Happy Birthday to our "eldest", Mr. Robby Schmitz!

Happy Birthday Robby!

I put eldest in quotes in the title of the post because Robby uses that to refer to himself since we've adopted Caleb.  He cracks us up on a regular basis and for that, plus about 831,485,220,198 other reasons, we LOVE him.

March 1st, 2005.  From my perspective, one of the more glorious days in the entire history of the world!  I became a daddy for the first time.  There is no similar feeling.  It is a high honor to have bestowed on you; Daddy. 

Enough of me waxing psuedo-poetic, on to the photos...

Here's the birthday boy in all his regal splendor!  Pizza? Check.  Cake? Check. Football jersey?  Check. Over stimulated for several hours straight? Check.

Here's the master bowler watching a ball travel down the lanes at approximately 4.1 MPH.

Here's cousin Samuel bowling under the expert guidance of his Mom.

The lovely and talented Mrs. Schmitz with the lovely and surely talented Zoe.

Grandma Elaine keeping a keen eye on the proceedings.

Birthday boy trying to pick up a technique or two from G'pa Jim.

Note the follow through after release of the ball.  Perhaps this is some of the technique learned from G'pa in the above photo?  Hard to tell...

Both boys wait approximately 2.13 minutes for their balls to reach the pins.

Cousin Jonah steps up to launch what will no doubt be a strike.

Another master at work!  Caleb RongBo Schmitz, after carefully aiming the launch apparatus, pushes the ball with a technique that can only be described as "the right-leg-twist-barrel-chest-surrender".  It's a Chinese thing...

Getting sung to and preparing to blow out his candles. Much thanks to G'ma Marlene for making the cake.

Aunt Kristie (and cousin Michael plotting something nefarious in the background) with the inimitable cousin Zoe.

Uncle Vince with the baby of the moment!  Ya gotta wonder what a baby thinks when they're getting passed around.  She was delightful with it all so it obviously didn't bother her too much.

I figured one wide view shot of the overall atmosphere couldn't hurt anything.

Birthday boy opening some presents.

Alright, I confess.  I put this one in for purely selfish reasons.  We managed to get Caleb a spare while using the launching mechanism, and he jumped into my arms with joy.  I believe it was Aunt Molly who somehow captured the moment on the camera with the worst delay in the world.  And speaking of Aunt Molly, she's crafty, that one.  She "volunteered" to go around snapping photos for us so that she was behind the camera, greatly reducing the chance that she end up in front of one.

Aunt Doris with what appears to be a little doll.

This is a bowling pin, with Happy Birthday on it, that the Premiere Bowling peeps give out to the Birthday kiddo so all who are attending the party can sign their names on it.  Cool idea, I thought, and he's quite proud of it.

Birthday boy playing one of his buddies in air hockey.