HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY TWO GIRLS!

I would like to thank all of you, my dear friends, for your encouraging comments on my last post. I always cheer DC on in his exploits of adventure. I just wish I felt more apt to join in. But we will definitely have a great time, no matter what.

I'm re-publishing this post I did a year ago to celebrate the birthdays of my daughter, Kristen, and my daughter-in-law, who goes by Sema in blogland. I think it's so amazing that they have the same birth date, four years apart, continents apart. I have many new friends who weren't around last year at this time, so I hope you enjoy it. I could not figure out how to delete last year's comments, so you might find yourself down there, but feel free to comment again - and to go to their sites to wish them a great day - we're leaving them to fend for themselves on their birthdays, much to Kristen's dismay - the second time in 33 years!

We're heading out at 3:30 a.m. for a 6:00 flight to Kona by way of San Francisco. We'll return early Sunday morning, the 16th.

It was Saturday, December 7, 1974. I was pregnant with my first child, and I was tired. We had moved into our first little house on November 1. It had been a lot of work getting everything in order with an extra 25 pounds (that was all we were allowed to gain at that time).

I had finally finished the robe I needed to take to the hospital with me. I had picked up a crewel embroidery picture for the baby's room that had been framed. We went out for ice cream (yes, ice cream in December!). I was too tired to shower that night, so I went to bed and crashed.

You remember how it is with the first baby - you have all the classes, they tell you what to expect, but you still don't really have a clue what that first twinge of true labor is going to feel like. I started being suspicious around midnight, so went out to time the contractions on the couch so I wouldn't bother the daddy-to-be. Around 5:00 I let him know it was really time to go - greasy hair and all. All the way to the hospital, 11 miles north, he kept saying, "Are you sure, are you sure?" No, I wasn't sure! I'd never done this before. But I certainly didn't want to have the baby at home - better safe than sorry! He didn't want to get there and be sent home. About halfway there he said, "I don't know if I can do this or not." Do what, I say? It's too late to back out now! "Watch the delivery," he admits. We'd been through all the classes - he'd suffered through the delivery film. I thought he was ready.

He was by my side through all of the preliminaries. He got very involved watching the mountains and valleys of the contractions on the monitor. The time came to head into the delivery room. The doctor said, "Are you coming, D?" He said, "I sure am!" I was one relieved momma-to-be!

At 2:17 p.m. on Sunday, December 8, the best early Christmas gift possible, Kristen, arrived. She was beautiful and smart from the beginning. We were instantly in love. We took dozens of pictures, of course. It was hard to narrow them down to a "few," but here goes. (I tried to do a fancy slide show, but it just didn't work out).

Age 3 months

17 months

Two Years

Two and Three-Fourths

I made this outfit

First Boyfriend

Kristen as Mary, Matthew as "Jopheph"

Four and Two-Thirds

Fifth Birthday - I "used to" be creative

Christmas Program Sunday - Age 5

Mom and Me Outfits - Age 6

Fast Forward to Grade 8 - The Brace Age

Christmas Eve Fun - Scavenger Hunt for Gifts

Age 16, 10th Grade - the "Too Much Make-Up" Stage

Lounging in the Back Yard on a Summer Day

The day we were celebrating Kristen's 4th birthday . . .

. . . on the other side of the world, our future Daughter-in-Love was being born in Mombasa, Kenya. Who would believe that someday both of our daughters would celebrate their birthdays on the same day. Here are some pictures of her when she was little, though I don't know the ages. Wasn't she adorable?

Age Six

Age Six - Love the Boots!

She grew up to be a beautiful, smart, industrious, loyal young woman. You can read her blog at Twenty Eight Celsius.

Please go and wish each of them a Happy Birthday!

Well, I also wanted to do the ornament parade today, but I will have to do it another day. I couldn't do both, and really wanted to honor the girls on their special day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!