Happy Birthday Daddy!

Dear Daddy,

I want to wish you a VERY Happy Birthday and tell you I think you're the best Daddy in the whole entire world! Mommy helped me find this passage, and I thought it was just the perfect way to say I love you on your special day...

God took the strength of a mountain,

The majesty of a tree,

The warmth of a summer sun,

The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of nature,

The comforting arm of night,

The wisdom of the ages,

The power of the eagle's flight.

Then God combined these qualities,

When there was nothing more to add,

He knew His masterpiece was complete,

And so, He called it... "DAD"

Thank you for always taking such good care of me, for playing with me all the time, for your hugs and kisses everyday, for all of the times you read me books, and for always making me feel safe and loved! I couldn't have asked for a better Daddy... I love you! Happy Birthday!!

Love and Kisses,
Zachary

Happy New Year - 2009!

There's just so much to celebrate from 2008, and so many more firsts and fantastic moments to look forward to in 2009. 2008 was an incredible year for the Goodmans... it was our first full year with our precious son, Zachary! What more could we ask for with just the most perfect little boy in the whole entire world?!? We are constantly counting our blessings and overflowing with love for this amazing little critter... to reflect back on the year and say it's the best year of my life so far would be pretty accurate! I have two amazing men to attribute such a large part of that sentiment to... my loving husband, Len, and the other love of my life, our amazing son Zachary.

We rung in the new year with style and tons of fun this year. Even though I came down with a nasty cold on New Year's Eve morning, that didn't hold us back. We started the day by accompanying Len to work (though we certainly didn't interfere with his productive time). It was so fun to reacquaint Zachary with Len's wonderful staff at the hotel... everyone is just so loving and affectionate with our little boy... of course, how could you help not being that way with such an adorable little guy?!? Zach and I kept ourselves occupied while Len got a lot accomplished... we walked around, ate, watched some tv, socialized with some other children hanging out in the lobby and even took a nap (not before I took some really cute pictures of the little man).

Once Len finished his list of "to-do's," we headed out for a late evening dinner at Macaroni Grill. The timing couldn't have been more perfect... Zachary slept through almost the entire dinner, so Len and I were able to enjoy a nice meal and actually have an adult conversation with one another! Zachary reminded us (and many others around our table) that he was part of our dinner party right about when our check came.

After dinner, we headed north to Baltimore, where we were spending the night. Len was able to arrange for us to have a BEAUTIFUL suite in one of the downtown hotels overlooking the harbor for our New Year's Eve celebration. Unfortunately, due to very high winds, the fireworks were postponed until the following evening, so we didn't get to see them from our room. It didn't matter, though, since we were all together and awake to toast the new year with one another right as the clock struck midnight. Since Zachary had taken such a long nap earlier, and he woke up as we were leaving dinner, it didn't take much for him to stay awake a little bit longer for the big moment. (If you recall, he slept through it last year at Jen's party.) I had stopped earlier that morning and picked up some party favors, including a little plastic champagne flute for the critter... he just LOVED having his own "glass" to toast with (even if it was empty)!

And here's the perfect shot of OUR little New Year baby! (I couldn't get him to keep the top hat on long enough to take the picture...)

We started off the new year just right the next morning, by ordering room service and eating in our robes. Zachary just loved his pancakes and we loved watching him eat them. All in all, it was another unforgettable New Year's celebration for the Goodmans!

After breakfast, Zachary took a little cat nap while Len and I packed up all of our bags to go home and chill... just one question - how many bags does it take to accommodate a family of three on a New Year's Eve overnight excursion? Sheesh!

Happy New Year, everyone... we wish you a prosperous year filled with hope, love, health and happiness!!