Happy Birthday Old Man

Kenny and his presents.

Kenny's birthday was a little crazy this year. Kenny found out a few weeks before that he had gall stones and would need surgery to remove his gallbladder. By the time his birthday came he was in quite a bit of pain and was in no mood to celebrate. He did well to come downstairs and open his presents and eat his cake, but between having to still go to work and the pain he was in, there wasn't much happy in him. Lucky for him he went in for surgery 2 days later and it went very well. He had a little bit of a hard time waking up, but I guess that's normal for him. He went back to work the following Monday (the surgery was on Friday) and it took him about a week before he was really starting to do better. We're glad he was able to get all fixed up and now he's better able to enjoy his birthday presents.

While walking in Walmart a few days before his birthday, I
asked Kenny what he wanted. He pointed to the nearby
display of Pringles. So that's what he got.  :)

Kenny also got a nifty sound bar. 
(He also got a table saw to replace the one we sold years ago.)

Kenny Riding The Trails

Kenny, with a little help from the kids and I, worked really hard this spring building a bike trail in the empty lot buy our neighborhood. He put together some bridges, dug a trail under one of the bridges, and carved out many paths for the kids to ride on. Here's a video of him riding a few of the pathways. It's a great area that has been enjoyed by more than just our family and I'm so grateful he was willing to put the time and energy into it for our kids.

Happy Birthday Daddy

Kenny was away in Denver for his birthday this year. We were so sad not to have him home, but we were happy to know he was near his brother Michael and his family and that he was not alone. The kids really missed him and missed being able to celebrate his birthday with him.  At school that day, Hannah learned how to draw penguins and so she drew some for daddy for his birthday.  We took pictures of them and sent them to him.  It's not the same, but it's nice to have the technology to make the being apart not so hard.

Hannah showing off her 2 penguins she drew for daddy.

Hannah showing off her picture of 1 penguin.  She had to have a picture of both. It was very important.

Kenny's Biking Adentures

While I was running like crazy this summer, Kenny was biking like crazy.  He biked to work every day during the month of May and off and on the rest of the summer.  On July 7th he decided to try some mountain biking.  He liked to mountain bike before he had all of us keeping him busy and I was more than happy to have him go try it again.  10+ years later, it's not the same, but he still enjoyed it. He went to Snowbird where he was able to ride the lift up and bike down the mountain.  There were some races going on and he rode the race track once.  He said it was fun and we're both thinking we need to take the kids up there.  Maybe next summer when they're a little older.

Kenny

Kenny's decided to try his hand at photography, or at least try to try his hand at photography. I think he's an amazing photographer and he's now decided to try and make a little money on the side. He created a website and we're trying to figure out how to drum up some business. If you have any tips we'd be happy to hear them. While out practicing shooting he used the self timer and came up with these pictures of himself. Not bad if you ask me. I married myself a nice looking man, oh and the photo skills are good too.

OUCH!

We started going to the local gym because, well, both Kenny and I are fat and out of shape and because they were having a 30 day free special. It's been wonderful for our family and we really hope to be able to continue going. The pool has been so much fun and thanks to Kenny's experience as a swim teacher, the kids are finally learning how to swim. I've been working out many times a week and even though I haven't really lost any weight (grrrrr) I know it's been good for me and I'm now able to run 3 miles in about 33 minutes. Poor Kenny hasn't been as fortunate.

Our membership came with 4 free meetings with a personal trainer which turned out to be depressing because I learned just how out of shape and fat I really am. :) We got the time wrong on the first meeting with the trainer, and we were 30 minutes early. We decided to shoot some baskets in the gym while we waited. While there Kenny did something to his calf muscle. We're not sure what happened, but he heard and felt a popping and it hurt REAL bad. We're guessing he tore the muscle, but we're not sure. Whatever happened, it left him in a lot of pain and he even had to use crutches for a few days (that was partly because he also hurt his back so he couldn't put weight on his leg, but he couldn't stand up straight either, poor guy.)

He's doing better now, but it still hurts and it's definitely not back to normal. He is able to swim which is another reason that gym works so well for us. His calf muscle looks different now and not necessarily in a good way. It's got an indent to it that's kind of weird in a sort of scary way. The trainer told him not to worry about it for now and to give it 8 weeks. We'll wait and see, but if anyone has any idea as to what may have happened we'd be happy to hear them.

The good calf!

The bad calf (can you see the indent?)

Daddy Daughter Ball

Sarah dressed for her first Daddy Daughter Ball.

Sarah and Kenny had the first daddy daughter ball on the 8th of February. It was for Activity Days and Sarah was very excited. Kenny, however, was not looking forward to it nearly as much. It was a ball, not a date, so they had to wear ball clothes. Sarah doesn't really own any ball clothes so she wore her baptism dress which is as ball like as we get. She felt beautiful and that's all that matters. Kenny dressed in church clothes and tried his hardest to look excited.

Sarah and Daddy ready to go.

Luckily, the 'ball' was fun for everyone. Sarah had fun with daddy and her friends and Kenny was surprised to discover that he too had fun. He enjoyed time with Sarah and enjoyed watching her with her friends. From what I understand it was one of those proud, my daughter's getting big, kind of nights. They played games, had refreshments, and danced with their dad's. I'm glad they got to go and that they had so much fun. It's the beginning of many Daddy Daughter activities and it was a good way to start.

Daddy's Birthday Donuts

We have 5 birthdays, starting with Kenny's and ending with mine, within a 2 month period and for 3 of those birthdays we have cake, lots of cake. Last year Kenny and I decided to have donuts for your birthday's instead of cake. By the time my birthday comes we're pretty tired of birthdays and cake so donuts make it easier to enjoy them. So, after Kenny opened his presents we got the donuts out to decorate. It's a fun little tradition I think we'll keep forever.

The kids decorating their donuts.

Kenny blowing out his one candle.

I was very creative. After I wrote this Sarah said, "Mom you're not married to an old man, you're married to an awesome man." I couldn't argue with that.

Sarah's donut.

Nice face bud! The frosting I bought to write on the donuts was a little dark. We all came away with very colorful faces.

Hannah loved her donut. Can you tell?

Gracie eating her donut. Yummy!

Dan got a little bit of my donut. He enjoyed it very much and got messy eating it. Just what a 18 month old should do.

Daddy's Getting Old

Kenny's birthday got a little better as the day went on. The kids and I went downtown to get Daddy's present and his birthday donuts. They were well behaved and everyone was happy. When we got home we had pizza for dinner (seems to be what we do on birthdays) and then it was time to open his gift. We got him two gifts this year, but the kids "tricked" him into thinking he only got one. They were so excited about the trickery, especially Ben. I think Ben was more excited about that than anything else that night.

Opening the movie we got for him.

We put his first gift in a gift bag and that was the one he got to open. It was the movie 'Strange Brew.' It's a very funny old movie that we haven't seen in years. Next, and this is key to the surprise, he had to put the movie in the PlayStation so we could watch it. Kenny said we didn't need to watch it yet, but after my insistence with that look of 'you really need to do this,' he got the clue and put the movie in. By then he knew what was going to happen, but he did a great job being surprised and acting excited for the kids.

Looking at the kids surprised because there was something in the PlayStation he wasn't expecting.

Holding his new game with another surprised look on his face. He did some great acting and the kids totally bought it.

When Kenny went to take the disc out of the PlayStation so he could put his movie in, he discovered his real present. Gran Turismo 5, a PlayStation game he's been wanting for a long time. The kids were so excited, he was happy to get his game, and I'm happy not to have to listen to how much he wants the game. :) After getting his game, we decorated donuts and ate them. Yummy! So his birthday ended up better than it began, which was good. Happy Birthday Kenny! Here's to another 36 years of birthdays!

This is a present Sarah Kate made for Kenny. She cut the pictures out of the newspaper and made a note for him with them. I thought it was so funny and wanted to share. I love the 'famous guy' and the 'head in a bag girl.'

Saying Bye to Daddy

Riding off on the bike, one last time.

Well, we said goodbye to Kenny tonight as he left DC for the last time. We originally had a lot planned for the day, but instead we did pretty much nothing. We were going to have a yard sale, but we didn't get ready in time so I get to do that next Saturday. We wanted to go to Great Falls or Teddy Roosevelt Island, but it was so hot here (98, but with the humidity they say it felt like 105) we decided to stay inside. All we really did was go through things, box a little, and have Kenny pack. We also sold the bike this morning to some friends, the Dance's, and before they came to get it Kenny let the kids go for one last ride.

Sarah Kate's ride was apparently a disaster. It reminded Kenny of why he hates driving out here. He took her down Old Bridge Rd (a main road out here and always busy and slow) which was the wrong choice. It was high school graduation so the cops were directing traffic at the high school, there was an accident and there was road construction all in a 4 1/2 mile span. They were trying to get to the 'jungle jungle tree's' (this is what the kids call the road that goes down to the small town of Occoquan and the Occoquan river. It's surrounded by tree's) but when they finally got to the road they found out it was closed due to a craft show down in Occoquan. How disappointing. At this point they had been sitting in the hot sun forever on Old Bridge and they couldn't go where they wanted to . Sarah got scared that with all the cops around they would get her in trouble for being on the bike and so she just wanted to come home. I feel bad her last trip was such a downer, but it did make it easier for Kenny to be ok leaving.

Hannah got a short little ride around the neighborhood. She absolutely loves to ride on the motorcycle and would sit up there forever if we let her.



Ben got a short ride as well. His rides aren't as long as Sarah Kate's due to the fact that he has a hard time remembering to hold on. Kenny took him to the marina nearby and he had a lot of fun. The kids were all very happy to have one last ride on the bike, despite the heat.

We've begun doing our last time things. Last night we had our last game night. We actually didn't play a single game, but I must admit I kind of preferred it that way. We just sat around and talked. It was kind of disappointing for us in that a lot of who we wanted to come had other things to do or were too tired so we didn't get to see many people, but the cool ones came. :) Gulick's were nice enough to host because our house is in no shape for company. Pomeroy's came and we talked, ate a little, and released Gulick's butterfly's they had been growing in their butterfly farm (Sarah, if those pictures turned out I'd love a copy of them.)Shortly after Pomeroy's left, Dances came and we stayed way to late talking. It was very nice and the kids had a blast playing. I will admit leaving was difficult. Watching Kenny say goodbye to Gulick's made me emotional, and I still get to see them. I dare say Gulick's have been the best friends we've ever had as a couple.

While I'm really not looking forward to the many 'last times' the kids and I are going to have over the next two weeks, I'm also excited for the new adventures in Idaho Falls. I try to keep that in mind as I trudge through the next two weeks.

Happy Birthday Daddy

Tuesday officially launched us into our birthday season. That means from now until my birthday on March 26th we have everyone's birthday except Gracie. It's kind of fun having a birthday season, but, I must admit, that by the time my birthday comes around I don't want to see, let alone make, another cake. I guess it's good my birthday's last.

Anyway back to Tuesday. It was Kenny's birthday. I won't tell you how old his is, but I must admit it's fun teasing him about being so old and fartly. I love the fact that I will always be at least 4 years younger than him (for 2 months out of the year I'm 5 years younger.) Sarah Kate had Monday off of school due to a teacher work day so we chose that day to do his birthday shopping. The kids really enjoyed looking for Daddy's presents and even though Kenny said he didn't need anything, we got him a few presents just for fun. I told him it was for the kids. They would have been so disappointed if we didn't do anything.

After buying all the gifts I let the kids choose which one they wanted to be from them. Ben chose the Star Wars movie and the Star Wars guys (Kenny actually bought the guys himself.) The Star Wars guys have since been claimed by Ben, but Kenny knew that would happen when he bought them. Ben has taken a real liking to Star Wars and has accumulated many Star Wars guys. When he found out we were going to get Daddy the movie 'Empire Strikes Back', Ben said "Mom, do you know who likes Star Wars? Me and Dad." I think Ben really likes that he and Kenny both like Star Wars. It kind of bonds them.

Ben with all his Star Wars guys.

Sarah Kate choose the MP3 player. She knows how to pick'm. This particular MP3 player is very much like the one Kenny got last year for his birthday. I've promised him that I will not wash this one like I did the last one. He was happy to get it and Ben and Sarah even recorded the happy birthday song before he got home so he could listen to it. I think it will get a lot of use that is if we (mostly meaning I) can keep it dry.

I decided Hannah and Gracie would give Daddy the speakers for his MP3 player. They seemed ok with that! I gave him masking tape and a Milky Way bar. I know, a little strange. When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday he said he didn't need anything so I could just get him masking tape. So, that's what I got him. The Milky Way was because Monday night he said he wanted one. After opening presents we ordered pizza and watched Star Wars. (I should note that we tried to watch Star Wars. It's almost impossible to watch a movie with 4 small kids.) All in all I think it was a good birthday. A wonderful way to start the birthday season.

The Cake! Kenny likes Angle Food cake so I thought I'd make him one. My pan wasn't big enough, but it was a good cake anyway.

On a side note, it was a good birthday that is until Kenny went to the church that night to play basketball and sprained his ankle. His right ankle has been really bad since, well, before I met him and it seems to be getting worse. It roles easily and all it took was a jump and landing on someones feet to roll it and make him unable to walk. Minus that, I think he had a good birthday.