Findit

on December 22, 19 days 'til 60, my mother ensnared Larry to help find the different items inside the container. The most elusive was the penny, and the goal was not just to find the penny but also to identify the year on the penny. Larry, of course, was persistent and found it.



to see more, check out finditgames.com




On a side note, a few updated facts about Larry's household:
Ratio of people to computers: 6:6
Combined years of post-secondary education: 45
Amount of dark chocolate peanut MnM's eaten: too much

Day 10

Expanding his wardrobe

for day 11 of the countdown, Dad gets a new flannel shirt...

As Good As It Gets

Sixteen Days and Tractors Abound

On day 16 we were so busy with the Christmas festivities that dad's special surprise just showed up quietly in the evening. Stephen had colored 3 tractor illustrations and they were hanging up for dad in the family room.

What I didn't know is that one of the tractors he had colored was actually the D-8--one that dad had engineered while working at Caterpillar. That is the one that is pictured here. He didn't confirm this, but I'm guessing they didn't refer to it as the "Track-Type Tractor" at work.

Today we're having our big family party. All 4 of us girls are together (which won't be the case on the actual birthday). So we've begun the food preparation early this morning, since we'll be playing laser tag this afternoon.

Christmas Photos Cont...

... these were all taken with Larry's Christmas and birthday present - his new Digital SLR camera.

Christmas in Plainfield

It's 16 days until Larry turns 60, and his family has gathered in Plainfield to spend some time together.

Number of people in the house: 12
Number of toilets: 3
Percentage of adults with post-graduate degrees: 60%
Male-female ratio: 6:6
Number of computers* in the house: 7
Number of cars in the driveway: 4
Number of teeth in Abby's mouth: 4
Number of train engines Stephen owned before today: 1
Number of train engines Stephen owns as of today: 3
Number of Christmases celebrated with Kathy: 36
Number of people Stephen had to share a tiny MnM packet with - 8(+ Stephen)
Amount of hot chocolate consumed: 48 oz.
Different types of pizza being made (from scratch) for dinner: 3
Percentage of Christmas cookies that made it to Christmas - 20%
Different types of American junk food that Marc-Andre received for Christmas - 5


*although it has been argued that there are computers in everything - from the microwave to our watches, phones and brains, which exponentially increases this sum

"I love you a latte"*

One of the things I think our dad did remarkably well was to manage a household of 5 women who were all vying for his affections. He made sure we all knew he loved us by finding special ways to connect with each of his daughters.

For me, one important connection was the latte. Although he normally drank regular drip coffee, he would make lattes when I was home, and we would share a moment or two in the morning, enjoying the warmth and the wonderful aroma. That's why today's gift is a Caribou Coffee gift card.

I was looking through old pictures to post, and here's one from Vacation '04 in Arkansas. Although it's not of a latte, it does include two important components: coffee and conversation. Dad's improvising a coffee mug and sharing a moment at the table with Heather.

Thanks, dad, for all those special moments over a steaming cup of coffee. I'm sending warm thoughts your way!



*That quote is from a kitchen towel given me by Grandma last Valentine's Day.

Because we can graph it...

He's obviously worth talking about!

We love you, Dad!

Fun Discoveries from Germany

On Tuesday, day 25 of Dad's countdown, my poor father had to spend 5 hours driving to and from the airport to pick us up, but as a bit of a treat, at least, we were able to bring the wonderful German invention of
Zuckerschiffchen


(yes, we're continuing our theme of product endorsement)
Enjoy, Dad!

Just Peas, Please

I wonder how long it'll be before companies start giving us promo pieces to give to dad for free publicity ... hmm ... maybe we'll start counting down the days until dad is 70.

On Sunday, Stephen and I presented him with a snack he's discovered since I started buying them for Stephen. Dried peas.

Rise and Shine

This morning Stephen and I got grandpa up and took him out to Larry's Diner for breakfast. Pancakes were consumed.

Today's Collaborative Post

Today I wanted to focus on first impressions - on our first memories of Dad, whatever they may be.

One of my first vivid memories is from when I was probably 3 or 4. We lived in the country near Peoria, and when it was bedtime my parents put me to bed in their bed while Heidi went to sleep in our room. Then, once I was asleep, my dad would carry me across the hall into my bed.

I looked forward to this ritual. I'd pretend that I was asleep so that I would be awake long enough to feel my dad's big, strong arms lift me up. I loved it. Now that I'm older, I wonder if he ever knew that I was faking sleeping. It was my favorite time of day.

Heidi's contribution
My memory is similar to Heather's, in that it involves stolen moments with dad.

When we were young, our dad used to leave for work at 4(?) in the morning, so he could come home earlier to spend time with us. I used to try to wake up while he was leaving for work, because then I could go into the kitchen, and he would give me a glass of juice and send me back to bed.

I know it doesn't seem like much, but those 30-seconds of dad-time in the morning made me feel loved and cared for, and I could go back to bed and fall into a very contented sleep.

From Sherry:
I remember being impressed with your father's work ethic, his willingness to give a hand even before being asked, his awareness of others and their needs, his bringing over warm donuts after choir when he and your mom started seeing each other, his work on the fireplace at the CYC and his astute knowledge on a lot of subjects, his riding his bike to work, his being available for you children at any time and in any way...it is good to reflect on God's blessings to our family through your dad!

From Lisa:

I'm sure this isn't a first memory. (One of my first memories was dad showing me how the potty-training doll went in the toilet and then telling me I could do the same.) I remember waiting for dad to come tell me a story at night. I'd get impatient and yell through the vent for him to come tell me a story. I often asked him to tell me a story of when he got in trouble when he was a boy. I also remember putting raisins in the cinnamon rolls.

From Emily:

One of my first memories is more of a family memory. I remember when we would walk across the golf course to go to TCBY and get frozen yogert. Dad would carry me on his shoulders.

My first memory with just dad was our birthday breakfasts. On our birthday Dad would take us out to breakfast where ever we wanted to go (just the two of us). There was a place in Peoria that served bear shaped chocolate chip pancakes and that is where I always picked, util we moved to Plainfield then it was Hardee's and then Larry's Diner.

From Kathy:

It was 1973. I had just finished all but one history course (that I completed by correspondence) and moved home from Chicago to start up a private studio and work part-time at Moody Bible Institute. My former roommate was getting married in July and I needed to get to work on my tan. I heard from my sister, Sherry, that the college group from the CYC was going to the Warren Dunes in Michigan for the day on Saturday, so I decided to join them. I knew most of the people and headed off. At some point during the day I was walking barefoot in the parking lot and cut my foot. A young man I'd never met before found out about it and had a first aid kit in his car. He immediately offered to help (intending to impress my sister, Sherry, because she was a nurse.)  He fixed my foot up and we continued on with our day. I remember playing some game with a ball in the water and having a brief conversation. He found out that I was a voice teacher and later that summer asked for lessons. He spent the summer trying to impress my sister and we didn't have our first date until the end of October. 

Day 30

We're halfway to 60, and I thought today would be a fun day to look back and together try to come up with important events involving 30 in my dad's life...

... he was 30 when Heidi & I were born. That's important. :)
... we celebrated his 30 years at Caterpillar with a big celebration - a big party, a special song (my next 30 years by Tim McGraw), and lots of festivities...
... four years ago, he & Mom celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary in Arizona with the Wiltons

I need some help here!

Lisa's contribution:

Being married to Kathy, and with a son-in-law like Ryan, it's significant that there are 30 major and minor keys in Western tonal music. (This includes enharmonic equivalents.)

Route 30 goes through Ames and Plainfield, 2 places he has lived.

He has been to Greece, where the international code is 30.

I'm sure his score playing Heidi in tennis has been 30 at some point in time!

We hope that one of his favorite Netflix rentals has NOT been 13 Going on 30.

Ryan's contribution:

I proposed to Lisa on March 30, 2005.....he said that was ok.

Emily's contributions:

He has 30 trees in his yard

His garden is pretty close to 30 square feet.

He has performed about 30 oil changes since living in Plainfield.

Kathy's contribution:

He hasn't had a speeding ticket in over 30 years. When he did get one before that, he was in Plainfield and was probably supposed to be going 30. (note from Lisa: I think he was supposed to go down to 45 from 55, but I don't know for sure. I wasn't there.)


Heidi's contribution:

My Next Thirty Years
I think I'll take a moment, celebrate my age
The ending of an era and the turning of a page
Now it's time to focus in on where I go from here
Lord have mercy on my next thirty years

Hey my next thirty years I'm gonna have some fun
Forget about the yellow paint and blueprints that I've done
For thirty years I've dealt with economic fears
Maybe I'll forget them all - in my next thirty years

My next thirty years will be the best years of my life
Raise a little family straight rows of onions and hang out with my wife
Spend precious moments with the ones that I hold dear
Make up for lost time, In my next thirty years

My next thirty years, I might drive a blue corvette
Design a house for livin' and don't think I'll forget
I'll be payin' for some weddin's and I hope I get grandkids
Yeah, life'll be worth livin' in my next thirty years.
In my next thirty years...

31 days and out with the girls

One of the blessings of retirement is the freedom to somewhat design ones own schedule. Today Larry and I took the opportunity to spend part of the day with our friends, Dorothy and Enid. These sisters were 33 and 28 when Larry was born and they still enjoy getting out daily for meals, church or with friends. We were able to share a wonderful meal with them and be blessed by their optimistic outlooks. And we are blessed to be a part of their lives.

'Tis the season...for eggnog

Larry enjoys spending time in the kitchen during the holiday season and he often enjoys special seasonal treats while he works. Thanks to Lisa, today he was able to enjoy some eggnog.

St. Nicholas Day

In our family, my mother coming from the German tradition, we've always celebrated St. Nicholas Day on the 6th of December. We'd put our shoes by the window on the evening of the 5th, and we'd wake on the morning of the sixth and race down to see what St. Nick had left for us... it was always an ornament signifying something significant in the year and some yummy Christmas candy.
The sad thing was: all those years, Dad never got a filled shoe. Somehow St. Nick forgot him. This year, though, we put in a special request that St. Nick not neglect him, and my dad, thanks to his big boots, was amply rewarded.



This morning he found the following (admittedly cheesy) poem and about 4 pounds of Christmas candy in his boot:

Dear Dad, Dear Dad
With today number thirty five
we take the time to think of you
when St. Nick does arrive.

You've been, you've been
for years now zero to sixty
a good boy, a great man
and we all think you're nifty.

All these years you've helped St Nick
On this 6th of December
Now this time we celebrate
And take time to remember.

We love you, Dad, we really do
And we want to say
We're proud of you; enjoy your treats
on this St. Nick'las Day.

Love,
Lisa, Heidi, Heather & Emily

He's dreaming of warmer weather

Yesterday, 36 days until he turns 60, Larry woke up to a below zero windchill. BRRRRR! How appropriate was his first ever official bike jersey(purchased at end of clearance grab bag prices). He says it's comfortable and easy to get on and off and will definitely be seen when riding. He may not start with a "Hilly Hundred" (It's in Central Indiana) but he would like to check out the Georgetown, TX area this winter. Sun City, TX, beware! Here comes another biker.

38 days and more sweet treats

The girls know their dad. It's a rare car trip that he doesn't take along honey roasted peanuts - but usually just the ordinary brand. He was delighted tonight when he sat down on his favorite TV sofa to see not 1, but 2 cans of gourmet nuts waiting for him to enjoy courtesy of Heidi. 

Back to an empty house

Our parents have a few days to rest now before the next batch of visits, so we're making use of the phone, internet, and USPS to countdown to 60! Yesterday was day 39:

Shower Curtain Fun

A bit of history first:

Awhile ago, I gave dad a unique birthday gift: I assembled many of his sayings and wrote them on a shower curtain. Weird, I know, but so were some of the things on it.

"Don't make a mountain out of a molehill."

"Don't dilly-dally."

"If you aren't part of the solution, then you're part of the problem."

"Good. Better. Best. Never let it rest, till the good be better and the better be best."

So for day 40, I wrote a bunch of Stephen's common words and phrases on a shower curtain. They aren't as meaningful, but it was fun. Stephen just thought the curtain was a fun place to hide from grandpa. Some of the phrases:

"All done."

"Who guy? A guy."

"Help fix."

Hey, That's Not Larry!

You're right! That's Stephen Larry, presenting dad with his gift on "41 days until ..." It's intended as apparel for him as he and mom take their sailing vacations in the Caribbean. 

Strawberry Shakes!

So day 46 was Strawberry Shakes. This is one of the things that both men in Emily's life LOVE! So Larry and Spencer enjoyed the shakes after we had burgers made with fresh ground beef. Good Stuff! Can't wait to see what is in store in the next 45 days.

Learning About Tractors

Dad's in Texas and we hope he is enjoying all the tractors!

Day 47

Today was a working day, weeding, moving logs, and taking Christmas stuff out of the attic. Larry also helped Emily put garland up on her front posts and start putting lights up outside. They are going to finish putting lights up tomorrow. Before we sat down to enjoy the Packers vs. Saints game the day 47 treat showed up. Rootbeer floats!!!!!!! 

Yesterday Larry enjoyed some other yummy treats given to him by his youngest daughter Emily. Squirt and Fig Newtons! These are the treats Emily remembers them having on their trips across Iowa to go visit the Farm. Lots and lots of good memories!

49 days and enjoying family

Emily joined us this AM and brought along some fresh Texas pecans. Larry will likely use them when he makes his wonderful cinnamon pecan rolls.

Then we went to lunch with our nephew, Ethan and his wife, Lynette, who were in Austin from Seattle, WA for a job interview. Ethan knew he was in Sun City when he saw all the golf carts driving around - he remembered them from Grandpa Wayne and Grandma Doris' home in Sun City, AZ. 

50 days and "Wake up and smell the coffee."

Emily knows well that Larry likes his morning coffee. She let us borrow her coffeemaker and surprised him with a favorite blend. 

For lunch we drove up to Salado and had pumpkin soup served by our favorite waitress at Adelea's. (Emily - for those of you who don't know. 

Later on we had dinner at our own home courtesy of the George Foreman. Larry thinks he can get used to this life.

51 days and TEXAS

It was dark and cloudy and COLD when the limo pulled into our driveway at 5 on Thursday AM. And 6 hours later we were driving out of the Austin airport at 70 and sunny. Stephen had sent along a packet of Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal for day 51 so we'd have something for breakfast while we're here.

Supper was at Emily and Spencer's. Larry and Emily collaborated to make a great veggie pizza with the tomatoes and eggplant from their garden (plus green and red peppers and onions). It was yummy. 

After supper Spencer coached Larry on his ESPN fantasy football team. (Present record in the league is 2-9 and he's in need of assistance.) Since they play each other this Sunday we should probably be a little suspicious of Spencer's recommendations. Larry is not projected to win. 

52 days and time for future FUN!!!!

Imagine walking into the kitchen and finding tennis balls all over the floor!  And then reading the note - Stephen was in charge of today's surprise and Grandpa can't wait until they can play together again. 

53 days and proud

First thing this morning Larry received an email from Heather reminding him that it was two years ago today that he was watching her get married in Germany. Then he headed outside to our 1994 Chevy Astro and placed the Bucknell sticker from day 58 on the back window with the 7 other college stickers. He's had the privilege of moving lots of stuff in the back of that van!

54 days and more driving

Day 54 brought a special treat for the long drive home. Thanks to Lisa and family, Larry had some Dad's rootbeer to quench his thirst while he drove along Interstate 80. Don't be concerned. He's a very safe driver. He doesn't usually take his eyes off the road, but we were stopped in traffic in Ohio because of an accident.

We enjoyed the rolling drive through the Appalachian mountains of Pennsylvania. As we neared the Ohio border we began to experience some lake effect snow. That continued off and on through both Ohio and Indiana. It took us 10 1/2 hours to drive from Lewisburg to Plainfield with only two brief stops. 

55 days and going Continental

On Day 55, Anthony and Heidi drove to meet Larry and Kathy in Pennsylvania. We all attended the final session at the conference and then spent a few hours exploring Valley Forge National Park, where George Washington's army spent the winter of 1777. It was there that Larry and Heidi tried to see what they would look like as Continental Soldiers.

Will the real George Washington please stand up?