Toward the end of January, we celebrated my dad’s 65th Birthday. As a tribute, I (with the help of my mom) put together a slideshow of his 65 years to run in the background at the party. Here is that slideshow.
Warning: It’s about a 20 minute slideshow, so grab a cup of coffee.
Happy birthday, Dad! I hope I look that good at 65! May this be your best year yet!
After opening Santa gifts at our house, we joined the rest of the family over at Mom & Dad’s house for more festivities.
Kaelin had a great time playing with the Nativity set. I’m not sure which part Snow White was playing, but she was apparently very important in the scene.
Koren rediscovered the baby walker at my parents’ house and derived a lot of satisfaction from making drive-by raids of Dr. Pepper out of the wine cellar.
Kaelin received an electric car from my parents, which she and Koren both had a blast zooming around the neighborhood in. She gets to steer and Koren gets to man the radio. Does anybody else see this scene replaying itself when Kaelin turns 16?
As usual, Christmas was exciting and exhausting. It’s funny how you can spend a month and a half looking forward to a single day, and when it’s over you’re perfectly content to let it go and get back to routine. At least, that’s the way it works around here. See you next year, Santa!
On September 26th (yes, a MONTH AGO), we took the kids to a neighboring city’s Western Day. It’s kind of like a small version of the State Fair. The kids had a great time and, if memory serves, Koren napped really well that afternoon.
All in all, it was a really fun day. I’m especially glad we got to go since we didn’t have the opportunity to attend the State Fair this year. Other than the ferris wheel, I don’t think we really ended up missing much.
There seems to be a lot of death going on around here. I know that’s nothing new, but it seems to come and go in waves. At times, it’s particularly sobering.
My great uncle, the last of his generation in my mom’s family, passed away this weekend - at the age of 102. At the age of 100, he was still working out three times a week and volunteering at Cook’s Children’s Medical Center and the American Red Cross. He had a quick wit, a big heart, and a good sense of humor about his age. He kept his mind through to the end, even after his vision and hearing failed him. I think that’s remarkable.
“I thought I just wanted to live to see the year 2000. I did, and it was just the same as 1999. Time does go by faster now. When I was a kid it seemed like Santa Claus never came. Now it seems like he’s coming every two months.”M. Garrett on the passage of time, 2007
He will be missed.
I wish I could publish a more detailed account of his life, but I would certainly get my facts mixed up without some further research. He’s being cremated and there will be a memorial soon. Personally, I think that’s an excellent way to go. I for one do not want people looking at me after I’m dead. Also, burial plots are expensive.
It seemed as though he was ready to go. And that’s good. In that respect, he had reached a place so many others are not afforded.
With that in mind, please keep the family of Connor C. in your thoughts and prayers this week. Connor lost his 4-year battle with cancer this weekend.
He was 8.
He is survived by his parents, two brothers and a sister. His younger brother Mason was in Kaelin’s class at school last year.