Happy Birthday, Daddy!

As we celebrated my 40th birthday a few months ago, we celebrated Jeremy's last nite. All along, he's been VERY curious as to why his party was almost a month before his actual birthday. What he didn't know is that his former golf coach had agreed to fly in from Washington state for the big event, so as soon as Randy said, "Yes," I said, "We'll plan things around you." It turned out that a month before Jeremy's birthday worked best for him, so we made that work for us - mostly by giving Jeremy some line about how the venue was booked all of September with Pisgah High School class reunions.

It worked. 

Jeremy was completely surprised when Randy walked in and joined the receiving line that had informally taken shape. It was an amazing moment. In fact, when Jeremy realized who it was, he hugged him. Then, he backed away to talk and brought it in again for another hug. I saw the two of them talking all nite, which was exactly what I wanted to have happen. It was awesome.

So were all of the rest of the guests. It was so wonderful to see them all - and I have to brag on my boys a little bit. They were EXCEPTIONALLY well behaved while their Nana and I decorated the Milltown Place earlier in the day on Friday. For an hour or so, they both sat so quietly in their seats (they pretended they were their "desks"), playing with whatever was left in their backpacks from our Boston trip (this was their "work"). I'd dreaded having them there with us, assuming they'd be all over the place and into everything, but boy, did they prove me wrong - and, in so doing, they made me very, very proud. I took a video (so I could text it to Brooke) so I would never forget.

That nite, they had a ball - visiting with their cousins (Ellery and Evan were there, as were Bobo and DooDoo) and making new buddies. Walker and Jack Miller were fast friends with Freddie. When they left, Freddie asked if those "Choc-it Boys" (they both have brown hair) could come to our house. I told their mama, Maria, that the next day. She said her boys had been asking the same thing! Baxter and Asa Hood were also a ton of fun for the boys to get to know.

The next day, they got to know Mr. Randy. Jeremy and Randy spent the morning together and then came home to take the boys for their first official golf lesson. We all headed up to Springdale, where Mr. Randy gave Jones and Freddie the same sort of instruction he'd given their daddy a really, REALLY long time ago.  When we left, Freddie asked if we could go back again. I'm sure we can.

OH! And lest I forget - Mr. Randy gave ME one of the best presents I have ever gotten. He brought me a file from a circa 1992 news story about Jeremy. The file format couldn't be recognized by my computer, so I played it on Randy's laptop and recorded it on my camera. Let me just tell you: it is a TREASURE. 

So was this wonderful weekend with so many who mean so much to Jeremy - and to me and the boys, too! 

Happy birthday to the man who is finally as old as I am ... well, almost.