How do you measure a year in the life?

One of the Christmas letters I received was from a friend of mine from high school. In her letter she remarked that only last Christmas she was a newlywed, adjusting to that situation, and this Christmas they are now a family of three living in their own house. In that year they also spent a few weeks in Italy and Greece (with Wendy, 6 months pregnant, tooling around Italy on the back of a scooter!) knowing that after they started to have babies they would have limited opportunities (if any) to go places.
Today is Randy's birthday. It is a milestone birthday, one that ends in a zero. Last year while we were gearing up for our next move to be to the Raleigh area, I was starting to plan a surprise birthday weekend for him, renting out a house in Nags Head or near there, either for New Year's or this weekend. Since we were only going to be a few hours from there, and since my Grandma and aunt live there, he would have thought nothing of our taking a drive out there for the weekend. He never would have suspected his kids and our friends to be there as well.
You know that things didn't work out that way.
Randy is in China, and has birthday parties planned for him throughout the expat community that has embraced him there in Shekou. I just hope there isn't some sort of tradition that the birthday boy pays.
We are here, in Pittsburgh, closer to our families and everything we love.
Except him.
So to cheer us all up, how 'bout some pictures of the birthday boy?
Randy in a band in college. He's the skinny guy in the back with the bass. This band had quite the following among the bikers of Erie county from what I understand.











Randy, his Grandfather, his eldest Devin, and Randy's Dad, 1977

Randy graduating from college, in 1977!



















Randy and his two older sons Donovan and Devin, 1980ish

Deja Vu and another generation

Randy holding his grandson Collin when he was a baby (he'll be 5 this year!)

Randy as Gandalf for Halloween the year before Myles was born

Randy dancing with his older daughter Eileen on her Wedding Day in 2003. I think this was quite possibly the proudest I had ever seen him.

Randy dancing with his younger daughter Katie on that same day

Randy holding newborn Myles

Randy walking to the Noth Caroline Aquarium with his grandson Collin and our Myles


Happy Birthday, Randy!
(if you leave comments I'll pdf this page and email it to him)