my daughter’s second birthday!

My little baby girl had her second birthday yesterday (December 6th).  My big two year old amazes me everyday and makes my heart grow with each new thing she says or does.  She is my purpose; she is the reason why I persevere through each work day.  I know she will be waiting for me with unconditional love.

My loving wife's birthday is coming up in two weeks.  She's at work now, and we miss her.  Sundays aren't the same without her.  I love her company, her everything, and I love the fact that she sacrifices her Sundays to put in a few extra hours at work to cover for a sick colleague.  It's only temporary, we hope!  

We had a fun family birthday party for the December birthdays at my mother-in-law's house yesterday.  My wife and child, both December babies, received a carload of gifts that have taken over our house.  With the addition of the Christmas tree to the living room, it seems as if there is nowhere to turn in this shoebox home of ours.  We're cramped, but we love it, for now.  For the first time in years, I managed to escape injury when installing the 7.5 foot tall artificial tree in the living room.  I usually end up abraded, punctured, or lacerated by one or more of the unruly branches of the blue-green beast that I unbox and drag up from the basement every December for the holidays.  Injuries tend to be a major player in my holiday celebrations.  I sustained a wonderful gouge on the dorsal surface of my wrist from an uncooperative car seat before packing ourselves up for our Richmond trip.  It's looking better now, mostly closed and scabbed over after ten days of cycling through healing, cracking in the winter air, and healing again, before reopening due to the occupational hazards of writing on whiteboards and correcting papers, and healing again.   It should leave a nice little scar when all is written, frozen, and done.