Say Something

Ludger's Bavarian chocolate cake for my 32nd and 34th birthdays, courtesy of the Wilsons! =)  

(We all agreed that this year's was much better decorated. lol)

My lovely bday gift from baby Tate! lol

Tiffany and I grabbed some Hideaway Pizza then joined the Wilsons for dinner at the Farmhouse on Friday. We got to see their updated nursery room, and I got to hold Mr. Tate again!  Tiffany and I went to see Black Panther afterward, so the bottom left pic is us in our 3D glasses. =)

Mmmmmiss K!!  What a presh.

Birthday dinner this year was Mom's spaghetti, garlic bread, chocolate cake, cookiecake, and ice cream!  I took a cue from the Miss K and had a low-key night at home with the fam and Charlene, including dinner, dessert, the Olympics, and funny movies! =)  Kyndal Faith requested to sit by me at dinner ❤, then T-man and I had a memorable chat about Great Wolf Lodge (they've been a few times and are excited to go again soon):

Me: "Yeah, I'll have to go there sometime - it sounds like a lot of fun!"

T: "Oh, yeah!  It's fun for all ages, so if you find someone you fall in love with, just make him take you there! ...If you got married -- (me cringing and wondering where this was going) -- where would you wanna go on your honeymoon??"

Me: "Oh, I don't know, maybe Hawaii! What do you think?"

T:  "No way! Great Wolf Lodge!!"

Me: "Hmm, I'll keep that in mind!"

(Pics = Me with J&K, Charlene watching the Average Andy Cirque du Soleil skit with the kids, Jaceman rollerskating with Kyndal's Princess Poppy helmet, Josh holding Miss K and the metal Pistol Pete because she has to keep her friend with her - lol, happy cookiecake with lots of chocolate, K-Faith wearing her awesome baseball glove, and Kyndal showing off that she wrote her name in pink sidewalk chalk! ❤)

Today was the balloon release for Anthony's 6th Birthday! ❤

Here are a few pictures from that...

Nancy also brought a couple for their cousin, Kay, who died last year.

Today also marks 10 years since Daniel Minnich (and Grandad Doc) died.  I vividly remember that day in 2008, and the way it changed my ideas about God and prayer and healing and eventually redefined and strengthened my faith.

My awareness to the pain of others is heightened for obvious reasons, and this "say something" quote came to mind:
"If you've been marked by what might have been, you don't forget.  You know the day, the years.  You know when the baby would have been born.  You know exactly what anniversary you'd be celebrating... It makes the calendar feel like a minefield, like you're constantly tiptoeing over explosions of grief until one day you hit one, shattered by what might have been.  On most days, for me, it's all right.  But for today, for a minute, it's not all right.. I can tell you to this day what people said and, much more hurtfully, who said nothing at all...  When you're mourning, when something terrible has happened, it's on your mind and right at the top of your heart all the time.  It's genuinely shocking to you that the sun is still shining and that people are still chattering away on Good Morning America... When you're in that place, it's a gift to be asked how you're doing...So when there's bad news or scary news or something falls apart, say something.  Send a note.  Send a text.  Send flowers.  And if you don't know what to say, try this: 'I heard what happened, and I don't know what to say.'" ❤
~Shauna Niequist, Bittersweet

This is a three-day weekend, thanks to President's Day, so tomorrow will conclude my birthday festivities for 2018.  I hope you have a lovely weekend, and that you feel God's love and hope surrounding you today!