Happy, Happy

17 years old today and a senior in high school! What a big boy you are!! Happy Birthday Lars!

My thoughts, exactly, Angela. Hard to believe how time is flying.

I remember 17 years ago returning to grandma's house from the Republican National Convention (where your grandpa worked as a volunteer-hence the ability of us riff-raff getting in), where we heard George I's stirring "thousand points of light" acceptance speech. When we arrived at the door, there was a note announcing your arrival into the world--another sparkiling point of light! All in all, a very eventful night and just one of many memorable moments you have provided me.

Have a happy birthday and a great senior year!

And before my darling Mother-in-law points out the error, I acknowledge "sparkling" is the proper way to spell that word. It's a good thing I proofread the preview, eh?

Happy Birthday, Lars! I hope you have a great senior year, too.

Lars, Happy Birthday! It is hard to believe that you are 17 already!!! I was looking for you at school today to wish you a happy birthday (and deliver Jim's band shoes to him). You are a darling young man. I hope you had fun today and enjoyed your mama's crawfish tortellini.

Thanks everyone. I had a wonderful day, the tortellini was delicious (thank you for asking Aunt Elizabeth), we had delicious ice cream and cake even though the cake was melted and a little messy. Mom lost her mind and could only find one candle (even though it wasn't either of the ones she had just bought). Thanks everyone for everything. I'm glad to be a senior. Class of '06 rocks!

Happy Birthday, big boy. I have a picture of you engraved in my brain when you were just two hours old. You were lying beneath some sort of special light in a little box, on your side, with a halo of wonderful yellow hair. A gorgeous vision, though a diaper would have been a nice touch . . . .

Have a great school year. Yes. The Class of '06 rocks indeed.

Happy Belated Birthday Lars. I thought of you yesterday, that counts doesn't it?!!

I remember the night you were born. As Uncle Scott said, we had been at the Republican National Convention and we knew your mom was in the hospital and I couldn't wait to get home to find out what you were. We got home kind of late and there was a post-it note on the screen door announcing the arrival of a bouncing baby boy!! I was so excited to finally have a nephew here that I would get to play with. You were the first grandchild to be born here in Louisiana. It was very exciting.

Have a great senior year too. Any ideas on colleges?

That was not Grandma that wrote that comment above! It was me. Mama's name must have been saved in the information part of the comments. Woops!

I had to read and re-read that second comment by Mama. I knew it wasn't her, but was confused until "nephew" was written. That was cute.

Didn't I wish you a happy birthday on that day, Lars? No, it was your Mother I told that to on the 18th since she shares that special day - just in a different way; the birth of her role as "mother". So, here's a way-belated Happy birthday wish to you. You are growing so big, sweet, and handsome, Lars. Crawfish tortellini, eh? Mmmm. Julia, Aaron, and Michael enjoyed seeing you at your work the other day.

Your Mother gave us your birth story last week at your Grandma's house. A mother never forgets such moments. And the ones leading up to it, and the ones after it, and then the memories keep coming - year after year, though you wonder how fast 17 got here.

May you have many more.

Lars...i've told you happy birthday time after time! but i thought i'd come back and post it online! even though we fight a lot, and there may be a few flying pillows (among other things), i still love you very much!!! i hope you had a wonderful day and have a great senior year! love you
Amy