A Great Day at Home

They say there is no place like home.  I only lived in my parents' Walnut Creek home for three years, and that was over 35 years ago.  But there is much to say about being in my parents' home with my siblings and their families all around that makes everything fall into place.  I only wish Elysa could have been there with us.

Today is my Dad's 83rd birthday.  My brother, John, and his wife, Barbara, and their dogs Memo and Molé from San Jose; my sister, Lauri, who lives with my parents; and my brother, Rick, and his wife, Kathryn, and their children Jackie & Graham; all were there to celebrate Dad's birthday.

It was a marvelous afternoon and evening.  We made chalk drawings in the side yard, played Frisbee with Memo, enjoyed good drink, food, and great conversation, and reveled in each others' company.  My Dad opened birthday presents and we laughed at funny cards and joked around.  My Dad and brothers always had a great sense of humor and much was shared today.

Perhaps the most wonderful point came, however, when my dad unwrapped a book Rick and Kathryn made (with Walmart's help) of all the planes my dad ever flew.  My dad started flying around 1959 and it became a passion for him and a lifestyle for us.  As kids, we had no idea how extraordinary this experience was.  We flew all over the western United States; John and I were fortunate enough to fly cross country with my mom and dad in 1968.  Several months ago we started an e-mail conversation filled with remembrances of our various trips.  Each of the "kids" remembered different things, even different from what my parents remembered.  Rick compiled all those emails and then went online to locate ALL of the planes my dad every flew.  Together with photographs from my parents' photo albums, Rick and Kathryn put together an incredible book that brought tears to my Dad's eyes (I'm tearing up thinking about it).  It was a very tender moment and one I'll never forget.  Thank you, Rick and Kat; that was the most incredible present ever.

After recovering from the emotions and enjoying a fantastic meal (including that sourdough crab we carried all over San Francisco) we sat down and enjoyed some films of us as kids.  My dad had digitized, edited, and then recorded the films to DVD.  The pictures of my 2 year old baby brother watching a Jack in the Box are a riot.  Our favorite scene: watching 15 kids load into a small station wagon to go to Knott's Berry Farm for a birthday party.  15 kids!

This was an incredible day and I am thankful for every moment I was able to share with my family.  Keep your family close; nothing else compares.