Happy Birthday John

John just celebrated his 35th birthday and in honor of his special day, here are the top ten things you should know about him:

1. He likes chicken. (That is what he said to me when I asked him a semi-serious question when we were dating.) And he can fold his ears.

2. He remembers small details that people tell him. I am always amazed how he can ask somebody about their sister, their mom, their dog, or whatever, in detail. Even if it has been months since he last talked to them. He remembers little things that people tell him and asks sincerely about them.


3. He loves to water ski, run and play games. That is three-in-one. He also is up for anything including skiing, golf, and tennis.

4. He is very funny and is so quick. He makes me laugh and laugh and laugh. I'm usually still registering what somebody has said when he comes up with his witty response that is right on. I love it.

5. His senior class picture was a picture of just his eye. Yes, when he went to get his senior pictures taken, the photographer was trying out a new lens and took a picture of just John's eye. That is the picture that John chose to put in his yearbook. And when we showed up at his 10 year reunion and everybody was walking around with name tags with their senior yearbook picture on them, John was walking around with an eye next to his name.

6. He is a very hard worker and takes his responsibilities seriously.

These aren't his famous moves, but hula is almost as good.

7. Nobody dances like he does. Seriously. I can't even describe his moves, but you will not forget them once you've seen them. It takes some major coordination and style to do what he does.

8. He makes people feel comfortable and at ease around him. He just has a knack for this.


9. He has a very healthy sense of self. One of the things that I was so attracted to when I met him. He is fine with who he is without being egotistical and never tries to be something or someone else. He does not usually care about what he is wearing (hence the 1985 bright yellow polo rugby shirt that he still wears. Ok, maybe it is 1990. And it does look good on him.) and is never wrapped up in himself.


10. What a great dad and husband! I know he really wants me and the kids to be happy. What more can you ask for. The kids cannot get enough of their dad. Even when he was dunking Natalie. She loved it.

Happy Birthday John!!

Those lucky kids

To: James, Natalie and Andrew

I hope you know how lucky you are to have a dad like yours.


A dad who plays trains, who throws you up in the air so high that mom can't watch, who tells mom every night how much he loves each of you and how great you each are,


who teaches you how to be responsible and pick up the toys, who makes work seem so fun that you follow him around on Saturday helping him as he goes, who has fun nicknames for each of you (Cap'n James, the Pickle, and the Pup to name a few), who is patient, fun and silly.


Boy, Mom is lucky too.


What a dad!!

Happy Father's Day John!!

My Dad

In honor of Father's Day, a few pictures that capture my dad and his many expressions...

At my wedding

Always making some sort of a "funny face"

The "Oh Brother!" look

Loves being with the family

Good sport (wearing kimono I'm sure wasn't on his list of things he wanted to do)

Last words before I return to school.

Loves the grandkids. Particularly good with babies. (Here with Andrew a few years ago)

Expression says, "I'm pretending to be asleep while you take the picture."

Great sense of humor

Singing at my wedding lunch. He wrote the funny, clever words. He LOVES music and singing.

With the newest grandchild, James

How blessed I am to have such a loving, fun, predictable (sticks with what he knows and likes), humorous, smart, hard-working, diligent, never-angry, tender, wise father who uses an occasional yiddish phrase. Yes, yiddish.

I love you dad! Happy Father's Day.

Ringing a few doorbells

"A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other. A solemn consideration, when I enter a great city by night, that every one of those darkly clustered houses encloses its own secret; that every room in every one of them encloses its own secret; that every beating heart in the hundreds of thousands of breasts there, is, in some of its imaginings, a secret to the heart nearest it!" A Tale of Two Cities

Today I left my house with my three little kids in tow and knocked or rang the doorbell at about 28 homes. I was dropping off invitations. Many people were not there and I left their invitations on their doors. But some doors were answered and I discovered something. You can learn a lot by knocking on somebody's door.

Today I discovered that one of my friends who tends to be more private had her baby and got home from the hospital yesterday. I came inside for a moment (yes, I did leave my three little children in a running car at the curb. Bad mom.) and got to ooh and aah over her perfect new son. And I am so happy that I get to bring her dinner next week.

I knocked on the door of a friend that I don't talk to or even see much and discovered that her young son had had surgery a day or two ago and I could tell that the recovery has been rough. So I got to offer to have her other kids come over and play.

I saw another friend distressing a cabinet that she bought for $25!!!! at DI. It looked amazing and I was so impressed.

I set up a visiting teaching appointment (Mia, does Wednesday morning work? ;-)), caught up with a few people, and found out a family in our ward is moving around the corner.

It really made me realize how isolated we all are inside our homes sometimes, just keeping up with the day-to-day. And I thought of the quote from A Tale of Two Cities. That we live side-by-side and yet do not know each other's hearts.

So, I guess I need to get out and ring some doorbells more often. I'm sure I can come up with some reason for ringing the bell...if I show up with a loaf of bread or a plate of cookies just let me know how I can help!

Future plans

Today we were driving home from a little art and literature class (that is what the teacher calls it ;-)) that Andrew is taking. We passed two missionaries on their bikes and I started talking to Andrew about them.

"There are the missionaries! Do you know what the missionaries do?"
"Teach."
"Teach what?"
"People."
"What do they teach people?"
"About Jesus."

And then I explained that his dad had served a mission in Hungary. That was a funny conversation because I think he was a little confused about people living in hungry, but I think he eventually got it. Maybe. And then I talked about how I had served a mission in Venezuela. There was a small pause and then he said,

"Mom, when I grow up I want to be a mishamary."

And then there was a small pause as my eyes welled up and I pictured him as a missionary, working hard, helping others, serving the Lord.

And I told him, "I'm so glad. You will be great at teaching about Jesus."

Spell it like you say it

On Saturday we were driving to Andrew's last soccer game. He was reminding us all that he had a big number three on the back of his uniform.

But this is how he says it, "I'm number free."

And then, "Free. F-f-f-f-f. Free starts with F!!"

He's right, free does start with "f". But I'm not sure where the number "free" fits into the continuum.