Mark's 65th and Family Affair

Mark has never been phased by a birthday—not 40 or 50 or 60—but turning 65 made an impression on him. I mean, getting that Medicare card in the mail is enough to grab anyone’s attention. We celebrated on June 17, just the two of us, with the idea of celebrating with all the family later on. Meanwhile, we tried to keep cool on the record-hot summer days, and when Jennifer and Eric’s bunch made the trek to Austin with Bonnie, it was the perfect time for much of our bigger family to join us—Patrick and Michael, Reese and Kaley, and Taylor and Seth. Elizabeth stayed with us that week with Jack and Benjamin. Together with Mila and Eliie, Klein, Beck, Cole and Alden, they had a lively time. For me, all the craziness with the kids made it that much more fun. I’m hoping for many more times like these to come.