Another Year Passes

This has been a full year.  People say you slow down when you hit 50 .... I did not see that.  Work has been busy, the kids have been active with their lives, and then Laura and I decide to move to the mountains of western North Carolina.

And it has been an adventure. First finding the house for us in a snowstorm in February, taking possession of the house in April and then beginning the work of making some changes we wanted, like gutting the basement and putting in hardwood floors.  This of course while working full time, plus some.

The move was an adventure. Arranging the move and then finding out it would take two days to pack the house and get it in a truck and then take a week to get here ... the same day I had to leave on a business trip. I got back to a house full of boxes, a pool pump I needed to replace and then having to leave again a day later.

Well finally I was able to be home for a couple of weeks. We unpacked,  most things, got the pool up and running and started to get used to WNC.

And as soon as we started to settle down we found Nala. But that is another story.

Happy Birthday Mom!!!!

Or is it Happy Thanksgiving?

Oh ... it is actually both!

It does seem appropriate ..... we are very thankful that you are here for us and very thankful for all you have done over the years. You have always tried to guide us, sometimes with the little push, but more often with your wisdom and sensible view on life.

Thank you for everything you have done and we hope you have a wonderful birthday week in Ottawa.

Love Gary & Laura

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is the 91st anniversary of my Dad's birth. 90 of those years the world got to be part of his life but that doesn't mean we have forgotten.

We miss you ... and still love you

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Chris!!!

It is hard to believe that 2 decades ago I was driving to the hospital and would be welcoming you into the world in a very short period of time. You made a dramatic entrance and you have certainly kept the interesting elements of life going. Trust me when I say that I am not complaining. You have become your own person ... very few people are brave enough to take the steps you have. I hope you continue to keep an open, caring and honest mind about things and show all people the caring soul you have ... even when they struggle with understanding ... they sometimes need your caring more than others.

I am also very proud that you have been a stand out student. I know that I did not make any Dean's list. Well I might have but it was more likely to be for the guy to kick out for skipping class. I know that not many people know how much your professors see in you. Your recognition within the English department at GMU and the making of the dean's list along with the great marks. You are a stand out student. I know Laura is as proud as I am.

We both hope that this decade brings you as much satisfaction as you can bear. We know you deserve to be happy and that means making choices and decisions that may be hard but know that we will always be the net to catch you if you need to be caught. We know you will be your own person and we will stand beside you to help and support so that you grow to be the person you are meant to be.

We both love you and hope that you have a wonderful birthday and a fantastic 20th year.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Happy Birthday .... to my Wonderful Wife

Today is a unique birthday celebration .... no it is not any of the big ones like 35 or 40 .... but today is the fifth year I get to celebrate Laura's birthday with her ... and really that is more a gift for me then it is for her.

Yesterday myself, Kris and Sam took Laura out to the movies. We went and saw American Hustle ... a great movie. We were all talking about how well Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence played their roles ... and then they walked off with Golden Globes last night as did the movie. Laura must have been their good luck charm.

This year does become an interesting one as we will have a few changes throughout the year ... including Sam's graduation from High School and her deciding where she wants to go after high school. We will have to wait and see what the summer brings as that adventure unfolds so this birthday is the start of another new adventure.

For today is a day to celebrate and the first part of that is to say .....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Love you baby!

Happy Birthday Sam!

Today my youngest becomes an official adult.  There are lots of reasons why I could say she has been one for awhile .... She is very mature when it comes to her money and driving and also with her attitude about things in the world around her.  But today she turns 18 so she is officially an "adult".

When I sit back and think about this .... the first thing that comes to me is that this was the last Christmas where we would have a child in our house. 

Yes this Christmas we got to have all of our children, as well as my Mom and sister, at the house but next year it will be a houseful of adults.  I would say that means people will be up late morning rather than the crank of dawn but myself and Laura are always the first up anyway and waiting for everyone else to rise.  

I guess even if Sam is now an adult we can still keep our little piece of childhood .... and I hope Sam keeps her remaining childhood ways as well ... and enjoys them.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAM!

We love you!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my Mom's birthday. I think she said she was 29. 29 what I am not sure but I know she has the liveliness of 29.

I know today was not the easiest of birthdays for her - and in fact the last few months have been challenging but today is also Thanksgiving Sunday in Canada and I know she will say she is thankful. I know she will say she is thankful for her health and the fact that she can help others. She would say she is thankful for the fact that my sister's surgery went well and she is improving. I know she will say she is thankful for the fact that her loving husband of 50 years was able to give her a birthday kiss today. And I know she will say she is thankful for her friends and family that have helped her through things over the past few years.

I know one thing - I am thankful that she is my Mom. Thankful that she was there to teach me, even when she tried not to show it, and that she was there to sit and talk with me for days when I had my own problems to face.

I love you Mom. Thank you for being there for us. I promise we will be there for you.

Happy Birthday!

A Great Birthday Long Weekend ...

Now everyone in my family may not agree with that opening title as I was sick with a stomach bug for 4 of the past 5 days BUT none the less I had a great birthday as I leap into my last year of the decade.

The week itself started out great with Kris getting her citizenship finalized .... FINALLY. But that also may have been the day when I contracted whatever it was I had. We had lunch at a sandwich shop that we have been to many times but by my birthday Wednesday I was not feeling great. I did wake up to some beautiful sunflowers and a gift of a great bottle of port. Not that I would have the port for breakfast but .... no I did not.

Since I was not feeling great the girls waited until Thursday to cook me a great meal. And they really did all the cooking. Grilled lamb chops, some with fresh rosemary and others jerked; fresh asparagus and; sweet potato fries. It was delicious. Laura topped it all off with a nice carrot cake - always my favourite. They also treated me to some new hot sauces, I am well stocked now, some of my favourite chocolates and Kris and Sam found me some plates that I just love. It was a great evening but not the end of my birthday celebrations .... according to my wife.

On Friday morning I was told to have an overnight bag packed. Laura came home early and we grabbed our bags and got in the car and she said we were heading to Paris! Ok, what she really said was head towards Upperville and we ended up in Paris, Va. In Paris there is a little inn called the Ashby Inn. It is somewhere Laura and I have been reading about for a couple of years and wanted to try so she booked us a night at the Schoolhouse there and reserved a table at their famous restaurant. It was good fortune to that she did it for this birthday as their chef, who has really revived the restaurant, is leaving shortly. We had a great meal, nice cocktails, good food and good wine, on the outdoor patio overlooking the rolling Blue Ridge Mountains.

The next morning, a nice sleep and a great breakfast at the restaurant. Everything was great.

A big thank you to my girls for cooking a great meal, and cleaning up after, and of course to my wonderful wife who helped them out with organizing things and with cleaning up and of course with
setting up another wonderful birthday trip to a fantastic local inn with great local chefs.

Happy Birthday .... eh!

Today is Tika's birthday ... and now is legally able to do anything anywhere.

Not quite current ... but I love this picture

OK that is not a "Get out of jail free" card but she has hit that point in her life where her age going forward will not be the "I can't wait til I'm 15 so I can get my permit" "I can't wait until I am 18 so I can vote" "I can't wait until I am 21 so I can go to bars". From here on it will be - I can't believe I am ....

But we do wish her a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. We are so proud of you. You have created a life for yourself that seems to make you happy. It has challenges, we know that, but you live up to those. You do know that no matter what we will always be there to help you out as well ... and I know your friends all feel the same way.

For today we do not want you worrying about things. Have a fun day and we will celebrate again when we see you in a couple of weeks.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Kris's Birthday Cake

I think Laura said it first so when I was making Kris's cake it seemed like the perfect way to decorate it :-)

Happy Birthday Kris!!!!!

I am not going to say how old she is - protect her privacy type thing - but suffice to say there is part of me that cannot believe that this is "that" birthday for her.

Kris is a lot like me, maybe it is the middle child thing, but she has her uniqueness and I think that is why everyone who gets to know her likes her so much. She is always there to help but is very cautious at the same time. She can be a tough nut to crack at times but that is not a bad thing.

I am not sure what she will want to do tomorrow but I know she will enjoy the day - she always seems to. I know every day is not perfect for someone in college but I also know when she looks at the, her friends, her family, her love, that she knows she has a lot to be happy about.

And we hope today is especially happy because ......

IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

The Start of a Birthday Weekend

Reflection of Toki sign

This weekend is Kris's Birthday and we started it off last night by going out to dinner at a restaurant in Northeast DC that she has been wanting to try, Toki Underground.

We had a great dinner - pan-fried and steamed dumplings to start, big bowls of ramen with pork, and finishing off with hot out of the oven cookies. The girls enjoyed some apple soda and Japanese soda, Ramune, while I enjoyed some Sake.

We had a great time - lots of laughs and great food.

Pictures from Laura's Birthday Weekend

Just a few pictures. I would have taken a picture of her cake but it is half-eaten now.

Happy Birthday Honey!

Laura pointed out to me that today is the 13th day of 2013. In my mind that is the luckiest day as it is her birthday.

Yesterday, what we now call Laura's Australian birthday, we went to Barrel Oak Winery somewhere we will go every now and then to enjoy a glass of wine and to just relax. Well yesterday was a bit different as I had worked with the people at the winery to have a Barrel Membership set up and ready for Laura. She was quite surprised and happy. We spent the afternoon having a personal tour of the barrel room with one of the vintners, had a picnic and some nice wine. It was especially nice that it was a warm sunny day and we could sit outside.

Today the girls and I will celebrate with Laura at one of her favorite restaurants in Georgetown ... and we may have some other surprises for her too.

Happy Birthday Honey!

Happy Birthday Sammy!!!!

So we were thinking about this yesterday - Sam is almost finished being a teenager. Little Sammy. Karate Champion. The kid who can save money for anything. Someone who makes everyone smile - an all-around goof.

You have grown up so much over the last couple of years. Now you have your drivers license. Getting ready to head into Senior year. I could say that I will miss all the little things that you would do when you were young but frankly you still do lots of them and that is what makes you Sammy. It is also what makes everyone smile around you.

We hope you have a great day today and have all kinds of fun.

Happy Birthday!!!!!

For those that missed it - a couple of pics from bowling with Sammy for her birthday

Happy Birthday Mom

I did say it was a month of celebrations .....

This one is always a nice one to celebrate. I want to say a special Happy Birthday to my Mom. For more than 48 years you have put up with me. The mistakes that I have made. My carelessness that has frequently gotten me in trouble or injured. The bad decisions I have made. All through this you have always showed you loved me and supported me. You have always talked with me to make sure I understood things. It was not always easy to see at the time but I can now see how that heed me to be who I am. And now I try to take the same tact with the girls and hopefully they will see that I will always be there for them, loving them, as you have for me.

Thank you Mom for all you have done and I hope you have a wonderful day - one that is relaxing and fun.

Happy Birthday!!!!!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Happy Birthday Dad

This is a great way to kick off a month of lots of celebrations - my Dad's Birthday.

Today Dad is 88. Personally I am very glad I can say that because at 88 he has seen and lived through a lot. I would like to say that with age comes wisdom but I am more likely to say that with age comes experience and the smart people learn from their experience. I have always thought of my Dad as the smart guy. I like to think that the way I look at things has been because I would watch my Dad work at things. He always worked hard but usually in a smart way. I say usually because we all have those days when no matter what you do it just feels like a hammer will solve the problem.

I wish I could be home with my Dad today to share a glass of whiskey with him but I will need to save that glass for a bit later but I do want him to know that I will raise a glass to him today and wish him many more years.

Love you Dad

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Thank you!

Yesterday was a great day and it is largely thanks to Laura.

We started the day at out local Caribou Coffee where I got a free coffee for my birthday. We then packed a picnic and headed down to Delaplane to visit Barrel Oak Winery. It is a small winery/vineyard that have some of the friendliest people involved with it. Their wines are varied and good. A couple we really liked. Their grounds are just beautiful. They have about 23 acres of 10 varietals growing and were just getting ready to start harvesting some of the fruit. We rann into a couple of people that worked their while touring their production room and started to have a long chat with one of them. Turns out she is one of the owners. She was very friendly and gave us lots of insight into what it takes to run a vineyard.

After wine tasting and some lunch we picked up some lamb to have for supper and we made lamb chops with fresh rosemary, roasted butter potatoes and some sautéed green beans. For dessert I am still working on my carrot cake that Laura got for me for Sunday - and it is still very yummy :-)

Another cool thing was when I went to check something on Google I saw the following Google Doodle. For those that don't know - if you see a Google Doodle and it does not make sense to you just roll your cursor over it and it will tell you what it is about. Well I rolled mine cursor over this one and it said "Happy Birthday Gary!" I thought it was cool - but on the other hand realized that Google was pulling the dat from my Google+ and then direct marketing me (which I generally do not like - except when it says Happy Birthday Gary!)

Thank you Sweetheart for a wonderful birthday.

Happy Birthday Tika!!!

Today is Tika's Birthday .... ok I will not do the ... hooray, hooray, hooray ... ok I did


Seriously Tika, I am so proud of you. You have grown up to be an amazing person ... full of life ... facing challenges ... and being your own person while doing all of it. I know some of the challenges are tough and that require you to step outside your comfort zone but I know you can do that as well and you showed us all that this weekend taking on your first road running race.

For those that did not know, Tika and I did a race to support the National Capital Lyme Disease network. It was a 5K around the beautiful National Conference Center in Leesburg. The course was very much an undulating one with one really good long hill. We saw a few people we knew there including Hollis and Ben who we may have gotten a little competitive with. Tika did great for her first race ... finishing in under 29 minutes (we do not have an official time but it was something like a 28:40). She was very excited when she registered and got her bib with number 487 - which we interpreted to mean she was running "for #87" (and she was wearing her Zigs which Crosby is a spokesman for).

After the race we headed out for a coffee and then with her two sisters we headed to DC to try a vegan restaurant that she had wanted to try. Cafe Green is fantastic. They had a brunch style menu and we tried a few dishes and all were good but the blueberry pancakes and the tex-mex hash were great.

Afterwards we headed down to the American Art Museum. Sam is not a big gallery or museum person but I think everyone like the video gaming exhibit at AA. I also love this museum, especially the link to the Portrait Gallery and the 3rd floor hall pictured that used to be used for storing patent models.

For her birthday treat Tika wanted to head to Sticky Fingers. She loves the place and her argument for going there is if I bake her cupcakes or a cake she will eat it all but this way she will only have one. I was ok with the argument since it is her birthday. SF holds up to its winning of Cupcake Wars every time we are there. It is fantastic - we just love the place. One can see why people do not believe that these are vegan treats.

Overall we had a great day and a good one to end her teen years. We even saw some surprising things ....

This is as unique as Tika

Happy Birthday Tika! We love you!

Birthday Wish for Kris

Everyone says this is a busy time of the month - the start of March Madness, Ides of March, the Eire of March - nice play on words :-) - but the biggest for me is today's date and my daughter's birthday.

This is her last high school birthday - next year off to college - so this is a big one for me. I will be making sure she has a good weekend. She already has requested a special lunch on Sunday and I get to make her a cake :-) and we will work from there.

So myself and Laura hope she has a GREAT day today and we want to wish her a very ...


HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!