wishes.....

Happy Birthday to YOU!

Another year older and wiser too.....

metamorphosis......

metamorphosis: 

change of appearance or character: a complete or marked change in appearance, character, or condition                                                  Microsoft® Encarta® 2007. © 1993-2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved         

 
My baby is growing up.  My little girl is little no more.  I no longer rock and sing her to sleep while she is curled into my body.  She doesn't fit herself into my lap with her thumb creeping into her mouth when tired.  I can't carry her.  We don't hold hands while crossing the street (although sometimes we do hold hands).  She isn't afraid of the dark anymore and will sleep with the bedroom door CLOSED.  She is adept at using a sharp knife and can feed herself when hungry.  When she stands next to me she looks me in the eye.  She can plan her work and work her plan.  She is on the way to becoming a woman.

How can I be happy and sad at the same time?  Where have all the years gone?  I miss the smell of baby powder and shampoo on her skin, her needing the boo-boo bunny for an owie.  I miss her sitting patiently, and sometimes not, in her chair waiting for lunch.  I miss her going to bed while it was still light out.  I love that little girl and miss her dearly, but I love this young woman I currently spend my days with. 

I love her independence & confidence.  Her strength & fearlessness.  Her high standards & work ethic.  Her good grades & book smarts.  Her athleticism & talents.  Her sweet spirit & faith.

So Katie, my darling daughter, this is for you. 
I can't believe you are 15! 

 Right now I have a prayer deep within my heart,

a prayer for each of you there is a special part.

That you remember who you are and he who lives above.

Please seek for him and live his way; you'll feel his love.

 

Walk tall, you're a daughter, a child of God.
Be strong and remember who you are;
try to understand,
you're part of his great plan.
He's closer than you know.
Reach up; he'll take your hand.

Long before the time you can remember,

our Father held you in his arms so tender.

Those loving arms released you as he sent you down to earth.

He said, "My child I love you. Don't forget your great worth."

 

Walk tall, you're a daughter, a child of God.

Be strong and remember who you are;

try to understand, you're part of His great plan.

He's closer than you know.

Reach up;  he'll take your hand.

 

This life on earth we knew would not be easy

at times we lose our way his path we may not see.

But remember always that you are not alone.

He'll take your hand.

He loves you;  He will guide you home.

 

Walk tall, you're a daughter, a child of God.

Be strong and remember who you are;

try to understand, you're part of His great plan.

He's closer than you know.

Reach up; he'll take your hand.

*words & music by Jamie Glen and Janice Kapp Perry

party like it's your birthday......

Happy birthday #43 to you!

correction #44 (sorry)

For his birthday Mike wanted to head to his favorite place......

so we cleaned ourselves up and headed out on a fun birthday date!

after finally making it - apparently one of the bussiest days of the year at Disneyland (last day So. CA pass holders could go for the summer) we wandered around the grounds of the Disneyland Hotel to see what had changed since we had been there for our honeymoon. We found this fun plant sculpture of Mickey & Minnie......

then headed down to the water falls to take pictures like we did on our honeymoon (aw...)

you can't tell in the pictures, but the water was all lit up a beautiful blue...

then off for the birthday boy dinner feast!

YUMMY!

Mikes favorite - MEAT!

We finished our dinner just in time to walk thru Downtown Disney and enjoy the fireworks and all the street musicians. Another fabulous birthday for a fantastic husband, father & boyfriend!

Happy Birthday Matthew!

It's hard for me to believe that Matthew is 16! It doesn't seem that long ago he was just a chunky baby crawling around. Now he is a teenager and will be getting his license in just a few weeks. Time goes by so quickly!

For his special birthday dinner, Matthew didn't want to go out. He requested his, and everyone elses' favorite dinner of carne asada with all the fixings, El Torito sweet corn cake, and his favorite chocolate peanut butter cake for dessert! While Matthew helped finish bar-b-que'ing Katie and Michael had a mini Wii challenge going in the living room.....

then dinner was ready.....and so was Matthew!

Once we managed to eat all that food, it was time for presents. Before he got started Matthew had to check to see if his beard had grown any.....

then it was time to check out the gifts....

He has a favorite web site he likes to "wish/dream shop" on, so we ordered him a couple t-shirts he has been wanting for a while.

looks like it fits!

After all that food we needed to take a walk before cake, so Katie and I got out our bikes, got Sam on the leash, Matthew on his skateboard and headed down to the duck pond to feed the ducks and geese. A lot of the ducks were gone, but the geese had nests and were sitting on their eggs. They ended up eating almost a whole loaf of bread!

mmm....our favorite cake!

make a wish Matthew!

Matthew you are a great son. You are smart, talented, kind and sweet. I love you lots and hope that your 16th birthday was great and all your wishes come true this year!

love~mom

Happy 25th Birthday Michael!

Katie's 14th B-day

It's the Birthday Girl.....

make a wish.....

mmmm........Jelly beans!

what could this be?

yea! dry erase markers, my favorite!


Happy, happy, birthday Katie dear

may happy days come to you all year!

If I had a wish, then it would be
a happy, happy birthday to you
from me!

I can't believe that my sweet little girl is 14! Katie is such a good girl, and isn't suffering at all from teenage-ritis! We had a great day and celebrated with her favorite dinner of carne asada, with grilled veggies and onions and sweet corn cake! YUMMY! Then we had spice cake with cream cheese frosting for desert followed by presents of course! That was all the weekend before her actual birthday, since we knew Mike wouldn't be home on the "real" day, then on her real birthday she had a couple more little gifts to open - her favorite - "juicy pear" Jelly Belly jelly beans and dry erase markers for her huge board in her room!