tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-346789942011-09-20T00:01:00.437+08:00I wonder if you can make a blog, then make one, and only one post a year on it? Well this is the attempt at that. This blog will carry a new Birthday Greeting each year for Alli, My wife."Grendel"noreply@blogger.comBlogger61100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34678994.post-43354269048733781292011-09-20T00:01:00.000+08:002011-09-20T00:01:00.448+08:00I find it almost remarkable that even though most of my blogging has fallen off and yet I have found myself looking forward to this annual post.<br /><br />Happy birthday you amazing, gorgeous sexy, nerd-loving, mother-of-rowdies.<br /><br />We are pretty much having a birthday week this year with little things scattered throughout, because we can!<br /><br />It's not because this is a "special birthday" more that every time your birthday comes around I like to try and make it feel special, different from the last one in particular, so that it is memorable and fun.<br /><br />I love you so much, as do Alec and Riley,think they mayhave to start writing their own entries soon, but until then I will be their voice. I know they don't often seem to appreciate everything you do for them, and we both know how they can be at times, but there is no doubting how much they both love you, and I as well.<br /><br />Have a great birthday!<br /><br />xxx<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34678994-4335426904873378129?l=happy-birthday-alli.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>"Grendel"noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34678994.post-76217861670859676102010-09-20T06:44:00.003+08:002010-09-20T07:08:09.715+08:00Yes, it is time for my annual birthday blog post!<br /><br />It has been an interesting year for us, this time last year you were sitting in a chocolate shop in Queenstown reading while I dragged the boys around a farm.<br /><br />The events since that time have been momentous in many ways and the exciting journey of our love continues with even greater intensity.<br /><br />This is the fifth year of this blog, and the odd thing is, for a birthday blog one thing seems to be missing - an Alli that looks older each year. I know you don't believe that, and perhaps it is because my eyes get one year older by the time I write this post but you make me desire you more with each passing day, which I think is a very good thing.<br /><br />And remember you true age is your calendar age minus the sum of the ages of your children. The chart below demonstrates how this hypothesis is supposed to work:<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XhsBF8iLmCw/TJaXul_i-zI/AAAAAAAAMDY/cqE56ZpYnaE/s1600/Age+deduction.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 244px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XhsBF8iLmCw/TJaXul_i-zI/AAAAAAAAMDY/cqE56ZpYnaE/s400/Age+deduction.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518765220117543730" /></a><br /><br />This is of some concern to me as you may note that as our children reach their early twenties you will no longer legally be of the age of consent and I will be arrested.<br /><br />We'll deal with that problem then however.<br /><br />Happy Birthday!<br /><br />Love,<br /><br />Michael<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34678994-7621786167085967610?l=happy-birthday-alli.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>"Grendel"noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34678994.post-48390629599384138502009-09-20T00:01:00.003+08:002009-09-20T00:01:01.031+08:00Happy Birthday!<br /><br />Well, here we are in Queenstown (or should be) but I wrote this post when we were still in Perth - mostly because I was trying to keep your present a big secret.<br /><br />We bought it before we left Perth and have had a terrible time attmepting to keep the secret especially after Alec saw it and wanted to tell you about it whenever he remembered.<br /><br />So here it is:<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XhsBF8iLmCw/SqiGSxxNEYI/AAAAAAAALlo/Bbi2p9vCmBA/s1600-h/ipod.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XhsBF8iLmCw/SqiGSxxNEYI/AAAAAAAALlo/Bbi2p9vCmBA/s400/ipod.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379697412049539458" /></a><br /><br />The hardest part was getting you to create some playlists so that I could copy it full of goodies - no point to having an ipod without goodies one it!<br /><br />Enjoy - you deserve a new one with all the walking you've been doing!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34678994-4839062959938413850?l=happy-birthday-alli.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>"Grendel"noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34678994.post-92061169732893118492008-09-20T05:51:00.000+08:002008-09-20T06:06:22.500+08:00Happy Birthday Critter!<br /><br />This has been a big year (do I say that every year? I really must read this blog before I post each year. . .)<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ime9C8MjDYI/SM2ko5EhtqI/AAAAAAAACJo/tBQQlhT8MTE/s400/ap_emeraldsbook.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" border="0" alt="" /><div><br />The boys have grown and grown, bits have fallen off them to be replaced with cash from the tooth fairy, you've self published two photo books and are working on a third, Junior Number One is Swimming, Junior Number Two is helping and we ahve a new car!</div><div><br />Your birthday present arrived one month early - and you even had to go get it yourself.<br /><br />It has also been an exhausting year and fortunately this month you can now have later weekend sleep-ins with the soccer season finally over.<br /><br />Its been great fun though - even the standing in the rain on a dark cold morning while 10 cold and soaked children charge around the field trying to see the ball through the downpour and the mud then all heading home to warm up with pancakes and coffee.<br /><br />I hope you've enjoyed it because we sure have!<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ime9C8MjDYI/SK5dAzE0esI/AAAAAAAACGw/qADql3ZiZXk/s400/ap_new_monitor.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" border="0" alt="" /><br />Have a great day critter and remember that we love you.<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34678994-9206116973289311849?l=happy-birthday-alli.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>"Grendel"noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34678994.post-25433704026463132742007-09-20T05:42:00.000+08:002007-09-20T05:49:49.373+08:00Can you believe it has been a whole year already!<br /><br />It has been such a good year too.<br /><br />Oh we've all had our ups and downs, but really its bean a year of consolidation and another year to feel so proud of you as my wife and as the mother of our boys.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:180%;" >Happy Birthday!<br /><br /><br /></span></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XhsBF8iLmCw/RvGZZPwyozI/AAAAAAAAEuk/IbYnHGFNlTc/s1600-h/IMG_5097.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XhsBF8iLmCw/RvGZZPwyozI/AAAAAAAAEuk/IbYnHGFNlTc/s400/IMG_5097.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112035711049179954" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34678994-2543370402646313274?l=happy-birthday-alli.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>"Grendel"noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34678994.post-1158675111462215792006-09-19T21:49:00.000+08:002006-11-05T11:53:05.854+08:00<span style="font-size:180%;">Dear Alli Critter,<br /><br /><br /><br />I made a blog just for you, to wish you happy birthday.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />OK - I didn't get a birthday card yet, but this also seemed somehow appropriate.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We'd have met in a blog comments section if blogs had existed in 1997.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />But they didn't so we met elsewhere.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You haven't aged since we met.<br /><br /><br /><br />But the tattoo on your ankle has faded a little.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I reckon it's the stress.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />But since he spends two days a week with your parents it should fade slower now.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It's been a big year this year - lots of extra work for you.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Alec appreciates it - Riley does to although he'd never admit it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I love you for it - but then I love you anyway.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You don't seem 40.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You're not ACTUALLY 40.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Just 29 with 2 kids.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You feel 40 - anyone with 2 boys like ours would feel 40.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Except you don't feel 40 - not to me.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />More like 18 - Rrrrrrrrrow. . .<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />god that makes you half my age!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I'm a cradle snatcher.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Happy Birthday!<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5177/867/1600/me.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5177/867/400/me.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34678994-115867511146221579?l=happy-birthday-alli.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>"Grendel"noreply@blogger.com1