Happy Birthday, Mike!

Today is our son-in-law Mike's birthday.  He and Sarah and their 3 kids live in Louisville, KY.  We first got to know Mike back in 1997 and he and Sarah were married in 2000.

 From the very beginning, he fit right in with his easy-going fun-loving ways.

 

A little while ago, I conducted a phone interview with him.  Here's how it went.

Happy Birthday, Mike!  Are you having a good day?  Yes I'm having a very good day.

What have you done so far?  I went goose hunting this morning.  Did you get any?  No we didn't have any luck, but I spent a good 4 hours in 27 degree weather with 15 mph winds so I have that going for me.

 

And then we went to Trey's basketball game and the grocery.  Now I'm sitting down to read the paper.

Do you have any special plans for tonight?  Let's see.  Sarah's making me breakfast for dinner.  Is that your choice or hers?  It's mine.  Then I guess I'll see if my family got me any presents.

You seem to be a natural as a father and obviously you enjoy that role.  What is your most important philosophy as a dad?  I would say 'have high expectations'.  You never know what your kids are capable of unless you expect them to surprise you.

 

And do you have a most important philosophy as a husband?  Well I've always heard a happy wife is a happy life.  I try to live by that one.

 

Everyone knows you love sports of all kinds and that you're a skilled golfer.  Did you ever consider a career in golf?  No.  I picked up golf late.  I had a tryout with the Seattle Mariners for baseball when I was in high school but I didn't go.  You just didn't go?  No, I was going off to college and even if I made some minor league baseball squad I knew I would never be a professional baseball player.

I know you've been in your present job a little over a year but I'm not sure what you do.    My title is Sales Manager for an environmental testing laboratory.  That sounds kind of boring.  It pretty much is.  I'm a hoot at parties.  But you're doing well at it?  Yeah, I've had a really good last 3 months so it's coming along pretty well.

What would you consider your highlight of the past year?  I don't know.  Sarah feeling better has been a pretty big thing.

 And do you have any special goals or plans for the coming year?  No none that I can think of.  I have some business goals but they would be hard to explain in layman's terms.  I'm trying to figure out if I want to train for the mini marathon coming up in the Spring.  I might even do it with Ethan.  Who knows? 

In less than two weeks you'll be in Michigan City for about a week.  Are you looking forward to that?  Oh yeah.  The beach house is always fun.

What can you tell us about yourself that most people might not know?  I'm pretty much an open book.  I like to read.  I got on a kick where I was reading some classics like you might read in high school or college.  I used to go to the library and I'd get one book like that and then I'd get a sports book or autobiography which are just fun to read.  I pretty much read the classics just to stay abreast.

Also, I'm a dog lover and I have a dog now so that worked out well for me.

(This picture is of Mike and Sarah's first dog.  He became unhappy when their first baby was born so he went to a home where he could be the only baby.)  There are so many things I could tell you about Mike that not everybody might know.   First of all, not only is he a hard worker

  but he's so personable that he can get almost anybody to help him with his work - even a state trooper.

 He's also a good cook, has a great sense of humor, and he's ready to pitch in whenever a helping hand is needed.  He's cheerful, loving, and just as sweet to everybody else's kids as he is to his own.   But the thing I think I like best about Mike is that he's a truly great family guy.

So we're wishing him a very happy birthday and a year better than any year so far but not as good as the many, many years to come.  Happy Birthday, Mike!

Happy Birthday, Lori

Forty-four years ago today, my eyes were opened in a whole new way.  I couldn't have imagined what motherhood would feel like.  I couldn't have dreamed of the love I would instantly feel for this amazing baby.  It was a feeling like no other and in 44 years it hasn't faded a bit.  Lori has been an amazing person since the day she was born.  She's always been mature well beyond her years and not only a phenomenal daughter but a loving and wise friend.

A little while ago, I conducted a phone interview with her.  Here's how it went.

Happy Birthday, Lori!  Are you having a good day? Yeah, we just sat down to watch TV.

Do you have any special plans for the day?  Actually I'm not having a birthDAY.  I'm having a birthday weekend. 

When I got to work Friday they had cake for me and my cubicle was decorated which included about 50 balloons.  And I got a 'Happy Birthday' painted wine glass, a bottle of wine and along with the cake, tons of other pastries.

When Marcus got home that night we drank wine and watched 'What Does the Fox Say' on Dancing with The Stars about 30 times in a row and it was the most relaxing, fun night.  On Saturday I was battling maybe a small, tiny hangover.  It wasn't really a hangover but it was close but we went to the brand new outlet mall, Nebraska Crossings, that opened this weekend just for me where Marcus followed me into every store, held my purse and my bags, and was so sweet.  It was a beautiful day with a full moon.  In one direction there was this beautiful mall and if you turned around, about a stone's throw away, there was a dried corn field.   When we left there we went to my favorite restaurant Carrabas and had delicious food and tons of water only.   Then today before I got up, Marcus went to the grocery store so I wouldn't have to, Emily left a happy birthday note on the fridge, Jared gave me a card and wished me the best birthday and Marcus is waiting on me hand and foot.  I'm one lucky, happy girl.

Are Marcus and Ryan both home?  No.  Marcus and Jared are here.  Ryan called earlier and tweeted at me.  It was very sweet.  And Emily was here but has left now.

Were there any special highlights in the last year?  ummmm, Well, I started streaking on Memorial Day and have walked or run at least one mile every single day since then so streaking really works well for me.  But what I feel best about is that I've inspired other people to do the same thing and we actually started streaking with a mind to cover the miles to Afghanistan where my brother Dan is right now.  And I love that so many people have joined to support him and all the troops over there.

So you work for Pharmaceutical Technologies.   Can you tell us a little about your job?  I help people and pharmacies with their insurance inquiries and coverages and provide processing assistance.  I also work with Medicare plans and their members to answer questions regarding coverage and benefits.

Has the Affordable Care Act complicated your job?   No not at all.  Changes are in the works but not everything was effective October 1st.  When people ask questions about what doctors or tests are covered regarding those specific changes we direct them back to their plan.  We help with pharmacy benefits and medications and the insurance plans deal with their own medical isssues.

So the Affordable Care Act hasn't changed pharmacy coverage much?  No, most changes will take effect after the first of the year.

What are the most challenging aspects of your job?  Calls I don't like are hospice calls or calls that have to do with children or infants.  Really the most challenging is dealing with angry people because some medications are not covered.  Because they're very, very angry.

What do you like most about your job?  The people I work with and I do like helping people figure out their pharmacy benefits or alternate medications that are covered.

 How did it feel to have a son old enough to go out and enjoy cocktails with? (http://www.musingsofthesixties.blogspot.com/2013/11/happy-birthday-ryan.html) It was nice... the whole night was fun and comfortable.  I thought it would be odd but it was really great.  He was very responsible which made all the difference.

Do you have any special goals or plans for the coming year?  I would like to run maybe two or three half marathons.  I'm  99% sure I'm going to do the Indy 500 race on Memorial Day weekend.  Also, Jared graduates this year and he'll be going off to college. 

What else can you tell us about yourself that might be interesting?   I have two shelties named Lolly and Lilly who look a lot alike and two black cats named Coco and Cola that look a lot alike.  I like living in Nebraska where I never thought I'd live.  I like Omaha.  And I feel like this area is safe and it's very scenic.

Also, my newest obsession is vintage clothing and styles from the 50's, 60's, and 70's.  I've been daydreaming about opening a vintage consignment shop with brand name clothing like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Anne Klein with lots of outfits like Jackie Kennedy wore.   A couple of weeks ago I spent the weekend with Marcus in Pella, Iowa where I found a vintage coat.  It fit perfectly but most of all, there was such a difference in quality and workmanship.  Just trying it on made me feel glamorous

And that was pretty much the end of our interview.  She does look glamorous, doesn't she?  There are many things I could tell you about Lori too.  For one thing, she's hilarious whether she's mocking her Dad watching the weather

or mocking her mother when I loaned her an extra plaid shirt I had,

or one of the instigators in one of my favorite shots of my kids.

 She's a good and creative cook

and she loves her nieces and nephews but probably not as much as they adore her.

And of course her family is everything to her

I love Lori's wisdom, sense of humor, and helpfulness.  But most of all, I love the person that Lori is.  She's had her share of troubles but she's indomitable and resilient.  She's the voice of reason and the calm in the storm.  I believe she has the gift of insight, a connection to nature, and a special spiritual awareness.  She's also blessed with the creative eye of a photographer, she's a gifted landscaper, and she has an extraordinary sense of style.   We're so glad Lori was our firstborn.  No wonder we had so many kids!!!

Happy Birthday, Lori!  We're hoping your day and the upcoming year are equally phenomenal!

Happy Birthday, Mary

Today is Mary Addison's 7th birthday.  Mary is our 15th grandchild and 6th granddaughter.  She was born in Louisville, Kentucky after one of the most easy, serene childbirths I have ever witnessed.

Here is her mother 27 minutes before she was born.

 And here they both are one minute after birth.

Now back to Mary.  I called her a little while ago to wish her a happy birthday and to interview her for this post.  Here's how it went:

Happy Birthday, Mary.  Thank you.

Are you having a good day? Yeah

What have you done?  In the morning I put on my clothes and then I ran  with Miss Brooke.   She's our babysitter.   Then we ran in a neighborhood with the school running club.  Then we had lunch and I played a little Wii.  After that we went to the pool with Miss Brooke and Mom. 

Are you doing anything special tonight?  I don't know yet. We're going out to a place and have waffles maybe Mimi's Cafe, Bob Evans, or IHop. I was going to wear my new dress that I got for my birthday but it's too hot out.

Did you enjoy your birthday party at our house?  Yeah

What did you like best about it?  Probably the cake.  I don't even like cake that much but so much of that cake was amazing.

Do you feel older now that you're 7?  Yeah  

 In what way?  I don't know.

Do you like having a big brother?  Yeah
and a little brother?  Yeah

But I don't like to play Airplanes and Spy and other things like that. 

You enjoy nature and studying plants and insects don't you?   Yes, but I don't really like things that sting and I really don't like spiders and poison ivy either.

I know you took dance this summer.  What did you like best about it?  My favorite thing to do was tap.

 Did you like ballet too?  Yeah, but not as much as tap.

When you come to Indiana during Christmas vacation, who do you like to play with the most?  Tessa and Anna, Jenna, Clara and Aubrey because they're girls.

And why do you play with Tessa so much?  Because she's a girl and she's as big as me right now.  I like to play dress up with her and we act out things.

Do you like school?  Yeah

What do you like best about it?  It starts in about two weeks.  My favorite things are probably social studies and science. 

You worked very hard on our house when we were remodeling the outside.  Did you enjoy that?  Yeah

 What did you like doing the most?  Probably sweeping the driveway and sidewalks and putting the dirt into the holes in the ground.  Those are the two things I did.

What's your favorite meal?  Macaroni

And your favorite dessert?  Probably strawberry shortcake.

And here's a question just to be funny.  Do you like it when your dad wears your headband and you wear his hat?  Yeah, but we only did it one time.

What else can you tell us about yourself that we might think is interesting?  I don't really know.
And that's how our interview ended.  She was ready to leave for her birthday dinner and I was expecting company.  So now I'll add some of the many things that I think are very interesting about Mary.

First of all, she adores her mom and wants to be just like her when she grows up.

She's named after her grandma. 

She's a very good driver.







And she's sweet, loving, thoughtful, considerate, and has a heart of gold.  We love our little Mary and we're hoping that not only are her birthday and her party this weekend wonderful, but that her entire year is as amazing as her.