The Drive for 5ive
Year number five for our favorite girl has come and gone. Hard to believe but real enough to appreciate and treasure.
Jaelyn has been so excited for her birthday weeks, really about the last two months. As the date has come closer she has been doing a countdown all of her own. “Five (four, three, etc.) days until my birthday!” It has been fun to hear.
Her birthday this year was on a Saturday, which means a day at work for dad, I wish it could be different. But Jaelyn took the whole day in stride. It started off with her coming in to our room and announcing in her happy joyful voice, full of excitement that today was the day. After breakfast and getting dressed we headed to church were we picked up a surprise for her from the train station, Grand Pa came from MD to spend the day with us. Jaelyn was glad to see him.
On to Sabbath School where Jaelyn had told her class mates for weeks that her big day was in sight. There her teacher had a nice greeting for her and some nice things planned as well. She was not ashamed of her big day and wanted Jayné and I to tell everyone about it. She did most of the telling but many people responded generously and in a kind way.
One of her favorite place to eat is Red Robin, so that is where we went for lunch. Jayné and Grand Pa went in ahead of us to set the table with some of the party decorations which this year had the Hello Kitty theme. In the car during our wait we called Aunt Jackie who shares the birthdate with Jaelyn. When Jaelyn, Avery and I got to the table she was greeted with one of her favorite words, “Surprise!” and she sat down to a plate, bags and stickers with the Hello Kitty theme. The food did take a long, long time to come but was enjoyed by everyone. As we were waking into the restaurant she said to me, “This is the place where they come to your table and sing happy birthday.” and that is what they did in their own Red Robin kind of way, following a long wait. While were waiting she got calls from Grand Pop, who was in Idaho and Grand J.
After leaving, we took Grand Pa to the train station and thanked him for joining us and wished him a safe trip home. But the day was not over and the surprises had not come to an end because even though it seemed like nothing was left to do we surprised her by pulling up to Chuck E. Cheese for the last stop of the day on the birthday wagon before heading home. After changing her and her brother’s clothes in the car for what must have seemed to them like an eternity we got inside and she was being mesmerized by all of the games and people she was met by her buddies Luke and Eli Simon. And to top things off Spencer and Winston Goodman came also. So tokens were bought games were played and at the end of it all the kids had fun and the adults were spent!
I hope she had as good of a day as she anticipated. I deeply regret and miss not being able to chronicle her life on DVD as I look forward to each year. But we do have a boat load of memories from the greatest girl in the world!
