His actual birthday had to be a school day, even though traditionally we take a day off. This year, there were too many commitments on the calendar in addition to Jon being away in the evening to co-host a radio show. Still, I wanted to do a little something special on the actual birthday. So after a full day of schooling and lessons and appointments, we grabbed a little treat and headed to the beach to watch the sunset. We arrived just in time...
I try every year to get a picture with my birthday boy, even if I didn't get a chance to wash my hair! He is growing so fast. If it weren't for my heals, there would be less of a difference in our height.
Looking down at the ocean from the top of the cliff where I parked...
Andrew scaling down to the water...
Settling down for a few treats as the sun dipped down past the horizon...
I did not edit these sunset pictures, with the exception of straightening out the tilt on the horizon and bumping up the sharpness slightly. The colors are as I photographed them. Truly, my pictures hardly capture the beauty of our sunsets...
Strangely, after the sun disappeared the sky lit up with more color and brightness. I told Michael God painted this one for him. God doesn't do things randomly: This sunset was for us to see on this very day, and to remind us of God's majesty and lovingkindness.
Olivia commented that whenever the sun sets, it's just rising for someone else...
You just can't go to the beach and not go near the water. At least so think my kids...
It made for some neat pictures of Michael...
Today we were able to take time off school, and Jon was able to spend time with us as a family. For lunch Michael wanted fish and chips at the harbor, then we came home for his birthday cake. The real high light is yet to come; he opted for an experience over a material birthday gift this year. Hopefully I'll be able to take a few pictures when it happens.
Everyone enjoys a day off school, and it allows extra time for doing hair!
This year's dessert of choice was a spice cake with brown sugar frosting.
I thank God for Michael. He is a special part of our family, an instrumental part. He is a strong personality and a natural leader, and I don't believe that God gives those types of traits for nothing. He is uniquely blessed and bears a great responsibility.
He has matured over the past year. I've seen him take on more work responsibility, and he is always eager to do jobs that are not typical for kids his age. He is not shy and never afraid to enter new situations. He enjoys reading and is doing well academically.
He has also developed a style all his own, one that makes me think of a distinguished old man! I can just see him in his later years with his dog and his pipe! Jon says he looks like a coffee shop guy, and Jacob calls him "professor."
He continues to have a real knack for entertaining small children. They gravitate toward him, somehow sensing that this boy will make them happy. I call it his "super power." He serves in our church nursery and keeps things entertaining all the time. When it's time to clean up, he sits in a corner and tell the kids he's a sleeping giant. He says the giant will wake up soon and will be very grumpy if the room is a mess. So all the little kids scurry about with quiet giggles, picking up toys so the giant won't wake up grumpy. Michael snores and occasionally stretches, and within several minutes the room is put back together. With older kids, Michael is typically the guy who is making up and organizing games. Somehow he just understands how to organize and manage people, and they look to him to do it.
He and I had a good, deep conversation tonight. It was a heavier one, and he was open and honest. I am thankful for this, and pray that God would show me ways into his heart and inner person. I pray that his deepest desires would be for God's glory, and that God would use him mightily.
And eleven?! Wow-- It's unbelievable!
~Katherine
Happy Birthday to your very special Michael. It's not just little ones that like him. My kids still talk about that guy with great fondness and admiration...frequently referring to the time he said goodbye to us with "Goodbye and fairwell. I wish you godspeed."
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