Richard's 34th Birthday!

Don't let this PhD fool you...


He's still just a kid.

or Tarzan.

Here's the sweet man singing "Happy Birthday" to his daughter,

when it is also his birthday...

(He had Apple Pie A La Mode. I'm not heartless.)

For a couple years now, 

Richard has had but one birthday wish...

It's the perfect time of year here in Idaho to trek out into the wilderness...

We have to drive for 50 miles,

four-wheel up the trails,

hike up the mountain,

all in search of nature's most priceless treasure.

And Richard's birthday just happens to be the perfect time to pick them.

If you can find them...

Look closely...

Can you see?

The Idaho Wild Huckleberry

More delicious than gold.

More valuable than Swiss chocolate.

😒

Once you find a patch, you could spend hours picking bush after bush...

We found what Mitchell named, "Huckleberryville!"

It went on forever.

Our cousins came along and when they asked,

"What do Huckleberries taste like?"

Mitchell answered,

"Cotton candy."

They have the miraculous power to calm any crying infant.

I tried handing her ones that I was picking.

But I couldn't go fast enough

(they are really really little.)

Finally I showed her the source,

and she spent the rest of the time picking and eating her own berries.

And when we finally caught up to Dad

(he was like a man possessed and we couldn't keep up)

She reached into his bag for a massive handful and shoveled them all in!

Parker picking his Dad's favorite birthday present!

Britta, much like her father, was so engrossed in the picking

that when I asked her to look up for a quick picture, she responded,

"Can't stop now, Mom, there's too many berries!"

Mitchell really really loves them also.

That's why his bucket is almost empty.

😉

The only thing I'll allow in my Maverick cup besides my Diet D.P.

Anyway, lots of jam was made and eaten.

All making for a truly blissful birthday

(or very nearly after his birthday)

celebration.

Spending his own birthday on the floor of a rock climbing gym

just watching his kids have fun.

He takes us as a family on all his adventures.

He's always got my back.

Seriously,

he's my chiropractor,

my barber,

(I always get compliments),

my greatest cheerleader,

my champion,

my therapist,

my dearest, dearest friend.

We share thoughts, passions, sentences, and jokes.

He thinks very deeply about the world.

He takes his spirituality very seriously.

I've admired his devotion to God since I first met him.

He's also amazingly silly.

Like sitting next to his own grave.

He does really random stuff to see if I'm paying attention.

Just now I got up to see who was ringing the door bell.

He came out casually drying a dish trying not to laugh...

He had door bell ditched his own family!

And ran around back into the kitchen pretending nothing happened!

Our favorite past time is board games.

Like the kind you would need a PhD to understand.

😕

His little sister Michelle is our favorite visitor for many reasons,

but one of which is that she shares in our fun!

But seriously, he can explain them to me like I'm five,

and we have hours and hours of fun

when the kids go to sleep.

He got me hooked on Pathfinders.

It's a role-playing game like Dungeons & Dragons 

(BUT COOLER!)

I can't believe how much I love it.

I started out with a migraine,

but after getting the hang of it,

and now I'm all going to bed like,

"When we play again tomorrow I can't wait to try out my new magic flaming wand sword against those demon henchmen!"

😎

He just really enjoys being a father.

I often call him the Britta whisperer...

When she's at her worst tantrums,

he can go in and smooth things right over.

He has that gift with all the children.

He really listens to them.

He's the ultimate good cop.

I love so many things about him.

Not all can be mentioned here.

But I wish him the happiest of birthday with 

many many many many many many many many many many

 many many many many many many many many many many

 many many many many many many many many many many

 many many many many more.