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Mar. 28, 2015

In advance of Michael’s second birthday on Mar. 30, Joan and I hosted a party for him at our house. The celebration was quite similar to the one from last year with two exceptions: Joan was feeling much better, and in addition to close family members, we also invited Matthew, Michael’s good friend from day care, and his parents to the party.

The two little guys really enjoyed dining at their own table — here’s Matthew on the left and Michael on the right:

We opted for take-out catering from Zachary’s BBQ in Norristown, and their pulled pork was among the best we’ve ever had.

Michael loved opening all of his presents from his family and friends, and he particularly enjoyed having everyone sing “Happy Birthday” to him. After two great years, Joan and I are prouder than ever to be his parents!

[ No. 681 ]

Mar. 14, 2015

During this bitterly cold winter, I’ve taken some solace in looking forward to a fun event with family and friends. Our traditional St. Patrick’s Day party — now in its ninth year and our second one with Michael following his debut last year — is hard to beat.

Joan and I have most of the party planning down to a science by now. Doing most of the shopping the day before really helps, and the catered dishes from Wegmans were as tasty as ever. The process of housecleaning and food preparation never seems to end until the first guests arrive, but everything worked out as well as we could expect.

We welcomed a slightly larger crowd than last year — about 40 people joined the festivities, and Joan and I hadn’t seen many of them for quite a while. Michael clearly enjoyed all of the excitement and mingled with our friends for the first two hours, then slept overnight at my parents’ house in West Chester.

Thanks to everyone for helping us celebrate yet another special night!

[ No. 680 ]