Ah, February 14th.  The favorite day of the year. For Hallmark. And for all the florists selling a dozen roses for a price that would get you 4 dozen on any other day of the year. Too cynical? Maybe. Don't get me wrong, I like Valentine's Day.  Truly, I do.  I'm just of the opinion that if you wait to be reminded by the inescapable marketing messages from corporate America to show your spouse or significant other a gesture of romance one day out of the year, you're probably missing the bigger boat. Nonetheless, I hope they already know it by now, but I'd like to take this opportunity to tell my two three girls I'm thinking about them today.  So, here goes... Kylie - Two years has gone by in a blink.  Some days it still feels like we just got off the plane from our honeymoon in Italy. (I just had an ice cream sandwich which reminded me of the gelato, so that could be influencing my memory, but still...). Thank you. For loving me enough to take a chance on me for the rest of your life.  For respecting me as a friend, a provider, a protector, and a husband. For patience and trust in me to lead our family... even when I can't find the car keys that are in my hand. For putting up with my juvenile sense of humor (although I suspect when you roll your eyes, really you're laughing inside). For affirming me in the times I doubt myself the most.  For giving us a daughter.  For everything. God has shown me grace and mercy with more than I deserve in you. I know I fall short more often than not in being the husband I'd like to be, but I promise to keep trying until I stop breathing. Mia - You're a mess. But you're our little mess. You make me laugh and smile without even trying. Regardless of what kind of day I'm having, it's always a little better when you're around.  Thanks for chewing holes in my socks and boxers; not sure how you knew I wanted new ones any way, but thanks for speeding up the replacement process. Thanks for running out the front door from time to time and making me chase you all over the neighborhood.  Who needs P90X when I can just open the front door and get more exercise than I ever wanted?  Thanks for occasionally wrapping yourself around our heads like a toboggan while we're sleeping at night; keeps us warm (but I could do without the killer crick in my neck the following morning).  Thanks for hunting down birds in the back yard and bringing several of the (mostly) dead ones inside to show us; I wouldn't say I'm necessarily proud on that front, but your predator skills are certainly impressive. Thanks for loving on me. Every day. No matter what. I promise to (try to) not let you become a 3rd class citizen when the baby arrives.  2nd class? Maybe.  But not 3rd. [Soon-to-be] Baby Nicolosi - I am in awe of you already.  You haven't even arrived yet, and you've already brought me more anxiety and joy than you'll ever know.  With every movement of your mom's belly, you amaze me.  With just 9 weeks to go before we meet you, know that you are already loved.  I can't yet fathom the magnitude of emotions I'll experience the day you arrive, but one thing I am certain of is that it will be - along with marrying your mom - the most significant day of my life. I can't wait to experience life with you and to watch you grow (but not too fast).  Oh, and I'd like to apologize in advance for the camera in your face. All. The. Time.  I can't help it.  I want to freeze you in time and cherish each precious moment as long as I can.

To say we don't get a lot of winter around these here parts 1) sounds hill-billyish ('these here parts'? really?) and 2) is a bit of an understatement.  That being said, the only thing we were under most of last week is house arrest due to ice and snow.  People around here don't do well with the winter elements, and most of the city shuts down with a little sub-freezing weather + precipitation.  The problem is we don't have salt trucks down here.  Instead, any time it snows or ices over, the city sends out trucks to spread sand around all over the roads.  Now, I don't know a lot about science... only that Ben Franklin discovered electricity, Edison perfected the light bulb, and according to the National Enquirer, hair spray is ruining the world, but even I know sand doesn't melt snow and ice.  Perhaps the city is trying to divert our attention and diffuse the complaints about not having salt trucks by spreading sand hoping it will remind everyone of the beach and in turn the weeks of 100+ degree temps we'll have in about 5 months, and that ultimately we'll cherish this taste of Antarctica. In any case, I didn't really leave the house from last Monday night through last Friday except to meet Kylie out at the airport late Wednesday night and a trip or two to Red Box.  In hindsight, I wish I woulda taken a few more images during Weather-palooza 2.0, but, well, I was too busy sittin' by the fireplace during the rolling power blackouts. Here's our Ohio State gnome we got for Christmas sitting out on the back patio.

According to my measurements, it looks like we got about 3/4 of a gnome of snow last week.  Impressive.

Unfortunately everythings melted now, and all we've got left to show from Weather-palooza 2.0 is dirty, sandy roads... like a ghetto beach... reminding me of the blistering temps coming our way soon. Booooo.

Our little girl has a playmate waiting for her. Wo-hoo! Our friends Daniel & Amy had a tiny baby boy born on January 10th, and this last weekend I went to meet little Alex again and capture a few images of him while I was there.  Alex decided to make his debut a couple weeks early, so he was a little tiny, but otherwise healthy and he's doing beautifully.  Here's a few images of their precious little guy.

BTW, for any photogs out there, I created this blog storyboard image in just a couple seconds using a new Photoshop plug-in called, what else, Storyboard.  You may wanna check it out if you do blog storyboards and are looking for some ways to shave some time off your workflow.