Happy Birthday....

I find myself pouring over pictures trying to find just the right picture to put out here today. I took about a bazillion (seriously) pictures while Jerry played football his senior year. But this picture entails pure happiness with our entire family. Football took our family all over the SEC every weekend, and the memories we have from that time are so precious to us all. It doesn't hurt that this picture was taken after a win, too!! Today is Leah's birthday....the 5th birthday that we have not been able to celebrate with her here on earth. You know, you find yourself always thinking about loved ones that are no longer with you....but times like holidays are always so tough, but you just try and figure out a way to think positively on the situation. I think that the time surrounding Leah's birthday is hardest holiday for me personally, because birthdays for her was what she lived for. When Jerry and I first started dating, I thought it was hilarious how the entire day better revolve around Leah on her birthday, or somebody was gonna pay. And she was funny about it, but seriously....it was all about her! As Jerry and I continued to date, get engaged, get married, Leah's birthday's moved from BirthDAYS, to Birthday weekends, to Birthday WEEKS. I can't help but laugh through tears right now thinking about it, and then of course I tried it out because if she could convince everybody to treat her like a princess for an entire week, why can't I? I never was able to pull it off the way she did, but I sure gave it a good try!



One year, Jerry's parents were at a baseball tournament for Matt in Conway. It fell over Leah's birthday. Jerry and I were building our house that year, and we worked every weekend at the house. Mark and Leah drove out to see us that morning. As soon as they walked up to the house, I yelled out "Happy Birthday" to her (knowing full well that it was the first thing she wanted to hear out of our mouths), and she crossed her arms and looked at Mark and said, "That's 7". I asked what that meant, and she said, "You're the 7th person to wish me a happy birthday, and I still haven't heard from my parents." By mid-afternoon, she was getting so irate that she called her parents' house singing "Happy Birthday" to herself on their answering maching.....just trying to pour on the guilt. That was the Leah we loved.



We talk about Leah alot to the kids. We feel that it's important for us to be able to say her name, and Anniston and Treyson to know exactly who she is and where she is. During our "God Bless" list at night, Anniston always includes "God, Aunt Leah, and PePaPa in heaven" in her list. (PePaPa is my mom's dad who passed away just weeks after Anniston was born)



So, to Leah. CHEERS! I know that you're getting toasted by all of the angels today in honor of your birthday. And we are here toasting you (with our box of wine--inside joke). We love you, miss you, and we're living each day to the fullest knowing that we are nearing our day when we will see you again in heaven!

Love,
Jerry, Amy, Anniston and Treyson