My apologies for the radio silence. My wife and I just got back from a week’s vacation in Costa Rica. We stayed at Bahía de los Delfines. This beautiful resort sits just outside of Tambor, a tiny town on a sheltered bay on the end of the Nicoya Peninsula, out on the central Pacific coast. We had a wonderful, stunning time, and I’ll be babbling on about it for months, I’m sure.

We won the stay at the resort as part of a fund-raising raffle for Marty’s drama club (Kids Fun and Drama). We didn’t have the time to sell the tickets and instead bought our allotment ourselves. It paid off big in the form of an early celebration for our 15th wedding anniversary.

In Costa Rica, they have a saying: Pura vida. Literally, this means “pure life.” We spent the trip living that life and loving that country. We’re glad to be back, and hopefully we can continue with pura vida now that we’re home too.

In the meantime, a special thanks from us to my mother and the army of able assistants she lined up to help her take care of our children while Ann and I were gone. We couldn’t have left town without you, and our implicit trust in your goodness and kindness and love meant we could let ourselves enjoy the trip without worrying an instant about what might be happening back home. Pura vida to you all!

Five years ago today, a team of 25 doctors, nurses, and technicians at Rockford Memorial Hospital led by Dr. Susan Hendricks helped us bring four of the most amazing people into the world: Patrick, Nicholas, Kenny, and Helen Forbeck. Born 11 weeks premature (one week better than average for quads) they weighed, respectively 2# 12 oz., 2# 9 oz., 2# 8 oz., and 1# 8 oz. Their perinatologist, Dr. Dosi, gave each of them a 70% chance to live.

Five years on, Ann and I have four healthy, happy, and wonderful kids who are a lasting joy to her, their older brother Marty, and me. They and the people who helped us with them from their birth to this day have taught me much about what it means to be a parent, a citizen, and a better human being. Perhaps because their birth was such a harrowing experience, I know that every day with them and the rest of my family is a blessing for which my gratitude has no bounds.

Happy birthday, Pat, Nick, Ken, and Helen! Here’s to many, many more.