Today is the birthday of two of my relatives who may not know each other, but who have a lot in common.

They are my nephew Edward John (Eddie) Ford, and my great-nephew Adam Jacob (A.J.) Bush.  Eddie is 51 years old today, and A.J. is 7 years old.  In spite of this disparity, they have a lot in common.

1.  They share the same birthday – August 28. And they were both weekend babies – Eddie on a Sunday, A.J. on a Saturday.

2.  They are both natives of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and definitely corn-fed from an early age with that finest of all Iowa crops.

3.  They are both drop-dead gorgeous.  Check ‘em out!  You can’t get more handsome than that!

4.  They both have some smarts.  Eddie is a successful practicing physician, and A.J. is still a little kid who looks like a candidate for top grades. (Tell the teachers Octo-woman says so.)

5. The main habit Eddie and A.J. share though might be the time they spend outdoors.

My nephew Eddie is the son of Bob and Arlis Ford.  He got his M.D. in 1986.  Since then, he specialized first in Rheumatology, and currently in Emergency Medicine.

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I’m pretty sure, though, that the real purpose of Eddie’s medical career is to subsidize his time in the outdoors. 

Whether he’s mountain-climbing, deep-sea fishing (or any kind of fishing) mountain-biking, hiking, snorkeling, diving, water skiing, sailing his catamaran, ice hockeying – you name it – he’s doing it every chance he gets.

If he spends too much time in the indoors, he probably breaks out in a rash.

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The only cousin on our side of the family born during the same year as Eddie – is Steve Ford.  He lives in Medford Oregon.

Steve and Eddie love to fish in the waters of the Northwest whenever Eddie can get out here. 

I keep hearing a rumor that a trip out here may be happening pretty soon, but so far . . . . 

Now about our other birthday boy, A.J. Bush.  From most of A.J.s photos, it seems like he must love the great outdoors, too.  A.J. is the first child of my niece Elizabeth and her husband Chester (C.J.) Bush. 

He may not be out trolling the seas for great white sharks yet, but here he is with his first “catch”.

And here’s a few more shots. The boat may not be quite as hot as Eddie’s catamaran, but, hey, it floats.

A.J. has several cousins and second cousins who were born during his birth year so they’re all 7 years old together:

On the left is Braxton – son of Meghan Melchior from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
In the center are Gigi and Jack, Leanne (Gorman) and John Dudas’s twins from Virginia, and on the right is Virginia, daughter of Elizabeth (Gorman) and Bob Brown from Arizona. 
 

Happy birthday, Eddie and A.J.  I hope you’re both spending the day outdoors.  Live it up, guys!