The fall colors are at their peak in central Minnesota—a bittersweet event, to be certain, because we know what’s lurking just around the bend. Our parish priest refers to winter in Minnesota as that time of year when Mother Nature tries to kill us.
It’s true. And still we stay here.
Yesterday, though, was warm to the point of being hot—and as such I was able to shoo Angela out the door and get her presents wrapped. (We were celebrating her birthday in the evening, you see.) There was one tense moment when she came charging up the deck steps to tell me something and—I’m sorry to admit this—I locked her out.
Yes, she had a mini-meltdown. We all survived.
Eventually the presents got wrapped and the cake got made and I even got outside to take some photos. It is not easy to shoo the momma outside when she has company coming that evening. We are tempted—ever tempted—to give the toilet bowl preference over the fresh, fall air. It’s wrong; it’s tragic; and still we do it.
Not so, yesterday. I managed somehow to fit it all in and even lived to blog about it.
(But did I ever clean the toilet? I’ll never tell.)
Here are some photos from our day…
…which included a surprise visit from a beloved babysitter home from college,
…and the thrill of lighting one’s own candles. Angela did great, and only dropped the match once. (I’m serious. It made a delightful little bonfire in the middle of the Bundt cake.)
I’m pretty sure she liked her presents…
…but even more, she liked her party guests.
A really good birthday includes the godparents, and having Tio Angel and Tia Tanya over for cake made all the difference in this little girl’s day.
I’ll close with a conversation that is as much a snapshot of our Angela as all the others. It took place after Mass yesterday.
“Mommy, are my godparents coming today?”
“Yes, honey, your godparents are coming today.”
“Daddy said they’re coming tonight!”
“Oh, well, yes. Daddy’s right. They’re not coming until tonight.”
Angela sighed—a mighty sigh, an impatient sigh.
“I love people,” she said.
Happy 4th Birthday to our baby with much love. It wasn’t my choice to let you grow up quite so fast…but every day’s a bigger blessing.
All for the Greater Glory of God,
What beautiful pictures!!! I am glad she had a great day! I love the change of seasons that we get up here!!!
Happy birthday to your sweet, people-loving sweetie!
Happy birthday to Angela!!!
Yes, I think my favorite month in MN is October. It is SO beautiful, perfect weather, (although it was a little hot and humid yesterday)but it does go so fast!!
Beautiful pictures!
She reminds me of my own people-loving sweet little blonde four year old who is going to turn five in a couple of months! 🙁
I grew up about an hour south of the border of Minnesota and I’m pretty sure our Octobers were close to Minnesota Octobers and I loved them, too.
Oh I love that–“I love people.”
She is such a sweetie!
Happy birthday to her! My son who is 3.5 loves looking at birthday pictures, so he got excited when he saw me reading this. At the picture where she was lighting the candles, he said, “Oooh, she got pajamas for her birthday!” And then at the next picture (even though I am sure he can’t tell what she got) “Look at her fun presents!”
If you haven’t read the book Over and Over by Charlotte Zolotow, you should because it is a very sweet portrayal of a girl about this age. If your daughter is like my son, she will love the story.
Happy birthday, Angela! Looks like you had a fabulous day!
Happy birthday to an unbelievably beautiful little girl! That golden hair gives the colors of the fall foliage stiff competition!