Trey's 9th

Trey's 9th birthday was on December 21st.

He was our 18th grandchild and 11th grandson.

Trey is a very important part of this large family

and a very important part of this beautiful family.

I wrote about him for his birthday last year in this post and clicking on that link will eventually take you to links to all his previous posts showing lots of pictures and telling lots about how he's changed through the years.

So I'll just post a few pictures here

and talk about what's been going on in his life during the past year.  First of all, Trey has had a busy and an eventful year.

He played soccer in the spring,

and again on a fall league,

and baseball in the spring.

He also finished 2nd grade this year 

and started 3rd grade.

During the holidays, he and his family visited Gulf Shores with his really big extended family

where he did a great job in the family talent show.

He had a great year all around but he also had some big changes in his family's dynamics this year starting back in May that involved moving from this house

to these new digs in October where he's enjoyed some very special perks

First of all, he gets to share a room with his brother

and a closer relationship with his sister and mom too.

He's taken all the changes in stride because he's that kind of kid - easy-going, smart, and unfailingly cheerful.

He has great hair,

a great attitude,

and a wonderful sense of humor.

He's brilliant, athletic, and sweet; an avid reader, loves the pool and playing with his friends and he's just a wonderful boy all around.

And he's very brave as witnessed by his prowess wielding the paper sword his second cousin, Chris, made for him.

We're very proud of Trey and love him very much!  We know he had a happy birthday so now we're wishing him a wonderful, happy year ahead!  Happy Year, Trey!  We love you!!!

Harry's

Harry's Birthday was December 17th!

At the time we were in Savannah, Georgia so we had a little birthday celebration there with our granddaughter, Tessa.

Harry is a very very important part of our large family.

In fact he and I started everything way back in 1968 and before we knew it, the two of us turned into the eight of us.

I wrote about Harry for his birthday last year in this post and clicking on that link will take you to all his previous posts full of pictures and stories about what's been going on in his life the last few years so I'll just post a few pictures here showing how he's changed

and talk about what's been going on in his life during the past year.  As I mentioned, we were in Savannah for his birthday this year but coincidentally we were also in Savannah for his birthday last year.

And last year, on our way home while driving at night through Georgia, a metal object of some sort came flying down the highway, disabling five cars and of course ours was one of them.  It not only blew out both left tires but broke both left wheels.  So there we were, a few days before Christmas, stranded in Dalton Georgia.

We were lucky though.  The accident happened on December 18th and since Dalton actually had a Honda dealer, we were on the road on December 20th and that's when we got home.  It's a good thing too because on December 25th we were on the road again heading for Gulf Shores AL and our favorite time of the year when the whole family gets together and stays in one very big house!  Here we enjoy dinners out, cooking together, shopping, a family talent show, our very own big New Year's Eve party, and time on the beach.

 We got home on January 3rd and on January 10th, we were in Sanford, FL where we intended to wait out the winter.   On the 13th we were visited by our very special Florida neighbors, the Dans!

And while they were there, we visited our favorite dinner venue in Sanford, Hollerbach's.

On January 19th we flew back to Indiana for a very special baby shower.

And returned to Florida on the 22nd.  But then on the 27th something unexpected happened and we were on our way back to Indiana.  We had to be there because we had become grandparents for the 21st time!

We stuck around for Beth's birthday and on February 10th we were back in Sanford!  During February we spent a lot of time on the golf course and enjoyed a meet-up with the Dans at Universal Studios.

In March we enjoyed Florida and golfing and a short visit to the Tampa area to stay with Tessa and Evan while Dan and Teresa went house hunting in Savannah.  Back in Sanford we took a long hike (for us) in the wilderness (it seemed like) and were mystified by why someone was throwing oranges in the creeks until we saw this.  LOL

We came home in April in time to celebrate Eli's birthday and Noah and Anna's confirmation but on April 24th we were happy to be heading back to Florida to help the Dans move from Florida to Savannah and for an extra treat we were able to stay in Savannah a few extra days to pet sit because neither Dan nor Teresa could be there right then.  And to add to the joy, Lori visited and we had a wonderful time golfing and going on ghost and historical tours in Savannah.

We left Georgia on the 10th and headed for Louisville KY to spend a few days with Sarah and the kids.

We got home on the 14th and on the 24th had a day trip to South Bend to visit with our granddaughter, Emily.  We got to see her college campus, tour her perfect townhouse and enjoy a wonderful lunch with her.

In June we played in our first golf scramble with my cousin Rosanne and her husband, Larry.  It must have been beginner's luck because we actually won first place in the mixed couples division.  It also helped a little that there were only 1 or 2 other mixed couples.  LOL

And later in June we were back in Louisville to help Sarah get ready for a big move

and from there we headed to Savannah for Dan's Change of Command ceremony!

Right after that we went to Burke, Virginia (a suburb of Washington DC) for Katie's high school graduation.

We got home in time to enjoy a visit from Lori and Marcus coupled with a dinner in South Bend with Emily.

And later in June we enjoyed a visit from some of our very favorite house guests ever, Amber and Chris and family!  And where we got to watch Amber's kids get acquainted with their new second cousin, Sarah Jane.

July highlights started with a visit to Michigan to celebrate several birthdays and which included our traditional Allender clan photo shoot,

then a visit to a horse ranch to watch Clara and Eli take their very first real horseback rides,

and finally the Koselke family reunion.

August saw us back in Burke to stay with Matthew and Zachary while Dave and Patty took Katie and David to their respective colleges and we stayed to try to help Dave and Patty with a giant house flipping project they were working on.  I don't know how much we helped but we sure enjoyed our stay with them. 

 

In September we did a whole house refresh or I should say the Beths and the Ambers did a whole house refresh and later in the month Harry drove our grandson Noah, a homecoming prince candidate, in the homecoming parade.  (The car was graciously lent to us by a very dear and longtime friend, John Torgeson.)

In October we were back in Louisville to help Sarah move into her new digs

November was Thanksgiving and time with the Ambers, the Amys, the Sarahs, and the Beths and December brought us full circle back to Savannah to stay with Evan and Tessa while Dan and Teresa took a trip of a lifetime to Europe.  So it's been a busy year for Harry and I realize that this turned out to be more of a year in review for both of us than a post for Harry but we did so much and had so much fun, that I didn't want to forget any of it!  So now I want to talk about Harry and how lucky we are to have him in our lives and I think the poem I wrote him for his birthday kind of sums it all up very well.
 

Happy Birthday, Wonderful Harry

It's a blessing for me that it's you that I married

A wonderful husband in every way

from the day that we married right up 'til today

You're sweet and you're loving and so very kind

and each day we're together I'm glad that you're mine

You're patient and loving and beyond understanding

You're sweet and you're good and never demanding

You're my Mr. Fixit and you get the job done

And your great sense of humor makes you wonderfully fun!

You're wonderfully helpful and wonderfully true

So today we are celebrating wonderful you

A wonderful grandpa, husband, and dad

You're a wonderful man and we're so very glad

that wonderful Harry you're the wonderful one

who we can depend on when every day's done

It was easy to write because he is that sweet and that kind and that thoughtful almost all of the time.  See?  It just naturally rhymes.  LOL

So although this post is incredibly late, it's also incredibly heartfelt.  I already wished him a very happy birthday so now I want to wish him the very happy, joyful year that he so richly deserves!  Happy Year, Harry!  I love you very much!