David Michael

 

David Michael Hibner was born on January 13, 1998.  He was our 7th grandchild and our 5th grandson.  He's an important part of this small family:

And an important part of this large family:

Following is David, pictorially, through the years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And that's David 'through the years'.  As I wend my way through his file, the smile never leaves my face because although he's changed and grown and matured, the person that is David and always has been David has never changed.  He was and still is the sweetest, kindest, most loving boy imaginable.  We are beyond proud of him and know how blessed we are to have him for a grandson.  

 

Happy Birthday, David!  Enjoy your year ahead where you'll get your driver's license, become an Eagle Scout, and continue to hone your basketball skills.  You are one awesome kid!!!

Note.  I previously wrote about David in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013.

Happy Birthday, Trey

Today is our grandson Trey's birthday.  He was born 4 years ago in Louisville KY.  He's our 18th grandchild and 11th grandson.  He weighed in at 8 lbs 14 oz and was healthy and robust from the start.

While I waited for his party to be over in Louisville I gathered some interesting pictures about him on my computer.  Like pictures that show what a very happy baby he was.

and how anxious he was to feed himself at an early age.

and how early he and his cousin, Eli, started playing together.

I also found pictures that showed how much he loved Grandma's ice cream cones from the get-go,

 how studious he was before he could even read,

 how nicely he wore Grandma's gardening shoes,

 and how early he learned to wiggle his mustache just like Grandpa.

And finally it was time for the interview.

Here's how it went.  Happy Birthday, Trey!  Are you having a good day?  Yeah.  I played with a water cannon and  I got a new gun!  Do you like it?  Yeah.  And it has the ball and I shoot the ball and you pull it back one time and then it gets pulled back and it shoots.

What have you done so far?   I had a good birthday party.

Did you have a birthday cake?  I only had my cupcake to eat and ice cream to eat.  Ice cream and cupcake to eat and I had a good party!

What was your favorite present?  The gun.

Have you been a good boy this year?  Yes

 Have you been helpful?  Yep

And have you been nice?  Yeah

Is Santa Claus going to bring you any presents for Christmas?  Whenever Santa Claus comes to your house, he brings you presents.    Did you ask for anything?   No.   But I know one of the things that I like for my birthday.   What?  A Lightning McQueen Bike. 

Are you coming to Michigan City after Christmas to visit with all your cousins?  No  Do you remember when Jack and Zachary and Eli and Dane are all there.  Oh yeah. 

What can you tell us about yourself that I didn't ask about?  You didn't ask about cleaning my room.  Did you clean your room?  I cleaned it but it was a little messy.

Then we got disconnected and that pretty well wrapped our interview. Of course, there's lots more I could tell you about Trey.  He's very athletic,

 a super fast runner,

has scads of personality,

and a wonderful sense of humor.

All in all, he's a wonderful little boy and we're proud and happy that he's our grandson.  So, Trey, we're glad you're having an awesome day and hope the coming year is full of happy days just like this one!

Happy Birthday, Harry

Today is Harry's 67th birthday.

He was born at St. Anthony Hospital in Michigan City about 5 1/2 months after me.  His mother had a doctor's appointment that day and had just gotten home on the bus when the contractions started.  She barely made it back to the hospital in time.  Harry was their third child and first son.  And he was a real cutie.

A little while ago I conducted an 'in-person' interview with him and here's how it went.

Happy Birthday, Harry.  Are you having a good day?  Other than having a cold, I'm having a real good day.  What have you done so far?  I slept in and had carrot cake for breakfast.  Are you thinking about seeing a doctor anytime soon for this cold that you've had for weeks?  It's always a possibility.

Do you have any special plans the rest of the day?  We're going to have a nice dinner at William B's.

I know you're the grandpa of 20 grandchildren and the great-grandpa of 4.  How do you feel about that?
Proud.  It's kind of mind-boggling when you think about it.  It's not something you would have foreseen in your future?  No not at all.

What do you like best about it?  Just looking at them and watching them grow and how much each one of them changes.

What were the highlights of the past year.  This has been my first full year of retirement and it has been great.

What do you like best about retirement.  Not having to get up early every day.

Are there any drawbacks?  None!

How do you feel about both your sons being in the Army?  It's pretty awesome and at times pretty scary.

 

Do you have any special goals or plans for the coming year?  Play more golf and play golf with you. 

And we're really looking forward to being in Colorado when Dan gets back from Afghanistan.

What can you tell us about yourself that most people might not know?   I like all the Chicago Sports teams.    Except one.

I like sitcoms and we enjoy American Idol and Dancing With the Stars.

 And every single night I have to have a bowl Doritos.

 

And that was about all I could get out of him.  But there's lots I could say about him.  Harry's a sweet, easy-going guy.  He not only enjoys his grandchildren but he has a real way with them.

He loves his kids, grandkids, great grandkids, and his wife.

 

He's a good driver and it's a good thing because he's driven us all over the United States.  He's one of the nicest guys I've ever known and one of the smartest.  And best of all, he has a sense of humor that's quirky, clever, and unexpected.  Harry's a wonderful person, father, grandpa, great grandpa and husband.  And I'm one very lucky girl.

So Happy Birthday, Sweetie.  I hope it's all you deserve and more and I hope the coming year is your best ever but not as great as the many years to come.  (Oh, and if you're not feeling much better tomorrow, I'm dragging you to the doctor.)