Happy Birthday Brooke!!!

Today, I want to wish a very special birthday to my oldest niece, Brooke.  It's a big one -- the big 18!! 

She's a very busy high school senior, working hard to "finish well."  For several years now, her plan has been to pursue a pre-law degree, and then attend law school.  She's always been extremely smart...never once below a 4.0 average, in her entire life!  Her discipline and desire to do her best (even from a very young age) is second to none. 

Brooke is the oldest of my sister and brother-in-law's five children, so you can imagine what an enormous help she is (and always has been).  Her siblings couldn't ask for a better "big sister" and they know it.  She and my sister have always been extra close. 

In addition, she shares a very special relationship with her Grandparents (my parents)...especially her Grandpa.  Last year, when asked to write about her "hero," she wrote about him. She has a great heart for God and is a definite bright spot in our family! Not only that, she is an absolute blast to be around.  (Family gatherings are always made more fun by her hilarious and crazy antics, not to mention her contagious laugh!)   

Brookie, (have to take advantage as I know I won't be able to call you this much longer...)  We love you dearly and we're so proud of you!!!  Thank you for all the joy and happiness you bring into our lives (and others, too!)  We wish you a very joyous birthday, filled with every blessing you desire!  XOXO

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Only One Mother

Hundreds of stars in the pretty sky,
Hundreds of birds that go singing by,
Hundreds of shells on the shore together,
Hundreds of lambs in the sunny weather.

Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
But only one mother the wide world over.

~George Cooper


I love you Mom!  How I thank God that in all the world, he choose you for mine.  What an amazing gift.  I wish you a wonderful and special birthday!  Can't wait to celebrate with you!  XOXOXO 

Happy Birthday Brennan!

A young man who is very near to my heart is celebrating his birthday today...his first as a married man!  = ) 

Recently, I ran across a very old spiral bound notebook.  I've never been one to journal, but I have been known to scribble random thoughts and notes.  As I picked up the notebook and flipped through its pages, I found the story of Brennan's birth!  From all appearances, I wrote this when he was still quite young as if I was telling him the story.  I thought it would be fun to share it, in honor of his birthday. 

* * *

On a sunny Saturday in May of 1988, a man and his wife discovered they were expecting a baby.  They were so very happy, extremely excited and a little nervous all at once!  For nearly 4 years, it had just been the two of them.  It wasn't long at all before they shared the great news with family and friends, that soon they would be a family of three!

A few weeks later, they got to hear the baby's heart beat for the first time! What a thrill that was!  Soon the woman's tummy began to grow...she felt wonderful!  The couple began reading all about how the baby was growing and changing everyday.  What a miracle!  Then one day, the woman felt the baby kick for the first time!  She couldn't wait for her husband to feel it too, and very soon, he did.  The baby continued to grow and they began to try to choose a name for this special little person. 

Every night, the man would place his head on his wife's tummy and talk to the baby.  After a few months, the woman was able to see it when she had an ultrsound.  The baby was flipping and moving around in every direction and even sucking its thumb!  It was incredible!  She learned it weighed only about 1 pound and was abut 6" long.  She learned the baby was healthy and expected to arrive in late January or early February of 1989.  Oh, and one other thing...she learned that "it" was a "he!" 

She called her husband right away to share the news that they would have a son.  They both spent much of that day in a sort of daydream, thinking of their baby boy. 

They began making preparations and decorating the room that was soon to be occupied by this little guy.  They choose periwinkle blue carpet and painted walls of warm beige.  They found a charming border with lambs, horses and lions in beige, blue and pink, which the man put up with the help of his brother-in-law.  One set of Grandparents bought a lovely crib, the other Grandparents bought a matching changing table.  The man surprised his wife with a beautiful rocking chair.  She couldn't wait to rock her sweet baby boy. There were baby showers and many special gifts in anticipation of his arrival.    

At last, one evening the woman was admitted to the hospital. She was given medication they hoped would coax the baby to come.  She got settled into her hospital room, and the waiting began.  She and her husband played Uno to pass the time.  They called both sets of Grandparents and sometime later, they drifted off to sleep.  About 3:30 in the morning, the woman awoke to find her water had broken!  It was finally time!  (or so they thought...)  The hours that followed suggested the baby was quite comfy where he was and really didn't want to leave.  After many hours (27 to be exact), the doctor decided it was time to help the baby make it's arrival.  At long last...he did!  At 6:19 am on Friday, January 27th, 1989. 

He was born with quite a lot of auburn hair and round little cheeks and dimples on his hands.  He weighed a whopping 9 pounds, 3 ounces and was 20 inches long.  Lots of people said he looked like his maternal Grandpa.  As you might guess, to the man and woman, he was the most precious baby they had ever seen. 

After a couple of days in the hospital and many visitors...the couple took the baby home to begin their new life together as a family...our family...and that sweet and precious baby?  He was Brennan Thomas Klensch.  A good natured, loving, happy baby (not to mention beautiful!)  Everyone said he looked just like the Gerber baby.  He was (and still is) definitely a "cuddler" which only made him more lovable.  He was even known to put his head on the shoulder of people holding him for the first time, and they would always just melt.  Those huge blue eyes and the sweetest of smiles never failed to light up any room.  The joy he brought (and continues to bring) to his Daddy and Mommy is something beyond anything they could have ever imagined.  There was never a doubt God had blessed them greatly with this extraordinary gift. 

Bren, even though your baby days have long since passed, you continue to bring great joy to Dad and I. Being your parents remains the greatest privilege God has ever given to us.  We can truly never thank Him enough. We are so very proud of you and the way you serve and honor God with your life.  We wish you a wonderful day of celebration! (No doubt Breezy is making it a very special one.)  We love & miss you so much!   

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. ~3 John 1:4

Happy Birthday Blake!

Today a very special young man in my family is turning 16!  Meet my nephew, Blake.  He's a caring, talented, funny, humble, and most importantly... Godly guy.  To know him truly is to love him.  He lives his faith boldly, yet humbly...whether on the football field, in the halls of his school or with family and friends. He is well-respected by adults and peers alike, and adored by his family.   

Blakers, hope your day is tremendous and special in every way!!!  We love you and we're so very proud of the person you are.  We're looking forward to celebrating with you this weekend! 

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. ~1 Timothy 4:12

52 years ago today...

…that sweet hubby of mine was born. What an amazing gift and blessing! I’m privileged to have shared this day with him for 26 of those years (exactly half his life so far!)

One of many things I’ve learned in all that time is how much he dislikes being the center of attention for occasions such as this. He gets great joy in celebrating others, but when it comes to his special day, nothing makes him happier than a quiet, low-key celebration at home. In keeping with his wishes, I will see that he is showered (in an understated ways, of course) with much love and many blessings all throughout the day. It’s a joy and privilege that I eagerly anticipate each year. = )


To my dear husband and most cherished friend,

How I love you, Sweetheart! I thank God for the gift of your life and the immeasurable joy it brings to me. I pray your day is filled to overflowing with love and the sweetest of blessings.

XOXOXOXO,
me

Millie's Surprise Birthday Celebration

Good morning! Hope this Tuesday finds you well. Just wanted to share a photo of our most recent birthday girl. Sunday, my Mother-in-law, Millie celebrated her 89th birthday! Is she not just adorable? Tom's sister, Nancy planned a wonderful surprise dinner at her favorite restaurant. It was a rather small group…Tom’s parents, their children and spouses and two of their very close friends - 10 of us in all. She was definitely surprised and relished every moment as the guest of honor (as you can see by her crown). She looked lovely (as always), and in my humble opinion, nowhere near her age. = )

How we love this spirited little lady and we thank God for the blessing of another year.

Happy Birthday Marcia!

Today is my precious sister, Marcia’s birthday (pronounced "Mar-see-uh" not "Marsha"). She is, next to Tom, my dearest friend. I just have to tell you a little about her. She is a servant through and through, constantly doing special and thoughtful things for others. (It’s little wonder she has so many friends!) She’s is a wonderful wife and great Mom to 5 (yes, 5) awesome kids, ranging in age from 7-16 (including a set of twins!). She is hilariously funny and I have to say, most of my memories of laughing to the point of tears include her. She can tell a story like no other (and with 5 kids, you can bet she’s got many!) She’s just one of those people you love to be around. Her life is a beautiful reflection of her love for the Lord.

She’s a hairdresser by occupation, but she’s also an enormously talented decorator. (I keep encouraging her to pursue that -- it would be her dream job.) She’s redone the kids' rooms several times over the years and has done some amazingly creative things! My favorite was a covered wagon bed she made for her son, Josh. It was incredible!! She has a nose for finding not only amazing things, but she excels at finding them at great prices, too.

I’m so glad we live close to one another, even though our schedules don’t allow us to get together nearly as often as we’d like. My Mom and I took her to lunch last Friday to celebrate and like always, we had a great time! She’s an incredible blessing in my life.

I love you, Marce and thank God for making you my sister! May your day be filled with lots of love and sweet blessings!

Happy Birthday Momma!

Today is my sweet Momma's birthday! As I've shared before, she's truly one of the kindest souls that ever lived, she's talented in so many ways and has a fun personality to match. I love this picture because it captures that cute little spark in her eyes.

Because my surgery fell so close to her birthday, my sister and I celebrated with her early. We took her to a wonderful local Chinese restaurant and then spent the rest of the afternoon shopping for fabric at JoAnn's. (If you know my Momma, that's about as close to heaven as it gets!) = ) She's always got lots of ideas and typically several projects going on at once. My sister and I had so much fun helping to pick out fabric for something special she is making for a certain couple getting married later this year...(wink, wink!) At the restaurant, they made a huge fuss over her, singing and bringing her a special dessert. Such a fun memory. She was blushing, but she enjoyed it so much. I love you, Momma! May your day be filled with all things special! = )

Happy Birthday Brennan!

20 years ago today, at 6:19 a.m., our lives were forever changed by you, our precious boy.

Late that first night after everyone left the hospital, I remember holding you -- staring at your sweet face, studying your little hands, hardly believing you really belonged to us. I couldn’t help but wonder then what you would be like as you grew. Had we only known the blessings and unimaginable joy that awaited us. God gave us an indescribable privilege when he made us your Mom & Dad. We can never thank Him enough.

We are so very proud of you and we love you beyond words. Wishing we could be with you on this your special day...

Birthday Giveaway!

Greetings! I'm celebrating my birthday today (the big 43) and you know what that means? It's time for a giveaway!!! Since so many of you have blessed my life in so many sweet ways in the last year, it seems only fitting to share the celebration with you!

I don't way to say too much, because I'd rather make it a surprise. Remember those long lines in Family Christian Store I spoke about yesterday? That's a clue.

Leave a comment anytime between now and Thursday night at 6:00 pm (Eastern). I'll announce the winner Thursday night or Friday morning.

Love & hugs,

Tracy

Happy Birthday to my Sweetie!

He is
…a follower of Christ
...a devoted husband
...a loving father
…an awesome encourager
…extremely talented
...dashingly handsome
…very quick-witted

...loved by many

He loves
…God
…his family
...being at home
…all things Christmas
…the harvest season
…Disney World
…cool, cloudy days
...snowy days
…beaches with palm trees
…taking care of our lawn
...Hawaiian shirts
…movies
…50's & 60's music
…dogs

He has
…a servant's heart
…a warm smile
…a thousand faces
...a contagious laugh
…smiling eyes
…a handsome chin dimple
…an incredible voice
...a tender heart
…the gift of evangelism
…a son who adores him
…my love for all time

Happy Birthday to my Baby Sister

I can still remember the day in 1971 when I met my “baby sister” for the first time. At 5 years old, I was already a big sister to my 3 year old brother, but I knew this was different. This was another girl – my sister. I fell in love with her instantly and even had the privilege of helping to name her “Marcia Lynn” (pronounced “Mar-see-uh,” not “Marsha”).

I have many memories of her as a baby, and then (as if she aged overnight), my next and most vivid memories are when she was 4 and I was 9, when we began sharing a room. One of our favorite things was to get up in the middle of the night when everyone else was asleep. Some nights, we would very quietly tip-toe into the kitchen for a snack. Other nights, we’d just stay in our room and color or play with our dolls. Eventually, we'd get tired, climb into bed and go back to sleep. We giggled and called it "our secret!" That went on for several years and we never once got caught! = )

As time went on, she grew into quite a fun girl. An interesting mix of tom-boy, gymnast, drama queen and “mother hen” to many of the kids in our neighborhood, she was also often my shadow. This wasn’t a problem until middle school, when I became the drama queen and begged my Mom, “Could you please make her stop following me!?” I had my own room by now and desperately wanted my own space away from her! For the next few years, we seemed to drive each other crazy.

Somewhere around my senior year of high school, that started to change. By this time, she was in middle school, which meant we were both part of the same youth group. Suddenly our interests didn’t seem quite so far apart anymore. We started sharing clothes; doing each other’s hair and makeup, listening to music together and before too long, we were inseparable. I remained at home for one more year after my graduation and watched as she began to transform into a lovely, talented, spirited, funny and very popular young lady. I distinctly remember the hardest part of leaving home was being away from her.

All these years and many life experiences later, we’re still very close. I can’t imagine my life without her. She’s a wonderful wife, a terrific mom to 5 great and Godly kids, a ton of fun, and undoubtedly the best sister I could ever ask for. I celebrate and honor her today!