Sorry about the lack of postage this past week.  One by one every single one of us got sick.

Joseph, Luke, Danielle, Alex, Eli, and finally Sara.  It’s been a long week.

This is just the morning dosage for the kids. :)

You’ve seen it on Facebook, you’ve tagged me, you’ve begged and pleaded for it, and now through the power of the internets behold, I give you my list.

1. i keep a kiddy toilet in the trunk of my car.

2. we have a 42 and a 50 inch plasma tv in our house, yet no satellite, cable, or rabbit ears. 

3. i have about 1.5 years of college under my belt.  stay in school kids.

4. i am fluent in espanol

5. sometimes my pictures come out ugly

6. the only reason i had a son was for it to be “ok” to play video games.

7. i am getting scary good at putting on barbie clothes

8. i slept outside an at&t store 2 years ago to be the first in line for an iphone. 

9. i would sleep outside an at&t store AGAIN for an iphone. (yes, that’s an “L” on my forehead.)

10.  before there was facebook there was geocities and i was on it.

11.  i once did a roundoff toe-touch when i was introduced in the lineup for my high school basketball team. (go panthers)  

12.  i have a sister who is younger than me, but usually acts older than me. 

13.  i have been catholic, episcopal, baptist, and non-denominational, and i’m still not convinced any of them really know what’s going on.

14.  i proposed to my wife on top of the empire state building on valentine’s day. 

15. i thought i was cool in high school, but looking back at the photos i’m pretty sure i was not.

16.  i have a cousin named alejandro.

17. the reason i fell in love with my wife is because she could not stand me.

18.  i had a 300 dollar wedding photographer.

19.  i think getting upset about professional sports is silly

20.  i have held my new camera more than my new baby

21.  i really really like to listen to rob bell talk.

22.  i love to watch cary grant movies with danielle.

23.  pete maravich once gave me a ribbon

24.  i almost bought a baby bouncer with an iphone dock.  (have i mentioned i like my phone?)

25.  i lied about number 14.

So yesterday was a big day in our house.  Jo lost his first tooth.  It’s been pretty loose the past week or so and he has been messing with it 24/7.
(A few days ago he said he could not sleep because his tooth was too loose.)

Anyway while I was on Linsey’s bridal session Danielle called me with the video camera rolling because Jo had some news to share.  

One of the most underated part of being a parent is getting to make new/cool rules up along the way.  Danielle and I decided that the first tooth you lose should count for more.  Ten Bucks!  That’s right “tooth fairy”, you can keep your stinkin’ quarters, it’s all about the Hamilton’s at our house.  Jo had a blast picking out a new toy at Target and Sara got a new shirt. :)

So I decided to start a little project this year.  I am taking a photo of Sara & Luke pretty much every single day.  (Jo was invited to join in, but apparently is too cool for this type of shenanigans.)  Anyway, Luke will “change” the most, and Sara changes clothes the most so I figure it will be pretty fun to look back on.  I’ll post the final project at the end of the year, but here is a sneak peek of the first couple weeks of Sara.

 
The worst part is now every time I’m  shopping somewhere I think about buying her a new outfit for the shoot.
I wonder if I can write off 300 size 4 tops?

Around our house we don’t really do Valentine’s Day the “official” way. We call ours “I Love You Day” and we each draw a name and buy that person a small little gift. It’s a fun little treat, but not the card/chocolate/musical fiasco that Hallmark would want it to be. What’s funny is that even before we had kids Danielle and I never celebrated it much. For us it’s just never been a big deal.

It’s not that we love each other so much that every day is Valentine’s day, but it’s more just the realization that marriage is a beautiful, hard, fun, long, and incredible journey. It has it’s ups and it’s down, it’s great days and it’s not so great days, but it’s nothing that a once a year holiday is going to make or break. We find “I Love You” in the day to day routine. Folding laundry for each other, letting someone sleep in, doing the dishes, all of these are little acts that make up our life together.

So about that vase… Early on in our marriage sometimes I would leave the little plastic that you peal off a milk jug on the counter. I didn’t do this because I was a bad husband. I did it because I was thirsty and wanted to get right to the glass of milk. Soon I found out it drove Danielle crazy!

Instantly I loved it more and started doing it on purpose. :)

I told her that it’s my way of saying “I Love You.” I soon started looking for creative places to hid them. In the sock drawer, the cereal, the jello in the fridge, anything that would catch her off guard. Anyway, we started collecting them and now they sit in our kitchen. I’m sure it’s strange to some people, but for me it’s a little reminder that it’s the little things that add up.

So here is my Official Valentine’s Day though:
Find a way to say I love you that only the two of you get, something in the everyday parts of life, and then say it over and over till death do you part.

To Danielle:  These crazy blog brides will come and go but you will always be MY bride.
 I could not imagine a better life.  Thank you for sharing yours with me.  143.