maria's 23

It was a quiet birthday--work, dinner with a sweet guy, birthday cake and gifts late in the evening.

This is so ridiculously cute, didn't even know it was possible:

M, I went looking for some old pictures of you and found a few.

This was Christmas Day a few years ago, holding Grace's son:

In Dan's lap, three months old, him entertaining you babies:

Some kind of fun:

 Squirrel time!

 Glamorous for the wedding:

 Age 7:

And here we are now, at the end of the day:

It was a fine, quiet birthday, and it's been lovely having you back at home again.  You are intense, true, an over-reactor, whatever.

You're also generous and helpful and have a big heart and a fine sense of humor.

We are lucky having you--this whole family is crazy about you.

So much love, Mom and Dad and Everybody