wake up!

Happy Birthday, Peter!
Originally uploaded by xian.

One of the highlights of last week’s trip to New York was when Peter, Sara, and the boys drove down from New Haven on Saturday. Pictured here from left to right are Caleb, Peter, and Sam.

Later, I’ll post more pictures to Flickr. This one was taken on the way back from the playground in Central Park near 96th, where we ourselves used to play when we were little. I’ve got a bunch of shots from later in the day at another, newer playground near, I think, 95th and Lex, where little Finn joins his big brothers on the roundabout before it gets too scary.

So anyway, today is Peter’s birthday and let’s just say he’s still in his thirties… barely. I’m a terrible birthday-present giver. I always leave it till too late, have trouble of thinking of something in time, end up just asking what they want, which puts the burden unfairly on the recipient and ruins the surprise, and then half the time fail to follow through after all. I still owe Peter some sort of oil vessel for cooking he requested like four years ago. I’m better at spontaneous gift-giving for what it’s worth.

So for now, let me just say, Peter, I’m inordinately proud of you, as a father, as a brother, as a husband, as a scholar, and as a man of faith. You were the real one all along.