Happy Belated Birthday, Dana

Yes, my baby had a birthday three weeks ago. But there was too much happening at the time to post a blog. Her birthday was August 26, and that was the day the Lord decided to call home my mother-in-law (see 'Mothers' post). Since that time we have spent most of our weekends and some weekdays in Odessa going through her things, cleaning out her town house, and getting ready for an estate sale. The estate sale was this past weekend. I had intended to post Dana's birthday blog on Sept. 4, the day between Jenni's and Melynda's...but that didn't happen either. So here I am, three weeks later, giving Dana birthday thoughts, and she won't even be able to read it probably for another week or two! She is in Spring (Houston), surviving Hurricane Ike, and the electricity is out in her area...which means no computer, not to mention lights, TV, and AC! Nevertheless, here is my belated birthday blessing to my baby!

Happy Birthday, Dana!

Here is my baby girl, Dana Marie.

Or Dana-bug as we called her when she was little.

We knew she would be the last...the baby...and I guess we always treated her that way. But we didn't spoil her! Her two big sisters took care of that!

Dana, my baby girl...my shy, quiet little shadow.

I was fortunate enough to be a stay-at-home-mom for her first two years.

And I was fortunate enough to have her stay at home longer after high school, all the way through her college years until she married.

She was still shy and quiet...she just didn't follow me around like my shadow any more.

She has grown into a lovely, strong, Christian young lady. She is a loyal and dependable friend. She is a wonderful wife, a friend and companion to her junior-high sweetheart, Levi! They have been married just seventeen months. And she is a daughter who has become a friend.

(But I lost my fashion consultant when she left home!)

I have always prayed scripture for my girls. My favorite one to pray for my girls and for Kerry's kids is Jeremiah 29:11-13. But one scripture that comes to mind as I think about Dana, now 24 years old and just beginning her 'grown-up life' away from home, is this one...this scripture was put to music and was a song we sang together in a praise team group a few years ago.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

Psalm 139:9

Happy Belated Birthday, Dana-bug!