Happy 1st birthday!

Can you guess what I've been doing to start celebrating my big 1st birthday?!? Boy, do I have stories to tell!

What will this year bring?

Just added another year to my belt... and I said the following to my husband:
When I was 30, I got engaged.
When I was 31, I got married.
When I was 32, I got pregnant.
When I was 33, I had a baby.
What will this year bring?
Hmmm... something fabulous, wonderful, exciting, I'm sure! I'm so thankful and blessed beyond belief. And spoiled by my super husband. I had a fantastic birthday weekend. All because of him. Thanks, Timmy. I love you and can't wait to see what this next year of my life will mean...for us. Thanks for sharing the journey with me. Mua!

Surprise! We pulled it off ;)

Last Sunday, we had a surprise 40th birthday party for Tim. It was labeled as a "Father's Day get-together," and he had no idea what was waiting for him when we arrived at his parent's house. The party was also 11 days after his birthday, and we had already celebrated the big day, so Tim was totally unsuspecting. When we pulled into the driveway, Tim saw all the people and the decorations, and he just kept saying "oh my, oh my, oh my word..." and then he asked "did you know about this!?" Ha!!!
It turned out to be a great party - lots of wonderful family and friends, good food (and I'm so, so, so thankful for all the good eatins that everyone brought to share), fabulous music by the Old Time Liberation Front, games and trampoline-jumping for the kids, sunshine, and the beloved birthday boy! Tim had a terrific time and was blessed by all that were there... not to mention surprised! Hooray!
I could never have pulled it off without the help of so many, especially Tim's parents and his sister, Jill (decorator extraordinaire), my parents, and Marvin (thanks again for the Costco run!), Doug & Lydia, and many others, I'm sure. Thank you, merci, gracias, danke, tusen takk!
Check out the slide show of all the fun!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

When we first got married, Tim casually mentioned that it would be nice to reach the milestone of having our first child before he turned 40. We all know that God's timing is perfect, and He was totally in control of planning the conception, pregnancy, and birth date of our beautiful baby boy. But I believe he's a pretty groovy God, having allowed us to birth our first son just 17 days before Tim's 40th birthday - right on time!

So this year, Tim got the best birthday gift ever - a little early - but right on time! Sebastian has filled our lives with tremendous joy. As I watch Tim father him, love him, swaddle him, talk to him, read to him, care for him, change his messy diapers, calm him, hold him, kiss him... I grow more in love with the man I married each second of each new day. Tim has had a heart for caring for the fatherless for many years - a gift that God placed upon his heart and equipped him for...just one of the many reasons I fell in love with him from the start. And now, he also has the opportunity to care for his own son, which is a holy and beautiful thing to witness.

Today we celebrate Daddy Tim's big day and we celebrate Tim! We love you and give thanks for you! Now come home soon, so we can get some partying done! :)

P.S. We got started with the partying a little early last night at Tim's parent's house, where we enjoyed great family time, a delicious meal (many thanks to Sylvia, Jill & Harold), and lots of fun - even with sparklers!

Celebrating Grandma!

Today would have been my grandparent's 72nd anniversary! and tomorrow is my grandmother's 95th birthday!!! Amazing to think of being on this earth for all these years. I had the opportunity to see Grandma today, bring her a card and flowers, and get her two glasses of her favorite - Country Time Lemonade - in the cafe. She downed that lemonade like it was her job! She didn't say much today, but made it very clear that she wanted some lemonade. I got her to almost smile to take some pictures with me today, which was a treat. Happy birthday, Grandma! We love you!

Happy Birthday Tim!

Today I celebrate Timothy Dean Martin - my husband! What a wonderful man God has blessed me with! Tim showers me with love, caring and service.

• He's a man of God, who has a servant's heart.
• He is faithful and incredibly dedicated to the people he loves and the things he holds dear.
• He puts others first, even when he's fatigued or suffering.
• He listens - really listens.
• He loves children, and they love him.
• He is patient and kind.
• He knocks down walls and puts new ones up again.
• He doesn't take any medicine (that's good and bad for a doctor's husband :))
• He prays the most sincere and earnest prayers; he prays for the people of the world and the people we encounter in our daily walks.
• He asks for cleaning supplies for his birthday - warms my heart.
• He walks to church and car pools to work.
• He has taught me the beauty of composting.
• He refinishes hardwood floors and he redesigns closets.
• He has a heart for missions and cultures of the world.
• He supports my jewelry business and always lends a helping hand.
• He loves ginger brew!
• He sometimes starts laughing uncontrollably when he's lying in bed and overly exhausted - the smallest thing (that may not seem so funny under less tired circumstances) sets him off.
• He reads reviews about most things before purchasing them.
• He uses spreadsheets.
• He introduced me to g-mail!
• He's expanded my family and my circle of friends.
• He is my life long partner and my best friend. I love sharing life with him. I love you, Timothy!

Happy birthday, my love.