Some birthdays provide gifts for everyone

The kids are growing up so fast and this week I had to just step back again and admire how God has used trials to grow us all.  It was Carmen's birthday, but we all enjoyed the evening together more like a reunion than a dinner or a birthday.

I picked up Carmen up at her dorm on the way home from work and we enjoyed a great birthday dinner even though Adam was at work and not able to join us until later.

Carmen is a private person and not much into her birthday, but she allowed her mother and her sister to shower her with gifts, stories and pictures.  It was a fun night just to sit back and watch them interact.

I was also impressed with Becca's desire to make this a special evening for everyone else.  For many years, it has been a tradition for me to get the camera out and take pictures of the kids as they grow up.  At each birthday, I think the kids have grown up enough that they don't want a rigid picture by a cake, but we do it anyway.

This year was different, Becca already had the camera out and was excited about getting pictures of her sister's birthday.  She took a lot of great pictures and avoided the rigid picture by the cake.

Carmen got a lot of books and devotionals and a coat and some other stuff to keep her warm going to class, but we were all blessed with her presence.