fifty four

Today was the birthday party.  The kids were all happy to see each other.

Here's m.c. opening a few extra birthday gifts.

 This little guy is approaching two and he was such a mild baby, but now he's a sassy little devil.

Ach, blurry.  Blurry!  So annoying.

 Heather came by, which was sweet to come be with us and say good-bye because at the end of the evening Maria rode back out to the university with Little Jay.   He doing his last semester, and she's heading into the second half of freshman year.

It's weird sometimes, thinking about that.  He's almost done school, ready to head out into his life, and she's all grown up too. 

Here's a picture I love from a long, long time ago.   Jay's offering to nurse Maria, unzipped the front of his Barney pajamas.  

And her, she's so little she doesn't even use her hands yet, but she's mastered the skeptical expression already.

Here they are now:

My parents were at the party today too.

Here b.g. is weeping because his cousins have to leave, so they're having a hug.

Time for cake:

Jay, you are the guy who keeps this family going.  In every way you are a force forward, helping, feeding, defending, making us laugh, telling us to keep going when we need to hear it, and telling us to hang it up when enough is enough and it's better to walk away.

You also work on yourself, at finding better ways to do things, kinder ways to be.  Not everyone does this.  You always have.

You figured out that instead of being a disciplinarian, less is more.  If you want them to do something differently, or you see a problem on the horizon, you speak up.  

"Keep it up and that dog will bite you."

"Honest to God! What do you do to these fishing poles??"

"Has anyone in this house ever heard of bedtime?!"

And the one that cracked my mother up, you teaching John to be gentle with the clutch on his dirt bike: "If  you're hard on the machinery, it will break.  Take it easy."

(She snickered about your speed demon days, "He learned that the hard way, didn't he?")

Because you don't make suggestions very often, when you do, they take you seriously and listen.  They may still do it their way, but they did stop and hear.  A lot of times they even reconsider.

 Or sometimes they explain, and there's more to it, so their way makes sense.

You don't criticize or pick at us.  As much as you help all of us, you also let us help you, not that you're always the most gracious about it, but you still let us, especially James with your phone.

So, from all this vast horde of people who love you:  This family would be so muddled and so BORING without you.    

Everything is better because you're here, and this is a very lucky family.

love forever, Me, and the Kids and Everybody

a gem from your 40th birthday