Happy 50th Birthday Michael!

Friday, April 3, 2026

Born in 1976 on this date, our "Bicentennial Baby," as his grandfather Jorge used to call him, celebrated his half century on planet earth!

Michael Vincent Contreras

was turning 50 today

How was that even possible when his mother is still only 39?

I thought that a retrospective of his last year revolving around food, sports and Civil War reencting was in order, so here goes.

With Andrew and the boy cousins

at Cronies for breakfast

At Camarillo's Community

Happ Rapp Track Meet

 

Halloween aiding and abetting

Mary's insane driving skills

or lack thereof

At the East L.A. Classic

Roosevelt vs. Garfield

Ever the physical fitness advocate

The traditional post-Thursday

night Pop warner practice stop

for burritos at Estabalos Market

Freaking out at a

Civil War reenactment

FIRE THE CANNON!

Dining out at an East L.A.

iconic cantina before a Rams' game

Before Jacob's final Pop Warner home game

Pre-game meal in

beautiful Boron, California

Helping out at Jacob's Las Colinas

Middle School flag football game

A must stop after a football game

at George Washington Prep

After beating cross town rival

Monte Vista in Flag Football

Fighting for the Confederates for

once at a Civil War Reenactment

The Rebs were short in numbers that weekend so both Michael and Jacob switched sides.

Jacob and Michael about to share

their first Waffle House experience

at the roadside location in South Carolina

In costume during the visit of the Civil War

Museum in Charleston, South Carolina

Still in Charleston wanting to fire

this HUGE Civil War mortar

Great spot for dinner in

Anderson, South Carolina

Getting our game faces on for the

Florida State at Clemson game

The Clemson Tigers WON!

Bojangles for carbohydrate

overloading is a MUST!

Michael just loves a good museum

Fighting Tiger at yet another

Civil War Reenactment, this time

at the Reagan Presidential Library

in Simi Valley, California

Eclectic West L.A. diner for our pre-

game meal before the Iowa-USC game

Getting ready to root the Huskies

to victory over UCLA

Escorting Mary on her first

excursion to Philippe's

How did Michael ever acquire

his love of Mexican food?

Before a UCLA Spring football scrimmage

Finally, a family photo at the Civil

War Reenactment in Astoria, Oregon

All in all, I think that he enjoyed the events of his latest trip around the Sun.

As for today, we combined Michael's birthday BBQ with an Easter Egg Hunt for Mary and Jacob.

Mary quickly found the 24 plastic

eggs full of surprises that were hidden

in the back yard for her

Jacob took a little longer to find the

last four of his well hidden eggs

Opening of the eggs . . .

. . . led to surprisingly civilized

trading between these siblings

Time to blow out the candles

After another stirring rendition of

the traditional "Happy Birthday" song,

he blew out the candles successfully

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MICHAEL!

Finally, from the net . . .

Unfortunately, they still live

amongst us