Happy Happy

So very cute...Added new Xmas pix to his photo album.

Greetings to all. We hope everyone is doing well and looking forward to the coming new year. Jen, Marcus, and I are doing great. The best news from our family these days: Marcus gets his second cast removed this coming Tuesday (1 week before christmas). We could not be more excited if we were kids again, so close to Christmas. He will wear a brace for as long as he needs it or tolerates it, whichever comes first. He is so very laid back that I think it will more likely be 'as long as Mom and Dad will tolerate it'. So, not long :-|.

The past few weeks have been very exciting for us. A mixture of reconnecting with old friends, bonding with our community, and moving forward through blessings earned and lessons learned. We were so thrilled about a visit from a long-time friend whom I had not seen in years. it is amazing how fast our lives move and how much fun it is to reconnect with old friends and string it all together.

Certainly most of you have heard of the shooting event at the Westroads Mall. Fortunately we did not lose any friends there however Omaha really is a small town at heart so this has an indirect affect on so many people. We did find it a bit creepy that Jen was at that mall and left about 45 minutes before it happened. This was particularly unnerving for us becuase Jen and the little man were in an accident only three days earlier on a particularly icy morning.

Both Jen and Marcus escaped unharmed however we lost our 4runner. Somewhat sad in a materialistic way as that was a good vehicle; one we were particularly fond of. Clearly the important thing is that our family is intact and I am even more fond of that truck for protecting my wife and child.

Marcus was a real trooper. A police officer was nearby and was on the scene before Jen was even out of the vehicle. He helped her out and then went in through the back to retrieve Marcus. Jen had immediately turned around to check on him after she released her seat-belt and she said he was looking around as if they had pulled over to park. Nothing to see here.

When the EMT's arrived they went to check Marcus for injuries only to find him smiling, laughing, and chattering away about how he and Mommy jumped the truck. He truly is very special and his easy-going attitude has really helped Jen and I breathe easier about the whole thing.

For the immediate future we are making due with one car where we can and graciously accepting the help of the various family and friends we have here (note that the lack of an adequate public transportation system combined with the aggressive urban sprawl we have seen in the past 15 year make Omaha difficult to manage without reliable transportation). We are shopping for a replacement vehicle, a task I generally enjoy quite a bit.

We are both car nuts in a certain sense, and I have to say we are fortunate enough not to be able to afford some of the cars we would otherwise indulge ourselves with. So, I do a lot of research in an effort to find the best options for us. This is a surprisingly rewarding task as I trudge through the process of negotiating with the insurance company. Our goals and priorities are so fundamentally opposed and it has been a shallow uphill grade so far which gives me flashbacks to earlier time spent working in H.R., and filing for disability. It probably hasn't helped that we just watched 'Sicko' which, even when taken with a grain of salt is a real pisser but that's a rant better suited for another time.

Everyone have a great holiday! feel free to email me your address (nselse@gmail.com) and we will gladly send you a Xmas card complete with photo of the little man.