Birthdays

Today was bittersweet. This is Dad's birthday, and the first one without him. Today is also my niece Jackie's Sweet 16 birthday. Jackie was born on Dad's 50th birthday. She was the first grandchild, so all the way around , it was pretty darn exciting. I remember being in the waiting room whilst my sister Mary was in hard labor with Jackie. It was around 11:30 PM and Dad said "Let's put her in the back of a van and drive her to another time zone." We didn't find out until about a quarter after midnight that Jackie was born about 45 minutes before midnight. She made it. =)

DAD ARGUING POLITICS AT PAOLO'S BIRTHDAY LAST YEAR

(I miss that face, and those hands waving when he talked...er, yelled =) )

"It is my desire to give to this last man the same as to you."

Back when Dad passed away I wrote about how my cousin Eddie, when I was musing over the condition of my Dad's eternal soul, had said "Annie, your Dad's gonna be the worker in the Parable of Laborers in the Vineyard . He's going to be the one who was hired at 5:00 PM." I then wrote about how, after Dad had passed on, Eddie asked me what time it was, and indeed, it was just about 5:00 PM. I still struggle sometimes with where Dad was with the Lord, but He shows me time and time again, that my Dad had to have known Him. Today we did our Children's Through the Bible in a Year devotion. We missed yesterday, so I decided that I should read from October  5th thinking that it would have been for Paolo. As it turned out, it was for all of us. October 5th's devotion was the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard.

Happy Birthday Dad.  

 Strength and dignity are her clothing,  And she smiles at the future.

 We are celebrating Jackie's birthday on Saturday. This birthday was tough on her, and I think it's good that she was able to change things up a bit this year. Typically, Jackie and Dad would have a birthday dinner together, a tradition they both looked forward to.

This year she went out with friends and celebrated with pizza and ice cream. I cannot begin to explain what a blessing Jackie has, and continues to be, in our family. She amazes me daily with her strength and wisdom... So beautiful, in every way.

Happy Birthday Sweet Jackie!