Give them a hug

Just a reminder to grab somebody you love and give them a hug like you actually mean it.

I was talking with a friend about a neighbor of hers who has three kids. A wife. And brain cancer… He is on hospice care and is no longer capable of walking, talking, kissing or hugging. So grab somebody nearby and give them a hug.

There’s a couple of things that I haven’t talked about publicly and that list is about to get a little bit shorter. I know full well what those children are about to go through. When I was four, my dad and his brother died in a plane crash. I remember that day all too vividly. I’ll spare the details here, but the point is, I know what those kids are about to go through and I really don’t want anybody to go through that.

I’m not trying to be a downer… But Kylah’s about to turn one soon and being there for her is the most important thing I can do. So grab somebody you love and hug them like you mean it.

A public thank you

I haven’t yet gotten to thank all of the friends and family for an amazing birthday. Thanks to your donations and an extra thanks to Big Al’s Brewing, Kelci and I have been able to drop off more than $300 worth of diapers, formula, baby food and clothes to the Domestic Abuse Women’s Network.

Aside from your generosity, I appreciate that I have surrounded myself with people willing to take time out of their lives to celebrate with me and contribute to this cause.

Surprisingly, turning 30 was really no big deal. I had a much harder time mentally with turning 20. Moving out of my teen years and into my 20s meant being an adult; no longer having an excuse to act my age. It was the year that I got really serious about journalism school and it was the year I was no longer a teenager.

But turning 30 was different. Kelci and I have been married for nearly six years, we’ve been in our house for almost three years. And now we have Kylah, who has already been working her way toward turning one. So, for now I concentrate on career and family and building both up in a way that brings me nothing but joy. After all, if you can’t find happiness in an action, why do it?

So thank you everybody for helping make this the best birthday in a while!

All I need

Has it really been three months since we’ve posted here? Wow. I guess time flies when you’re raising a baby. So, what’s happened since she learned how to use her jumper in the last video?

  • Teeth? Check
  • Solid food? Check
  • Pulling herself up to standing? Check
  • Crawling? Check
  • Pat-a-Cake? Check. Complete with throwing it in the pan? Check

But something else is about to happen. I’m about to turn 30. As the date nears, my family have been asking what I want. What sort of material good will make me happy? Realistically, that list is really long. But before I answer with that really expensive fishing trip or new hiking boots, I generally pause and realize:

I have everything I need.

I have a great wife, a great job, a great daughter and a great life in general. So, what I want is to help other people have a great life.

I am throwing a party this weekend, June 11 at Big Al’s Brewing, which is just south of Seattle and I want you all to join me. But I don’t want you to show up empty handed. I’ve talked it over with Kelci and run the idea by a few other people and have decided that I want to collect baby supplies and goods for a local women’s shelter. Specifically, we’re looking for:

  • Formula
  • Diapers/wipes (Size 4, 5 or 6 diapers)
  • New or next-to-new toys
  • New or next-to-new clothes

I can’t offer anything in reply, other than a hug and a thank you, but realize that the gear you’re donating will make the beer taste better, the hugs feel better and the smiles a bit brighter. So, RSVP for the party now and we look forward to seeing you!

And, since this is a blog dedicated to our adventures with our amazing daughter, here’s a few from the last couple of months:

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White girls can jump

Apparently Kylah had a growth spurt over the weekend. She went from needing a platform to stand on and a towel under her butt to jumping like she was at a rock concert.

I know she’s getting bigger (I carry her car seat), but things like this put her development in perspective.

Next stop is sitting up and then crawling. And them child proofing. Heh…

Happy Birthday Mommy!

Happy birthday to my incredibly hot wife :-)

I just want to say happy birthday to Kelci. The best mom. The best wife. My best friend.

OK, I don’t want to just say happy birthday. But today is her 30th birthday and I thought I’d embarrass the both of us with a little note to here on the blog.

Kelci and I have been together nearly 10 years after meeting in Hawaii during our first year of college (that’s a story for another post, but ask me and I’ll tell you). Over the last decade, we have traveled a path that has taken us through losing jobs, losing close relatives, gaining new friends, gaining a new home and now gaining our wonderful daughter.

One thing that I can count on in my life, however, is Kelci. She is there for me when I need a shoulder or when I simply need her on my shoulder. She is there for me when I am being a hyperactive ADD wild-child. She is there for me when I look down at Kylah and then give Kelci a “what the hell do I do now?” look.

There’s no point to this other than to share how extremely thankful I am to have her in my life.

As her and I have gotten older (I am definitely not maturing, so I don’t thing aging is the right word), I have become more and more thankful that I have her in my life. She has helped shape me and helped me become who I am.

When we were dating and getting more and more serious, we started to describe our relationship as a walk down an unknown path. For the most part, it is an easy, flat and straight walk that is surrounded by beauty. On occasion there is a bend in the road, or the scenery isn’t quite as gorgeous as you hoped. Our path has had curves, hills and a few trees that have fallen across it.

But we have continued to navigate it. We have guided each other down this path. We are a perfect team. And that’s why I want everybody to say with me:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELCI!!!