fifty-three

It was a beautiful night, snow falling-- looked like a Christmas card.

Here he is, our January guy.

Dog passing through--

The girls baked these special cupcakes for Saturday night--Reese's peanut butter cups were involved.

They did good.

These two on Sunday afternoon:

My parents were here.  John and Dannell could not be because they have some sick kids.  RSV?  Something like that.  It's not good, especially for the tiny guy, but he's feeling better with a nebulizer and antibiotics.

a picture dannell sent us

As a parent, it's hard to know what we get right.  It's confusing.   But Jay, this I do know:  You don't criticize, and you don't nitpick.

Sometimes you get annoyed there's bitching and even yelling,  "Do any kids in this house EVER GO TO BED??!"   But that's different.  That's situational, not personal. 

 I know for a fact that every one of these people including me, have benefited from that feeling of however we are is quite good enough.  You don't tell us how to be or what to think, just believe we're all in this together.

Here we all are Sweetheart, this whole family who loves you.  Thanks for everything you do for us every day, for your generosity and good cooking, for being able to laugh at yourself, so that we don't forget we need to laugh at our own selves sometimes too.

Thank you for all the ways we count on you--if it's a job that's difficult to impossible, messy, miserable, involves some kind of ridiculous weather challenge?

You'll be there, leading the way.

Happy Birthday, Buddy.   This whole family is nothing but lucky having you.    love, Val and everybody