AAA - no 12 steps here

Mommy's magic photo time

2009-01-27T22:36:00.001-08:00

Awesome title, huh? Apparently Amy decided that Ava was looking especially cute, and needed some of Mom's patented self-portrait shots done. So without further ado, let's rock and roll.

So, I think that Amy is setting Ava up to be her model for the next decade or so. Isn't that why we have children? To mine them for money?

Cross that one off the list...

2009-01-27T22:25:00.000-08:00

Of the 10 things I hadn't done but wanted to do.
I was a little bored, and my bro Sol decided that he was the one to shave my head. It was really that simple.

Ava enjoyed rubbing my head.

Grandpa's Time

2009-01-27T22:21:00.001-08:00

These two love their favorite granddaughter.

Blessing day.

2009-01-27T22:02:00.000-08:00

We are instructed, and Jesus asks us to name our children and bless them in church. I was hoping to do it on top of a mountain, but apparently sub-freezing temperatures are hard on grandparents and little babies. So, we blessed Ava on the 4th of January. In a chapel. I was disappointed to begin with, but it ended up great.
Here's pics.

Proud parents. Someday Ava will learn that thirteen people shouting "look over here! Ava! Ava!" means LOOK OVER HERE!

Ava, Dad, and Grandpa. You can see where she gets her dashing looks.

Group shot. It was remarkably hard to get everyone to actually sit still for this. Especially the people over 30. Okay, over 15.

Hanson side.

Pics. And more Pics.

2009-01-27T21:30:00.000-08:00

You remember when Amy was going to post pics and I was going to write? Yeah, that ain't happening, so here's pictures. If there's no caption, get your fuzzy little mind to that creative place that died so long ago (after you started watching the O.C. or any of those MTV reality crap shows) and make your own up. Theoretically, if you are reading this blog, you should either be related to me by blood or marriage, or a friend who I have the utmost respect for. Therefore, you are gifted with mental capacity beyond the multitudes who inhabit this earth, and are most likely cognizant of this. And, in knowing this, take great pride in your little one-liner jokes, your quick comebacks, and all the little quips that you pass off during the day. So, for five minutes, lets re-direct that energy into creating your own brilliant captions for these fantastic photos.

First Snow Day. She lasted 7 minutes before Mom feared hypothermia, frostbite, cannibalism, all of the above.

Christmas Pajamas. Little Dude Ben took this picture. Awsome talent for a little man.

Amy is now the reigning leg-wrestling champ of the female side of the Erickson family. I fear wrestling her, but not as much as I fear the reaper.......... (oh, yeah, classic rock reference)

Ava had the Blue Steel going, but right when I took this pic she saw something shiny to the left.
And then I saw it right after we took the picture. And was mesmerized. For hours. It glistened in the sun.......

First Christmas. She scored. Bigtime.

Apparently I do not smile for pictures. Here's a smiley. You're welcome, my darling wife.

Grandpa and Grandma with Ava and Christmas pj's.

Awesome ski-trekkers. They broke trails, fell over, and generally made giant asses of themselves. Every day.

Ok, so i didn't make you do the captions, so next time I see you, you better have something witty, quirky, and funny to say to me. Or I will blacklist you from my blog. And email. And cell phone. Pretty much my life. You will only be allowed to speak to me through Amy.
More pics coming soon.

Christmas Well-spent

2009-01-15T15:47:00.000-08:00

We'll get some pictures up of Christmas and New Years and of how much cuter our child is than any of yours..... but for now, here is a graph of how I spent nights during vacation.

And that is absolutely true.

Santa Claus is Coming.........

2008-12-16T00:45:00.000-08:00

But not for you, you bad little boys and girls.
And because of that, I decided that if Santa wasn't going to get Amy anything, I would. We know that Amy does neither read nor contribute to this blog, so I am tempted to put a picture up of what she is getting for Christmas. In fact, if I can get sworn statements of secrecy from any and all readers...... Hello?.....Hello?......(tap) (tap) (tap).........Is this thing on?......Anyone out there?
You know, there isn't really anybody who reads this anyway, so what the heck.
For Christmas, Amy is getting a custom-made and painted beach cruiser. I found a little-loved bike that was really a great starting point, and built up a fun, light, and one-of-a kind bike that I don't think anyone else will be able to claim they have seen before. Did I say I would post pics? Well, I guess I could.
Here are two 2AM shots after I finished it not 20 minutes ago. I wanted to have it done early so that if I screwed up, I would still have time to fix it. I know, I really don't trust myself around spray paint anymore, the fire marshal still makes me call him every time I am using it. Looong story, actually sealed by the courts, so I don't think anyone needs to hear it. Did I say pictures? Here you go.

To Dream, the Impossible Dream......

2008-11-24T21:18:00.000-08:00

I love Don Quixote. Everything about it. The book, the musical, the artwork by Picasso. Plus, just picturing in my head some geriatric dude in ill-fitting armor poking a stick at windmills makes me feel a little bit better about whatever is going on in the world.
But really, none of that matters.
None.
I fulfilled a dream about a week ago.
And there were witnesses.
When I was younger, there were two cars that I wanted. Given that I am a man of impeccable tastes, these two cars continue to be my two favorite, over a decade later. One is the Land Rover Defender 110. I realize many of you probably don't care. You can stop reading right about...... now. Those of you who obviously take my care and desires to heart, I appreciate your continued support. Now about these cars... The Defender 110 will be mine. They brought it into the US for only one year, so it will be a challenge, but I will get it. The other car is the oh-so-tastefully understated, sexy, and powerful BMW 850i. Basically a car that said "I'm so much better than you that I don't even need to drive a normal BMW, because I know what real power feels like." Yeah, I wish all of my cars said that. While at my parents house, my Uncle Strydr rolls up to the door. I said hello, then my father slyly said, "Huh, Alex, don't you want to see what Strydr is driving?" I assumed as always it was his older, more conservative Ford Escort wagon or his tastefully understated Subaru Outback. Boy did I make an ass of myself on that one. Gleaming in the driveway was a racing-red BMW 850i. I drooled, fumbled for words, and I think I may have actually wet myself. Irregardless, Strydr smiled at me and asked if I wanted to take a drive. Yep. Uh-huh. Yeah. Hell Yes! So my dad and I hopped in, and I ripped off a couple of very fast times on the road that my brother and I would usually race on.
End result? 0-60 in 5 seconds or less.
Even more end result? Dream come true. It happens folks, it happens.

It's the end of the world as we know it.....

2008-11-06T20:27:00.000-08:00

and I feel fine. Really. I do. Gotta be honest, this has been a wonderful few weeks. I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the pres. election, given that it was pretty much a foregone conclusion, so that week has been great. Amy was asked to shoot up in Idaho for a client, so we spent two weeks up there.
And, I have a little baby. An adorable, wonderful, sweet, month-old baby. Ava has been so much fun to hold, burp, change her diapers, pretty much anything. I have pictures. But Amy has them on her computer, and has held them hostage. I will get them up as soon as possible, but if you want to complain, you can blame her.

Apparently.....

2008-10-26T22:09:00.000-07:00

I'm getting old. I didn't think that it was going to happen. For those of you that know me, you know that I'm the kind of guy that is still fascinated by a Brio train set. The guy that you see at Cub Scout pinewood derbies cradling his "son's" perfectly made derby racer. I'm the guy that will buy toys "for my children" and then have just as much fun playing with them.
They say that having a kid changes you. I'm not sure that it changes you so much as re-focuses you. In my case, I have so many things gong through my head constantly (insert joke here {especially made for brother's and brother's-in-law to capitalize on}) that I am filtering way too much. Now, however, all that I think is, "what do I need to do to make my family happy?"
Anyway. Too much serious crap. Amy has finally volunteered to make her prodigious photography talents available to you via this blog. No longer will you have to put up with the crap that I put up, but rather, a veritable feast for the eyes that will delight and amaze even the most discerning of palates. That's a lot of big words that mean the pictures will get better from here on out. I'll just write.
We'll have a lot more pics of baby Ava. Lots. Mostly because she is the most attractive baby out there. The rest of you can suck it. And these pictures will be taken by Amy, so they will make her look even better. Suck it even more, dorks. I love this baby. She smiled at me for the first time the other day, and I almost peed myself I was so happy.
Anyway, Ava has been home for about 3 days now. She is happy. She craps, eats, and sleeps. And that's about it. Come to think of it, if that's all I did, I would be ecstatic.

Baby Pics

2008-10-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

The Family. We are starting a master race. She looks just like Mom's baby picture.

First picture of the baby!

9 pounds 6 ounces. That's a hefty chunk to push out.

The proud daddy and his offspring.

Baby Ava at her first nursery check-up.

Friends and Family who visited baby Ava in the Hospital. There were more of you, we'll post more later. Thanks to all of you for coming and checking in on Amy and Ava.

Going Home!

She is here!!!!!!

2008-10-23T16:24:00.000-07:00

Baby Ava Lynn Hanson was born last night at 10:25 pm. She weighs 9 pounds 6 ounces and looks exactly like her beautiful mother who worked so hard to bring her into this world.
I'm too tired to write anything witty and forgot to bring the cord to upload photos with me to the hospital. Someday I'll buy one of those fancy picture-machines with bluetooth, but for now, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see the pics pf my beautiful, fat, and sleepy baby girl.
Thanks for all the best wishes, prayers and love.

Its the final countdown......

2008-10-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

I love Rocky. The loveable retarded guy who somehow lucks his way through life and ends up.......Oh, no thats just Sly Stallone. My bad.
We are fast approaching the final hour here. Amy will be induced tomorrow if she does not go into labor by then. I'm pretty sure that she won't but I call her every 10-20 minutes or so just to make sure that her water has not broken. So far, no dice.
Anyway, we are now accepting donations to the "Keep our home babified" fund. The money you donate will go to protecting this home from the dangers of baby boredom. First on the list of measures to fight this dangerous disease is a 60" LCD bigscreen TV. This amazing technololgy can help a baby to learn and realize just how vibrant the colors are in Blue's Clues, how rythmic the motions are of the Doodlebops dancers, and help them to learn a greater sense of wonder at just how big Big Bird really is. Please send your check or money orders to me, I also process credit cards if you call while I am shopping at Best Buy or Circuit City.
For those of you who are important to us, you will hear about the baby's birth via text or phone call. The rest of you, smoke signals. It takes time, people.

The Polyphonic Spree

2008-10-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

I first saw these guys on "Scrubs", and their music really grabbed my attention. Different, but a lot of fun. Love this song, and this group kinda makes me laugh as they look so cultish......... Hmmm, I feel this overpowering urge to sign up to tour with them..... would you care to donate to their "travel fund"?

Out d****d spot... OUT!

2008-10-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

So today is the official due date of our first child. You would think that this kid would be ready to go and clawing its way out of the uterus. But no, apparently Amy has been eating too much sugar or something and this little girl does not want to leave her warm, soft, fluid-filled home. At all. According to our visit to our medical professional today, there isn't a thing that we can do to attempt to start labor, she is still so high up in there. Disappointing, eh?
So, those of you with bets made, HAHAHA! You have all lost! And badly. There may be a few of you that are still on, but I still laugh in your general direction. I think that the fact that this baby will most likely be medically induced probably negates any and all bets placed on or around that date. We may have a re-betting, based solely on the size of the head (which after looking at Amy's baby pictures I am sure will be the size of a chinese watermelon), length of the baby (remember, Amazon child), time of delivery after medication administered, and whether or not Amy punches me and how many times she says "this is all YOUR fault" through gritted teeth during delivery.
Let me know if you want in, the winner receives an all-expenses paid trip to ...... (drum roll) ....... Timber Lakes! where I will cook a magnificent breakfast (my specialty, mostly fried in bacon grease).

Man's best friend

2008-10-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

This is my dog. Lest you misunderstand, she is the best dog ever. Best Ever. I will fight anyone who says anything to the contrary. Her name is Maggie, and she is a little over 1 1/2 years old. Despite the fact that I feed her a ridiculous amount of food, she is really nothing but bone and muscle. Vet says she is just " active ". She even used the Air Quotes when she said it.
I think I will turn this into a series of blog posts, i.e. "this is my house", "this is my car", "this is my special medication for treating the voices in my head that tell me I'm really Czar Nicholas", "this is my bike". Let me know if you think I should follow that up.

Pictures and stuff

2008-10-07T11:18:00.000-07:00

We have pictures! At least from the last few months, so we'll see what you think. I'm pretty sure that this covers the trip to Yellowstone, visit to my parents house, pregnant Amy, and a whole lot of other useless crap that you probably don't need to see but want to anyway.Preggo Amy at Yellowstone.....

Hair....

No Hair!

Amy doing what she does. She's pretty hot.

A sad day in OSU football history, but one of the best damn games I have ever been to.

We'll put more up, eventually.

Home sweet home

2008-10-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

I decide to go ahead and publish a picture of our home, Amy hasn't quite gotten around to it. I'm pretty proud of the little work around it that I have been able to do to improve it, (look at the handmade swimming pool and architecturally sound decks!) and look forward to being able to expand it with our family that I am sure will continue to grow quickly.

Ricky Martin had it right......

2008-10-01T00:43:00.000-07:00

Not by being a member of Menudo, which, for a 13 year old kid, probably got him more action than he knew what to do with. No, I mean with the crazy hair and tight pants. Never mind......
We are about two weeks away from an expected due date of the future first child of ours. That probably sounded a lot more complicated than it really is. What I meant was, in two weeks we expect to welcome our first child and the newest member of the Hanson tribe. I say tribe, because I always wanted to be part of a governmentless society where I would rule my own clan with an iron fist, laying waste to the neighboring tribes who would not bend to my will. Of course, I have a wife, so ruling with an iron fist is a right that has been stripped from me. But I can still dream.....
Either way, we have a house, a bedroom for baby, all laid out, and luckily enough, family who will be around and also coming into town to help out for this momentous occasion. So, details shall be forthcoming as events occur. I always wanted to write that last sentence.

Babies, dogs, and houses...

2008-09-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

These are the keys to life. After a brief (extended over time....) time of residence in my in-law's house, we finally grew up! I think it started when I knocked Amy up..... I mean, we got pregnant! When that happened, we decided against the Eastern European/Asian style of family communal living, as fun as it may be cramming an entire extended family into 2 bedrooms and an outhouse. (Not to say that we were sharing 2 bedrooms and and outhouse, you should see the Alpine house that we were staying in. It's like living in a resort in the Alps, without having to deal with pretentious Swiss people or anal airline representatives who try and delay you from getting over there.... but that's a story for another day.) We are now in the process of moving to a house in American Fork. Plenty of room in there for a baby nursery, an office, and room for my dog to run around. That's right, I said MY dog. What sucks is that once you claim a dog is yours, all of the things the dog does become your fault, unless they are good things. Then, the wife or father-in-law claim that the "good" dog is due to them. No matter what, though, she is the most awesome dog alive. And one of the cutest. This would probably be better with pictures, because then you could see what I am talking about, but I'm not the artistic one. Blame Amy. She can take the stupid pictures. Now, we have a dog, a house, and a baby coming. Apparently we all have to grow up sometime. Or not. Stay tuned for more on our move, the baby, and hopefully some pictures (courtesy of Amy) that will bring all of you visually stimulated people back to this dirty rag we call a family blog.

The family site

2007-01-07T21:53:00.000-08:00

We decided to jump on the bandwagon of blogging and hope that all our friends and family can stay hooked on this site to let them know what we are up to. We should have pictures, info, and updates of what will be going on in our life.