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I was in Woodstock, Illinois on Joel's birthday. Before I left the house at 5:15 am I taped our traditional birthday banner to the kitchen wall, which the boys and I had made the previous afternoon. That was about all I could muster. I called him when I was in line for my rental car at O'Hare airport and he told me a sweet story about getting out of the shower and seeing Liam and Milo in our bed. They had gotten Lucy out of her crib so she was there too, and they had made him breakfast - scrambled eggs and toast. 

When he got to work  his co-workers had decorated his desk, and later in the evening my sweet sister babysat so he could attend Brew 'n Stew, the bi-monthly beer brewing (and beer drinking) man gathering. So I guess he managed to survive without me.

When I got home I made him a carrot cake, like I have every year for the past 13 years.

And we had a family party on our patio.

And Lucy, a girl after her dad's heart, found a beer can to play with.

Happy birthday Joel!