Celebrating a summer birthday

Summer free time is winding down here.

You can feel it.

A restlessness and lethargy as structured summer activities have all

come to an end, and we are moving things out and getting

organized for another school year.

Recently, we all gathered together to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday.

My children adore their grandmother, and it's become an annual

tradition to lavish some extra love on her on her special day!!

She was just booked solid the week of her birthday and Ashlyn was

working this evening, so the three of us planned a fun lunch together

the following week to extend the festivities!!

Happy Birthday, Mom/Grandma!!
We love you!!

Our last birthday of the "season:" Garrett turns 11

This spring has simply been a whirlwind of places to go and things to do.

We've celebrated 6 birthdays within our immediate family,

and this guy always patiently parties with his siblings

and lets them have their day without jealousy.

But as his day begins to draw closer, he always starts planning

out what he wants that day to look like.

He especially wanted a day off from school so we could go to the 

Dallas Zoo as a family.

Then he wanted to go swimming (as we have done nearly every 

other year for the last 5 or 6 years), and finally cap off the day

with cheeseburgers.

We had to accommodate a full day of rain and several siblings
who had to take finals in their English class that day,
but we were able to stick pretty close to his plan.

A Birthday Surprise

The week leading up to Resurrection Sunday was jam-packed with special days

for those in our family!

Not only were we remembering the significance of Passion Week 

to our Christian faith, directing and acting in  three important rehearsals 

for our church's Easter drama,

 but we also celebrated Ashlyn's birthday,

my husband's and my 21st anniversary, and my

husband's birthday!!

The intensely prepared for, long anticipated performance fell on the evening

of his birthday, and I wanted to be able to share this fun event with

the people we had been working so closely with for so many months!!

After our final dress rehearsal that afternoon, there was a cast and crew dinner!
I snuck in a cake and set up the cake table beforehand and we all sang to him

once he found the surprise!!

A Happy Birthday Reprieve

Last week, bar none, was one of the single most difficult weeks

I can remember in a very long time.

There was just so much that had to be done as we finished up our rehearsals

and preparations for the Easter Drama our family had been involved

in since January.

Homeschooling, two birthdays, and our anniversary were all packed into this week.

Not to mention a major holiday celebration on Sunday.

On top of all that I was having some annoying health problems 

that were only getting worse the closer we got to performance day.

I had taken careful steps to try to lessen the stress levels of that week,

but I was NOT prepared for how heavy the onslaught would be.

But right smack in the middle of the week, Wednesday,

was Ashlyn's 17th birthday.

She had been talking about it for weeks.

Different ideas of what she wanted to do, where she wanted to go,

who she wanted to celebrate with.

It wasn't until a couple of days before the day that she finally had

a concrete picture in her mind of how she wanted to celebrate.

We agreed she could take the day off of her schoolwork,

and she decided she wanted to spend the day on the town.

We started the morning at our favorite local coffee house.

But I surprised her by secretly inviting one of her sweet friends to join us!!

After coffee, we had such a delightful time shopping for our Easter accessories

and capping that off with lunch together!!

After lunch, Ashlyn wanted to go back to the Korean market we had

visited with our Advanced Foods class the previous week,

and what a relaxing time we had perusing the local shops

and trying new treats.

In retrospect, isn't it just like our Good Shepherd 

to lead us to green pastures where we can lie down and rest? 

 Isn't it just like Him to lead us beside still waters?

To give us a break when the demands are heavy.

Maybe when we have no idea what is yet ahead?

To whisper, "Be still.  I am with you.  All is well."

In the middle of a hard Holy Week, I found a reprieve 

I didn't even realize I was going to need.

Goodness and mercy were following me.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Ashlyn!!

Another 13th Birthday

Last weekend we celebrated Abby's 13th birthday!
She wanted to have a fun party again this year,

but her birthday fell on the exact day my husband and I left

for our couples retreat.

We honored her on the morning of her actual birthday.......

.........but her party was the following weekend.

She helped set everything up the way she wanted it to look,
and planned the whole party down to the minute.

After playing outside together and checking out the sweet

gifts her friends brought for her.....

.....we headed over to CiCi's Pizza for dinner.

......followed by a super fun evening of shopping at our local "shopping village."

Big sisters were home later that night and gave these beauties some makeovers

while watching movies (Moana!)

Even more donuts (obviously her favorite!) to share in the morning before

her friends headed home!
What a great party!