Let Him Eat Cake!

My little guy turned one year old on January 4th!! Can you believe it?! I can't!! He's getting to be so big and so capable. He's walking and "talking" and has a sweet, silly, happy personality. He's amazing. . . if I do say so myself!! It was great fun to celebrate his first birthday. We went to my parents' house on Friday for a party. My sister and her family were still there from the holidays, so it was a perfect time to do some partying! And, let me tell you, Oliver loves chocolate cake! He ate a ton of it. Even sucked the icing off of his fingers. It was hilarious. So much fun to watch him dig in and chow down!!

We've had a fun few days of reminiscing about his birth and what a beautiful miracle his is. I couldn't be happier, more proud, or more blessed! Happy Birthday, Buddy!!!

A Tribute . . .

No more Aloha! My parents are on their way back home today from their dream vacation in Hawaii. From the sounds of it, they had an unbelievable trip. I am so eager to see their pictures and hear their stories (I plan to live vicariously through them!). You see, it would be exciting enough if they had just planned this dream vacation themselves, saved up, and went for a week to the beautiful Aloha state. But, their story is more amazing than that . . . this trip was given to them as a gift of appreciation from their church family! What a family, huh?! My dad has served as the preacher in Garden City, KS for 20 years now. And, as a way to show their love and appreciation for him and my mom, they planned this once-in-a-lifetime vacation for them. They started a year ago, planning and raising money. They had secret meetings so my parents would have no clue what was going on. They asked my sister and me to help find out where they'd love to vacation. They planned a huge party, complete with an appropriate "luau theme." One of the reasons we went to Kansas for vacation this year was to attend the party for my parents. I am so thankful we were able to see them honored and to watch them cry with joy as they received such a generous, jaw-dropping, amazing, loving gift. It was touching. The church in Garden City is a rare church. I am thankful for them and to them for loving my parents so deeply. What a beautiful partnership. What a beautiful expression of appreciation. Thank you, Garden City Church! Welcome home, Dad and Mom!