Happy 60th

Happy, happy Day!

If we were in Christchurch I would have planned a birthday treat for Pete. I think it is really important to acknowledge birthdays, particularly turning 60! But we are in Jakarta on the final leg of our trip away. So Pete's 60th celebration will be modest, but still significant and I will make sure he has a wonderful day. I don't know where to begin. I have lived with him and loved him for over half my life and have got to know him quite well, even more so over the last year. There are so many things about Pete that I love and admire.

Pete is a genuinely nice man. He is very generous with himself and enjoys people and loves listening to their stories. He believes it is important to treat people well. It is important to him that when people come to visit us they are welcomed and comfortable in our home. I think Pete is a passionate man. He has a passion for learning and life. He has a passion for poetry and fast cars. Driving a car for Pete is all about how the car takes a corner or how responsive it is in the steering and on the road. He has always loved European cars and we have had some interesting ones over the years that were 'car of the year' when they were new, but not when we owned them. 

Pete has been very successful in his work at university and in his consultancy practise. His students really enjoy him as a teacher and he is highly regarded in the business field. He has written two very good books on work as a vocation rather than an occupation. I think his greatest success has been his family, who he loves passionately. He has single handedly provided for his family ... a home, holidays, birthdays, christmas, sports fees, clothes, food on the table, tuition etc. He has been an incredibly loyal and faithful father and husband. There has never been a time when we have had to worry about where the next meal will come from, is there enough money. The safety and security of his family has been extremely important to Pete and if he never did another thing with his life he has already done a wonderful thing in loving them, providing for them and looking after them. Pete has been a fantastic Father. He has always been there for his children. There is nothing he would not do to see them happy. He has dedicated his life to their wellbeing, security and happiness and continues to do so.

Pete has been a wonderful companion, friend and husband to me. He has been loyal and faithful. He has been my go to person whenever I have felt low, afraid, unsure of myself and no matter how mean or horrible I have been he is still there in morning, still loving me. There is something comforting about having someone by your side who believes in you when it is hard to believe in yourself. I am a better person because of my relationship with him.

Pete is a devout man and innately spiritual. His religious beliefs are the foundation of who he is and what he does. He has an unwavering belief in God and Christ and in his religion. He would say that everything he has done and is, is a result of his belief.

He has a great sense of humour and loves to have a good laugh! He is very creative in his work which has come out in his teaching at uni, in his consultancy work and in the books he has written. In many ways he has been a man ahead of his time. He is very intelligent and grasps ideas and truth very quickly and is able to translate them into a simpler form so that people can understand them easily. Pete is charismatic and has a wonderful energy about him. I love seeing him get excited, he does this jumping thing and squeals. I love watching him drive his Lotus replica sports car, he seems so alive to me and looks like he is having so much fun! 

Pete with lars and Roxcy ... family is everything to Pete. He loves his Grandchildren and is the sexiest Grandfather I know. I love watching him with them, he is the most happiest and contented  spending time with them, playing with them and hanging out with them.

Pete with Elizabeth, reading her one of our family favourites that we used to read to our children when they were the same age. He loves chatting to our grandchildren on Skype and gets very enthusiastic. Having enough money to visit them and spend time with them is an important priority for him. 

Heading of on our travels from Boston. We have had an amazing time away together learnt new things about each other and shared some wonderful adventures. I hope you have a wonderful Day Pete and take some time to feel proud of your life achievements thus far and bask in the love of your family and friends. You are loved ... and today you are celebrated. Having you in our lives means everything to us. Happy 60th! Let the fun begin.