Jenn and I have a life.

Well it might be hard to believe but Jennifer and I are also member of this family, (I know we are very Bailey centric). Well, on May 2nd we actually went on a date. We saw a comedian, Daniel Tosh. We had seen him previously on The Tonight Show, he was hilarious so we were really excited about going. Granted we were a little apprehensive because comedy can tend to be crass but we looked up reviews and went to his website and felt pretty good about going.

While a lot of his jokes were hilarious, he unfortunately went really crass on us. It seemed that as the night wore on the jokes got worse and worse and his language just got more and more foul. It was really disappointing and also very eye opening. We know that we have to be really careful about our entertainment and this just reinforced why. The next day I had some of the punchlines replaying in my head again and again. So too bad, he is a talented performer, but not our cup of tea.

Miss Piggy

I was really sick back in the first part of April. As a result my nose was really runny and I had to sniff a lot. Bailey apparently picked up on my snorting and began to try to imitate it. I think it came out pretty amusing. Here is a picture of her "cute" snorting face.

Mother's Day Picnic

Well today was the day for our annual family picnic in honor of mother's day. These are always so much fun. There was a ton of food, catching up and a pretty competitive game of kickball (unfortunately I was playing so I did not have time to take pictures).

Of course the day started out on a high note. We went to church with Jenn's family in the morning in Sparks. They have such a friendly ward, it was really a treat to be able to go. They served up strawberry shortcake for all the mothers, they even had the elder's quorum take over primary at the end to make sure that all the women were able to get their treat.

Due to a scheduling problem on my part I was also committed to help out with the lesson in Relief Society back in our own ward which meant a drive back to Reno, but it was well worth it. The elder's quorum (at least the ones that I've been to) could really learn something from the Relief Society about how to put together a lesson. The teacher was prepared, first off, she even called me back on Tuesday about the lesson which means she was getting it ready more than just the night before or morning of, also the sisters all had their manuals and were great about participating. I really consider myself lucky for having been there, thanks Sister Carlin for asking me.

Happy Mother's Day

Well, it is that time of year again when with a cute card, some flowers and/or a phone call we try to show our wives and our mothers and all the special women in our life just how much they mean to us. Perhaps our intent is better received when reinforced continually throughout the year. I have several special women in my life who have earned the title of mother. My own mom is an inspiration to me, she is soft spoken, faithful and encouraging to us in whatever direction our ambitions lie. I know that she believes in her children and that she loves them, I love you mom.

My wife...I love you more than words can tell. Your patience and forgiveness seem boundless and I am grateful for that as I try to fit the image of what a man can be. Your counsel is always insightful and usually appreciated. You are very selfless in the way you not only care for our daughter but also in the way you support me as I pursue an education and other goals that take me away from home so often. I love you Jenn and thank you for not being afraid to speak up when I get distracted and lose sight of what is most important.

My mother in law is an amazing woman. She trusts me and I appreciate that. She trusts me to take care of Jenn and our little family and though she has had occasion to see me when I am not being my best she nonetheless still loves me. She works hard, too hard sometimes, to ensure that I feel that I belong in the family and I hope that she knows just how much I do feel very much at home with her and I am so happy to know her.

This list is by no means comprehensive. There are grandmothers, teachers, sisters, friends even my boss who have also had a great impact on my life. How grateful I am for the good women in my life. Thank you for everything that you do, I would not be the man I am without your guidance, support and correction from time to time, I love you.

Bailey's a genius, further proof

So back in February I was playing with Bailey and trying to help her to figure out her shape sorter. Standard issue, plastic bucket with a lid that has cut outs for different shapes. Anyway, I demonstrated for her how to locate the appropriate space for the different blocks. I then gave her the block to take a turn. She reached right down and pulled the lid off the box and threw the block inside. My first instinct was to try to correct her and model the appropriate way to use the toy but I realized that the objective is to get the block in the bucket which she did. She saw her way around the problem. I was so proud of her.

Bailey is a Genius

So Bailey is a genius. Today in church she was wandering around in Sunday School and found something on the floor. Jennifer didn't want her to play with it so she said, "That's garbage". Well upon hearing that Bailey marched right to the front of the room and threw it in the garbage can. She then turned around with a big cheesy grin and clapped her hands for a job well done.

I can't believe how smart she is getting. Jennifer is doing such an amazing job teaching her too. What a great couple of girls I've got.

Why we were AWOL

So sorry to have disappeared for the entire month of April. Our internet has been down this entire month which means in the next couple of days I need to do some catch up posting on things like, Bailey, Bailey's birthday, more Bailey and ...Bailey.

As for why the internet went down, we tried to switch our phone service to Vonage to save some cash. It works with your DSL connection and sounded like a great deal. Well, it turns out we have the wrong kind of DSL. As soon as our AT&T got switched off our DSL went with it. Vonage is very prompt about signing you up but they tend to drag their feet when you want to cancel, so we have been waiting and waiting.

In the end here we are back again. I have attached my current favorite picture of Bailey, enjoy!