Happy 39th Birthday

Happy Birthday Blake! We are all celebrating you tonight. There are going to be 18 of us hollering and laughing at Olive Garden, just as was the case during our frequent visits to you. I know you can picture the scene. Every around us looking at us like we are crazy and super annoying. I can feel you smiling. Though you have changed all of us for ever, we are still the same crazy family, still doing the same crazy things we have always done. That is what I believe caries us through. We are growing older, but still playful kids at heart trying not to take life to serious at times.

As we grow older and raise our own families, you are still front and center on our stage. It is hard to keep perspective when the kids are screaming and making us crazy, but at the end of many days, I think of you. Suddenly, appreciation for what I have overcomes me, though I don't always show it. A little screaming, a little fighting, bid deal. This is life. You have taught me that. I only wish your were here to share our experiences with us. I speak for myself, my wife, and the kids when I say that we all truly miss you deeply. Love ya.