Thank you all for your birthday wishes! I had a great birthday! Seth took me out to dinner on Sat night at a swanky restaurant here in Bogota. And then we went for dessert at a little bakery that we love. We had one of their amazing cookies and hot chocolate. The hot chocolate is literally that..melted chocolate! It was so rich that we asked for a little thing of steamed milk to be able to drink it! Yesterday Seth and Jackson had a little birthday cake and sang to me. They had made me a birthday card which was so sweet! The best part of the day was that Seth got up with Jackson and let me sleep in! It was such a treat!

Dinner at Criterion

If you ever come to Bogota we will take you to Rauch! They make the best cookies we have ever had!!

Making a wish!

Anyhow, thanks for the birthday wishes! I am feeling old but also feeling blessed by so many wonderful friends and family!

Today is Kristen’s 27th birthday.  In general, not all that significant of one.  But very significant for me.

Since we got married over 3 years ago, we have not celebrated one of her birthdays together on her actual birth day.  For our first one together, she was in Houston.  For the second, we were in DC and I had to go away for a few days of training.  For hers last year, she was in Houston again.

But this year, we’re celebrating it together.  And Jackson and I are thankful.

Kristen is an amazing wife and mother and deserves a lot more showering of fancy food and gifts than she actually gets.

I think of Proverbs 31.  Here are a only a few verses that exemplify Kristen:

-She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family

-She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy

-She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come

-She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness

Jack and I are blessed to have such a wonderful woman in our lives.  She truly is worth “far more than rubies” (or “emeralds” here in Colombia).

A year ago this morning we were in Fairfax, Virginia.  Jackson was born at 7:58 AM! The doctor had just told us we likely had many hours ahead of us and then she decided to check again. We were ready to push! He was in distress when he was born so I held him for a split second, Seth cut the cord and he was handed over to the NICU team. He was a fighter and got those lungs going! Despite a huge knot in his cord, mechonium and the cord wrapped 2 times around his neck, he was a bouncing baby boy!

At 2 1/2 months he made his first international move and adjusted better than any of us!

At 9 months, 3 months ago today, Jackson was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma. What a journey that was. And what a miracle he is to us! We are so thankful for him.

Today, we have a healthy, 1 year-old boy! My how he has grown. He is now talking, dancing, giving kisses, clapping, waving, close to walking, and has a personality all his own. He has brightened our lives far more than we could have ever imagined.

Here are some of our favorite pictures from the last 12 months!

Happy Birthday, Jackson!! We love you lots and lots!!