Been Up To

2012-03-04T17:25:00.005-08:00

February was a busy month!

Elijah has been keeping himself busy by saying incredibly wise things,

and refusing to roll over (even though he has already),

but spends most of his time giggling and trying to get some attention from anyone in the house.

Elliott has been mastering the skills of feeding himself . . .

. . . and enjoying the Fresh Beat Band. Seriously, we are so sick of that show. If you have not experienced it for yourself, consider yourself lucky. But just so you can get to know Elliott's best friends, here is a little taste.

As you can tell, Kip has been diligently studying for another bar exam. Stay tuned for a summary of that joyful experience.

Finally, Bridget has been trying to keep the boys under control . . .

. . . and subtly voicing her opinion through a novel medium.

All in all, it was a good month. Although we weren't a big fan of our visit from this little friend.

Defeated

2012-02-12T16:55:00.000-08:00

Any idea what's in these baskets? I'm guessing that you would not assume they had lychees or pork rinds or whole coconuts. But that's just what six aspiring chefs found on the latest rendition of Chopped Redemption. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you can get a little background at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/chopped/index.html)

30 minutes; 4 mystery ingredients; 2 chefs; 1 winner.

Round one: Appetizer

The pressure was on as Chef Nicolle and Chef Greg opened the first baskets of the night. Inside, they found shrimp, canned lychees, lemon cough drops, and spinach. After a few moments of staring at the cough drops and tasting the lychees, the chefs got to work.

Round one was especially exciting because the smoke detector went off. While the judges were opening doors and fanning away the smoke, the chefs continued to devise their masterpieces. And the result?

Pretty good looking, eh? It was a tough decision for the judges, but they were eventually swayed by Chef Nicolle's beautiful presentation and flavorful vinaigrette. And the fact that Chef Greg placed a large pile of unadorned spinach on the plate probably didn't help his cause.

Chef Greg, you have been chopped. Sorry about that.

Round two: Entree

Because we were criticized last time for making our ingredients too easy, we tried to spice it up a little bit with the entree ingredients. But we also wanted to eat something for dinner. So, the mystery ingredients were hot n' spicy chicharrones (aka pork rinds), radishes, coconut juice, and beef round tip steaks. Here is what they came up with:

Chef David and Chef Natalie had very similar approaches. They were both a little stumped by the coconut juice, and they both tried to hide the pork rinds as much as possible. Although the judges were confused by Chef David's random garnishes of lemon and a bowl of coconut juice, he won in the end. The judges were especially impressed that he got his food on the plate this time.

Chef Natalie, you have been chopped. Don't be too bitter! : )

Round three: Dessert

It was finally time for Bridget and me to strut our stuff. Our ingredients? A whole coconut, crescent rolls, nutmeg, and dark chocolate. We could not get the coconuts open for a good ten minutes--which takes a big chunk out of a thirty-minute time limit! Bridget smashed hers all over the counter, while I tried to pierce it with a nail. Definitely should have gone with the hammer.

In the end, which one do you think looks better?

You're right. The second one looks much better. And of course that was Bridget's. In my defense, however, I not only had problems with the coconut, but then I couldn't get the food processor to work . . . and then dropped a bowl with all of my dark chocolate. So while I was busy sweeping up my mess (and apologizing profusely to our hosts who probably hate me), Bridget was working on making such a beautiful presentation.

After what I am sure was a VERY difficult decision, Chef Kip got chopped. And humiliated. Really? Bridget beat me at the DESSERT round? Unbelievable.

Better luck next time, right?

Growing Up

2012-02-05T18:11:00.001-08:00

I know, I know--every child grows up too quickly and every parent wishes that the baby would take a little more time growing up. But sometimes it just hits harder than others. I mean, there's still a whole lot of this going on:

And we're still enjoying the smiley phase:

But other things are coming along so fast. For example, our doctor told us that babies are supposed to start eating solids at 4 months now. 4 months? Really? But I guess Elijah was ready, because he loved it. Actually, he grabbed the spoon and bowl and tried doing it himself.

And he's already learning to sit up on his own (usually so he can get a full view of what Elliott's up to!)

And we even tried giving him his own cup of water.

So, I guess we are joining every other parent in the world when we say, "Can we slow it down just a little bit?"

Random

2012-01-22T16:05:00.000-08:00

I always try to have some theme for a blog post . . . which is probably why I don't post more often. Bridget says that's ridiculous. So, I'm trying to be a little less neurotic and a little more random. So here goes.

1) Bridget's quote of the day: "Elliott, Elijah does not want your foot on his head."

I don't know why it was so funny, but I was sitting at the dinner table and almost spit out my food. Add that to the list of things that you never thought you'd have to say.

2) Elijah is such a fun baby. Every time we change his clothes, he knows it is "Tickle Time" and will get giddy even before we tickle him. If I ever figure out how to upload videos from our video camera, you may get to see the giggling.

On the other hand, Elijah is not a big fan of tummy time. But he's still pretty cute.

My dad always said that we should read to our kids from an early age, and Elliott has certainly come to love his books (especially Christmas books--speaking of random!). We have started to read to Elijah, but mostly he wants to eat the book and Elliott wants to steal the book away from him.

3) One of the best moments of my work week is when I get a picture message from Bridget with a random picture. Although it makes me sad that I am not home with them, it always brings a smile to my face. Especially when the picture is one of Elliott wearing an apron. Some people are surprised to find out that I like to cook, but they usually give me less of a hard time after they've tried something I made. Anyway, Elliott and I have had some fun times making cookies and watching them bake in the oven. For the whole ten minutes.

4) The other night I was working on the computer, and both of the kids were asleep, and I heard Bridget giggling to herself. I looked up to find that she had Elijah's Bumbo on her head. She thought it was hilarious. Then she said that I had to try it. So, there you go.

Is that random enough for you?

Christmas

2012-01-08T16:49:00.000-08:00

Some people visit the hospital at Christmas to sing to the patients or deliver goodies. We also visited the hospital this Christmas, but we weren't really singing and the only thing we were delivering was a whole bunch of germs. Elliott started getting a fever a few days before Christmas, and by Christmas Eve, the fever got up to 105 degrees. He also developed some blood in his mucus and may have had a seizure . . . so we were fortunate enough to spend Christmas Eve in the Emergency Room! Poor Elliott was such a champ, and we felt bad that he couldn't enjoy his presents a little more.

Even though we missed spending time with family and friends, we were glad that we didn't share our fever with anyone else. And in some ways it was nice just to stay home and allow Elliott to recuperate. Of course, we didn't just sit around staring at the walls . . .

We may or may not have taken a trip to the park (even though Elliott had a fever) just because it was 65 degrees!

We found time to finish decorating our house, including a creative way to display our stockings due to our lack of mantle . . .

We had a lot of fun opening presents on Christmas (although you may notice that Elliott looks a little miserable and Elijah was more entranced by Pandora's Christmas music than his own presents) . . .

And we certainly found the time to be very, very spoiled.

Don't you love the matching pajamas?! Thanks, Nana Kathy! All in all, it was a great Christmas. We just hope that next year Santa can keep his germs to himself!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like . . .

2011-12-19T18:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas!! If you are not sure how to get in the Christmas spirit, here are a few steps that we would suggest.

Step One: Meet Santa Claus

Now this may not look like a big accomplishment to you. But considering the fact that Elliott has never really been a fan of strangers (let alone large, bearded men), we considered this a great success. And I think Mrs. Santa Claus was pretty darn excited to meet Elijah!

Step Two: Put up the tree

Don't worry if it's the same fake tree that you've used since the first year you were married. It's the thought that counts.

And why do we put up the tree? So we can climb inside the box, of course!

Step Three: Decorate said tree

Step Four: Meet up with friends to watch the Christmas parade

Step Five: Listen to Christmas music ALL THE TIME and act as goofy as possible!

We love this time of year, not just for the food and the music and the decorations but most importantly for the real meaning of CHRISTmas. We are sad that we won't get to see many of you, but we hope that you have a great Christmas.

Man's Search for Happiness

2011-12-13T19:01:00.000-08:00

(do you remember that movie? It was a classic!)

Elliott has been into hide-and-seek for quite a while. He doesn't exactly understand the game, but he certainly enjoys the hiding part. And the screaming part.

What, your games of hide-and-seek don't involve screaming? Oh. Too bad.

Anyway, one of his favorite "hiding" places is behind the shower curtain. It never gets old.

Meanwhile, Elijah has found his own ways to entertain himself. He is a very smiley baby, and we take special pride in the fact that he smiles at his parents way more than he smiles at strangers. But there is one other thing that he smiles at--his toy arch. He will lay beneath that thing forever and pull the links over and over. So we took the opportunity to try and capture his beautiful smile.

(p.s. notice the cool blanket? That was a gift from none other than the fabulous Aunt Nyn. Elijah loves it!)

School Days

2011-11-20T17:55:00.001-08:00

I've heard a lot of parents say that the time just flew until their oldest kid went to the first day of school. And I'm sure that's true. But for us, the day came a little sooner than we were planning. We decided to put Elliott into a school for kids with developmental delays. And it was a really tough decision for us. We worried about sending him into the "real world" when he was so young, and we worried about him not being able to talk, and we worried about what would happen when he was around other kids with delays. But we decided to do it, and so the day came (a couple years earlier than we once thought!) and Elliott had his first day of school.

Poor kid. He didn't even know what he was getting into.

And, I am happy to report, it has been really good for him. Elliott walks in like he owns the place, throws his backpack and jacket in the cubby, and runs over to the play area. His teachers love him, and of course Elliott loves to participate in music time. And he loves to come home and show off his new dance moves.

And, just so you don't worry, we still have time to teach him other things, like dressing himself:

(that was all him--no help from either parent), and self-imposed piano lessons:

Good luck, Elliott--only fifteen more years of school to go! Until college, at least . . .

Boys

2011-11-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

Bridget comes from a family of six girls and one boy. And at one point she was quite the girly girl. And I'm pretty sure she thought she could only reproduce girls. So when Elliott came along, she was a little surprised . . . but still convinced that all of her other children would be girls. When she got pregnant with the second baby, she was already telling everyone it was a girl. So, imagine her surprise when it was Elijah instead of Elisaveta

(it apparently means "God is my oath" in Bulgarian).

Sure, there are lots of fun things about girls: frilly dresses, dance classes, tea parties, My Little Ponies. Just to name a few.

But I'm here to say that boys are fun, too. Because with boys, you can have never-ending games of Ring Around the Rosie:

(don't mind the messy house--we just had a baby the day before)

wear cool clothes and make funny faces:

and hang out with the bros:

So next time you see the boy running amok in the grocery store or hear the boy screaming during church, just be grateful for boys. They're really not that bad. And, when you get the chance, congratulate Bridget on putting up with three boys in the house!

Lessons Learned on Vacation

2011-10-31T17:51:00.000-07:00

1) It is true--everything really is bigger in Texas.

Cinnamon rolls:

burritos:

jelly beans:

and even condiments!

2) Life is more fun when Aunt Nyn is around.

3) Don't mess with Texans. Those guys are profound. I was particularly struck with the thought-provoking wisdom of this little jewel:

Enough said.

Choo Choo!

2011-10-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

Ever since Elliott was a baby, he has loved one thing: wheels. Anything with wheels. His favorite song? The Wheels on the Bus. The only show he would watch? Baby Einstein--Things That Go. His favorite toy? Any form of automobile. His parents' favorite bribe? "Elliott, do you want to go for a ride in the stroller"?

But more recently Elliott has refined his interest and narrowed it down to one specific thing with wheels: trains. He loves them. One of his first words (okay, it's more of a sound than a word--but we call it a word!) was "choo choo." We're not exactly sure how it started. It could have been these awesome pajamas from his grandparents:

or, it could have been his first train ride on his trip to Texas:

or, it could have been the new nursery:

(kind of hard to see, but it's a train-themed crib)

But whatever the reason, you should have felt the excitement in the answer when Bridget told us that there is a whole theme park based on trains! Of course we just had to visit before the baby came. Elliott was so captivated, he couldn't even look at the camera long enough for a picture:

Needless to say, he was enthralled by the whole experience. He especially loved the train ride with "real live" cowboys and Indians.

Oh yeah--and the Elliott-size train wasn't too bad, either!

I'm guessing that we might find our way back to this park another time . . .

Getting Ready for a Baby

2011-10-17T16:58:00.000-07:00

We spent a lot of time and effort getting ready for this baby. As you can tell, we bought a new car seat,

pulled out the high chair,

caught up on some extra sleep,

and decorated the baby's room with a train theme (complete with a Thomas bed).

Notice anything about these pictures? Yes, that's right. Elliott has decided that he wants to be the baby. I knew he was going to struggle with the new addition to our family, but it is so interesting to watch. And kind of sad. I can't really imagine what it's like to have two people's undivided attention for two years only to have it taken away in an instant. We tried to tell Elliott what was happening, but we knew he didn't really get it. So here we are, trying to protect Elijah from being permanently disfigured while trying to encourage Elliott to be a good brother. Meanwhile, Elliott is trying anything and everything to get our attention--even if it means sitting in an uncomfortable car seat that's way too small for him.

So, for all of you who are younger siblings, feel free to take a moment and thank your older sibling(s). I think it must have been pretty hard at times. And, for our older siblings who are reading this, thanks for putting up with us!

A Warm Welcome to Elijah

2011-10-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

We love Elliott. A lot. But we did not love the two-week stay in the hospital when he was born. So for this time around, we were really hoping (and praying) for a smoother ride.

And we got it. Bridget went in around 6:00 am to be induced on September 27th. Although it took a while to get things moving, by that evening she was starting to dilate quickly. When the nurse checked her around 11:00 pm, she was surprised at how far Bridget had come. By the time the doctor arrived, Bridget only had to give one big push and out came our beautiful little boy, Elijah Cole. He was born at 12:39 am on September 28th, weighing 9 lbs 1 oz and measuring 22 inches long. Everything went well, and Bridget and Elijah were able to go home the next day.

We are so grateful to have Elijah join our family. We think he is adorable, and he already has some hilarious quirks. Exhibit A: any time he has his hands free, he insists on having one finger in his mouth. He also makes some classic expressions (what some might call Tourette's of the face), but we can't figure out who gave him that.

Anyway, welcome to Elijah. Thanks to everyone for taking such good care of us, and thanks especially to Paige for taking care of Elliott and our house while we were a little occupied. We will try to be more diligent in posting pictures!

Turning Two

2011-10-09T18:04:00.001-07:00

What does this look like to you? It looks like one lucky two-year-old's birthday! Elliott was definitely spoiled by all of the presents from his extended family. He says [a belated] thank you!

Elliott is into a lot of things these days. He loves having dance parties when dad gets home from work. He loves watching Signing Time (over and over and over and over). He loves anything with wheels. And, oh yes, this boy loves sweets. Almost as much as his parents. Two of his favorite things are waffles (with syrup, of course) and cookies. Hence, for his birthday:

I think this look on his face sums it all up.

Elliott: "Have you ever seen anything so glorious?"

Elliott: "Dad, seriously, you've GOT to try this!"

Happy Birthday, Elliott!

News

2011-04-08T17:32:00.000-07:00

I don't know how the time slips by so quickly, but here we are in April. Sorry for the lag, and thanks for the gentle reminders to update the blog!

Elliott is growing like crazy. He loves to laugh, scream at the top of his lungs, and learn sign language. He is very into raisins, flying dinosaurs, and having a daily piano lesson with his dad. He is also proficient at feeding himself,

posing for the camera,

and making announcements

That's right! We are expecting a new addition to our family in early October. We are very excited. Bridget is convinced it is a girl, but Elliott seems to want a little brother . . . . What do you think?

A Prince, a Princess, and a Dragon

2010-11-14T17:14:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, there was a dragon who was bigger than all the other dragons but was actually very friendly. He didn't even mind hanging out with the prince and princess.

In fact, you may notice that the dragon even kept one of the prince's swords . . . and showed it to anyone who came within two feet of him.

We had a great time this Halloween. Elliott did pretty well for a sixteen-month-old who doesn't eat very much candy, wouldn't you say?

And what was Elliott's favorite part of the ordeal, you might ask? That is probably a toss up between his first taste of apple cider . . .

and the obligatory pre-trick-or-treating-bucket-on-the-head ritual.

And with Halloween being over, now is the time for those other two holidays. We love this time of year!

Anniversary

2010-07-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that it has been so long. Three years ago, I was a little darker, a lot skinnier, and a whole lot more naive. But I was also madly in love with a beautiful woman.

Since we got married, we have visited some cool places:

Celebrated a lot of events:

And even had the chance to act a little crazy:

(yes, that is Colonel Mustard and Miss Scarlet)

I cannot imagine where my life would be if we had not met. It hasn't always been easy, but I think that we are more in love now than we were three years ago. And I think that's pretty good.