Birthday Post Catch-Up

I am home from my visit to the Gardners in Rochester, NY. I have very mixed feelings about that fact. Of course I missed my family and my bed and it's always nice to come home. But I really miss the Gardners and they still need so much help and prayers. I loved visiting them. I am going to have to save my visit for another post. Today, I wanted to catch up on the FOUR birthdays that I missed while I was gone!! So, Happy Birthday Gorgeous, PapaBear, BFF, and The Count!!

April 10: Happy Birthday, The Count!

This is my wonderful Dad, The Count. I gave him that name because he's an accountant and used to always dress up for Halloween as The Count from Sesame Street (Complete with purple make-up all over his face!) My Dad gives the best hugs in the whole world. And I am so grateful that he is a worthy Priesthood holder. I am so blessed to have access to Father's Blessings and other Priesthood blessings whenever I need them. The Count is a talented musician - he just retired after 20 years in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir yesterday (more about that later) . He has a beautiful tenor voice and plays the piano. He has always been willing to accompany all of his children for recitals and talent shows. The most wonderful thing about my Dad is how much he loves and adores my Mom. Life is really wonderful for children when they know that their parents love each other and love them. I am so grateful that I have been blessed with that gift. Happy Birthday, The Count!!

April 4: Happy Birthday, BFF!!

BFF and I have been Best Friends Forever since I was three months old. I was born the end of May, and in the fall, my Mom started teaching part-day again. BFF's Mom babysat me and we've been inseparable ever since. She is one year older than me and we are true sisters. We have taken ballet together, played flute in Junior High together, sung in choir together, pretended we were famous authors together, and were roommates in college. We even have Fibromyalgia together. These are some of my favorite pictures from her wedding. She now lives in Washington and we have to rely on our weekly hours-long phone calls to stay in touch. I miss her terribly! BFF is a beautiful woman. She is a very gifted writer - in almost any genre - and we have definitely enjoyed writing together and share a love of books. She has also been the one to find the holistic/energy-medicine treatments that have helped us both so much with our health. She is a tower of strength and I love her dearly. Happy Birthday, BFF!!

March 31: Happy Birthday, PapaBear!

PapaBear is a great Dad to ScienceBoy and SpiderMan. Being a single parent is hard and I am so proud of him! He has had a rough life and has really worked hard to pull his life together and be there for his boys. He is a wonderful father and a great friend. Happy Birthday, PapaBear!!

March 28: Happy Birthday, Gorgeous!

I have the best Grandma in the whole world. She is hilarious and wonderful and just the best. Gorgeous is always there for us. She comes to every recital, every awards ceremony, every party we have. She spoils us rotten. She is a ton of fun to be with. Who could ask for more? My Grandma taught me how to toilet paper by taking us toilet papering her brothers, she taught us how to hang spoons from our noses, and she continually teaches us how to love unconditionally by her example. One of my favorite stories about Gorgeous happened when Tergaso was a little girl. Now, my Grandma likes to swear - her favorite "term of endearment" for us (and her nieces and nephews) is "Little Shit" - and it's hilarious! Well, Tergaso totally called her on it one day. She told Grandma that we're not supposed to swear. And Grandma came back with: "Heavenly Father gave me permission to swear, so it's okay." !! Happy Birthday, Gorgeous!