Hockey Rocks

So last month we went to a hockey game and got to have an amazing experience. Last month you say? Yeah I forgot about it until now because I'm too busy writing about kids and wives and blah blah blah. No this post isn't about the kid either. Ya know what? March is OUR month so BACK OFF! Can't we have one month without Kid pictures, especially since next month is her birthday and you'll get millions? Yeah, yeah... I know, you want V. Next month, I promise that you'll get tons of Kid pictures.

We walk into this minor league hockey game in Kent and 8 seconds after we get in, a guy comes up and asks if we want to be part of the intermission entertainment. After considering the safety and legal ramifications of such a crazy endeavor, we ask what we're going to do. He says "Ride tricycles." We decided that they were going to have to pay us first said "HECK YEAH!" So they give us instructions and we tell no one else in our group. So just before the first intermission we head down to the floor. They give us helmets, we sign damage waivers, meet our competition, get a run through of the course and then get lead out to the ice. The fans scream their delight as they've never seen two more attractive people grace the ice as we. Below is a frame by frame remake of the carnal thrashing that we laid upon the mortals that challenged us:

This guy asks me if I think we're going to win. I ask him "Is Jeremy sarcastic?" He agrees that we're going to win pretty soundly.

The picture is blurry because April is breaking the sound barrier.

She's smiling because she smells the Wing Dome buffalo wings we're going to win in approximately 2.74 minutes.

The bird kicks the cone out of my way. We're so fast that I have time to get off my trike, punch him out and I'm still ahead.

As I cross the finish line victoriously, April runs into my arms and kisses me maniacally. This is the typical response from her after I do anything insane.

As we accept our reward, the bird comes back for revenge. I won't show you the pictures but April totally Crane kicks him into next week.

The Dawn of a New Era

Tomorrow is the day. It is the day to which all women are measured. The pinnacle of life on this planet for the female gender. Yes friends, it's April's 29th Birthday! What does that mean? It means the beginning of the end! You will never know her age again unless you start keeping track of it. As your personal friend and informant, I am telling you this so that you will be able to give her a hard time in 10 years when it's the 10th anniversary of her 29th birthday. Then you can start making over the hill jokes ya'll! To commemorate the occasion, I give you some of her greatest hits from the first 29 years (or at least the last couple):

2007: We love each other!

2008: April like's showing off her booty to everyone.

2009: She's practicing dress-up for V in a couple years.

2010: There's our kids and we're just getting started.

2010: After kid, looking extremely white and enjoying the outdoors.

2011: April CAN get tanned and as she ages, keeps getting more beautiful.

Leap Year Day

So if you only get one chance every four years to post an entry on February 29th, ya better take advantage of it. So what does one write about on a day such as this? Well I know what YOU want me to write about: The Kid. Yeah I know. I'll write about the kid; but first, let me wax eloquent about something I feel very passionate about. Leap Year Day is the coolest day to be born ever. I always thought it would be really cool to be twenty and say that you're five. I've only ever known one person who was born on Feb. 29th and she was annoyed with it. Seriously, it would be the coolest. Let's just act like it's the coolest just and pretend like you're humoring me.

Anyway, today was V's first Leap Year Day and we had one of the best Daddy Days ever. We've taken the side of her crib off so that we can more easily access goodnight kisses among other things. This is also nice for when she wants to go to bed she just dives in. However, she now can exit the bed just as easily as entrance. This morning she met us in our bedroom at 6:30. Needless to say we were unprepared for this new venture. She's really a different child now because she's mobile. Ya'll know what I'm talking about if you have kids. It's da coolest and the worst at the exact same time. Yeah yeah, I'm getting sappy... Here's some pictures:

V: No spoon for Ben & Jerry's? Cue the sad face.

Dad: DAD TO THE RESCUE!!!

V: Sad face gets 'em every time! Ice Cream is DA COOLEST!

V: Is it OK that I'm wearing Daddy's shoes? What if I try walking in them?

V: That didn't work out so well...

V: I can't believe Mommy doesn't do this more often. Look at Daddy's face!

V: Aaaaaannnnnnd... Model pose! Yeah, that's nice!

Huge Snow Storn

I wanted to add several adjectives to that post title but if you were anywhere near here, you don't need adjectives to know what happened. Approximately three weeks ago we had the most devastating snow & ice storm Washington has ever had. The storm knocked out power to over 100,000 homes, some for almost a week. It crippled the transit systems, blocked people into their homes and threw trees across yards all over the region. No muy bueno.

At work, we threw away thousands of dollars of food. The worst part was that there was no way to salvage it: Normally if we lose power and the food is in danger of going out of temp, we can reduce the price quickly to sell it. However, if every single person in the city has no power, they aren't exactly going to come running to fill a freezer that's probably not going to keep their own food frozen. It was frustrating. Especially since we had limited supply of Duraflame laws, flashlights and D batteries. It's amazing that we probably sold more batteries in that week than we had in the previous six months.

Just so you know, it wasn't ALL bad. It was V's first snow as a "Cognitive Human." We weren't exactly sure what she would think about it because the first time she saw snow, she just played in the yellow snow sat there. Thankfully, she loved it and hear are the pictures to prove it:

Heavy snow people. What's that... Not heavy you say?

Look at this action Chump.

So we got bundled up and proceeded to get our "cute" on!

It's time to teach V how to create the perfect Snow Ball.

Now let's slide down the 4% incline in our front yard!

OK, it's cold and Daddy won't let you sled. Let's go back inside.

Christmas Again

We just had an ice storm that crippled the Puget Sound area. When I say crippled, I mean a full body cast. I actually worked the day after most of the area lost power and you can really see the panic that people have when they have no control over the situation. Our store was running on generator power and we're throwing away thousands of dollars of food. So people are walking in the store, mind you the day after the power went out, asking for batteries, propane, flashlights and wood. These people expect us to do something, anything to help them. When you can't do anything, people have varying reactions. Most of them involved a sad look and a statement that reiterated that no one else has any of the things they need either. I've dealt with no power before, but I've never dealt with it when I've had a child. I think I would be pretty depressed too.

Some people said that we didn't put enough Christmas pictures up on the ole blog. OK, did I see any Christmas pictures on YOUR blog? I didn't think so! Anyway, I'm a nice guy and I can be bought. Send me money and I'll continue to put up Christmas pictures. Until I receive the money, I'll consider these pictures this a loan. Here's the pictures from Christmas #Dos:

V: Oooooh! Look at the pretty paper!

V: They make dolls out of paper AND magnets?! That is DA COOLEST!

V: A bag? You're kidding me, right? I've got to have something to tear.

V: Mimi hooks me up with the coolest pajamas.

V: What? All the presents are gone?

V: 364 Days until next Christmas!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Happy New Year!

According to the Mayans and several other dead civilizations, this is the year the world will end. Live it up while you can people! I'm guessing that most of you will be spending all your retirement savings and flying to far off places that you've never been. Do it now before the world as we know it is completely gone. In light of this completely random event in the whole pantheon of time, we took the opportunity to give our daughter something that she wouldn't be able to get if the world did happen to end. This opportunity you ask me is what? Yes, a trip to a brewery and her first tasting. Below are the captured glory moments of a first tasting:

Dad: Remember: Swirl, sip, swish, swallow, savor. That's copyrighted too.

V: Smell was first, then chug right? Yeah...

V: Some forward hops with a slight nutty taste... interesting!

V: If I could get my thumbs to work, I'd give it two thumbs up...

V: Mom to the rescue! Thanks Mom!

Dad: Yes, I taught her everything she knows. Including how to finish it off.

So This is Christmas

Let's get this straight: We totally didn't spend too much on the kid this year, everyone else did. Everyone bought the kid too much. I've heard this happens every year. It's totally going to happen for the rest of her life until the family stops loving her. This, as I understand, will never happen. So my conclusion is that she's going to be continuously littered with items of semi-usefulness on this Christmas night, forever. Awesome isn't it? We're getting a shed next year for the plethora of presents V will get next Christmas. So to all those who gave: Thank you! We appreciate it very much!

V's Christmas #2 is in the books and we are happy to say that we survived. Twas a good time for all and I'm sure that the pictures will speak volumes. We are, needless to say, tired but excited to play with V and all her new toys. One of the coolest things we've unearthed is that we've started reading her Bible to show her the story of Baby Jesus and she's enjoying it. She's actually requesting it at night time now to read before bed. It's a great feeling having a child that is already requesting to read the Bible. Parenting? Yeah we got this! Enjoy the pictures:

Yes, Friends, the proverbial tree. Over 9 feet tall!

Dad got a new headset for Christmas so guess who gets the old one?

After 40 tries of trying to capture the kid Christmas Breakfast...

Dad just takes the camera and captures a great moment!

We all get presents so we dance the dance of joy!

Her favorite present: An exact replica of Millee!