Well, hello July! And a Very Happy Birthday!

Yesterday was Cari's birthday. How very lucky I am to have her as my daughter. I always wanted to be a mom, and she has proved that I was right: being a mom is amazing. I adore her.

Above is a picture from her birthday last year.

AS you can tell from the picture, she's a happy person.

Always willing to explore new worlds. She has taught me much about following your passions (and I hope I passed some of this on to her as well). She inspires me to stay true to my creative side. She makes me want to be who I should be.

She's talented. Old Cari. You gotta love her!

She's loved by family and friends. And what a good looking family (nice look Doug).

Zany. Oh yes, she can be zany.

Add animal lover to the list.

More than anything, she is very much loved by her parents. I can't even tell you how special she is to us.

Today I bought this book: I wish I would have had it earlier so I could have created a cake for Cari.

Well, I would have baked it yesterday, cause the cake Erik baked for her party on Saturday was so DARNED GOOD that I wouldn't have wanted to pass that up. It tasted so darned good. Carmel cake. Darned good. You know Erik, my birthday is in September. I'll have the plate, you bring the cake.

Happy Day After Birthday Cari. I have the feeling this year is holding lots of joy and fun and laughter and creativity and excitement and love for you. And you can't ask for anything else.