Celebrating Kasey!

In an Army hospital, four years ago today and in the wee hours of the morning, Kasey was born. He was little and kind of frail; had some breathing problems and the kids were scared. And when they took him to the intensive care nursery, so was I. Stephen stood next to the isolette saying, "come on buddy," and all I could do was stand next to Stephen and pray. Once Laurie was in recovery, Stephen told me to go back to their house and get some sleep. I fought the urge to stay because I thought they needed some time alone. And so I left...but on the way out of the hospital, I stopped in the chapel. It was nearly dawn, no one else was there. Except for God and His Son who sat with me, listened to my prayers and calmed my fears.

When I got back to Stephen and Laurie's, I looked around at the home that was ready to receive a little boy and the tears finally flowed, and I fell asleep on the couch for all of two hours. When I awoke, I called the hospital. Kasey was out of ICU, swaddled in a receiving blanket and sleeping like an angel in his isolette in Laurie's room.

Four years later, those moments come back to me as some of the most precious in my life. Seeing him being born, understanding that he was completely in God's hands, and trusting in that perfect care that God provides.

And so this morning, the first thing Laurie did when she got up was to open the package I sent to her earlier this week - the pictures I had taken last week to mark Kasey's fourth year birthday. And she loved them. She took them all to school to show her friends, and they loved him. Who wouldn't? :)

Tonight we had Kasey's favorite for dinner - chicken noodle casserole and bisquits. I made him a yellow cake with chocolate frosting - and four candles.

Kasey stayed home from school until his daddy called late this morning, and then - armed with the mini cupcakes grandma made and skippy cups that went with them, he and grandpa headed to school. When I got home from work tonight he was sitting and waiting for me - wondering if he could open his "big" presents. And so he did and the squeals when he opened them all were so happy.

Tomorrow a party with Scott and Veronica and Luke. But tonight, well, tonight I am just basking in the peace that comes with having a four year old birthday boy running around the house with his dinosaur transformer. I know that Laurie and Stephen miss him - and that he misses them, but oh Lord, I am so grateful that I am still young enough to enjoy the wonders of a little boy's birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KASEY! WE LOVE YOU.

God bless our troops and those who love them. Especially a little 4 year old boy, far from his mom and dad but trusting there will be a time when they will all be reunited when the deployment is over.