Spring Wedding

Nick's cousin Valerie married her sweetie Austin this weekend...in Austin! It was a gorgeous spring day for an outdoor event. Valerie looked simply stunning. I couldn't help but remember her from when I first came around to this family. If that was in 1995, Valerie must have been (quick, work those numbers...)...really...eight? Nathan is 8. Geez. And there she was, walking down the aisle as a sophisticated woman. It's hard to believe. Congratulations, Valerie and Austin! Your wedding was beautiful, and we look forward to seeing you experience life together as a couple!

The Best Day of the Best 30 Days of the Year

I'm lucky. I have an excuse to celebrate an entire month for my birthday. I've given myself that pleasure for years. Today did not disappoint. My mom and Nathan pulled off a surprise party for me--long distance, via a helpful FedEx guy--and I'm ecstatic that they put so much work into it! Nathan has been "hush hush" talking with my mom for a week or more and has just been beside himself keeping the secrets from me. This afternoon, he banished me to my room. Michael, his sidekick--his Sancho Panza--was in charge of holding me hostage and playing multiple games of card battle with me. Meanwhile, Nathan bustled about in the kitchen.
Nick got home, and my guys whisked me off to a nice surprise birthday dinner. We came home to the big reveal! Nathan had draped the kitchen in birthday decorations, and Nick had gotten an ice cream cake and smuggled it in somehow. Yum! Tablecloth, plates, streamers, blow horns, banner: it was really nice birthday flare! All choreographed by my sweet mom and my sweet son. Boy, I feel special. Thank you for all of the effort and planning. You can see Nathan was so excited that he was just bouncing up and down before we walked in.

Birthdays are great. Each one is a gift. The people I am surrounded by, each one of them is a gift. I'm such a lucky gal.

I love the picture of Michael watching me blow out my birthday candles. His eyes are filled with the excitement of what birthdays are all about. Through a child's eyes, he wonders what my wish was. My wish? It might have something to do with sharing many more moments like this with my family, but I'll never tell! His little mouth is shaped, ready to blow the candles out--in case there's a candle malfunction or something. Sweet Michael. Sweet Nathan. Sweet mom. My mom. Thank you for inspiring, coordinating, and remotely executing these birthday plans. Nice job! I feel very loved!