Happy Birthday To You! (cha cha cha)

James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights...(NIV)

Sweet Marissa turned nine today! Where does the time go? Seems like just yesterday I was thinking about having a Y2K baby. We did it the old fashioned way (well, that too I guess) but we did not know whether our first child was going to be a boy or a girl. We sort of had our minds set that she was a boy for some reason. You should have heard the Captain shout IT'S A GIRL! IT'S A GIRL! IT'S A GIRL! She had a mop (still does) of curly strawberry blond hair. Everytime she came back from the nursery, the nurses had it styled a little differently. Sometimes with a bow, but always a curl in the middle of her forehead...

It has become a tradition in our family to have birthday breakfast. Usually buttermilk pancakes are requested and usually these are served in bed. Marissa was up too early today though and decided to eat her pancakes in the recliner while watching cartoons. Momma and the weird Dutch gene succumbed.

Tomorrow we are heading up to Lake Okoboji to go tubing with a couple of her good friends. Definitely the plus side to having a summer birthday. Here's crossing my fingers for a nice hot day out on the boat.

I don't know what I did to deserve her. She so often makes me laugh with a little comment or joke she makes. If my scanner were working I would show you that I don't hardly have a picture of her growing up where she isn't smiling back at me. She adds the cha-cha-cha to our lives in so many ways. We love you Sweetie! Happy 9th!