Tag Archives: birthday

Happy Birthday Courtney

Posted on by
Reply

Happy birthday Courtney, I hope to one day be able to find the right words to express how much you mean to me.  Until that time I hope you know that having you as my daughter is a gift I cherish. I thank God for how He created you. Below are a few descriptive words that came to mind.

C – You are creative as you have so many talents.  You write music, sing, play various musical instruments (piano, violin, guitar) by ear, paint, write, etc.  It’s a joy to hear you sing and play the piano when you are home. You’ve recently created a blog to bring other creative minds together and showcase your works at Paint & Parcel One can also she your creatively at Confessions of an X Introvert.

O – As a child you were always obedient being quick to obey and cheerful to follow directions of those over you.  I’m sure this is why your employers value you. I’d also say you are an original one of a kind making you interesting and fun.

U – You have the special gift of truly understanding people as you listen and hear beyond mere words. As Albert Einstein said, “any fool can know.  The point is to understand.” You understand people and are also unbiased.

R – Finishing school two years earlier than your peers, moving to CA at 20, serving on staff for a campus ministry, etc… would qualify you as being responsible.

T – You learn from your mistakes as well as those of others ;-) making you not only smart but teachable.  ”give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” If you want to know something you will teach yourself or find someone to help.

N – You have a sensitive and caring demeanor allowing you to perceive the needs of others quickly making you a nurturer.  It’s no surprise why pouring love and life into others comes naturally for you.

E – You are such an encourager as you inspire, give hope, and confidence to those who know you. I feel you have grown as an encourager because you have had to endure many hardships in your own life giving you that sensitivity to cheer others on.

Y – You yearn to love Jesus and people better. You yearn for more wisdom, understanding, knowledge, etc.

You are a beautiful person not just outside, but inside too… it means a lot to me that you are my daughter and I will love you forever. A daughter like you is one of the greatest gifts in the world.

 

_MG_8225

If the eyes are the window to the soul, this girl is warm hearted, trust worthy, deep, wise, and full of love. Blessed are those who know her.

A picture is worth a thousand words. I wonder what she is think?

A recent photo of her taken by her suster during Christmas.  

Flew to San Francisco with dad on business to celebrate Courtney's 10th birthday. Her birthday dinner choice, prime rib at the Stinky Rose.

Flew to San Francisco with dad on business to celebrate Courtney’s 10th birthday. Her birthday dinner choice, prime rib at the Stinking Rose garlic restaurant.

You celebrated your 5th birthday in Oceanside, CA with the neighborhood crew at a McDonalds. Such a happy girl.

Celebrating her 5th birthday in Oceanside, CA with the neighborhood crew at a McDonalds. Such a happy girl. Your 5th, 6th and 7th birthday were all in CA.

Courtney age 4 before her ballet recital. She loved being all dressed up.

Courtney age 4 before her ballet recital. She loved being all dressed up in pink.

She was born during an ice & snow storm in Fairfax, VA. She was 5 weeks early, weighing 5lbs 5oz, at 10:23am

Born during an ice & snow storm in Fairfax, VA, She was 5 weeks early, weighing 5lbs 5oz, at 10:23am

 

 

Happy 24th Birthday Caryn

Posted on by
2

Today I thank God for my precious, beautiful daughter Caryn, who is now twenty-four.

Where was I when I turned 24? Spiritually your dad and I had just accepted Christ four month prior to me turning 24.  Your dad and I would have been celebrating two years of marriage and I had no desire to have children yet as God had a lot of cleaning up to do in my life ;-) We were living in an apartment in Arlington, VA off Columbia Pike Rd and in the process of buying our first home in Clifton, VA. Dad was working at Trident and I was employed at TRW.

This is you just a few hours old. There is nothing like meeting and holding your child for the first time especially your first child.

This is you at your first birthday party. When it came time to blow out your candle you grabbed a handful of cake. Your look says, “I didn’t do it.”

You are 4 and smiling big back then

Still 4 but a month later. Remember why you have such short hair? You decided during nap time to cut your hair, clothes in the closet, the curtains and bedding. This happened the day before Mother’s Day.

You and your sweet friends celebrating your birthday this weekend. As a mom I am so thankful Caryn has a community that loves her well and I am so happy they threw her a surprise birthday celebration as she is such a giver.

My tall and beautiful daughter.

The artistic side of Caryn the photographer. Not only does she love to smile but she enjoys making others smile :-)

Caryn. the red head? Why not, both grandmothers have red hair. Yes, she pulls it off with confidence and beauty.

 

Caryn, may you alway have…

Love in your life and be known as one who loves others well. Thanks for teaching me what love looks like. 1Corinthians 13

Peace that comes from within for your life belongs to Him.  Isaiah 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.  

Faith to encourage and inspire you; to comfort and heal your hurts. Faith to follow Him, where He leads you with complete trust and obedience. Colossians 1:23 continue in your faith, be established and firm, not moved from your hope in the gospel.

Laughter to bring you happiness and joy.

Beauty to fill your eyes with all that He has created and that you see through the “lens” of your camera.

Confidence to do all the things that you desire.

Perseverance to follow your calling in life keeping your eyes on Jesus. 2 Thessalonians 3:5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.

Friendships that are lasting and true. May you have friends that build you up and make you a better you.

Memories that you can reflect on and smile about. Memories that warm your heart and bring you comfort.  Memories of being our daughter and times we have shared together.  Memories of God’s goodness and abundant blessings in your life, knowing you have been cherished and loved by many especially your dad and I.  We are so proud of you. Wishing your 24th year to be full of love and joy.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy 21st Birthday Courtney

Posted on by
1

Birthdays are a BIG event in our home :-)  I love to celebrate life and today we celebrated the life of Courtney who turned 21, she is gift to our family.  So how do we celebrate birthdays? We have we several traditions.  Some of our birthday traditions include the “birthday person” getting to pick what they want for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and eating on the “You Are Special” red plate.  As our girls have grown they can also pick a favorite restaurant.  We play the Birthday Song by the Beatles and dance together.  Lastly, to honor the person we share what we appreciate about them as the spoken word breathes life.  

What family traditions does your family have? These are the glue that shape your family by creating a sense of unity, warmth and closeness. Traditions create memories that fill your mind with belonging, peace, love, joy, and security. 

It’s hard to believe 21 years have already gone by so Courtney in honor of your special day I want to share twenty-one things I appreciate about you. 

0) You believe in others and encourage them.  You challenged me to blog more often and said, “everyone has something to share.” So here I go :-)

1) You are wise 

2) Your love for Jesus SHINES brightly because you put Him first

3) You love your family & friends well, thus you are loyal

4) You have a way about you that makes everyone feel that they are really important

5) You are a gifted listener

6) You don’t take sides, and know there are two sides to every situation. As Cayley said, “she listens and then will respond so what do you think you should do?” “Do I need to hear this or should you go to the person?”

7) You are a peacemaker

8) Wow! you are so creative musically and artistically 

9) You are enthusiastic 

10) You are passionate 

11) You know who you are spiritually and operate in that truth

12) You are a learner thankfully as you are reading about a book weekly

13) You are a gifted writer

14) You are adventurous and go where God is leading you even when it might not make sense to others

15) You are a Jesus follower not a people pleaser

16) You go deep with a few verses trying to be everything to everyone

17) You understand there are seasons in life

18) You are a giver of life by speaking life into people, even people you don’t know.  I still remember the first time I was with you and you went up to someone you didn’t know to tell them how precious they were to God.  It brought tears to my eyes.

19) You are not afraid to share Gods love with others and live to see His name proclaimed

20) You are beautiful inside and out.  Your smile is so welcoming and breaks down barriers others may have.

21) You are my daughter and I am so proud of all you have become and how you continue to grow more beautiful with each passing year. I Love you and will miss you as you head back to California tomorrow.

Happy 21st birthday, on your actual day with just a few minutes to spare ;-)