Nebraska and the Final Frontier

I can see by my ticker tape to the right that you all have been checking for new posts lately, so I guess I need to keep them coming.

Two Friday’s ago my folks dropped us off in Orlando and we flew to Omaha for the Horihan family reunion. Horihan is Valerie’s mom’s maiden name. She has 3 sisters and 5 brothers. There were 43 of us there, total, I think. All of us are kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, or spouses, and it is an incredible family. I can’t even begin to say how honored I am to be connected to them through marriage and through having a son that is part Horihan. I feel like a true cousin, nephew, and grandkid in their family. Valerie, Carver and I will do our best to make it to the reunion every summer.

This past weekend we stayed in Gainesville and had a great time. Valerie had the wonderful idea of celebrating Father’s day early because we’ll be in Miami next weekend for Danny and Lindsey’s wedding. She bought me a trailor for Carver to ride in behind my bike. Don’t worry, it was made for that. I’ve been wanting one since I first started thinking about having kids. We went on a test run with Carver yesterday afternoon around campus and it was great! Carver slept the entire time in a position that would have made me sore for days. I wish I had his elasticity!

The longer I’m married, and the longer I’m a dad, the more I love both. Without casting pearls before swine, I’ll just say that I have never loved Valerie or Carver as much as I do right now, and I expect that trend to continue indefinately. Carver has started grabbing at my face sometimes when I hold him. Yesterday after communion he was doing it and I couldn’t help but think it’s his first signs of showing affection.

With only one of us working, we’ve had to be careful about the way we spend our money, but day in and day out I am convinced more and more that I wouldn’t trade what I have for the whole world, or even all the good parts of the whole world.

On a related note, I have a new brother-in-law!!! His name is Ryan Machara and I’ve known him since I was in 10th grade, when Nathan and I would see him at the gym doing these crazy gyrating ab things. If you had told me then that he’d be my brother-in-law, I would have introduced myself to him. Instead I just made his smoothies quietly when he came to Smoothie King. I am so pumped about my sister marrying him.

Also, I saw my dad on Nova last night. It was a special on the Columbia accident a few years ago, and the clip was some kind of stock footage from when he still had a mustache. I am extremely proud of my dad. He is still my hero. He works on the freaking space shuttle. Among other things, he lights the fuse.

Get a clue blue!

If there's anything I hate in sports, its bad calls. These umpires officiating the Women's College World Series are calling terrible games behind the plate.