Happy Birthday Mimi

Mindy Rose!

You were born 10/12/77

just a few minutes after midnight.

You dad kept urging me to 

HURRY UP AND HAVE THE BABY

so that you could be born on

your Uncle Paul's birthday.

I was NOT good at being

told what to do then.

I'm still not very good at it-shhhh.

We weren't much at picture taking back then.

We had a Polaroid camera~

everyone did and

we were no exception.

It took quick pictures

but they were BAD.

And film was expensive

and we were oh-so-poor

when you were tiny.

Your sister, TPot, thought you

were her own personal pet.

And you were so good-natured

that you let her feed you

whenever she felt like it.

Sometimes she fed you 

Hershey's cocoa right out of the can.

You were her best audience..

Always a step behind her

because you were only

a year younger.

If she sat in the leaves

you sat in the leaves~

You loved your birthday parties

at Happy Joe's Pizza Place

and rode the carousel whether

it was turning or not.

You would stay on

until we pried your fingers

from the horse.

And Oh! How you loved

being a bride.

I lost count of how many Halloweens

that you dressed as a bride.

YOU were ALWAYS a bride

and your brother was ALWAYS

a rabbit.

And, then, one day I turned around

and you were a young woman.

A young woman 

with a passion for singing

and a passion for the Lord.

You made a missions trip to China..

and saw a different side of life..

You came home

older and wiser.

You were beautiful dressed for

 your high school prom

where you wore a dress

that looked a lot like

a bridal gown.

It gave us a hint

of how beautiful you would be

as a real bride someday.

And your hair...Oh! Your hair..

Complete strangers would come up to

you and ask you where you got

your perm..

Your answer was always the same.

~From God~

And, finally, you didn't need to

dress as a bride for Halloween anymore.

No indeedy!

You would dress as a bride 

for your wedding

which was held outdoors.

and your Dad performed

the ceremony.

It was a dream wedding.

And about three years later

along came this little

dream boat.

And when Big BoyE was 2-1/2 

his brother, Charles-In-Charge

 joined him.

And -then this last year you were blessed with

our sweet little

Baby Bright Eyes.

Wish I looked that cute in a

bathing suit!!!

Another blessed year, Mindy.

Happy, Happy Birthday!

I won't be celebrating with you this year,

as you know,

but I will be there in spirit.

Love you to the moon and back!

SEE you soon!;>)