Thank you for the Birthday cards, presents, and prayers. One thing about having a birthday near a holiday is that the celebration stretches out over several days. Since the postal service doesn't deliver mail on Labor Day, I sometimes receive cards a day or two after Monday's holiday. Almost always, Dad doesn't have to go "into work" at his job. This year, Paul Burton and I also had off.
I spent my Birthday at home with my family. That is one of my most favorite things in all of the world. When I was little, I would often ask if the activity (such as meal time) would be done "as a family." It was very important to me that every member of our family joined in, so it was only fitting that this year's birthday was spent "as a family". We worked and laughed together during the afternoon. Then the evening was spent celebrating at Dairy Queen and watching a movie from Netflix.
I'll also remember this September fourth because of the uniqueness of the day's activities. I don't imagine many people would consider pulling staples out of the plywood floor or putting away fine dinnerware as fun ways to celebrate someone's life. However, I had the best day doing just that! Back in early August, Mom and I dreamed of redecorating the dining room by repainting the walls, but we wanted to wait until the weather was cooler and less humid. So, after reading the weather forecast and looking at the family calendar late last week, we decided that this holiday weekend was the perfect time to turn our dreams into reality. What a birthday gift it turned out to be, too!
We changed the walls from a dark blue to a light green, replaced the lighting, installed new flooring that is healthier than carpet, and rearranged the furniture. By late Saturday afternoon, Mom and I were ready to return all of the dishes to their proper place. We finally finished all of our work just in time to have our family meal in that room. This entire weekend-long redecorating process created some interesting Birthday memories, but now I'm looking forward to entertaining guests in the "new" and very clean dining room. May all those who join us around the table sense the Lord's joy and peace. You are certainly welcome to visit!
Before (Thanksgiving 2006):
After (I'll get some better pictures soon):
I spent my Birthday at home with my family. That is one of my most favorite things in all of the world. When I was little, I would often ask if the activity (such as meal time) would be done "as a family." It was very important to me that every member of our family joined in, so it was only fitting that this year's birthday was spent "as a family". We worked and laughed together during the afternoon. Then the evening was spent celebrating at Dairy Queen and watching a movie from Netflix.
I'll also remember this September fourth because of the uniqueness of the day's activities. I don't imagine many people would consider pulling staples out of the plywood floor or putting away fine dinnerware as fun ways to celebrate someone's life. However, I had the best day doing just that! Back in early August, Mom and I dreamed of redecorating the dining room by repainting the walls, but we wanted to wait until the weather was cooler and less humid. So, after reading the weather forecast and looking at the family calendar late last week, we decided that this holiday weekend was the perfect time to turn our dreams into reality. What a birthday gift it turned out to be, too!
We changed the walls from a dark blue to a light green, replaced the lighting, installed new flooring that is healthier than carpet, and rearranged the furniture. By late Saturday afternoon, Mom and I were ready to return all of the dishes to their proper place. We finally finished all of our work just in time to have our family meal in that room. This entire weekend-long redecorating process created some interesting Birthday memories, but now I'm looking forward to entertaining guests in the "new" and very clean dining room. May all those who join us around the table sense the Lord's joy and peace. You are certainly welcome to visit!
Before (Thanksgiving 2006):
After (I'll get some better pictures soon):
