Almost Time for the Holidays!

As I sit at my lunch break too lazy to head to the University Gym today, I am beyond excited for the Holiday Season to spend every possible moment with our ever expanding family. Not only are the boys (Alex & Max) 9-months old now and full of adventure and wonderment, but our precious honey girl Sophia (age 3) is old enough to appreciate and marvel at the excitement of it all.  Tie that up with my beautiful wife (who is like a kid a candy store about the Holidays) and the only thing left (for Thanksgiving anyway) is a stuffed Turkey.

Of course, yours truly can play a stuffed turkey pretty well (as well as Old Saint Nick in a couple of more weeks). I just hope we capture as much of it all as possible and that we are fortunate enough to have friends and family around to join us as well. 

It looks like this year we'll even get a Holiday card out to everyone, so wait by the mailbox!

Happy Holidays to All and to All a Good Stock Market

Daddio

Rewind: Halloween 2008

So this is just a few weeks late but I didn't want to miss posting a few pics from this year's Halloween fun. Sophia is just old enough to get really excited  about dressing up and shouting "TRICK-OR-TREAT" at everyone. We went to a carnival at NMSU, a Trunk-or-Treat party at our friend's church, toured our neighborhood for over an hour on Halloween night and then headed to Irene's house for a Halloween Party.  Between all the Halloween events and the three kids (people INSIST on giving the babies candy despite that fact that they have five teeth between them) we ended up with three BIG bags FULL of candy. It's like an early Christmas for Patrick.

Sophia's First Costume was a cheerleader. This was at the NMSU event so the outfit was pretty appropriate.  The boys were dressed as a tiger and a puppy on this day and HATED every minute of it.  If they had any idea of what their next costumes would be they wouldn't have complained.....

 

Can't tell what the boys are supposed to be?



Look harder. Still can't tell? The boys will one day be embarrassed to admit that they were a Banana and Corn for their first Halloween.  What can I say? I ran out of time and these were the only two outfits left on Halloween day at 3:30!!



Max was not the least bit amused.



If he could run away, he would!



One last one of the fairy princess...

 

I promise to start a little earlier next year boys!

The Next American President

 

We celebrate this moment in our history and are excited about the future ahead.

 

Taken from the poem at 1992 Presidential Inauguration Ceremony

Here, root yourselves beside me.

I am that Tree planted by the River,
Which will not be moved.

I, the Rock, I the River, I the Tree
I am yours -- your Passages have been paid.

Lift up your faces, you have a piercing need
For this bright morning dawning for you.

History, despite its wrenching pain,
Cannot be unlived, but if faced
With courage, need not be lived again.

Lift up your eyes upon
This day breaking for you.

Give birth again to the Dream.

Women, children, men,
Take it into the palms of your hands.

Mold it into the shape of your most
Private need. Sculpt it into
The image of your most public self.
Lift up your hearts.
Each new hour holds new chances
For new beginnings.

Do not be wedded forever
To fear, yoked eternally
To brutishness.

The horizon leans forward,
Offering you space to place new steps of change.
Here, on the pulse of this fine day
You may have the courage
To look up and out and upon me, the
Rock, the River, the Tree, your country.

No less to Midas than the mendicant.

No less to you now than the mastodon then.

Here on the pulse of this new day
You may have the grace to look up and out
And into your sister's eyes, and into
Your brother's face, your country
And say simply
Very simply
With hope
Good morning.

-Maya Angelou