Happy Birthday Drew

So I'm playing a little catch-up here: Shana was gone last weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday down in Las Vegas, so it was just me and the kids.  Drew was at the Heaton's for a team dinner as their first soccer game of the season was the next day, so I cooked us up some Cafe Rio.

And we had a visitor in town - Tay came back to hang out for the weekend.  We all miss her and it's fun to see how much she's grown.  She still loves Shana and the kids but can do without me.

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Getting down to business - 12 years ago on the day after the 9/11 attacks, Drew was born.  He's 12 years old and I'm proud to call him my boy.

Shana must have been reminiscing when she bought him this blast from the past.  When I smelled it, I was immediately transported back in time to Dixie Middle School gym sock-hops.

Drew enjoying his birthday cheesecake.

Let it be known that on 12th Drew's birthday, we broke ground on our home.

We've got a long way to go, but it's nice to see even a little bit of progress.

This is our retaining wall...how firm a foundation

I told the kids stories about the dirt-clod fights that I used to have with friends in my neighborhood growing up.  Full on chucking the hard clods at each other from one mound of dirt to the other used as protective forts...the kids immediately started throwing clods at me.

And finally, 16 kids over at our house for Drew's birthday party...oh my.