A Birthday Tradition

The morning lingers behind the night sky, but our dining room hustles and bustles with the clinging of dishes and ringing of laughter as if it was an evening meal. More than a decade ago our family initiated a family tradition of early morning birthday breakfasts. It consists of me (Terri) rolling out of bed before the rest of the family in order to prepare a feast to remember. This is the point I am eternally grateful for convenience foods such as premade sausage patties, frozen blueberry pancakes, hash browns and other yummy, convenient breakfast foods. I don’t want to give you the wrong impression, though. Not only do I rely on convenience foods for this tradition, but my ‘roll’ out of bed in the dark is not a ‘pop roll, but it is more like slow, ‘slide roll’ off the bed. The kitchen light and a nice cup of hot tea finish waking me and then quiet as a mouse I cook the breakfast foods of the celebrated family member in the wee morning hours before the sun rises.

The table is set the night before by the girls with beautiful dishes, and the birthday place setting is surrounded with homemade birthday notes consisting of cards with crayon scribbles by the little ones, funny poems, and sweet words written for the special birthday one by the older family members.

Some of the kids are carried to the table by Daddy and given a sip of orange juice and a promise that they will enjoy the breakfast once their sleepy eyes adjust.  This tradition is not necessarily easy, but it is decisively worth it--once fully awake.

Today we celebrated our third born son, Jonathan Grey. Sixteen years have flown by like a cool summer breeze. Grey is simply a pleasant person and he makes others feel comfortable and welcome. “How can I help you?” is often on his lips and “Happy to do it,” is his response. Grey is a blessing to our family and to those who know him. I am so thankful God ‘knit him together’ be our son. We are blessed beyond measure to call him ours.

                                 Happy Birthday, Grey! 

                        We love you! 

Happy Birthday Ethan

I blinked and my oldest son grew up. To think that nineteen years ago today I held him in my arms for the first time is astounding. Nineteen years ago it was as if we had all the time in the world to do all the activities we wanted to do with him, now he is in college in another state and those years are G O N E. This morning on his birthday, I wondered what he thought about his years at home…What his perspective was.

In our conversation, he mentioned how he greatly missed his traditional birthday breakfast this morning, which made my heart smile deep within, because I MISSED DOING IT FOR HIM! Traditionally we start the day out with a BIG CELEBRATION at breakfast for the birthday boy/girl. This involves many different breakfast foods: cereal, waffles, bacon, eggs, biscuits, orange juice, milk and hot chocolate. The rest of the family stays up late and decorates the table to look like a party, and we lay out the cards and gifts on the chair and plate of the birthday family member. Ethan said that he never really appreciated getting up early for that much fun, but now it is the event he missed the most today.

Now that Ethan lives away from home, the house is significantly quieter. Yes, we still have all the other kids, but Ethan was a party on two feet throughout his teen years. He loves people, has ALWAYS LOVED PEOPLE and, he has never met a stranger. In turn, our family has met A LOT of them! We have hosted a string of families in our home that have become dear to us because of his gregarious personality. I can’t count how many times I have heard, “Mom, I met a really great friend and his mom and siblings need a place to stay during the next debate tournament, so I gave them your number!" His dad and I learned that he has good taste in people and we are thankful for all the wonderful friends we have met through him.

Today I especially miss my first born, but I am so thankful for everything God is doing in and through his life. He is a blessing to us and to so many other people.

We love you, Ethan!! Happy 19th Birthday!!

Samuel

Samuel, our eighth blessing turned four today.

I love his predictable side. When I tell him to grab a few story books, I can tell you with my eyes closed what he will be holding. This child can listen to the same Dr. Suess book over and over with iron tenaciousness that never tires of the rhythm or the rhyme while his slave reader falls into a trance reading without seeing and speaking without hearing.

I love his practical side. For instance, one day when when we were in a public bathroom, I was helping him zip his zipper when he said, “Don’t worry, Mom. I don’t need to wash my hands, I can lick my fingers!”

I love his sharp side. Kids have a 50% chance of getting each shoe on the correct foot. ALL my other children put the wrong shoe on the wrong foot 100% of the time when they were four. Samuel however is different. The ONE TIME he had his shoes on the wrong feet, his left handed, dyslexic older sister put his shoes on him. When I said, “Samuel, your shoes are on the wrong feet.” He looked at his sister and said, “I tode you so!”

I love his experimental side… Like the time he ate an entire bottle of Vitamin B6. His bright red complexion gave him away. Vitamin B6 brings a flush to the cheeks, so the whole bottle turned him an alarming shade of red. He resembled the naughty little girl on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the one that ate the experimental chocolate and changed into a giant blueberry, only Samuel’s skin boasted a lovely shade of red.

I love his cool side. He is cooler than most of his short peers. His attention span is that of a disciplined college student and he has an unusual love for reading science books… high school science books. This four-year-old would rather talk about the organs and their functions than read The Three Little Pigs. He is beyond his years with the cool factor. When his oldest brother’s college friends come over, they ALL ask for Samuel. Cool can’t be taught. He was born with it.

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY, SAMUEL!!

Jonathan Grey

“Because he’s nice”

“Because he’s funny”

“Because when he starts a job, you know he is going to finish it.”

“He shoots me in the backyard with his air gun.”

These are some of the

comments made by the little ones at our dinner table when asked to say one reason they think their brother, Grey, is cool. Grey turned fifteen this week. He was an easy pregnancy, delivery, child and now teen. He’s one of those kids that make us look good. :-)

His daddy and I agree with the

above statements, but to take them further we will add:

We think Grey is cool just because he is ours. We enjoy the

fact that he is an awesome big brother to his “Little Dudes.” He takes it upon himself to teach them the male way of doing everything and not in a gross, disgusting sort of way, but rather like a gentleman.

Grey’s company at work and play brightens his daddy’s day.

As his teacher, I enjoy the fact that he is self-motivated and takes the initiative to get his work done.

It blesses me that he takes our trash out about three times a day making humorous comments along the way, rather than complaining about the never-ending task.

I appreciate the fact that he tutors our neighbor in math just because that is the way he is.

He is a blessing to all who know him and we are thankful he is our son!

Happy Birthday Grey! We Love You!

Happy Second Birthday Caden Truth!

I have a kitchen towel that says, "Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." I believe this towel knows what it is talking about, so today I want to list some of the little things I love about my two-year-old birthday boy.

I love the way he..

crinkles his nose when he smiles.

looks snugly cute in his footy pajamas.

eats anything I put in front of him.

grabs my ears to pull my face close for a slobbery kiss.

is ready to giggle at any moment.

speaks German.

runs across the room with outstretched arms saying, "ja, ja" when I ask him if he wants to take a nap with Mommie.

sings loudly with the music even though he doesn't know the words.

hates ring tones that bark.

jumps up and down when I ask him if he wants to go walking.

carries the cat around the house.

says, "Momma" just loud enough to wake me out of a deep sleep because he wants to get in our bed.

runs across the house saying, "D a d d y' s h o m e !" when Daddy gets home.

Something funny...

Caden is sleek and fast. His older three-year-old brother, Samuel, is stocky and lumbering. One day Samuel was carefully walking to the kitchen, steadily holding a plate bearing an iced brownie. Each step was deliberate and his eyes were glued to the brownie as if to will it to stay on the plate. Like a flash of lighting appearing from nowhere, Caden flew into the room, swiped Samuel's brownie off his plate, rounded the corner and shoved the whole thing in his mouth before Samuel knew what hit him. After the wails and tears started flowing, Caden came back around the corner to console his brother with chocolate all over his innocent looking face. Samuel did not think the whole scene was anything to laugh about at the time, but he chuckles now. Caden is faster than lighting, like his dad, and has a nose that can smell chocolate from clear across the house, like his mom. Who can blame him?