I beat Brent. I am not the last. I would just like that to be known.
So anyway.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!!!! You are literally the best dad in the world. I hope you know that. I love you and always will!
Love,
Marnie
We actually did get you a gift, should be there by Friday. We love you.
Mike, Brooke, Jane, Sadie, Ellyn, Sawyer
Happy Birthday Dad/Papa! You are an amazing father, father-in-law, and papa. You are such a great example to us and we are so thankful to have you in our lives. We love you! Have a wonderful day!
Happy Birthday and we can't wait to be able to terrorize you on a regular basis. We love you and thank you for all that you do for us and the support that you give. You are the greatest Dad and Papa.
Love,
Anne, Peter, Andrew, Beck, and baby Camie
Dad, thank you for being so awesome. You are an eternal fixture in our minds and in the minds of our children. Thank you for your example over the years. You are one of a kind. Happy Birthday. 
So I thought I would send out an invite or a feeler to see if anyone else is interested in joining me on some races.
Well, the end of another great visit to Elko Nevada and the Cowboy Poetry Gathering. As much as I talk about not coming back as it gets close to time to come out here, getting back to familiar faces, family and friends plants me back at the front desk signing up for our room for next year...and, rejoining the Folklife Center membership for another year. We've had a wonderful time with Dick, Martha and Richard Webb. We've met many wonderful people who have shared with us their work, stories of their life's travels and just genuine hospitality. It is a phenomenon. You may laugh at us for thrusting ourselves into something that is so 180 degrees out from our normal life. But, if I may use the old phrase, "you don't know what you're missin'".
When the trials of raising a young family push you into these decades of your life, I'm most certain you'll reach out to events like this to enhance your understanding of the rest of the world, the cultures out there and what is really the makeup of your inner-self. I'm absolutely convinced that the old family genes continue to affect our image of ourselves. I know that the many, many ancestors that we follow have had something to do with our reaching out to those lifestyles that were important to them.
I'm sure my great great grandfather is jumping up for joy to see one of his descendants take hold of the spirit of what is offered here and inculcating some of these lifestyles and expressions into our lives.
Are Dad and Mom going crazy? Don't believe it for a minute. This experience is giving me a much greater appreciation for the wonderful things the Lord has given all of us to enjoy, to examine and determine for ourselves what is most important to us. Important to me is my wife and family, our extended brothers and sisters and the wonderful grandchildren who will follow in our tracks. We love you all. Be advised that we are not losing our minds. We are just enjoying the sweet breads of life that have been placed in our tracks.
We love you all....just let us "do our thang". KnB
...my room is complete! or at least it is for now. Here are some pics. A little different than Norway, eh? I'll post some of the rest of the apartment eventually but it is not clean enough at this moment for that. Now I'm off to enjoy my weekend.
This is the surveillance camera view of our newly painted walls at the practice. Doesn't do justice, but you can get an idea.
I decided to chop Melia's hair to get it all the same length! We did it today and here it is!
One much beloved "Robin" of the Batman and Robin duo variety. They do not have him at Target and a very sweet, earnest little two year old asks for him daily.
One Samsung phone charger. Jane is without a phone. She was charging it at her friend's house and then keeping it turned off most of the time. I need to know if it is time to break down and buy her a new one.
If anyone has seen these two items and would be willing to send them my way I would be eternally grateful.
Everyone is growing up around here...well, not everyone.
1.Hayden lost his first tooth!!! (A little late much to the dismay of his dentist/dad but I’m in no hurry for him to grow up!)
2. Danica has spent years watching Hayden turn into a reading machine and the bug has bitten her as well. She is obsessed with learning to read and begs me all day to teach her (no I am NOT complaining!) The other day she woke up and before even saying good morning she stumbled out of her bed and said “Mom, teach me to read!” In the car one afternoon she said, in one long hurried breath “Mom, I want a snack and I want to learn to read!” Needless to say I’ve been working with her and she’s doing great and can read simple words. It’s so fun to watch her excitement as she figures out each new word.
3. Alyssa is actually growing up and talking a ton and figured out how to get on and off the potty by herself (hooray!) but she is obsessed with pretending she is a baby. Her and Dani play all day a game revolving around her being the baby and Dani being the mom. Recently I got out a bassinet for our friends baby to sleep in when they came over and Alyssa insisted on sleeping in it- “I want to sleep baby bed!” Well on Sunday I gave in and let her take a nap in it because she was so insistent... imagine my surprise when I went to check on her and found that she had apparently gotten up and gotten a “toy” and climbed back into her baby bed... I don’t know who she thought was going to sneak up on her in her sleep but she was ready!
You are such a fun boy and we miss you so much! We hope your birthday was fantastic! If we're lucky we will get to see you in a few weeks! We can't wait! Thanks for being such a fantastic cousin!!! We love you!
Subscribe: 
