A 22nd birthday

We have the pleasure of my future-daughter-in-law visiting this week.  It's an extra-special pleasure because yesterday was her birthday. 

What fun to make Dutch babies for a new family member, to enjoy silliness around the breakfast table in honor of Faith.  Those two brothers in the background will continue to make life exciting for her for years to come.  It's part of the package of marrying Zack!

Happiest of birthdays to you, dear Faith Addie.  So glad you are here to celebrate all week.

"You're Half a Century, Dad!"

In celebration of my favorite man's birthday, we had a quiet afternoon and evening:

Cookies and milk

Birthday tradition:  Dutch babies

Singing and celebration

But the real party was on Sunday.

Thanks to the generosity of friends, we were at the 49er game.  It was an absolute blast.

Frank Gore broke the team record for rushing yards, the team clinched the NFC West, and the 49ers shut out the St. Louis Rams.  

What a perfect birthday celebration.

Happy 5-0!

Twenty

Zack is TWENTY! 

The candles blazed and the family sang off-key, so it is official.

A faithful brother, a hardworking student, a new Verizon employee, a passionate musician, a junior high group leader, a fine man...that is my son.

The cake was delicious (just ask the dog, who ate 3/4 of it!)

We love you, Zack. You are a delight to your family. Blessings to you as you begin this important year of your life.

Twenty-one

Has it really been twenty-one years since this beautiful girl came into the world?  Surely it has only been a day, and yet it has been forever.

I am deeply grateful for my daughter.  From her earliest days she has been a joy, and over the years she has filled our family with stories and laughter and questions and wisdom.  She is great company and a fascinating person.

Monday evening was clear and warm, the perfect time for a birthday celebration on the Fitzpatrick Winery deck.  This vista of Chardonnay grape vines and the extensive Fairplay wine region has been the backdrop for dozens of our birthday, anniversary and ordinary day celebrations over the last twenty-two years.  The tranquility of the summer evening above the vineyard set the scene for our party of four; add to that a bottle of Eire Ban Sauvignon Blanc, and Madelaine was able to lift a glass with us as we celebrated her twenty-first birthday.

Even the setting sun seemed to understand the importance of this day, the celebration that was happening under its layered canopy. Amidst the deep conversation, the kind that crops up around Madelaine so often, we almost missed the beauty behind us. Fortunately, it tapped on my shoulder and caught my attention just in time.

Happy birthday, dear Madelaine. I am so grateful for you!

Rex is Eighteen

Zack and Rex circa 1996

This was just yesterday, but now he is eighteen.

Happy birthday to a great brother...

poetry in motion on the basketball court...

a hardworking scout and dear son...

an exceptional debate club leader, speaker and partner

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, REX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy birthday to the GROUND!

A birthday of a different sort

It is pouring rain today.

It is 37 degrees outside.

And what does the birthday boy want to do to celebrate during lunch break?

Basketball.

Without shirts.

Beasts.

Happy birthday, Bren.

Here's to another year of manly adventures!

Birthday season..last week's celebration first..with a plug for Groupon

Birthday season is upon us, sneaking up on me in the midst of the sadness.  We had made no plans for a very special about-to-be 15-year-old girl, and suddenly the day was around the corner.

Enter the Sunday paper.  Enter the performances listing.  Enter Romeo & Juliet!  An idea was hatched.
 

 

Next up, a friend.  Yep, available.

Next up, tickets.  Enter GROUPON. 

What is Groupon?  From their website:

Groupon negotiates huge discounts—usually 50-90% off—with popular businesses. We send the deals to thousands of subscribers in our free daily email, and we send the businesses a ton of new customers. That's the Groupon magic.

(If you want to join the Groupon fun, see the end of this post.)

My birthday girl and I had already had a fantastic Groupon experience together.  She needed a suit for speech tournaments, and a Groupon offer landed in my email for a $50 gift card to a consignment store in downtown Sacramento.  Cost?  $15.  She got exactly what she wanted for a fraction of the cost.  We love Groupon.

So the morning I was getting on to the computer to buy tickets to Romeo & Juliet there was a Groupon offer for half-off orchestra seats....for the EXACT showing that Claire wanted to attend.  It Was Meant To Be.

It was a very, very, VERY happy birthday.  Two intermissions, gorgeous costumes, beautiful dancing, fantastic sword fighting, question and answer time with the dancers afterwards.  We were waiting outside when two beautiful young women came floating down the stairs after the performance; the birthday girl reported that it was the best birthday party ever.

Love you, Claire Bear. 

May you have many surprises of joy and grace in the coming year, and great deals, too! 

Click here if you would like join Groupon, and that allows me to benefit with a referral fee.  FYI:  You can choose whatever cities you would like as your Groupon cities.  I get daily emails from Sacramento and San Francisco, and I have temporarily added San Diego since I will be visiting that beautiful city for a couple of days in March.  

p.s.  Today's birthday boy's post coming soon.  Hopefully with pictures...I am cameraless at the moment and feel like I am blogging with my creativity tied behind my back.

Added later:  Not sure that the Groupon link is working.  If it is, great.  If not, no worries.  Just join!

Birthday flowers

I am not a fan of texting. At all.

But when I am preparing to watch my son debate...
far away in Irvine...
and it is my mother's birthday...
and I receive a text from both my husband and oldest son asking if Mom likes flowers...
and what colors?

Well, texting at that moment was perfect.

Thanks, guys. The flowers are perfect, too.

And then she turned 84

As many of you know, in June of 2009 my mother was diagnosed with bile duct cancer and given four to six months to live.

This last weekend she turned eighty-four.

Can I say that again? This last weekend she turned EIGHTY-FOUR!

Love you, Mama, and give thanks for each day of life we share together.

Mr. 49

My favorite man in the world has now been alive for forty-nine years!

We celebrated yesterday, since working for a living gets in the way of celebrating on a Monday.
Dutch babies - YUMOLA!

And then we took a trip to our favorite winery with dear friends.  

Good wine, good conversation, great friends.  And the rain waited to really pour until we got home!

  

Happy birthday, sweetheart.

Catching up: Someone turned 19

Last Tuesday was a special day: Zack's 19th birthday.

Tuesdays also mean leaving for school at 6:45 in the morning, three classes and then off to work. L-o-n-g days.

But the day finished well: cake and celebration with The Fam. And a rather dashing outfit, courtesy of a beloved girl.

Happy birthday, Zack. We love you!

And suddenly she is twenty

The days have flown since she became Madelaine and I became "Mama."

Madelaine's special grown ups came to visit on just the right day.


Happy birthday, dear one.

I love you so.