Happy Birthday, Marty

Ten years ago today, I became a father. My son Marty was born down in Radford, Virginia, while I was helping run Pinnacle Entertainment Group as its president. Even before he was born, we knew we wanted to move back to Wisconsin to be closer to family–something I couldn’t have imagined when I was in high school–and within six months we had.

It’s hard to believe Marty’s already 10. This means he’s already more than halfway through the time we can expect him to live with us before he heads off on his own, to college or wherever. He’s developed into such a wonderful boy, and I cannot wait to see what kind of a young man he becomes. At the same time, I want to make sure to savor every moment we have before then.

Today, we took Marty to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and then to the Rainforest Cafe in Schaumburg. He had a ball, and the rest of us did too. Next weekend, we’ll have a laser tag party with his friends and celebrate all over again.

It’s good to be a dad–especially Marty’s dad. He’s a sweet, smart, clever kid with a sharp sense of humor, and I could not be prouder of him.

Happy birthday, Marty! Here’s to many, many more together.