Today is my birthday. My friend Karen had a lunch at her house with a few mom friends and kids. Karen fixed yummy chocolate-cherry cake. Thanks Karen! Lauren and Carmen both had a nice time. Carmen gets tired out when we go places and took a little nap on my shoulder. She is such a cuddly baby! Lauren played with her friends and only came to find me to ask for a second piece of cake!

Tonight Dave got my favorite- Indian food! Carmen and Lauren gave me hand lotion and a nail kit. Dave gave me Red Letters by Tom Davis (author of Fields of the Fatherless). This looks to be my kind of book. The introduction starts with an apology. Tom writes, “The Christian church owes an apology to the almost fifty million individuals in our world currently infected with HIV/AIDS. Those of us who claim to follow Christ’s teaching should be ashamed for what little we’ve done to help the countless millions of women, children and orphans who have died or are dying.” Dave and I certainly aren’t doing enough to help the plight of so many in Africa. We sponsor a little girl in Malawi thru World Vision. I am looking for ways to do much more.

Since today is my birthday, I’ve been thinking about the past year. This was definitely one of the most exciting and the most heartbreaking years I’ve had. In one year we brought Carmen home, found out Carmen has Tay Sachs, AB Variant and sold our house at a huge loss and moved into a rental. It was a hard year and I don’t even remember the person I was a year ago. It makes me cry to think that as hard as this year was, a harder year is coming when Carmen loses her battle against this disease. I try not to dwell on the fact that Carmen is dying. There is ALWAYS room for a miracle! I want to enjoy each day with Carmen and Lauren. It has only been 4 months since we found out something was very wrong but seems like a lifetime.

As I write this journal, I am watching the CMA (County Music) awards. I do love country music! Kellie Pickler made me cry!