Yes, the Seattle Seahawks are going to the Superbowl. This football season has been vaguely reminiscent of the 1995 Seattle Mariners; then, too, I wasn’t much of a fan until they started to win, at which point I began to watch faithfully. I watched both playoff games this past Sunday, and much of all four playoff games the Sunday before, and a number of other games ever since the Seahawks had accumulated 10 or so wins for the season. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy watching football before; I’m just a bit of a fair-weather fan. Like most people, I have a lot more fun when I can watch my local team win. So, come Sunday after next, I’ll be staring at some television somewhere, rooting for our team. Go Seahawks!

In case you haven’t heard, we’ve been getting a lot of rain in these parts lately. We’ve basically had rain every day for the last month. Seattle had its 27th consecutive rainy day on Saturday. We had a reprieve this weekend, and actually got to enjoy a bit of sun, but the rain is back with a vengeance today. Generally speaking, I don’t think that we deserve our rainy stereotype, but even I am ready for a change in the weather. The combination of dark skies, hard rain, and faded road lines make for a stressful commute, and daily lunchtime walks are a lot less enjoyable.

Today wasn’t all gloom, though; the kids had the day off school, so Julie brought them to Bellingham and we had lunch together at the “wood fire pizza” restaurant near the office. We all enjoyed our pizza and a little extra time together.

When you haven’t blogged for a while, you realize that there are a few important life events that you haven’t mentioned. It’s rather unlikely that I have any readers that don’t already know this, but just in case…

Julie’s pregnant! If you have any questions, please check the FAQ:

Q: When is Julie due?
A: Mid-June. She’s glad that’s before the hottest summer months.

Q: How has Julie been feeling?
A: Pretty well. She didn’t feel great for a while during the first trimester, but she doesn’t get morning sickness as badly as many other women, so she took it in stride.

Q: Do you know what you’re having?
A: A human. (Har!) We don’t know the sex of the baby, nor do we intend to find out (until it is born, that is).

Q: Did you find out with any of your other kids?
A: No. We like the surprise.

Q: How many kids do you have, anyway?
A: When we bring the new baby home this summer, we’ll have four kids in the house.

Q: You currently have three daughters, right?
A: Yep.

Q: I guess you’re pretty outnumbered, ha ha.
A: That’s not a question.

Q: Wow, that’s three weddings to save up for. Maybe four!
A: A question, please?

Q: Sorry. So, you must be hoping for a boy, eh?
A: I’m good either way. Another girl would be easiest, of course, but I think we’re up to the challenge of raising a boy.

Q: The more girls you have in a row, the more likely the next will be a boy, right?
A: I think we have at least a 50% chance of having a boy.

Q: Have you decided on names?
A: We have a number of possibilities, but no definite names yet.

Q: What are some of the possibilities?
A: None of your bee’s wax. You’ll just have to wait like everyone else.

Q: Are you praying for a happy pregnancy, a safe childbirth, and a healthy addition to the family?
A: Absolutely.

Welcome to 2006! It seems unlikely that I’ll manage to start posting to this blog on a regular basis again, but it’s a new year, so I should at least give it a try.

I was reasonably productive at work today, considering it was my first day back since Thursday before last. I had a great time on vacation. We didn’t have to do any traveling this year, because our families came here! We had Julie’s two brothers in town with their wives, and my parents! Along with the normal fellowship, food, presents, etc., there was also some serious gaming – Settlers of Catan, Euchre, and Rook! We watched our share of football, spent some time looking for eagles, read books, visited extended family, went bowling, drank coffee, and all manner of other memorable activities. But now it’s all over, and we’re left wondering when we’ll get to do it again. As soon as possible, I hope.