50 sucks

Last Friday my stepdad turned 50! 

My sisters and I have been planning his party for what seems like forever! We had lots of surprises up our sleeves... starting with Krista flying in from Virginia! We surprised him at work on Friday and took him to lunch at Escalante's. 

My stepdad with his 2 daughters... Krista and Melanie

Saturday afternoon we met at my mom's house while he was away and started decorating for his big surprise party! We made him this gift basket complete with an Apple TV

His next door neighbor made him this one

Lots of suckers for lots of kids!

He was so surprised when he walked in!

The kids bagged up some of the confetti and kept jumping out at random times to surprise others... they thought it was hysterical!

For his last surprise, we had his siblings fly in for his party. It was possibly the sweetest sight ever to see how excited he was to have them there. 

Aunt Krista and Kane

haha! best shirt ever!

Krista and I took on the task of emailing 50 people from his past and asking them to send us a memory that they had of him. It was more difficult to get all this organized than we ever imagined, but SO worth it! 

(idea from Pinterest)

Melanie handing him the letters. He was so touched that people took the time to do this just for him.

 Love and appreciate him more than he knows!

I am pretty sure the bakery misunderstood how many people we needed to feed! ha! So much cake!

Melanie insisted that he blow out 50 candles, so he recruited all the grandchildren to help him.

 While assisting in blowing out the candles Kane helped himself to a big chunk of cake! oops! 

 After cake we all sat down to watch a slideshow that Melanie put together.

 Krista, Kane and Cadyn

Kylie and Krista

pretty positive Kane helped himself to enough suckers to make MY stomach hurt

My mom and her best friend. They have been BFFs since they were 6 years old.

 my sweet grandmother

Scott and his siblings

My blue eyed girls!

Once the party died down, we all went outside so the guys could race their cars.

We had the best time planning Scott's 50th birthday party! So glad we were able to pull it all off!

10 years

December 14th marked the 10 year anniversary of my dads death. I often find myself getting more emotional and sensitive around this time. I find myself needing "my fix." I go through pictures and the few things that I have of his. I keep a few of his shirts in ziplock bags- when I open the bags I can still smell him. His scent takes me back to so many wonderful memories when things were easy. Not that things are not easy now, but after he died I had to grow up fast. I was out on my own in so many ways.

My brother and I always try to have dinner on the anniversary of his death, so this year was no different. We included our families since it was the ten year mark. Sitting at the dinner table, I looked around and could not believe how much he has missed. How has 10 years passed? He has missed weddings, deaths and births. So many wonderful grandchildren that he would love so much.

Sometimes when I drive to our old neighborhood I still say to myself that my dad wouldn't believe the changes, or lack of. My grandparents live only 2 doors down from my old house, so I always see the home we shared. The home where I said my last goodbye to him. If I stop and think about it too long, I get very upset. I can still see the gurney being pushed down the driveway.

This year I dug up my Senior Legacy that was due just a few months after he passed. I wrote the whole thing about him. It made me smile to go back and see the stories and the pictures I included. So many memories fade after 10 years.

I also included the speech I wrote for his funeral.

Within the senior legacy, I wrote a sonnet about my dad. It actually ended up being published in a book.

His hands were the anchor of my being,

The strength of my soul and the dawn of day.

They held me high and kept me believing

While leading me forward to show the way,

His love of life reflected in his eyes,

Shining ahead like a luminous light.

I felt his warmth through the force of the skies,

The blue of the ocean, the depth of the night.

His compassion for others helped me see

The true picture of his love for mankind.

Always encouraging me to be me,

His heart engraved the journey through his mind.

The hands, the eyes, the heart of a father

Mirrored in the spirit of his daughter.

-------------------------------------------------

For dinner this year, we decided to meet at outback. My dad always loved a steak!

Kylie being silly.

Landon and Kylie having a picture contest.

Kane loves Kylie so much. Every time she would go over to him, he would wrap his arm around her. Sweetest thing ever!

Kane and my brother. My brother wore one of my dads old work shirts. He had a commercial roofing company- O'Malley's National Maintenance.

Ashlyn

Big blurry group shot, that's what I get for letting the kids play with my camera!

My dads favorite color was green, so we all wore green to dinner in his honor...this was the same thing we did 10 years earlier for his funeral.

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face.

May the rains fall soft upon your fields and, until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

-Old Irish Blessing

Grandpa Victor

Earlier this week we celebrated Michael's dad. Monday marked the 3 year anniversary that he has been gone. We went with Michael's family to our favorite sushi restaurant, Azuma. We went there many times with Michael's dad, so it was the perfect place to celebrate his life.

This picture was taken a couple years before he passed. This is my favorite family picture they have!

Ashley, Matt, Michael, Dr. M and Lulu.

Michael and Matt celebrating their dad's birthday one year.

Dr. M and Lulu

Ashley's debutant ball in 2007

Kane celebrating his grandpa Victor when he was just a month old.

Our sweet boy at Azuma this year. We were seated in the private room, so Kane was able to run around while we enjoyed a delicious dinner!

Kane "sleeping" instead of smiling for a picture.

Since Dr. M can not be with us, we will continue to celebrate his life and make sure that Kane knows what a great man he was.