Happy 43rd Birthday!!!

The children love stories about R and I.  They are always asking for stories from when we were kids.  So here are 43, hopefully, stories/fun facts staring R.

1. When R was a little guy he was at the pool with his Uncle Tom and he was trying to do a back flip that resulted in a scar on his nose.  

2.Once when Rob was a teenager he was driving down the road and saw a fire in an apartment building.  He stopped the car and ran in to help the people living there.

3. Bill and Rob liked to play after school, they would wrestle and play in the woods behind his house. 

4. In High School Rob won the Top Science Student Award

5. Rob had a job at Arby's in high school.

6. Rob played the trumpet for years.  One time they were having a show and his trumpet part flopped off.  He broke formation and marched over, picked it up, and marched back.  It was a seamless.

7. When Rob was a cub scout he and the whole family were at a cake decorating contest and they came home and found they had been robbed.  This was scary and traumatic.

8.  As a boy scout Rob and Abba went camping.  One trip was really cold and they like to tell the story of freezing in the cave.

9. As a little guy he played baseball and then again as an adult played on a softball team.

10.  Rob and Hannah took karate.  They got up to purple belt before we moved to MD.

11.  He rode a century ride with his dad last year.  They had a lot of fun.

12. His favorite calling has been Ward Mission Leader.

13. His favorite dessert is Angel Food Cake.  I just learned a new recipe with pineapple and he likes it better than the original.

14. He likes to play video games.

15. He likes fruity desserts.

16. Every Tuesday night we go to Salsas for a date.

17. Rob is a great swimmer.

18. On our honeymoon he saw a sea turtle while we were snorkeling.

19. He likes to garden and  has the nicest yard, objectively speaking :)  Every  morning I walk the dogs and look at the yards.  Our neighborhood is new, only a few years old, most of the yards are still like the builder planted it.  A couple have done a lot of work and they look great.  A few have done considerable work, including Rob's and his is the nicest.

20. His favorite show is NCIS.  (or maybe that's mine)

21. He loves water sports.

22. When we were dating we had these good friends, Al and Ellen, who introduced us.  Al called Ellen "Slim".  Rob thought that was a nice cowboy nickname.  One night, after open house, the four of us were in Ellen's classroom and Rob tried out his new cowboy nickname for me "bubba".  Al was like psst, Rob, shaking head vigorously and saying no no! It was funny.

23. We went to the Opera a few times, he had some good naps. 

24. Rob likes science fiction movies and adventure movies and chick flicks.  The first movie we saw together was Titanic.

25.  He likes jazz music and lots of other music too.

26. He doesn't love camping, but has begun to acquire camping skills because he does love his kids and they need him to camp.

27.  Every night he wishes we were having dessert.

28.  Rob has coached soccer for the last 7 years, ever since Ethan was 3 years old.

29.  He is a brilliant guy and a good leader.

30.  Fishing is his new hobby.

31. His motorcycle season is over and now we are trying to sell it.

32. When Hannah was a baby my family called him the baby hog because he never wanted anyone to hold her but him.

33.  When she was learning to walk up and down the stairs he had her wear a bike helmet because he was worried she would get hurt.

34. Conversely  child #2 crashed his first car when he was the same age because Dad let him play in the truck while he (Rob) was working on a tree and he(Ethan) released the brake, smashing Rob into said tree.  He has relaxed a lot over the years.

35.  He is thrifty (read lovingly: cheap) about most things.

36. People are always surprised to learn that he is an only child.

37.  He has a good memory.

38. At 43 he already has two granddaughters, 2 (almost) sons-in-law, 5 daughters and 1 son.  He is a loving patriarch to a growing brood.

39.  He has good balance.

40.  His hair line is receding a bit.

41. He is very supportive in times of crisis and calm, cool and collected.  And he is the throw up cleaner in our house, except 2 nights ago he was gone and I had to do it :(

42. He is a good BBQer.

43. He is funny.

Happy Birthday Honey!