happy birthday to you

It was hard to say who had more fun with Miah's birthday party, Miah or Dad. I had to send Dad to Hobby Lobby by himself while I finished mixing the cake, preparing for birthday dinner, and cleaning the house. I knew that was dangerous because Mark is more prone to buy party and celebratory accessories.

All I wanted was a lady bug cake mold and the means to decorate the cake. Then I got the call asking if we could buy helium for the balloons. To his credit he said he was calling to get talked out of the helium, and in the long run Miah enjoyed having all the balloons where she could play with them instead of bouncing temptingly across the ceiling.

Dad did a great job of making Miah's birthday a special one. He filled two dozen balloons, thrilled her with party horns, and decorated the cake. What would I have done without him? We had a ham dinner with rolls and sautéed and pickled vegetables. It was a like a light Thanksgiving meal because we are bursting with gratitude for the gift God gave us when He gave us you.

You amaze me every day with your loving kindness and spirit of adventure, with your fascination with babies and screwdrivers, with your humor followed by moments of somberness. Our friend bought Miah a singing birthday balloon. Did she have fun with that--taking it one walks, driving it around the house in her 4x4, and finally dancing with it in the living room.