Happy Birthday, Britney!

Today is my daughter's birthday. She is my oldest child, now 24 years old and no longer a child, but a mother now too. She's my only girl and had to put up with three baby brothers, I'm not sure if it's the brothers' fault or not but she's never been a girly girl. However, we have a girly girl in Adrianna, her daughter, and I plan on telling you more about that at another time.

Britney has a wonderful family, full of love, laughter and so many escapades she should write a book.

I hope she has a wonderful birthday! And I want to thank her once again for making a grandmother out of me.

And I promise that little velcro baby won't stay stuck to her forever and I'm so proud that she tries daily to appreciate the stages her children are at and soak them in. She's a great mother!

I look forward to our Tuesday night dinners while the guys are at work and it's just her and me and the babies. The only thing different tonight is that we'll have to eat cake!

Britney Dawn

Britney is the oldest of all of our children. She's 22 and has given us two grandchildren to date. After she graduated high school she decided to go to Pennsylvania and stay with her dad while she went to college. It was at college that she met Nick and over their spring break she brought him home to meet us. Shortly after their visit I got a phone call from Nick and he asked me for her hand. That was about three years ago.

Britney and Nick decided to get married by a judge on December 23rd, 2008 and they held their breaths hoping Britney would not end up in the hospital on that day. Adrianna cooperated and was 5 days old when we all went to the courthouse. She looks a little bored with it all doesn't she.

Looking out the window was about the only thing I could find to keep Tristan quiet while his mom and dad became wed. I asked him where the dog was and that kept him busy for a while. There was no dog, yeah I'm mean.

My little girl, my baby, all grown up. She is the first of our children to get married. They do plan on doing a ceremony next year.

It's official, they're Mr & Mrs Smith now. :)

Doesn't she look great to have just had a baby 5 days prior?!

The Family, they're all hitched now.

Last of the paperwork.

Today Adrianna is one month old.

Favorite Photo Monday

I was excited when I found out that AOJ wanted to see our favorite photo and hear the story behind it. I would love to say that I spent some time sorting through photos in search of my favorite, but I went with the first photo that jumped into my head. I figured if it was the first one to come into my head it must be my absolute favorite.

So while you might think you are going to be treated a fancy flower or a colorful bird, instead I want to show you my daughter.

When I see this photo I always wonder what my lovely daughter is thinking. It was taken in an elevator of the Sears Tower in March, 2006, while I was still going through chemo, on the last evening before Britney returned to Pennsylvania (where she was living at the time). Shortly before her 20th birthday, she looks so young and innocent, yet weighed down, I can get lost in the photo just thinking about all that was going on our lives then.

I think, that if I had put more thought into taking the photo I might have messed it up. It was one of those moments when you just kinda aim and snap without much thought. Too worried about her catching me snapping to take the time to frame things up. I love her gentle reflection, but if I had taken the time, and noticed that reflection at the time I would tried to get her whole face reflected and possibly lost some of what I love about the photo.

Technical stuff - The photo was taken in March, 2006 when Britney came for a visit (before I had a digital SLR) with a Sony DSC-V1. I set the camera on ‘nightshot’ although there was plenty of light. There’s no tweaking done to the photo itself, SOC (straight out of camera).

So as not to disappoint, here’s my favorite bird shot, actually one of my first decent bird shots after I got my first digital SLR last fall.