Clayton is 30!
How is it possible that my son is 30?! 30 is how many years I was married! The decades of life pass too quickly, don’t they?! I am not sad or nostalgic as I look back, nor do I wish for a flux capacitor-driven DeLorean to whisk me back in time to re-live my darling…
Happy Birthday 36 to my favorite son in law
Dear Connor, Happy 36th Birthday! I wanted to take this special day to tell you how much you are loved by me and appreciated in our family. Watching you over the past few years has been a joy—you are a dedicated husband and a truly wonderful person. I am so grateful for all the love…
Twenty-Seven
My Daughter in Love has a birthday today. When I consider the short years I have known her and the depth of relationship and love in that same short season I am humbled at how much more it will be. This girl is stunning inside and out. She is smart and kind. She loves well.…
Seventy Years Ago
Today I celebrate the person God created with me in mind before the world was even made . Humbly I thank Him for loving me that much when Jim was made. “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever…
Route 66
Sixty-six. I do not feel this old but I guess most people wonder incredulously at the passage of time. Most days I do not feel like I am in the last third (or quarter) of my life but statistics would confirm that reality. Additionally, I believe that the older you are, the more important it…
Thirty Three is Overwhelming
Dear Emily, When I turned 33 you were one week old. Now you are 33 and in one week I will be twice your age! When I was 33 I was overwhelmed at the prospect of being a mom. I am still overwhelmed, but not with worry or anxiety, nor with sleep deprivation or with…
Happy Birthday Mom! #90
Today my mom is 90 years old. 32,850 days. 788,400 hours. 47,304,000 +/- minutes. 1 faithful husband. 4 amazing children + 4 spouses. 10 brilliant grandchildren+ 5 grand-spouses. countless friends. lots of travel. a plethora of pies. many meals. several million stitches sewn. Today is a truly remarkable milestone – Mom’s 90th birthday! It is…
Clayton is 29!
Happy Birthday to you Clayton. We certainly have been through many adventures and changes over the years. I realize that you have now lived longer without your dad than you did with him. That makes me sad! And yet the short window he and I had to steward our kids as parents still informs the…
Connor is 35!
Dear Connor As I sit here reflecting on the years since you both joined our family and formed a new one with Emily, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude to our good God for the wonderful man you are and the joyful privilege it is to call you “son”. Watching you and…
HBD Dianne Brouwer
While many people have left their fingerprints on my life, there are a few people who have actually altered my DNA. Dianne Brouwer, you are one of those people and I am a different person because you have been in my life! From the beginning of our time in Scottsdale, I watched with admiration how…