Dear Casey,
How did you get to be so close to 40? Happy 38, my love. This year for your birthday, we did one of your favorite things! We went camping! We took an extra day and got to stay three nights. It was a lot of fun. We discovered the lake and spent 95% of our time in the water. D and C had a great time playing, and C found her first summer love – Tyyyyyler. D made friends with his younger siblings and it was fun to watch them play. C swam out and did tons of dives off of the diving board. And we had so much fun just being together. On your birthday night we traveled into town to go to our family favorite, Chili’s! We gave you presents and spent 98% of the time explaining to D it wasn’t her birthday yet. I hope this year brings you more of these times – family love, lots of hugs, and the knowledge that you are loved beyond words by all of us. You are the best husband and Daddy. I love you.
Dear D,
This July you turned 4! WOW. This is so hard for me to believe. As you get bigger the saying “the days are long, but the years are short” really starts to make sense. Our days with you are full of challenges, laughter, hugs, and sometimes tears. Our years with you have flown by, and we can hardly wait until you are adopted! We hope that will be before your 5th birthday. For your birthday this year, we took you and your sister on a combined birthday trip to the mountains. We stayed in Blowing Rock, NC and visited Grandfather Mountain and Tweetsie Railroad. You rode your first fair rides and LOVED it. Your laughter and giggles will forever remain in my memory (I hope). You conquered a ropes course, with so little fear it continues to amaze me. The evening before your birthday we blew up balloons for you to wake up to, and you were excited to see them in the morning and open your presents. We then traveled to Sliding Rock – which is a natural water slide made of a giant rock waterfall. It was SO. SO. SO. cold. But you went down twice – once with your sister and then once with me. We had so much fun! We went to Applebee’s on our way home. You had a tough ride home, but we learned our lesson – no sugar for you before a 5 hour car ride! We love you more than you’ll ever know, and cannot wait to see what 4 brings to you!
Dear Stacey,
I’m so glad that you will always be exactly 2 months older than me! It gives you a chance to try on this new older age and let me know how it goes. As you know, I’m excited to be heading into 34 – being an even number and all – and luckily your Mom already thinks you are 34! She’s already up to date! We wish we could have been with you on your birthday – it’s one of the things that makes me so sad living far away. I always want you to feel treasured and loved – no matter what. I hope that you could feel our love, even 1,000 miles away. I hope this year brings you lots of new adventures, new pictures to take, friends to make, and a few (several, MANY) trips to see us. We miss you so much it’s hard to even attempt to put words to it. Thank you for investing daily in our friendship and refusing to let it fade or become less than it was simply because of distance. I wish that my daughters find a friend like you to journey through life with – it has truly made all the difference in my life to have you be my side! Love you so much – since the days of Brush and Comb.
Dear Celeste,
This was a big birthday for you! SIXTEEN! Hold me closer, Tony Danza (I’ll explain later). You are growing into a sweet, kind, poised young woman – what a journey to watch! You joined us of course on your joint birthday adventure with D in the mountains. It was completed amazing to watch you conquer a high ropes course. Even though you were scared, you went forward anyway. I feel that this is big growth for you! We were so proud of you! For the day of your birthday, you had a sleepover with three of your friends! We blew up air mattresses and you took over the living room and played Mario Kart to the late hour of …. 10 pm. Yeah, we think it’s kind of lame that y’all were asleep before us. Sleepovers have clearly changed since I was your age! Haha! We had pizza, and did presents and your spent the next day playing with your new insta camera (in my days they were called Polaroids). Then Casey took you all to see Ice Age 3? 4? 5? Something like that. I can’t forget the best part – the song that Casey and I sang to you! Yes, that’s right! We changed the lyrics from Taylor Swift’s “22” and made a version just for you called “16!” Don’t worry, you can thank us later. Your friends loved it! We cannot wait to see what 16 brings you! Sophomore year, more marching band, a job perhaps, and DRIVING.. oh, driving. Let me catch my breath! It’s a pleasure to be with your on this journey, thank you for sharing yourself with us. We love you!
Dear Mom,
Every year we get to your birthday is one I treasure. Happy 63rd birthday! We have had way too many close calls, so I don’t take any for granted. For your birthday we surprised you! When you got home from work we had filled the house with 63 balloons and presented you with the only present that’s ever mattered – a towel warmer. Man, you love that thing! We had chinese food, and a cake made of different hues of purple. I am getting good with those layer pans! D gave you a Doc McStuffins card that sings all day long, and C made your a geometric card that was super cool. Let’s not forget – Casey’s card was really the best, for reasons I’m sure you remember. I hope you felt special and loved as you always should! I hope this year brings you new adventures, new friends, and lots of love! We love you very much.
