Four Birthdays

There are four birthdays in the next two days.  Arthur, George, Jaime and Brock.

Arthur and George are my seven year old twins.

They are like most boys their age.  They have a weakness for tye-dye.  They like all sports, all super heros, video games, skiing, swimming, hiking, the list goes on and on.  So what makes these boys stand out in a crowd?  Love.  Arthur and George have so much love to give.  These lovely boys can give so many hugs and kisses.  They make the world a better place.
To celebrate their birthday
Let's have a song.

Brock is the husband of Sarah who I am always talking about.  My brother n'law.

 I appreciate that he is very easy to talk to.  He going into his last semester of law school and I have been impressed with his diligence.  I know law students have lots of horrible reading assignments and Brock is still working in addition to his schooling.  The thing I love best about Brock is what a great uncle he is.  He spends lots of his Sunday afternoons entertaining my boys - most often jumping on the trampoline and playing games.
To celebrate his birthday
Let's have a game.

This is one of favorites from my childhood.  You don't have to wait for everyone's turn.  You just ring the bell and start shouting "Two, two!  Three, three!"


Jaime is my bosom buddy I mention from time to time;
 most recently, was when I visited her in New York City.  This is her with her husband Allen.

We love each other and help each other.  What a blessing to have a friend like that!  Jaime has a talent for really wanting to know people and to understand them.  She inspires me.  She takes her responsibilities and her progression  very seriously, and I have learned through experience that life will pass you by if you don't.
To celebrate her birthday
Let's have a story.
The morning I spent with Jaime in New York, we walked the kids to school, came back to the apartment for   a snack, then went out again to the grocery shop.  The rain had stopped so we decided to leave our umbrellas at home.  That was silly, the rain started right back up as soon as we left.

 The grocery store was fascinating to me - narrow aisles, an elevator and lots of foreign products.  Next we stopped in at juice & sandwich shop, and then dashed through the rain, with Jaime pushing Ozzy in the stroller, back to the apartment.

"Well, that was fun"  I said, as I looked in the mirror at my drenched hair and contemplated what to do about my wet jeans.

Jaime started unloading the groceries from the bottom of her stroller and then said "Where's my purse?"
I could tell panic was starting to kick in as I watched her dash to the kitchen, then the table, back to the stroller, and finally outside the front door.

I stayed in the apartment with Ozzy while Jaime retraced her steps all the way back to the juice shop.  I said a prayer.  "Please Heavenly Father, please help Jaime to find her purse.  I know all things are possible, please bless her."  I was surprised when Jaime returned empty handed.

Heavy hearted, Jaime began the process of notifying her bank and credit cards.  Then right as she started to cheer up, telling me there were much worse things that could happen and she was grateful for what she had - her cell phone rang.  It was the New York City Police.  They had her purse!  Someone had found it on the sidewalk and turned it in.

"You do not! What? How did you find me?!"  Jaime was her old self again, full of spunk and shouting at a police officer.

It was pretty amazing.  They had only been living in New York for three months, and her only form of identification in the purse was an old Arizona drivers license. We joyfully sprinted the twenty blocks to the Precinct where the purse was waiting.

Well, its like I said, with God all things are possible and now Jaime has her "lucky" purse to remind her every day of God's love.

The End.