Happy Birthday, Grandma Barbara!

So I've been behind on keeping the blog updated - I promise I do have first day pictures from the start of school - but I couldn't miss the opportunity to mark Barbara's birthday.

Kids, I go back and forth between thinking that you alone appreciate grandma for who she is and thinking you can't possibly know how lucky you are for having a woman like this in your life.

This weekend we were talking about Seamus's upcoming birthday - we're going up to the cabin to close up the family property - and I was asking what he wanted to do celebrate.

Finn suggested a quick trip to New Jersey, and that was the end of it, no matter what we do for Seamus's birthday it will not be as "awesome" as getting to see Grandma Barbara. When I asked about what you wanted to do in New Jersey, you all agreed, you just wanted to see Grandma. One thing I admire and love about Grandma is that her Love is felt across three thousand miles and nothing is more precious for you than getting to spend time with her. There really is no better present than love like that.

I want to tell you something that you might not know about Grandma, but I think your intuition and awareness is pretty spot on. Grandma is fun (no one loves a good party more), generous with her time and treasure (it is no secret that there would be no cabin without her), but more than anything she is just so filled with such a huge capacity to love you all. But she's so much more than just your grandma.

She's worked hard her whole life, as a student, as a mother, as a teacher, as a counselor, as a wife, as a friend, as a sibling and as a daughter. She put herself through college (not to mention a few other people as well). When Katie, Tom and dad were little she stayed home as a full time caregiver and then as they got into school she went back to work. Grandpa Tom was gone a lot with the Secret Service as their kids were growing up and so Grandma carried well more than 50% in those years. She earned a master's degree while parenting and working full time. She's mentored and supported so many people through the years that you probably couldn't even name them all (myself very gratefully included).

You don't get to see all of those sides of her - but you should know that she's earned her retirement this year 1000 times over. In a few months, she'll wrap-up at school and she'll have more time to travel and reinvent herself. And I already know that while she's closing a book on her career, so much of her life is just getting started. I think we're all going to enjoy Grandma's foray into leisure time. God knows she deserves it.

Not every grandma loves being a grandma like yours does. And truly, I know that not all kids feel as connected to and supported by their grandmas as you do. You are so lucky to have Grandma Barbara in your lives - and I know she feels the same about you.

Blessings on Grandma this year.

Happy Birthday, Barbara, we love you.