Double Birthday!

 Richard thought that when he had a daughter on his birthday,

he wouldn't ever have to get any older!

TOO BAD SO SAD!

But he is right about one thing,

HIS birthday is always about

making COLETTE'S wishes come true!

(Like matching strawberry shortcakes!)

It was a pretty monumental one this year!

16 and 40!

One at the oldest part of her youth,

and the other at the youngest part of his old age.

Get your own cake!

And we spent the week at RIGBY lake

with some family friends.

And we had some surprise visits from family too!

Cora was super savvy at the canoe!

Back at the beach we had lots of fun too!

Sterling chilling with the babes!

So many people came and went

to offer their birthday love!

And we can't get enough 

of our sweet friends and family!

So did Colette get what she wanted for her birthday?

YOU BET!

But guess what,

so did Dad...

Mosquito bites for souvenirs!

As he lounges in the backyard he dreams

of what his next birthday may bring him...

A Harley?

Looks pretty good!

But keep dreaming dude,

that's your lab assistant's bike,

and he's bigger than you,

so I'd get off before he catches you!

Lots of love to my sweet birthday twins!

Colette just couldn't be more beautiful,

but then a few days later I look at her again

and there she is being more beautiful!

She loves to laugh and tease.
She loves Sterling and being his second mama.

She loves her family and always sticks by them.

She is very very very smart.

She loves to rock climb and read.

She is learning to do nails

and with her natural artistic talent,

she becoming so masterful at it!

She's considering it as a path 

for after graduation next year.

She loves her friends and is very loyal.

She loves God and her Savior,

and wants all her friends around her

to love them as well!

Richard is one of a kind

and it's beautiful to think

that this one of a kind man

was made particularly that way 

just for me!

He gives so much of himself

into everything he does.

He rarely thinks of himself

because he is so preoccupied 

by the needs of others.

He endures a lot of problem solving

on a day to day basis.

Church problems,

nuclear problems,

and home problems.

And he somehow solves them all

so that none of them go into meltdown!

He makes me laugh more 

than any other person can,

(Like wheezing and crying laughing)

and even after all these years,

he's more pleased than I am

when that happens!