Labor Day

Well, I am living Labor Day weekend to its fullest definition...working my frickin' tail off, at the hospital and at home.

I worked last night for twelve hours, then I turn back around and work tomorrow day shift. Then Tuesday night shift. Hello, can I get a break? All I can say is summer is surely going out with a bang.

I promise I will be back with some great blogworthy posts later this week. Gabe starts preschool on Tuesday, so I will have some good pics and some time to myself in which to post them. And now, since Gabe is on my lap pointing out every letter "P" on this post, this next sentence is for him.

Peter Pecker picked a peck of pickled peppers!

PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP (done by Gabe)

Aww, gee, you shouldn't have...

Betty from Keeper of the Skies has given me this sweet award. Don't you love it? Aww, don't be jealous. I'm planning on spreading the love, too. God knows we all need as much love as we get these days! Thank you so much, Betty. I am humbled and honored. And basking in the glow of getting a blog award :)

Now it's my turn. I've had these blogs listed on my blogroll for awhile, and it's going to be really hard to pick only 7. But I feel like these women are my friends, people I "talk" to with comment love, people whose lives I peek in on everyday (hey, if you didn't want me to see in the window, you should have closed the blinds).

Here's the rules:

1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.

2. Link the person you received your award from.

3. Nominate up to 7 other blogs.

4. Put links of those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you’ve nominated.

Pretty easy, huh? So here goes:

1. Lulaville (can't wait 'til November, for so many reasons!)

2. Three Little Indians (you'll always be my first blog love, Jennifer)

3. HiHoOhio (Catherine, my first real life blog friend)

4. Mindless Junque and The R Family Diaries (without Heather and Tiffany, there would be no SITS love and the world would stop turning, the end.)

5. Buried with Children (Jen, any woman who works, has triplets plus a preschooler and still finds time to blog is my hero)

6. Just Us (Elizabeth and her little family is just too stinkin' cute; her "Shades of Summer" idea was awesome; she's called the Scrapbooker of the Year for a reason, folks)

7. The Painted House (Angela's talents are vast, her kids are adorable, and her husband beat cancer this year!)

There are a few more blogs that I love, but I'm limited to seven today. Check out my blogroll to the right...you won't be disappointed. Now, girls, go on and spread some more love to get us through this three-day weekend (what? The kids don't have school on Monday? Aww, man...I was getting used to this school stuff!)

Uplifting

You know those message boards outside churches, informing you of service times and pastors names? You know how sometimes churches get creative with their "invitations" on those boards, trying to get you to come in the door and give 'em a try? Well, my friend Becky sent me an awesome email today, and these "one-liners" reminded me of those invitations. Leave me a comment and let me know which is your favorite...

26 Beautiful One-liners

1. Give God what's right -- not what's left.

2. Man's way leads to a hopeless end - God's way leads to an endless hope.

3. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.

4. He who kneels before God can stand before anyone.

5. In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma--but never let him be the period.

6. Don't put a question mark where God puts a period.

7. Are you wrinkled with burden? Come to the church for a face-lift.

8. When praying, don't give God instructions - just report for duty.

9. Don't wait for six strong men to take you to church.

10. We don't change God's message -- His message changes us.

11. The church is prayer-conditioned.

12. When God ordains, He sustains.

13. WARNING: Exposure to the Son may prevent burning.

14. Plan ahead -- It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.

15. Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory position.

16. Suffering from truth decay? Brush up on your Bible.

17. Exercise daily -- walk with the Lord.

18. Never give the devil a ride -- he will always want to drive.

19. Nothing else ruins the truth like stretching it.

20. Compassion is difficult to give away because it keeps coming
back.
21. He who angers you controls you.
22. Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop.
23. Give Satan an inch & he'll be a ruler.
24. Be ye fishers of men -- you catch them & He'll clean them.
25. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
26. Read the Bible -- It will scare the hell out of you.


My favorite, and one I struggle to remember, is #8. It's sometimes hard for me to remember who's really in control of this ride I'm on...

How can that be?

How is it possible that it's been four years since you were born, Gabe? That you are now the age your big sister was when you were born? I blinked my eyes and you went from adorable newborn to vivacious preschooler in a minute.

In true blog tradition, I am dedicating this post to you for your birthday, big boy.


Top ten things we love about you, Gabriel William:

1. You have an amazing amount of energy. If I could bottle it up and sell it, I would be a rich woman. (I am still looking into this.)

2. You are the friendliest boy I have ever met. You pick a stranger that you think you might like, go right up to them and say "Hi, I'm Gabe, wanna be my friend?" in the cutest voice. Who could say no?

3. You have beautiful coloring. Olive skin, brown eyes, wavy brown hair; you were born with a tan, as Isabel always says.

4. You remind me so much of my dad, who died before you celebrated your first birthday. You look like him and you love a lot of the same things (Hot Wheels, Nascar, scary movies and books, E.T.). You have a special place in Mamaw Carol's heart because of this.

5. I love your nightly prayer: "Dear Jesus, I wuv you, the end".

6. You might not know your ABC's or 123's, but you can play Hot Wheels.com and Legos.com like nobody's business.

7. When you really like something, you say with such expression, "I SO wuv this!!!".

8. Your favorite food ever: cheese. Of any kind. In any shape or dish. Aunt Chelle's homemade macaroni and cheese is your all-time fave.

9. You love when Thomas the Tank Engine comes to town. Your eyes light up, you get so excited, and you have so much fun you can hardly stand it. And guess what? He comes back to town in two weeks, and you and I are going to take a ride on the real train this year!

10. You have brought such joy to this family; more than we ever expected. We thought we were done with two kids; God had a different plan; Isabel said a prayer asking for a baby brother or sister; you were conceived; we wouldn't have it any other way.

You are so loved by each one of us, Gabe. Happy, happy birthday, sweet boy of mine.

Catching Up

I took this picture last year, on a day when I let the big kids play hooky from school and took them all to the Cincinnati Zoo. I love this photo, and I can't wait to make a beautiful scrapbook page with it.

However, I am about a year's worth of pictures behind before I can even get to this one. I am a chronological scrapbooker. I can't even consider the thought of going out of order. I get a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach just thinking about it.

Therefore, I am going to get organized today, so when Gabe goes to preschool next week, I will be ready to scrap away. Nothing makes me happier than sitting in my scrap room, listening to some rockin' tunes or a great book on CD while I create some pages for my kids' scrapbooks. And now that I am in withdrawal from Twilight (I finished Breaking Dawn last Friday night), I have to find something to do to keep from missing Bella and Edward. Yes, I admit it, I am weird. When I read a great book like this, I think of the characters as real people. I wonder what they are doing now; I wonder if Edward dreams of me like I do him. I know there are medications for this...

From the zoo to Twilight; I am obviously rambling. Lula, clearly I have been "talking" to you too much :) You're rubbing off on me, I swear.

Funny emails

I received this email twice in one day, so I figured it was God's way of saying, "you need to post this on your blog". At least, that what I think He was saying. It could also have been His way of saying, "hey, Heather, you're spending way too much time on your computer. Look at what I could give you if only you would pay attention and read your bible more."

I decided to go with the first one, given that I am a total blog addict, and there's no way I'm giving up my bloggy buddies just for a man who takes out the trash. Really, I love you guys that much. (Unless this guy shows up on my doorstep; then it's bye-bye blogs, hello heaven.)

Sorry if the print's too small to read. It says, "As long as I have legs to walk on, you'll never have to take out the garbage."

This would be well appreciated at my house, since I am almost always the one to take out the trash. Both from the can to the garage, and from the garage to the curb on trash day. Despite the email I sent to Joe awhile back, which basically stated that trash is a man's job, and if he ever wanted s_x again, he would do his freakin' job! That one worked for, oh, about a minute, then it was back to me doing it. One week I rebelled, and who paid the price? Me, with trash cans overflowing in the garage right next to my van. The boy comes by it honestly; my MIL tells me her hubby NEVER took out the trash, and would even dump a filter full of used coffee grounds right on top, watch it dump onto the floor, and just walk away. Joe isn't that bad. He will do it if I ask him to. It just never occurs to him on his own. Sigh...the things we do to keep a happy house. I am not a nagger; I will just do it, then feel resentful, then let it build up until I explode (which usually happens to coincide with "that time" of the month).

This was not supposed to be a "rag on your man" post, really, it wasn't. Just turned out that way, I guess. Sorry, Joe...really, I do love you; (just don't forget, trash day is Thursday).

Party Hardy!

Before I had any kids of my own, I babysat for a family of five, and the mom and I became the best of friends. Now her children are grown, and we live over an hour away from each other, but she is still my "model" for the kind of mom I want to be. When Renee had a birthday party, she invited friends and family, made a homemade cake, had tons of yummy (homemade, of course) food, and everyone always had a great time. I have had little kid parties for Elijah and Isabel, and they are cute, and the kids have fun, but I am always stressed out. So I have gone back to the kind of party where everyone has a good time, not just the kids. Juice pouches shared cooler space with beer bottles, chicken nuggets were served alongside of white chicken chili, chocolate-raspberry cake was shared by all, and (I think) we all had a ton of fun. You know those parties where you are looking at the clock, waiting until the "polite" time to leave? This was not one of those. Although a few of our friends couldn't make it due to football games, most everyone came to help celebrate Gabe's birthday. Here are some pics of the fun:



The cake. When Gabe first saw it, his eyes welled up with tears. Because it was so beautiful? No, because "I can't like those berries! My cars have chocwat on dem!". Just ask Catherine, she was witness to this. That little booger. (He did end up liking it later.)


Gabe's favorite sidedish (or main entree) is Aunt Chelle's macaroni and cheese. She made a whole bowl just for him, complete with a birthday candle. So sweet!

Our neighbors, Scott and Karen brought their adorable daughter to the party. Gabe and Keira love to play together, and I love to see how they interact. We all think Keira is just a doll...

And so strong, too!


Cousin Katlyn couldn't pass up a turn at being the big kid, pulling the little guys around. We have had this wagon for 9 years now...one of our best investments!

I didn't do any organized games this year (most of the kids were too little, and I had too many beers). But I don't think they cared. They blew bubbles, played on the playset, ran around like monkeys, played in the kids' rooms and generally were crazy. No tears at not being the "winner", no heads getting whacked at the pinata...it was all good.

Sorry, Kipper, I couldn't resist. You had your chance of deleting it off of my camera. I just love how great Catherine's husband is with the kids, and they all love him! Especially my niece, Kylee. Anyone who plays babies with her is a friend forever!

How old are you now, Gabe? Four? That can't be possible! That's how old Isabel was when you were born! I love this pic of him counting the candles.

Thank you all so much for all of the great gifts! Hot Wheels (of course), fire engines, new clothes and pajamas, trains, trucks, bouncy balls, and more Hot Wheels. What a lucky boy. And I was so grateful that he "loved" everything, and didn't once say "I can't LIKE it!". Thank goodness!

My niece, Ashley, brought her two daughters to the party; Claire is six months old, and everyone was clammering to hold her and feed her and rock her...it's been a long time since a baby was in the house. I love this one of my mom and sister feeding her, with Kylee itching to help...

Danielle brought her boyfriend, Peter, who "never smiles" for the camera. Too bad, you're still going to be on my blog, dude.

Sweet little Kylee. Man, that girl is photogenic. Lovin' her updo.

I'm not sure how many beers Rhonda had before she took this picture of Catherine and me...a little blurry, but I had to post it. I was behind the camera more often than not, so there aren't many photos of me. Which is fine, but I do want Gabe to know that I was at the party.

Or maybe it's blurry because I'm the one who had too many beers. Hmmm... Hey, it was over 90 degrees out there. And I had worked hard. And it tasted good, which beer doesn't usually do for me. What brand was that, Catherine?

This was one of Gabe's favorite presents: a crash-em-up Hot Wheels set. Still playin' it this morning.

Mamaw Kay was such a big help, slicing and serving the cake, helping organize presents, changing the kids' names on their goodie bags to be for the grownups...What would I do without you, Kay? The party just wouldn't be the same.

Obviously, Catherine had not had too much beer when she took this one of me and Rhonda. My big sis and I gave Joe and Scott a run for their money at cornhole, until it was time to eat dinner, and Joe sank FOUR cornholes in a row to win the game. Still had fun, though. I'm used to losing to Joe; he is good at every sport he plays.

Papaw Bob used up all of his hot air to blow up the bouncy ball for Gabe and Keira. They had to make sure he was doing it right.

Gabe, did you have fun at your birthday party? I think this face says it all, and makes all of my hard work so worth it:

And it begins...

Yes, it has arrived, finally. The first day of school for Elijah and Isabel, but much to his dismay, not for Gabe. More about that in a minute.

On Wednesday of this week, I had to stay up all day after working all night so we could go to conferences and "meet the teachers". I'm so glad our schools do this...it helps put both the kids and me at ease knowing a little of what to expect. Isabel got to practice opening her locker (this is the first year for real lockers with combination locks); we met her teacher, who is just adorable. This is her first year teaching, so she is energetic and enthusiastic and so darn cute...Isabel loves her already.


Elijah's teacher is our backyard neighbor, also a fairly new teacher (I think this is her fifth year teaching). So sweet, very organized...Elijah is so lucky this year. For the last two years, his teachers have been close to retirement and a bit, shall we say, crabby at times. This is going to be a great school year for both of my kiddos, I have a feeling.

This morning, both kids wanted to wake up to their alarm clocks. 7:15am for Isabel, 7:30am for Elijah. I was up by 6:45am, so I could have a little bit of time to myself before the day began. Nervous stomach for Isabel, not so much for Elijah. New clothes for them both. Cologne for Elijah (cracking me up). Breakfast, lunches packed, then out to the bus stop with Gabe running around like a crazy man (a change in routine just stirs him up). Photo shoot before the bus comes. Look at their faces...you can see the apprehension in poor Isabel's eyes. Elijah is just ready to go.

Gabe was so excited when the bus came, thinking he got to go with Elijah. Poor, poor baby...he bawled and sobbed and snotted all over my shirt when he was told he had to stay with me. He wants to be a big boy so bad! Here are the before and after pics:

Only the promise of a trip to Barnes and Noble to play the Thomas trains and a visit to the pet store to see the fish and the puppies and a stop at Target to look at toys was enough to stop the tears. He doesn't start preschool until Sept 2, and even then he doesn't get to ride the bus. Oh, the disappointment.

I can't wait to hear about their days today. I am ready for the routine of back to school, and for a little bit of silence in my day, but I do miss them. A little. :)

Thanks!

First of all, thanks for all of the kind words about me and my bikini. You all sure know how to pick a girl up when she's feeling down. I heart my fellow bloggers. Sincerely.

Next, a note to let you know I survived. Monday and Tuesday night were the most emotionally draining 12-hour shifts I have had in a long time. I never call back to the hospital to check on a patient...I am very good at leaving my job at the door when I leave. But I couldn't help it. There was a family meeting scheduled for yesterday afternoon, in which I thought the doctors would support my patient in her decision to stop treatment. One very important doctor did not come to the meeting, the patient wavered in her decision for one minute, the family jumped on that and said she is not competent to make any decisions, and now the torture continues. For the patient, and for the nurses whose hearts are breaking while they are stuck in the middle of this horrible ethical nightmare. As soon as the family leaves (around 10pm), this 90-pound skeleton of a woman starts begging for you to turn everything off and let her die. She is in terrible pain, her bones are practically protruding through her skin, and the only thing keeping her alive is continuous hemodialysis and medicines that support her falling blood pressure. She is infected in her bloodstream and her gut with drug-resistant bacteria. She doesn't want to eat. I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. I do not understand this family's perspective. This poor woman has been sick for nine years! She is physically, spiritually, and emotionally broken. She has made her peace and is ready to die. And they are so selfish, they won't let her go. I know how hard it is to say goodbye. I was the one who made the decision (with my family) to take my dad off of life support and let him die peacefully, instead of in the presence of doctors and nurses beating on his chest, shoving more tubes in his body, shocking his heart, all to stall the inevitable. Not a single one of us makes it out of this life, well, alive. Sometimes the prayer for healing is answered by the ultimate healing: release from this painful life into a much more glorious one. I sit here with tears running down my face for this woman who is going to suffer so much in the days to come, all because of the unbelieving family she is being forced to succumb to. Doctors are so afraid of lawsuits these days, they have a hard time standing up to a family like this. The husband is already threatening to hire a lawyer (for what, I don't know). And the poor nurses are having to deal with this family, take care of this critically ill patient, and try to hide the emotions they are feeling. Let me tell you, it sucks. But for me, it is over for the next eight days. I am not going to call work again. I don't go back until the 28th. And I hope it is over for her by then. I don't know if I can take anymore of that heartbreak.

Now, I am going to drink my coffee, read some blogs, hope Lula has something hilarious to say to cheer me up, and then I am going to have a great day with my babies on this last day of summer vacation. I have prayed for peace, and I am going to let God have His way with me today.

Thank you so much for your prayers, your kind words, and your ability to make me smile. You have absolutely no idea how very much they mean to me. It is so odd to think that women you have never met can have such an impact on your life. But it's so true. I truly believe God has had His hand on this for awhile, knowing we all needed extra support and laughter and love. As Bruce in Bruce Almighty says, "It's goooood".

Goodbye, summer!

I know, I know, it's still only August. But last Sunday was our before-school-starts swim party at Becky's mom's pool, and it sure felt like a farewell to summer party. Becky and I are so ready for our kids to start school so we can get back into our workout routine we had before summer break. Having seven kids between the two of us makes it quite a challenge to get to the YMCA three times a week...most times we were lucky to make it twice. And man, did we eat! After Labor Day, it's time to buckle down and get to sweatin' (which I hate, really). But I am determined to get a new bikini next summer, and have it look better than the one I have on in these pics.


I love the way this picture turned out. Becky and I are planning our 1 year "anniversary" next month. No kids, no husbands, good food, and some sort of alcohol...those are Becky's rules, and they sound great to me. I can't believe it's only been a year (I'm pretty sure we were BFF in another life, too).



The weather was a little cooler than usual, so if the kids' lips look a little blue, that's why.

Becky's oldest son, Jake, showing Elijah how to "surf". He did a pretty awesome job!

Summer was adorable, as always. We even became "slobber sisters", when she shared her already-sucked-on cheese cracker with me. Of course, Becky got a picture of that one (can't wait to see it...I'm sure the look on my face is priceless).

My hot hubby, sucking it in for the camera. He and Mike get along so well; I love that.

Elijah in all of his goggle glory...look at those ribs! Jeez!

Gabe and Mike both had a great time with these flippers...I love these pics!

I wanted to post a picture of Isabel, and I couldn't figure out a good way to crop this one, so watch your eyes. It's a bit scary. I should put a warning label on this post. Just remember, I will be in better shape by next summer. Absolutely.

Have you recovered yet?

Good.

Becky and Mike, thank you so much for including our family on this outing. We all had a great time, despite the chilly weather. Elijah's favorite was definitely the night swimming! I love how our families get along so well...makes it that much easier to be friends.

Tots gone wild!

TOTS GONE WILD!
WELLINGTON, New Zealand -

A New Zealand kindergarten disco was broken up by authorities for pumping out "Bob the Builder" music too loud.

While the preschoolers were dancing at the One Tree Hill Kindergarten in Auckland, an unhappy neighbor was busy complaining, The Dominion Post newspaper reported on Tuesday.
(Downloaded from MSNBC.com)

I wish I had a picture to go along with this article!

I do have a visual on this, though.

Can you imagine? Those kids innocently jamming along to "Can he fix it?!", only to be cuffed and carted away to the slammer. Okay, they didn't do that, but jeez, they may as well have. Do you think this will go on their record?

I am posting this from work, trying to get my mind off of my patient who wants to die, but whose family won't let her. Sad, sad, sad. This article is just what I needed.

Oh, Dean...

Where do I find a husband like that?

1. Willing to shop.
2. Having the money to shop.
3. Willing to carry all of my shoes and bags while I hold tightly onto my bag and very heavy cell phone, all the while wearing a smirk that says "Yeah, that's right, he's my man. Back off, girls."

Seriously, I love my husband like crazy (even though some days he drives me crazy). But I can honestly say that he has never carried four boxes of shoes and a shopping bag for me. Ever. He can barely stand it when I go out and buy one pair of shoes. Don't worry, Tori, I don't really want your man. But could I borrow him (and his American Express) for an afternoon? Please?

Playdate Pics

Here's proof that you CAN make friends with fellow bloggers, and they don't end up being crazy stalkers :)

(Sounds like a great idea for a Hallmark card. Hmmm...)

Last week, Catherine and I met up at her new house here in Ohio and had an awesome playdate with all of our kiddos. They haven't moved in to the house yet, so the kids had plenty of room to run amuck and explore. This place is incredible...117 years old, two staircases from the first level, cabinets and cubbies and closets galore, hardwood everywhere...I wanted to play hide and seek as soon as we got there, but I restrained myself. There are lots of fun things to do within walking distance, so we gathered up the kids and went out.

Say "choo-choo train, kids". We could hear the whistle of the train...Gabe couldn't wait to run ahead and try to see it for himself on our way to the park.

There is a cool "Ikea-like" playstructure just down the street. My kids were a little wary at first; Elijah fell off and hurt his back within the first five minutes, but then they got the hang of things and had a great time.

Addison and Campbell are so stinkin' cute and sweet; perfect little hostesses and so fun to play with. Isabel can't wait to have them over for a sleepover!

Can you see the anxiety all over Elijah's face, sitting at the top of this (slide?). Made for a cool picture, though...

Isabel is a pro at the monkeybars, one of her favorite playground toys. Check out those arms!

Now we have each seen the other's hometowns, been in each other's homes, and we're still friends (even more than before). So you girls who have been too afraid to meet a blogger-friend, pay attention. You could be missing out on the chance for a great new friendship.

In the words of the ancient wise man Nike, I say "Just do it".

Day of Two Posts: Joe and Edward, my hotties

Thirteen years ago today, we had our first date. It was your 21st birthday. I had just gotten out of a long relationship, and I could not believe that I was actually going out with such a hottie! You picked me up in your little CRX, music pumping, you looking and smelling so good...I knew I was in trouble.


Ten days later, we're back in your CRX and heading up to Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie for a weekend of volleyball, drinking, eating, and camping (and other stuff). Did you know that Rhonda (my sister) and I had an alternative plan if you didn't ask me to go? I was going on that trip, one way or another. But you asked, I said yes, and we had the BEST time!

We were on top of Perry's Monument in Put-in-Bay for this pic. Totally a "Kramer" moment. I loved your long curly hair, and your sense of humor.

A little over a year later, here we were, at the ripe old age of 22, married and hysterically happy. I was already a nurse, you were still in college, we were living with your parents, and life was good. We had so many plans...

By January of 1998, I was three months pregnant with our first baby. We had our own cute little apartment in Sharonville, you had your first management job with Cintas, and we were looking forward to building our first house. I was so happy I could hardly stand it. Do you remember our little trip to the Bahamas ("Pretty lady wanna a braid?").

Fast forward to Elijah's first birthday in our new house, me already pregnant again with our second baby (yes, I did it on purpose...I LOVED being a mommy...Kay and I conspired to get you to comply with our plans, and you did.). By now, you were working at Home Depot and loving it, learning all kinds of handyman skills and using them to finish our basement. You constantly amaze me with your ability to learn and do just about anything. It's a little annoying sometimes...is there anything you can't do?

Happy little family of four...Isabel at one year, Elijah at two-and-a-half. At this point, our life was getting a bit unstable and crazy. House sold, renting your parents' old house, moving to a townhouse, changing jobs (for both of us). We loved those babies like crazy, though, and we were committed to making things work. We persevered. We made it.

August 2004, just after your 30th birthday, our "bonus baby" was born. And although Gabe was a surprise, you took it in stride. You love being a dad (one of the things I love most about you), and you do a great job of it. At this point in your life, you decided to go back to school to be a math teacher. I think you finally found your "niche". You are awesome with teenagers (I hope that extends to our own someday). And I am so proud of you.

Christmas 2007, at your mom's house. One of the things I love most about you is your love for your parents. You are always willing to lend them a hand, and more importantly, you love that your mom is one of my best friends. I love living two minutes from them; I love seeing you spend time with your dad (although I am a little jealous of that...I won't ever be able to do that with mine).

Joe, it has been an amazing, crazy, maddening, but mostly great thirteen years. I'd be willing to bet you had no idea what was in store for you when you came to Harrison and picked me up that night so long ago. If you had, would you have run the other way? Or would you have done it all the same, knowing we would end up here? I love you, honey. Happy Birthday!