He is deeply empathetic and genuinely cares about people
He’s a super involved father
He understands science and math and the world on a conceptual level
He isn’t afraid to speak up for someone who needs it
He accepts everyone exactly as they are
He is married to his highschool sweetheart
He always says sweet things about her when she isn’t around
He is adventerous
There isn’t a food he won’t try
While visiting somewhere new, he refuses to eat at any restaurant he could go to at home
He’s an excellent cook
He reads to his daughters
He loves his grandparents and communicates with them regularly
He’s calm under pressure
He never went through a “my parents embarrass me” phase
On a group outing at the age of 10, he saved his sack lunch to give to the homeless man we’d passed on the way there
He’s always been my video game buddy
He is super creative
His skills as a D&D DM rival those of any fiction novelist
He is musical
He has a freaky good ear for sounds and tones and can hear things nobody else can hear
For example, if he hears loose change drop on the ground, he can tell you exactly how much it is
He can fix things
His sense of humor cracks me up
He is kind
He has the ability to look beyond the surface level of any given situation
He has a broad perspective of life in general
He loves his family with everything in him
He memorizes random and ridiculous things
He is the best kid ever (except for Jesus)
Birthday Party Game Night celebrating with family & friends Road Trip to Colorado Birthday Balloon Breakfast at my friend’s house with her son/my birthday twin Saw bison, deer, and ground hogs at a nature reserve Visit to the candy factory Shopped Manitou Springs Traipsed around Red Rocks Birthday dinner on the patio in Denver Pleasant conversation for hours Free sopapillas for dessert Co-worker luncheon at Candlelight Inn
Yard Sale for Haiti Condo HOA meeting Felix Adler Fest at Children’s Discovery Center, Clinton, IowaFather’s Day Graduations Road Trip Birthday parties Multiple doctor’s appointments Women’s Club luncheon at George Curtis Mansion 149th Annual Chamber of Commerce meeting & awards, Clinton, Iowa New washing machine RAGBRAI meetings & route inspection My sister’s birthday My birthday Our birthday – June 18, 1982
Thunderstorms
Beaches
Book stores
The Legend of Zelda
Warm sunshine
Cabins in the mountains
Fresh oranges
Dinner with family and/or friends
Reality TV
Office supplies
Sharpies
Unlimited data on my cell phone
Caramel
Walking along the river
My birthday (in a couple weeks!)
Traveling
Laughing so hard my stomach hurts
My birthday on June 18
My sister Meredith’s birthday on June 18
My parents’ anniversary on June 5
It’s SUMMER!
Family trip to Arkansas
Time with people I love
World’s Largest Swim Lesson
Finishing the next to last class for a certification I want
Warm air
Planning more summer vacations
Nights on my patio
Outdoor swimming
Tan lines
Tank tops
Green grass & growing fields
The sunset reflected in my porch door
Tim McGraw
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Bing Crosby
Audrey Hepburn
Adele
George Clooney
Johnny Unitas
Harry S Truman
Billy Joel
Kenan Thompson
Salvador Dali
Tony Hawk
Stevie Wonder
Mark Zuckerberg
Emmitt Smith
Liberace
Jill Duggar
Tina Fey
Malcolm X
Dolley Madison
Mr. T
Apolo Ohno
Drew Carey
Queen Victoria
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Helena Bonham Carter
Wild Bill Hickock
Gladys Knight
John F. Kennedy
Benny Goodman
Walt Whitman
Grown-up Girls Slumber Party – My 38th/Meredith’s 35th
Pink & Yellow polka-dot theme carried out on cupcakes, cd cases, gift bags
Personalized Party Music CD
Gift bags of goodies for everyone
Late night drunk Twister
My Fabulous Fortieth Birthday – My 40th/(Meredith couldn’t be there)
Art heist mystery!
A Classic Never Goes Out of Style
The First Time Parents Rented Falcon Field Swimming Pool Party — My 12thish?/Meredith’s 9thish
Guest list limited to 60, not counting Grandparents who got to come no matter what
An entire picnic table full of presents for both of us
Home-made pool party invitations
Mystery Party in Maui – My 39th/(Meredith couldn’t be there but Michelle was!)
Murder Mystery — Carlene did it!
Travel companions and island friends
Small Water-Games Themed Party — My 9thish/Meredith’s 6thish
Water balloon toss
Two guests each, plus 2 mutual guests
Surprise Party at Organ Stop Pizza — My 19th/(Meredith was on a youth group trip)
Camping Party in Grandma & Grandpa Rock’s Camper — My 11th/Meredith’s 8th
Our birthday – June 18, 1982
Survivor seasons on DVD : CBS.com/survivor Triforce T-shirt: SixDollarTees
Donations to Wendy’s Butterfly Garden: wendysbutterflygarden.com
This outfit: Polyvore.com
The Boston Rob RuleBook: amazon.com
Any other books from my Amazon Wishlist
The Big Daddy Pod Chair: Sofa Mart
Cutco Knives: Cutco
Soundtrack from TV Show Nashville: ABC.com/nashville
Star Trek oven mitt: thinkgeek.com
This wall decal (size 48 x 26.5, satin copper color): Trading Phrases
My birthday My half-twin’s birthday
Lots and lots and lots of friends’ birthdays
My parents’ anniversary
Warm air
Sunshine
Outdoor swimming pools
Cook-outs
Hot dogs on a grill
Camping
Smores
Flip flops
Cute skirts
Bright days
Long nights
Longer days
Six Flags
Flag Day
Ceiling fans
Flowers
Did I say Our Birthday?
Our birthday – June 18, 1982
It’s his Golden Birthday! Nineteen years on the nineteenth!
He’s an amazing young man who has empathy, maturity, and wisdom beyond his years.
He makes me laugh all the time.
When I am sad, he hugs me until he takes away at least some of the sadness.
Even at 19 years old, he still doesn’t mind hanging out with his mom.
He talks to me. Really talks. About important things and unimportant things and dreams and goals and life decisions. We communicate well.
Hardly anything can embarrass him. And I’ve tried.
He brings his friends around.
We like a lot of the same movies and TV shows and enjoy watching them together.
He thinks I’m young enough to understand the music he listens to.
He has indeed introduced me to a lot of new music.
His smile is quick and sincere.
Even when he was young, he’s always been able to talk to anyone. People don’t scare him the way they do me.
He kills bugs for me.
Almost all of my favorite memories involve him.
Before he was born, when I was in a car wreck, there were some scary minutes when we couldn’t hear his heartbeat. I don’t think I’ve ever prayed harder than that hour.
He supports my goals and dreams, even if they take us away from each other geographically.
He loves with his whole heart.
I am so proud of the man he has become.
Caleb at the top of Haleakala Volcano, Maui - June 2010
Lists of All the Things You've Never Wondered About
