Yes we did!

So, others have said it much better than I can, so I won't waste your time. But I still wanted to say it...

HURRAY!!!

Look what I found!

After a bit of rain yesterday, we woke up to this today. It was even better first thing in the morning, but I didn't take a picture until after the kids had a chance to have their way with the first real snow of the year. Nothing's quite as awesome as the first snow. I was actually excited to sweep the mounds of snow off of mine and Steph's cars this morning. This snow was a little unexpected because it hit so hard so fast, but that's part of the fun! It's even better when you have a couple of eight-year-olds and an eleven-year-old to use as an excuse to act like a kid in the snow again. 

We built forts, threw snowballs, and even spent a little time just rolling around. My dog, Tucker, has always been a snow dog. I think he even gets more excited than me!

He made the girls pull him around on that sled for hours! I wish I could have filmed him. He's nuts. So I guess this is kind of a continuation of my thanks to Utah. However, a big, unexpected snow storm isn't entirely a good thing...

Maybe I needed to be a little more prepared...

Thanks Utah!

So, anyone who's ever lived in Utah knows that quite a bit of Utah-bashing goes on - both by residents and by the rest of the world. Other states see us as "Mormons," and I put it in quotation marks because I'm not referring to actual Mormons, but rather, I'm referring to what most of the world thinks a Mormon is. Interpretations vary greatly, but I've found that, more often than not, outside interpretations are a far cry from realistic - anywhere from polygamists, to horn-bearing beasts, to cults of anti-Christs. But I digress; any interpretation would be unrealistic, as we all know that to define a person by their religion would be ridiculous. Anyway, I've gotten off topic, but you get the idea about outsider opinions of Utah.  And those of us who live in utah often have complaints about the state. Granted, many of these complaints have bearing - liquor laws are unnecessary, life comes to a hault on Sundays, and winter can be pretty terrible - but I'm afraid that we quite often overlook the wonder that actually is Utah.

Now, this crappy camera-phone picture cannot begin to explain what I'm talking about so much as the story accompanying it can. In the midst of one of the worst days of work yet in my life, I caught a quick glimpse of the view that I take for granted every single day. The giant mountain overlooking my carwash was covered in red, yellow, orange, green, and brown - yes, even the brown was somehow breath-taking. Tiny snowcaps on the peaks stirred excitement for winter, drawing nearer everyday. Cheesy though it may seem, the subtle realization that I like where I live was enough to turn my entire day around. 

Steph and I have discussed on many occasions where we want to end up when she finishes school. We've toyed with paradise locations like Santa Barbara and Hawaii, and city-life areas like Washington DC. But the more we talk about where we want to go, the more we've realized we're happy right where we are. No doubt, this winter will piss me off on several occasions, and scraping the ice off my car windows will grump me up more than once, but I don't know what I would do without the contrasting seasons, extreme hots and colds, and unpredictable weather. Halloween wouldn't be Halloween without the chili nights, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without the snow and cold, and spring wouldn't even be gratifying if it weren't taking the place of a bitter winter that has worn out its welcome. I wouldn't mind a pina colada with more than an ounce of rum in it, but I think the pros definitely outway the cons. So, thanks Utah.

Resemblance?

Okay, I'm not saying that they're twins separated at birth, but the resemblance is undeniable.

And the similarities run deeper than physical appearance. Tony Dungy: The first African-American coach to win the super bowl in the National Football League. Barack Obama: (will be) the first African-American president of the United States of America. Also, both have been accused of not "really" being black, or not being "black enough." (Obama more publicly than Dungy, but I definitely heard people question Dungy's "blackness," especially when comparing him to head coach Lovie Smith - head coach of the Chicago Bears - the team beaten by Tony Dungy's Indianapolis Colts in Superbowl XLI.)

Okay, so those are the only real similarities I could dig up, but I think it's still pretty rad. And if their similarities are any sign of things to come, then we can get even more excited about Obama's upcoming success as our president. As head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Tony Dungy's regular season record consists of 76 wins, and only 26 losses. That means that Dungy's Colts have won 74.5% of their regular season games. That's pretty spectacular. Dungy is currently in his seventh season with the Colts, and of the six completed seasons, the Colts won their division five times, taking second only once. Also spectacular.

So there you have it. Tony Dungy proves hands down that Barack Obama is the correct choice for president. :) Just ignore the fact that Tony Dungy is socially conservative...

My baby!

K, so she's not really mine, but I claim her anyway. Gizelle Tiana Serrano is the cutest little thing in the world, and for those of you who have never met her, you need to, and for those of you who have, here's some pictures so you can remember how much you love her! Gizelle is Steph's cousin's baby and Steph and I have had our hand in her upbringing. When Gizelle was little, me and Steph watched her every weekend. We don't get to see her quite as often these days, but we certainly spend as much time with her as possible. Anyway, on to the good part: the pictures!

When she was still tiny:

Rare moment for this ball of energy.

Nothing beats bath time with Jeanne.

She LOVES playing with Ainsley!

She is obsessed with "him bike." She just had to go for a ride.

"Westside!"

Gizelle wants to be just like Steph :)

And there you have it! Sorry if I just made all the other little ones look a little less cute, but I just had to share my baby with all of you!

Blogging, eh?

So, I created this blog a long time ago. I needed to create a blog for a class at the University of Utah and I set this up to try it out. I didn't really intend to ever have anyone read it, but from what I understand, it's been read a time or two. So I guess if it's going to be read, it should probably be written. But anyway, don't take those first two posts too seriously (notice I'm the first comment on both posts...)

So, I blog. Don't expect too much from me, as my life is rather run-of-the-mill these days. I don't live in a cool exciting new city, I don't have an exciting job, I don't have any interesting hobbies, and I don't collect stamps. If I collected stamps, you bet your ass I'd blog about it. I do, however, have a phenomenal girlfriend, a rather entertaining dog, an adorable God-daughter-to-be, and a desire to keep in touch with all of my long-lost loved ones stuck in various corners of the country. 

So, the first thing for me to talk about: Football. The Dallas Cowboys. It's the most wonderful time of the year: the beginning of football season. And the wonderfulness of this time of year intensifies when your team is projected to win it all. I've been projecting the Cowboys to win it all since draft day when they acquired Felix Jones, and now, with the season-ending injury sustained by Tom Brady, it seems that the rest of the nation is finally backing me up. If you didn't catch the Cowboys' domination of the supposed-to-be-good-this-year Cleveland Browns, you missed an amazing performance. So may I recommend that you not miss the game against the promising Philadelphia Eagles this coming Monday.

Okay, that's it. It's out of my system. I know that football is probably not a worthy blog topic, but the NFL occupies my mind this time of year. Don't let your hate for this post deter you from reading future posts. I'll try to fill my posts with some substance from here on out. Thanks for humoring me. See ya!

Gay Marriage

I can just picture it. A day I've looked forward to since the moment I first laid eyes on my girlfriend. I've saved for months and finally bought a ring. I set up the perfect scenario. Romantic dinner. Wine. Our favorite meal. Subtle music in the background. I get down on one knee. I present the ring and recite the line I've rehearsed hundreds of times. 

"Since the moment we met, I knew you were the one. I knew that my life would never be the same. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you be the love of my life? Will you marry me?"

She looks down at me with a tear in her eye. She doesn't hesitate. She quickly blurts out, "I'd love to! I'll get online and order the ballots. I'll notify the authorities today so we can get this process underway immediately! As soon as complete strangers give us the go ahead based on their morals and beliefs, we can start planning! Oh, I love you so much!"

How ridiculous! You have no right to vote on my marriage, and you have no right to vote on the marriage of anyone else. Love is love. Some people are gay. Get over it.

I have a new friend

I recently bought a motorcycle. I was worried that I would regret this purchase, but I couldn't be happier. Her name is Sasha.