Happy Birthday Robert! Bad enough to celebrate one day. But when you get older there is more to say, more people who want to celebrate. So you have to be gracious and go along. Robert, aka Dad, Grandad, Bob.
The week of celebration for Robert's birthday began a full week ahead of the actual birth day, March 21. But Robert is the Averill pioneer in Seattle. If not for him none of the rest of the Averill kids and grandkids would be spread out all the way from Seattle to Texas to Colorado. Of course Lucille also gets some credit, along with all the other moms and dads of the in-laws and grandkids, (you get the idea) etc., etc.!!!
But this is Bob's birthday.
The birthday week began when the oldest and only son flew into the boggy, mossy, wet PNW from desert dry Texas. The oldest and only son set up this blog by the way. Is that any surprise? The first born always tend to be leader types. We won't say too much about all middle, in-between kids. But the first born was a dedicated scout, who backpacked 50 miles in the woods. Robert must have had something to do with that impressive feat.
Dad's initial birthday celebration was at Ivars, where the Averill clan and friends set about resolving an urban legend during the birthday dinner. It was definitely concluded that the restaurant did probably bury a billboard in Puget Sound to get some free advertising. Tacky!
Present at the celebration were several luminaries, including William, the first born grand son.
The birthday feast was preceded by present opening at the old homestead, "41st." It went something like this:
A HUGE box wrapped in wild wrapping paper was plopped down on the sofa by the grandson.
Bob: "What's that?"
Lu: "It's your birthday present."
Bob: "Oh, I saw that earlier and I thought maybe it was a bag of dirty laundry."
Lu: "You kept trying to find your present, so I hid it."
Robert unwraps the ungainly box, in the meantime commenting that his birthday is really March 21st and this is all pretty early to be celebrating. One day is enough, really.
Bob: "Wow. I already have a scanner."
Lu: "This is an updated one."
Laura: "Pretty nice."
William: "That's kind of like one I have."
Steve: "You don't have a scanner that can scan 16 photos at one time." (By the way, do check out DFW Point to Point for a full rundown on the great carbon lookalike lid.)
When you have done so many things, travelled so many places, raised so many kids, and influenced so many lives, you have to put up with so many people celebrating your birthday. Bear with us.
Oh, and the very first grandkid came out to celebrate too! And the (probably) very last grand kid decided to have his very first birthday right in the middle of Bob's Birthday week. Now is that special or what!!!???? Tanner is only one and already follows good leadership. Way to go.
Happy Birthday Robert.
