Dear Henry

There are a lot of things that have happened so far this year that I haven’t talked about with you. Nothing too important. Just stuff. Here is some of it. I will put some pictures in now and try to fill in the details later. Hopefully I will get back to writing you more regularly. I have scraps of paper piling up all over the place with notes of stuff that I want to tell you.

I guess a good place to start is Jack's birthday. I got him a present that a lot of people wanted but had a hard time getting their hands on during Hannukah and Christmas. It is probably both a good an hard thing having your birthday smack dab in the middle of the holiday season.



You can see how psyched he was.

Also in January, Mom and I went to Las Vegas for my work. We saw Cal again and met Derek Jeter.



Then in February, Mom and I went on vacation with Rich and Helaine. This is a picture of me at the beach where we went in the Carribean.



I took this picture of a catepillar who was crawling up the side of the place we were staying. It was HUGE and very beautiful. Remember the catellipars they have at Politics and Prose. They were neat.



In March, your brothers and I went up to Cooperstown to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame. My friend from work, Lee, has a plane and was nice enough to fly us up there.





There were no Starbucks, GAPs or even malls in Cooperstown which is odd, but really, really nice. They did have a couple of stores that sold baseball bats. Joe and Jack both got ones and they were personalized with their names and they also say "Future Hall of Famer."



Also in March we all went up to New York City for a wedding. For a change of pace we took the train together with Nana and Papa Sy.



The guys had a good time. A woman left her bag on the platform and the train took off without it. That caused a lot of excitment.



We went to the NBA store and the guys got shirts. Joe got Shaq's and I think Jack got Kobe Bryant's. I remember that my friend sent you Kevin Garnett jerseys when you were in transplant. They were a little big. It was appropriate beause KG plays for Minnesota and we were in Minneapolis.

Joe wears your Michael Jordan Wizards jersey all the time.



Mom and I had a good time at the wedding. It was wacky. There was a sword and a dog in the ceremony. It was definitely different than any wedding we will ever go to.

Joe and I went to the slide that you and Jack love so much in Central Park. There were 3 Henry's on the slide with Joe. I guess it is a popular name. Mom and Jack were over at the zoo while we slid. Joe didn't want to use cardboard.





April 4 was Mom’s birthday. As always I had a "grand plan." But unlike last year's Photo Booth, I wasn't able to pull of this year's gift as I had planned. My idea was to make a book of photos to give her. The photos were all of the ones I could find of just you and her. I found almost 70. I scanned them all in but couldn't get the book made just then because of something technical. Basically I screwed up.

So I got her a really nice camera instead. God, I wish we had digital cameras back when you were born.

What I have done is put all those photos of you and her on a electronic picture frame Mom has on her night table so she sees them as a slide show.



Mom got the camera just in time to use it on a trip to... Disney World! We all went to Disney World for my work for the grand opening of a new roller coaster. I do have an amazing job.



After we came back from Florida I went back to Las Vegas for work. This time I did something I never have really done there before. I went outside. And outside in Las Vegas is really cool. There are mountains all around the town.





I hiked up one of the mountains. It was in a place called Red Rocks. I thought about you a lot while I hiked. It was good to be alone. I thought the usual thoughts about how sad I was that you never saw anything as beautiful as Red Rocks, but I also just thought a lot about how much I miss you.

All of us went to St. Louis for Passover, and then Cousin Hannah and Aunt Jen came here to go with us to a rally on the Mall to try and help people in Africa who are getting killed. We met up with other people who came in from St. Louis. A lot of babies and boys and girls are dying in a place called Darfur. I hope Jack and Joe learn about the need to help others in trouble, no matter who they are or where they live.







We also went with Aunt Jen and Hannah to the cemetery. We visited your grave, Grandma's grave, Aunt Ida and Uncle Ben's graves and Mommy's grandparent's graves. We have lots of people to visit.

Hannah did what Mom and I do. She laid down on the grass on top of your grave. I saw a picture in a magazine of a Mom who lost her son in the war in Iraq. She was laying down on top of the grave. A lot of people just stand and look down. I understand the need to lay down and be as close as possible. I remember laying with you in your hospital bed and your bed at home. I miss that.

At night I sit on one end of Jack's bunk bed and read while he is tucked in at the other end reading too. We sit like that until it is time for lights out. Mom is usually in bed with Joe reading to him. I like that time with Jack even though we aren't talking.