Happy Birthday Mary Katherine!

I want to wish you a Very Happy and Blessed Day! You deserve nothing but the best!

The past several days I've jotted down notes of things I thought about concerning you and the years we've been a part of each others lives; some long ago and some rather recent. As you'll see, these are in no particular order, but hopefully they'll give you time to reflect on special times, special things about you and also hopefully make you realize just how very special you are in my life and in the lives of so many others.

"You Are Special"

-Your love for Jesus, your Church & CBS
-Your love for family & friends
-You're a wonderful 'mommy' to your precious boys
-Your quick wit
-You are a great personal shopper (sometimes at cost+)
-Your leadership ability
-Your honesty
-Your loyalty
-Your workout ethic
-Your marketing expertise
-Your determination, especially when you see the finish line ahead!
-Your love for black clothing (Yes I know, brown is the new black)
-Your teaching ability (Hey, I can blog, sort of)
-Your determination to help find O. J. innocent (still?)
-You're so pretty:)
-You are sweet to surprise me with tea from Hershel's
-Your persistence ("K K K K K K......" did I EVER answer you on video?)
-(Sorry, that was rude)
-You liking the same music I do (did?); Amy Grant, Chicago, etc.
-LOVING the fact Beth Moore's daughter showed the birthday cakes Beth baked for her on her blog, since some I've made for you looked just as good, unless they were shipped to Waco:(
-Your organizing abilities and help with same when I let this get WAY out of control.
-Your consistency for buying me really special gifts, and having to wear or use them BEFORE wrapping them and giving them to me.
-Your multitasking abilities
-Your ability to gracefully manage college graduation, graduation parties, moving home from BU, your brother's rehearsal dinner and wedding, all of which was done 'with stint' and while in pain caused by a kidney stone.
-You don't fuss 'much' when I don't have tea made
-You cleaning pantry's for me and fussing every minute while daring me to NEVER buy another cake mix EVER!
-You starting my blog for me.
-You loving ambrosia after giving birth to 2 beautiful sons.
-You borrowing jewelry, and if no compliments are given, you kindly give it back. This is something I'm sure you learned from your Mother's Mom!
-You loving the 'new' chocolate cake and comparing it to your Dad's Mom's:)
-Your love for tortilla soup. Is this the reason you wanted me to visit you while away at college, or could it have been a 'time to shop'? Never was sure about this.
-You being taught to keep score while playing tennis: "Love Love" Yep, that is how the game begins!
-You picking on me is alright. One day you'll be old too and probably want a Pee Wee Herman bike just like mine!
-Your Dad's favorite quote while you were in college: He said, "Quit calling so often and just write us a letter." And your answer to him was, "Dad, things are moving way too fast for that."
-While being our Personal FEMA Director in 2005, you called us to say, "I found your Dream Home". Then while ordering necessary bed pillows for our new "Dream Home" you put in quantity 100 (at least). Oh yes she did:)
-You setting certain priorities as FEMA Director by calling American Express 1st to make sure we had this on hand to pay for the 100+ pillows!
-You being introduced to 'one step' fingernail polish remover by my Mom and thinking 'this is BIG TIME'.
-You 'loving' a 1st Class Seat to North Carolina so we could 'vacation' in Hickory, NC. Is that really considered a vacation spot?
-Your first time to drive in Waco....scary!
-You sitting in Trace's booster seat, while driving my car, because it was FULL!

So the blog world won't call 'security' on me for making this too long, I'll try to close this birthday roast of sorts by telling you I cannot imagine life without you being a part of it. Thanks for the memories! I am thankful you are back 'here' and hopeful you feel the same.

I am very thankful your Mom & Mark have moved into their new home, and that you girls are going through things that have been packed away for years. It would be very difficult to express my appreciation for the things you & Christy have found these past several weeks. Photographs and memories I thought we'd never see again.

The photo is of Mary Katherine when her Dad and I were married. She was 5 years old and she seriously thought our wedding was 'her wedding'. Since 1983 this photo had been beside my bed, as it is once again, and I am forever grateful.

Please go here to wish Mary Katherine a Happy Day!

Love,
Kaye
Revelation 21:5
Philemon 1:4

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Hebrews 10:25 NIV
"Your Birthday Verse"