backlog

amazing photo

Our great friends Emmy and Aron tied the knot recently. Check out these AMAZING photos from their New Orleans wedding. (Watch for the flower girl!) What a photographer!

CLICK HERE

And for more of our "famous" children, check out page 141 of Inside Columbia magazine. (hope you're patient)
CLICK HERE

hit parade

[Insert long/witty excuse here]

Hey there, check out some pics:

real post coming soon

Dutchies and Dice

I was reading some of my old posts from 2006 and realized that I used to be quite the prolific little blogger. I know I had more free time back then, but I should still be able to crank out a paragraph or two at least every couple of days, don't you think?

Anywho, we recently travelled out to Utah for Grandma Mary Jane(melissa's mom's mom)'s funeral. This post is dedicated to grandma.



When Melissa and I got married our first home was Grandma and Grandpa's basement. We paid an exorbitant $250.00 a month. Grandma threatened to raise the rent, but I don't think she ever did. We were newlyweds, and there was no lock on the door to the upstairs. Take a second to ponder that fact. Enough said.

We used to go upstairs with G&G and play dice or cards. Sometimes we'd watch VHS movies. Sometimes we'd play piano. My pet iguana, Devo (RIP 2001) escaped upstairs and into (that's right, INTO) grandma's couch. I eventually had to turn the couch over and cut a hole in the bottom to free him. Sorry, Grandma. Now you know!

On birthdays grandma would always have us sing the dutch birthday song which sounded like "Long sal-silavia, Long sal-silavia, Long sal-silavia in the gloria...in the gloria! In the glo-Ree-Ya!" I was a smart-ass and would sing "lost in transylvania." Meliss did not approve. Grandma would roll her eyes.

Grandma and grandpa let us stay in their condo in St. George for our honeymoon. They gave my brother cheap rent in the back room. (did you just have one room? did we share the bathroom? NUTS!) Once the basement flooded and I nearly electrocuted myself wading through the kitchen.

We both went to East High and we both have red hair. It was an accomplishment to get grandma to laugh at my jokes. Sometimes I could even get her to laugh a big hearty laugh. She used to joke about having certain people erased from the giant family photo above the stairs. That was funny.

It always amazed me to see how many people fit into that picture and what an ordeal it must have been to get that photo taken. Melissa will laugh at this part, as she has recently seen how tolerant I am of our friend Olan Mills.

Her family is of course even larger now. It was great to see everyone celebrate her life last week at the viewing and funeral. If I may wax even a bit more cheesy, I have to say that I am jealous of grandma now that she knows the last great secret of what happens next. Thank you grandma for your generosity, your laugh, and your wit. Our family will always sing lost in transylvania at birthdays, and I will teach Lucie and Jane about their wiley, red-haired great-grandmother.

Come on...

I was just in the waiting room at the doctor's office (don't worry, no
new injuries) and the nurse called out, "Joshua Holly-cock?" Come on,
people.

simple minds

Melissa bought an old PC from her former employer for dirt cheap and we are rigging it up for Lucie to destroy. I found an old program that we used to play with back in the mid 1990's: Sound recorder. It turns out that it is still incredibly fun to play with. It is so simple, yet so powerful. I have learned from it that there is nothing funnier on this planet than a two year old's voice in slow motion:

babies n space

This is Lucie enjoying an appetizer of syrup on tortilla chips.  She is apparently part elf.

Lucie's new and improved gymnastics class.  800 times bigger and much better equipment, but we all miss Coach Bob.

Went to White Castle in St. Louis.  As it turns out, it sucks.  The burgers are small, topped only with grease and onion shreds, and the buns are soggy before you get your receipt.  Thanks for the heads up, Harold and Kumar.

Janie-Poo is now her official nickname.  Sorry, kiddo (that's for you, Dan).  

Went to Liberty Jail in Liberty, Missouri.  Very cool.

I just finished the miniseries When We Left Earth and I cannot stop thinking about space.  Did you know that we are currently on schedule to make it back to the moon in 2019 (50 years after we first made it there) and we are planning to land on Mars in 2037?  Did you further know that I will be 49?  Did you know that we landed on the moon 6 times?  

The Saturn V rocket that launched the Apollo missions is the most powerful rocket ever built (160 Million Horsepower and 36 stories tall).  The Ares will be the new series of rockets for the next set of moon missions (already being tested) and will be even more powerful!!!  Are you as dorked out as I am right now?!?!?!

Let us return to normalcy with some video of Jane being adorable. The sounds made by me were too obnoxious so I spared you all. You're welcome.



p.s. As Dad sadly pointed out in his comment, I will actually be 58-59 in the year 2037. Josh = loves space/sucks at math.

the great hiatus

I figure one post per month is the bare minimum for any self-respecting blogger. Although, I have some pretty good excuses. Not the least of which being the fact that I recently broke my hand. You might notice that my right hand looks a little more blue than my left. I'll try to scan my x-rays in, they're much cooler. As to how it happened, it turns out that in a battle between the ground and bone, the ground wins. Fortunately somebody in Galveston designed this sweet little brace for people like myself:

4-6 weeks of this and I'll be back in business.

Where oh where

Man, my time between posts is getting pretty long. No time. Must...survive...month in ICU...

Remind me to tell you about Lucie's Mary Kay adventure during my nap today.

And now for something completely different:

Santa!

After an unsuccessful attempt at bonding with ole St. Nick at the church christmas party, Lucie finally let down her guard and met with the big man at the Urology party. Behold:



Still a bit hesitant.

Jane had no qualms at all.


Lucie preferred cookie making at first, we owe the party planners about 10 bucks for wasted sprinkles.


Mommie and Jane, who managed to sleep through the whole affair.


Finally she caved.


Aww...presh.


She still preferred markers as soon as he freed her.


Looking snazzy.


Daddy dressed festively.


More sleeping. The tongue never goes away.

Coming to Utah this week. Can't Wait!!!!!!!!

the darndest things

When Lucie is cold she now says "I colding!"

She calls all soda "pessy" (pepsi) except diet root beer which is called "daddy pessy."

She has an addiction to all things pixar:
"Mouse" = Ratatouille
"Bugs" = A Bug's life
"Wowee" = WallE
"Cars" = Cars (uh...yeah)

In order to go to sleep she requires her "white blankey" which is actually her pink blankey, her "pink inky" (pink binky), and "cackitt milk" (chocolate milk).

When she's not sure which thing we want her to grab or point to she says "Nissan? Nissan?" (this one?)

She much prefers to "sherr" (shower) rather than take a bath.

She was crying because I was leaving and Melissa said "Daddy has to go to work." Lucie said, "Daddy work? Lucie work!" (just try to go to work after that)

Too many other cute things to mention.

Check out some sweet pics of Luce done by a profesh on her blog.

pics

Have a kid...or two.  

Leaves!

Mommy and Jane

Assume the position.

Lucie and friends at Thanksgiving.  

something witty

The following is long and may only be enjoyable to grandparents and gymnastics enthusiasts.

1:00 a.m. Horse race

I had to come in from "home call" (which is glorious by the way) to see a patient at 1:00 a.m. tonight and the hospital parking garage had no power. It was pretty creepy circling up the garage in complete darkness. But what's more, they're obviously trying to get the power up and running and a crappy recording of that trumpet solo (like right before the start of a horse race) keeps going off. Again, at 1:00 a.m. I'm sure all the local co-eds are loving that.

P.S. I also got bloody urine splashed in my face tonight. Don't ask.

The Philadelphia

Not to be confused with Mr. Hanks' oscar-winning epic, this movie is okay, too. Actually, it was so good that it took two parts to get it all on youtube! Make sure to hang on for the out-takes at the end for Josh's hypocritical fault-finding. My personal favorite: Gar's I Dream of Genie blink. Classic.




Wow, it's a miracle I didn't die of hyponatremia from drinking all that water. And I have to say, those out-takes are about the funniest thing ever captured on film. I could watch them 100 times. And I will.

Picture Pages, Picture Pages

Sweet Sweet Jane

Lucie relaxing with Grandma Celeste

Witch Lucie!

Uni-pigtail

It has now gotten dangerous to actually light as many candles as years I have been alive.

I got a sweet telescope...

And a shiny new iPhone!!!   So spoiled.  

Happy Birthday to me

It didn't end up mattering, but boy was it close in Missouri.  And check out how the red and blue counties broke down.  We're like our own little microcosm of the country.


For my 30th birthday I would like:
1) A new president
2) World Peace
3) Whirled Peas
4) A Porsche
5) A day off to sleep
6) 2 happy, healthy beautiful daughters


(please note #'s 1, 3, and 6 have already been granted)

Yes we can!

There is Hope!

p.s. is that cornball enough for you?

The Shblog goes political!

So, Barack Obama visited Columbia, Missouri tonight, a short 5-minute walk from my place of work. I went over to check it out, only to find that I couldn't get within 100 yards of where he would be speaking. Here are some photos:

The setting: University of Missouri ("MIZZOU") campus.  Lots and lots of people.  

Some idiots climbed trees to get a better look and they received a scary superbright flashlight of doom from these dudes on top of a nearby building.

My camera has a 300mm zoom lens and this was the best I could do, needless to say I was far away.  But we could sure hear him.  He gave a great speech.  But you don't have to take my word for it.  (bah-dum-dah!)  Here is a link to the speech.  I recorded it on my phone, so don't expect Doubly.  ("I think you mean dolby.")  Name that movie!