Randy,

Happy Birthday!

I married someone that in SO many great ways is exactly like you. That alone tells you how great I think you are. Two experiences:

One, it was quite a few years ago when Aubrie was 2 or 3. Ryan and I were with you in the car and we were talking about how overwhelmed we felt about parenting and I think at that point we were sincerely feeling like we were ruining our daughter because we didn't know how to handle her sometimes (well...most of the time for about a year there). We felt like we were just squishing the personality right out of her because of the way we were parenting. We were expressing all of this to you. and what did you do....you laughed--really hard actually. In a nutshell you told us that Aubrie was one of the luckiest girls to come to our family and have the parents she does and that we were great parents. There wasn't any advice given or anything like that. And really that was probably the best thing you could have done at the time because every time I think of that experience I think, if Randy with so many years experience as a dad could sit there and just laugh at us while we are pouring out our hearts in frustration because he thought what we were saying was so ridiculous--then maybe we are really not doing that bad. It has actually helped me SO many times since then.

Another experience that is in my recent memory was last summer...I was up at your house by myself with the kids (it was when Ryan and I were apart for those 6 weeks) and Karen was helping me by getting all of the kids in the car while I grabbed some last minute things from the house. I walked past the office where you were sitting and said goodbye. You said something and it started a conversation. I think Karen finally came inside to see where I was about 20 minutes later. And I actually don't even remember what we talked about specifically, but I remember feeling very loved by you and Karen that night. I felt like you knew that I was kind of having a hard time (I was pregnant with Blake and probably a little emotional) and feeling overwhelmed and you sensed it. I am grateful to have such wonderful inlaws. And I am grateful that the things that you taught Ryan as your son about integrity, hard work, sticking with something, loving God and putting family first are an integral part of our life as a couple and that they are being taught to our kids.

I love you!

Amber