Happy Birthday Duchess!

Tomorrow is a big day in our house. Our Duchess is turning 8! She has been planning for weeks, well she and Grammy have been planning. They've been working during Jack's "Study Sessions" with Grammy and Pa. Caroline addressed her own birthday invitations and designed her own party theme. She's going to be a Rock Star.
She's been making progress this past year. She still misses her daddy something terrible, and has moments when she's jealous of other kids with their dads. She's struggled because she doesn't remember Jason healthy. She remembers him after the original diagnosis, and that really wasn't him. Not really.

We went camping this past weekend for her birthday. My kids amaze and puzzle me sometimes. She was really looking forward to it and was so excited, especially during the trip up there. But once we got there she was moody and argumentative with her brother. She had her moments of happiness with the trip, and I think thought it went over well. But I know she missed her daddy, and always will.

So tomorrow, we'll buy her class ice cream for her big day, we'll buy cupcakes and go out to the cemetery and share time with daddy, and then she'll go off to football practice (that's my girl!). Sunday will bring her family party, and I will probably be comfortable enough at school to plan a belated class party.

I can't believe it's been 8 years since she graced us with her presence, and charmed the pants off her dad. In 8 more years she'll be driving, and in 10 she'll be off to college. I'm not going to think about that tonight. I'm going to play a board game with her and enjoy her 8 year oldness.



Happy Birthday Duchess!