Happy Birthday Mom! And Dad! And Everybody Else!

September 20-29

Kirsten, 20
Dad, 21
Niece Cally, 23
Old Nana, 24
Mom, 28
SIL Sarah, 29

For a week in September, the Pedersens have a lot of birthdays. Beginning with Kirsten's on the 20th and ending the next week with Sarah on the 29th. Since today is my mom's birthday I thought I should give her (and Dad too) the birthday blog treatment. Because they are two of my favorite people.

Here they are last week in Crested Butte for their joint birthday celebration. Aren't they adorable? Some of their mutual interests include traveling and eating Peanut M&M's while traveling. This picture has been cropped so unfortunately you cannot see that my mom has a death grip on her handbag. My mom would no sooner leave her house without her pants on than leave without her purse.

Looking at the above picture, would you believe that my dad is 100% Danish? Both of his parents emigrating by ship to the US from Denmark in the 1930's, Ellis Island and the whole shebang? Yeah, well the border patrol in So Cal frequently had a hard time seeing the Danish in him too, usually asking him about his green card. Rather swarthy for a Dane, don't you think?

In August my parents celebrated 41 years of marriage. In May they welcomed their 13th grandchild. Having lived in California, Maryland, Germany and Utah over the years, they have lived the longest here in Denver (it will be 16 years in January). They are the epitome of the phrase "opposites attract" my mom's more patient and subdued personality balancing out my dad's more impetuous, outgoing and occasionally outrageous personality. (Dad loves his fake "Bubba" teeth that he buys at the drugstore (you know the ones--two or three disgustingly crooked teeth set in swollen gums) and brings them out for every family photo event--the twins baptism being the most recent. For her part, whenever Mom finds a set lying around the house she throws them directly into the garbage.)

In addition to a mutual love of travel and chocolate candy, my parents have another shared hobby, namely HELPING OUT THEIR KIDS. Maybe most parents do this, but I happen to think that my parents are world-class when it comes to wanting to do for their kids. And I'm not talking just handing out cash, but something much more precious--they give their time. I'm sure they were busy with all six of us kids while we were growing up, but I honestly think they are more busy now as empty-nesters. Their church commitments alone take up many evenings a week, in addition to their full time day jobs. Yet they make it a priority to help Mark, Matt and I (the three of us who live locally) as often as they can. In May and June, when Pie and I were in way over our heads with our move and renovations, they would show up nightly--I MEAN NEARLY EVERY NIGHT--to help us. We never asked them to, they just knew we would need help. They painted and packed and demolished and hauled junk right along with us. FOR WEEKS. It is no exaggeration to say that we could not have done it without them. If you know Mike and Ann, you know that is so like them.

Happy birthday, you two. We love you and appreciate you.