While I am sometimes referred to as a fundamentalist, it's really just that I like things that are straight-forward, to-the-point, without a great deal of obfuscation or wasted words. So, I think I found the perfect birthday card for Meg this year. The front of the card says, "It's your birthday!!! I got you a card!!!'

There ya' go. No beating around the bush; just an indisputable claim that I have fulfilled the requirement of purchasing a folded piece of cardboard that makes an appropriate reference to the fact that you born on this day in some prior year. I like it.

Then, the inside of the card simply says, "This is the inside of it!!!'

To my way of thinking, this is brilliant!

Everyone opens a card to see what's in it. In this case, the card explains itself and let's the reciepient know that they have reached that destination. I could think of no better card to suit my daughter's sense of humor.

Oh, by the way, it worked. :-)

 

As difficult as it is to believe, this little pixie turned 17 today. The hardest part is that I still remember her as the pint-sized daddy's girl pictured here. Now she's as tall as me and quite nearly as smart. She's a rare beauty and I couldn't be more proud of the young woman she's becoming.

I know parents who dreaded the teen years with their kids, but I would have to say that the last few years have been my favorite. It's encouraging and gratifying to see them developing their own sensibilities and feelings, especially when I whole-heartedly agree with the values and opinions they espouse.

So, happy birthday, little Mergen-Bergen. You are a constant joy and as you move through life and negotiate the paths ahead, my love always goes with you.

I'm grateful to be your dad. 

No Midweek Lesson

There is no mid-week lesson this week. We had been expecting a guest, so we moved our meeting to Tuesday. Then, scheduling snafu's popped-up, our guest did not arrive, and instead we had a gathering to celebrate a different event ... My daughter's seventeenth birthday.

Is that possible? It's hard to believe that the kids continue to age so quickly while I've managed to maintain by boyish looks .....

GCA Resurrection Sunday Video

Our friend Andy Doss has posted a nice little video on his website culled from shots taken during the GCA Homecoming Weekend. You can view his video here:

GCA Resurrection Sunday Video

Enjoy!