Birthday shout-out

It's birthday season amongst the Ostlers, which means there will be dozens of birthdays in the next three months. Mabes was very excited to call Dono last Friday and wish him a happy birthday, and has been asking multiple times a day whose birthday will be next. This morning, she asked me whose birthday was today. I told her we didn't have a family birthday today, but it was the birthday of my good friend Catherine. Her eyes got big and she said "I know! We need to go to Trader Joe's and get flowers and we will take dem to her and SING to Caffrin and she will be soooo happy!" When I explained that it wasn't that easy and that she lived in California ("hey! she lives in Canyifornia with Gramma and Grampa!") she first wanted to hop on a plane and visit everyone, but then settled for singing for the camera. ("and den you post it on your blog, mommy.")

The dress she's wearing is one that Catherine sent last year. It's a size 6, though, and last year Mabes' toddler potbelly made it impossible to button up the dress. I'm so excited that it fits this year, but the picture just doesn't do it justice.

I've known Catherine for about 24 years now. She is one of the sweetest and funniest people I know--just a great person to be around. She's the one to call if you need to do a fractals project for geometry, want a diamond studded bra, need a last minute SAT study session (thanks to her, I will forever associate the word "harbinger" with Harbin, China--random association, but it's an SAT word I still remember!) or just want someone to eat chocolate and laugh with. She flew across the country to wait outside the temple when I got married, a gesture that still means so much to me. When she found out that Laura was moving to New York, not only did she help her find a job (and an awesome one at that!), she took her to dinner and told Laura to call anytime, in case she needed a big sister in a new city. Catherine is incredibly supportive, giving, and just hilarious--if you don't know her, you're totally missing out. Happy birthday, Catherine!

I tell her to smile and look like a princess and this is what I get.