Related posts:

1. Introduction
2. Wedding Update
3. Blog Video – pebkac

It might a few months late getting online but that makes it no less of an event.  In November, for the first and last time, Isaac turned seven.  We planned a dinner out with family and friends as well as a party at the house so we could celebrate properly with cake and presents.  We gave Isaac the choice of where he wanted to have his birthday dinner and thankfully he chose the Olive Garden – a fantastic and much yummier choice over the more usual kiddie venues such as Chucky Cheese or Monkey Joes.  We will still eventually go to one of the others but instead of being the focus of a birthday party, we can just go and have a great time playing games or jumping around.

Dinner was fantastic.  With such a large group I didn’t know what to expect but the OG had everything organized.  They even put us in a sectioned off part of the restaurant near another large family party so we could be as loud as we wanted.  After dinner we all headed back to the house to serenade the birthday boy and eat cake.

Jacob and I spent much of the day making Isaac’s cake.  Carol in the past has always done something special with the cake, so this time I wanted to give it a go.  A grande battle was the idea we were working with.  I had some old molds to help with the castles and Jacob was able to find a bunch of medieval men and siege weapons to make sure it was a battle that would not be forgotten.  The cake was fun and rewarding to make.  Plus we got to eat icing and play with toys for most of the day – not much tops that – except getting to eat more of it that night !!!

One of the great things about having a big family is that birthdays are sometimes likes Christmas.  Isaac had a great time opening gifts.  Even those that couldn’t be there in person sent cards and well wishes.  Of particular interest were the G.I. Joes, Race Track, and Legos.

Happy Birthday Isaac.  I hope the year to come is one to remember.

Related posts:

1. Wedding Update
2. Weekend with Friends
3. Boy Envy

I had planned for weeks, little bits here and little bits there, all culminating into a grand story that I wanted to tell.  A story to convey a very special feeling about a very special person in my life.  It was a rare occasion that my family was all in the same place all at the same time.  It was likely even more rare that my family and Carol’s family were all under the same roof having dinner and celebrating.  The fact that it was Thanksgiving night and we were having dinner helped.  I decided to take advantage of such and tell my story.  I was going to ask Carol to Marry me!!!

The delivery that played out in my head for the past few weeks went something like this:

“Hey everyone can I get your attention!!!  I would like to make a toast.  It is a rare event that my family is together for the holidays and that fact that I get to share them with the woman that I love, as well as her family, fills my heart with joy.  Here’s a drink for you all” …. <everyone raises their glasses, some of them imaginary, and share in a drink …. “But wait.  I have one more thing to say.  Honey, can you come over here” …. <I had imagined that we wouldn’t likely be standing next to each other during a random toast> …. “Honey there is another part of this toast.  With all of our family here I could think of no other time more appropriate to tell them just how I feel about you.” …. <at this point taking advantage of a slight pause I pull a ring box from my pocket, drop to my knee, holding the ring out before me> …. “Will you Marry me?” …. <From here each time I pictured what might take place it was never the same – I was fairly certain the answer was going to be yes, but I don’t think you can ever be one hundred percent.  My brain was unwilling to commit to one scenario so I was going to have to wing-it from here.

Now reality often differs from what one might imagine.  Not always in good or bad ways, but usually in unpredictable, didn’t plan for that, why is this happening kind of ways.  So let me tell you how it really went down:

I wondered into the kitchen, ring box concealed nicely in my pocket, and poured myself a glass of wine.  I was more nervous that I thought I would be…after all I had been planning this event in my head for a few weeks now.  Everyone was talking in different groups and there didn’t really seem to be a good place to cut in with a toast.  I tried once but my voice failed me and the second time was weak but I got everyone’s attention.  Now all eyes were my way… I had interrupted after all.  I started to get warm and a lump of something clogged my throat…I felt my eyes starting to water – not tears, but emotion welling up and looking for an escape.  It just happened to be in the form of tears.  I don’t really remember what I said but at the end we all raised our glasses in a toast and drank – some more deeply than others.  Carol and I were standing next to each other.  I pulled the ring box out of my pocket at the same time I caught her attention by saying “Carol, I have a question for you.”  Thankfully nobody had started talking again and all eyes were pointed our way.  I knelt before her with my arm in front of me, a ring presented before me.  For a brief moment Carol looked at me, our eyes met and I smiled.  I am not sure what was going through her head but I wasn’t waiting to find out.  I finished my question, “Carol, will you Marry me?”.  Tears welled up in her eyes and she grabbed me in an embrace.  We stood there for a few minutes while our family offer some congratulatory cheers.  It wasn’t until a few minutes later that Troy asked, “So what is it?  Is that a yes?” …. we all had a few laughs at this … Carol hadn’t answered – well at least not with words, but she confirmed for those that needed them – “YES.  It’s a YES”.

Even though my delivery didn’t go as planned, it all worked out in the end.  I got the girl…Carol and I took the next big step in our relationship.  Within five minutes of proposing Grandpa asked Carol when the wedding was going to be, with not so subtle hints that the end of March (his birthday) would “be a fine time” – sheesh gramps give her a minute – she only just found out she was getting married, at some point in the future, unlikely in March, three hundred second in the past – (well at least thats the thought that went through my head).  Just after that she was asked if she knew what the colors were going to be….hehe….I had to wonder off at this point.  I was shaking and somewhere there was more wine that needed a glass to fill.

After things settled down a bit we got the chance to talk to the kids about what just happened and what they thought about it.  Jacob was happy and understood that one day down the road I would be his step dad.  We had talked about that many times in the past and the idea appealed to him even then.  Now he offered some shy smiles and grins and played coy while we gave him hugs.  Isaac, true to his spirit, wanted to know when and if he had to change his last name.  Later the next day he was anxious about this again but from a different angle.  He wanted to know that should he have to eventually change his last name to be mine, would Uno (our dog) have to change his last name to be his (Isaac’s).  Piper remained quite about the topic until I went to put her to bed.  As I was tucking her in she told me, in no uncertain terms, that she was going to dress as a princess for our wedding.  Now she brought this up, not me, but I was curious.  I told her of course she could be a princess when the day comes.  With a seriousness in her voice she proceeded to list off the things that she would need to be appropriately dressed.  Apparently a princess at a wedding needs a special crown on their head, a “beautiful dress”, and princess shoes.  Violet is still pretty young and certainly doesn’t understand the finer points of what was going on.  True to her additional X chromosome she stated only “Mommy Carol, Can i wear your princess ring?”.

We are both excited for the times to come.  Even though we are close and already think of ourselves as a Family, we still look forward to the permanence that our marriage will bring.

Related posts:

1. Two Houses are different than One

Take 1:

Take 2:

Happy Birthday Kim !!!

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The fun continued on Saturday.  We meet the Hewitsons, Thompsons, Farleys and many others at Jeronimoes to celebrate Conner’s forth birthday.  We have been to a few different jumpy gyms but this one was pretty fun.  It wasn’t crowded with overage kids and there was plenty of inflatables to pick from to keep even the pickiest of the bunch having fun.  Piper had a great time sliding and jumping with all her buddies.  There was enough even for the little kids that I wished later on (for a few short minutes) that I had brought Violet as well.

After an afternoon nap and recharge we were invited to dinner with the Hewitsons and Farleys.  This is where we were introduced to the toy of the summer.  I will likely hear about this marvelous contraption until I purchase it, and then I will continue to hear about it.  Michelle had mentioned to me in the past, and even showed me a picture of it, but seeing it in action certainly is better than a still any day.  The Extreme Coaster is what it is called.  Pretty cool toy – they need an adult version as well.  Piper took right to playing with it and certainly didn’t want to share once she started.  Next time we need to get two of them side-by-side and takes bets on how goes farther or faster.  Even Violet wanted in on the action so after she climbed the ramp we would put her in the car and let her ride it down just like the bigger kids.  I thought it might scare her or she might fall out but that wasn’t the case.  Violet loved it.  Even without the car to ride down she would climb to the top and scoot down the ramp on her bottom – all the same to her.  I didn’t get any video or photos but Paul took a few for me on his new toy:

Sunday came to quick as well.  We were supposed to meet the Farleys at the Zoo but ended up sleeping in too late and had plans in the afternoon with the Sways.  I didn’t remember to set my clock forward and hour to mark the end of daylight savings time and awoke to a message from Paul letting me know the were at the Zoo.  Sorry we missed you guys.  Once we finally go up Piper and Violet both were excited to see Zack and Kerri and their new little doggy, Princess – rightly named coming to our house.  We turned the afternoon into a cookout complete with sunshine, burgers, dogs, and fries.  The kids, and the dogs, wore themselves out – and us in the process.  Hard to believe the weekend has passed so quickly.  I guess after being mostly cooped up while it has been cold, wet, or both, any chance to play in the sun seems to fly by.

Related posts:

1. A Weekend of Whitley
2. Zoo Day

It was interesting to see her reaction, and I wish I would have brought the camera.  Walking in the skates didn’t really pose her much of a problem and she was able to move them around as needed for stepping but as soon as one would start to roll it was splitsville each time.  Since she was holding onto either me or Missy during all this she didn’t fall but certainly would have and I think she realized it as well.  After a few mishaps like this, even though they weren’t too bad she was through.  We coerced her to the grass where she kept walking in them, basically just letting her get used to them on her feet before heading home.  Even a little discouraged she still wants to keep practicing.

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Piper has been constantly asking to hear “Jingle Bells” or in particular “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” but we hadn’t figured out why other than that particular song was also a main them in an episode of “Mickey Saves Christmas” that she watches now and then.  So when kids lined up in the gym to perform we were in for a treat.  Not only did they sing and dance but they did so in the three year old equivalent of “in sync” which equated to marching in a rectangle while making various arm, leg and body gestures.  They sang several songs, a few in Spanish and a few in English each good in its own way.

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1. Thriller Night
2. Santa Matters
3. Family Christmas

As we walked off we couldn’t help but contrast our experience here, similar to what we recalled as kids, and to what the “expected” visit should be to the sub-par experience at Lanier Islands where they were more concerned with queue length and pictures per hour than they seemed to be with the kids coming to see the main christmas man.

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