Happy Birthday!!

Kenny and Charlie a few days ago...inspecting a new truck.

For Kenny’s 35th birthday, I thought I would list 35 things about Kenny:

#1: He’s a fighter…not physically with people, but he’s fought so hard in the last 6 months to make it through so much, it’s amazing to me how strong he is…physically, mentally and emotionally. It’s been a rough road sometimes, but he’s never thought things wouldn’t be normal again, like they are now! I’m beyond proud of him!

#2: He’s like a big old teddy bear. Makes you feel nice and secure to hold him or be held by him. That was my very first impression of him when I met him almost 10 years ago.

#3: He loves learning new things. He watches the history channel and reads constantly to learn lots of new things all the time.

#4: Charlie is his world. He loves that boy so much. A dream came true when he got his wonderful healthy son. He can’t wait to teach him things.


#5: He loves to read to Charlie and does the best voices during a story. Charlie looks at him like he’s crazy sometimes, but Kenny continues on. I don’t have that in me.


#6: He appreciates things that people do for him and will tell you so over and over again.


#7: He is so sweet, sensitive and kind.


#8: We can’t fight very well because of this. One of us is always apologizing within 10 minutes of getting upset with each other.


#9: He loves dogs and really can’t wait to get another one, but also realizes how much work one would be right now for us.


#10: He is a hard worker at whatever it is that he is doing.


#11: He has literally traveled the entire country and has visited nearly every state. It makes me jealous.


#12: I know I can get him to go somewhere on vacation if I have a “historical” sort of excursion to go on.


#13: He was a mechanic for a car race through Mexico called the La Carrera. See him with one of the cars last year at a Packard event here: http://friedrichfam.blogspot.com/2008/02/packard-winter-weekend.html


#14: He’s really a kid at heart. He loves Charlie Brown, Underdog and many other classics.


#15: He’s understanding and forgiving. Five years ago, I felt like a chump because I didn’t do something “over the top” for his 30th. So, I said for his 35th, I would buy him any car he wants. What was I thinking??? So, for the last five years, he has reminded me of this promise. It’s not happening, but he’s ok with it. He knows I owe him one someday. Instead, he is getting gifts that relate to cars, in an attempt to make amends.


#16: He loves mechanical things…cars, tractors, trucks, snowmobiles, anything.


#17: He has LOTS of what I call junk…he calls it car parts. He knows he needs to sell them and I think he could retire if he could get them all sold.


#18: He’s very laid back. He takes his time, nothing is really a rush to him. It drives me crazy, but I’m learning to live a slower paced, laid back life because of it.


#19: Our truck is the first brand new vehicle he has ever owned.


#20: He is currently in the middle of restoring a 1966 Cadillac that sits in our garage.


#21: There are more cars ready for restoration after this one is done.


#22: He isn’t a sports person at all. I just realized, we have never even gone bowling together!


#23: He does love NASCAR. The race in March is the one way I may get him back to Vegas with me.


#24: He hates it that I make him take off his shoes at the front door.


#25: He gets dirty doing work and doesn’t mind it one bit.


#26: He works 4 miles from home.


#27: He thinks there should always be 3 things on your plate for dinner.


#28: He thinks I’m a great cook, but faults me for not making meatloaf (yuck!) and chili.


#29: He is the funniest person I know.


#30: He used to race cars at a dirt track. After we got married, he stopped. I had nothing to do with it.


#31: He’s really tall and I’m short --- we look kind of funny standing next to each other, but people remember us.


#32: I know he loves me like no other.


#33: He loves to go to cruise nights and just wander and look at the cars and can’t wait for Charlie to be old enough to appreciate them. This is Charlie’s first cruise night: http://friedrichfam.blogspot.com/2008/07/kennys-little-hemi.html


#34: He MUST have lemon cake with lemon frosting for his birthday cake.


#35: He LOVES root beer floats.

Charlie and I love you tons and tons!! Happy Birthday!