Happy Birthday Karen

My baby girl turned 42 yesterday. OK, so I missed posting this ON her birthday but heck, she is in Hawaii and probably didn't get a chance to check her mother's blog anyway. :)

Here she is on her first day of school. She will tell you she could kill me for cutting her hair that short. But she sure was adorable. I think that's the last time her hair was ever that short.

See what I mean by the hair? She is 11 here. I should tell you that Karen was "born in a trunk". That is an old theatre expression. I was VERY involved in the Fort Findlay Playhouse when she and her brother were growing up. As a baby, she would play in her playpen while I helped build set, act, direct, what have you. She soon became involved herself helping to build set, run lights, act, run props, what have you. This turned into a career when she got older when she became a Technical Assistant/Stage Manager for the South Coast Repertory Theatre in Costa Mesa, California.

She graduated magna cum laude from Ohio University with a degree in Fine Arts, majoring in photography. If you ever check out her blog, you will see that she is putting that degree to good use.

Here she is when she married Michael in San Juan Capistrano in August of 2000. (No not at the mission but in the city of SJC). You can read all about how she met him here. It is a beautiful love story. And didn't she make a beautiful bride?

A couple of years later her first son, Noah was born. And just a little over 3 years later, along came Ethan and Luka. The idea of twins was a bit overwhelming to both Karen and Michael--as well as to the grandparents!

I am soooo proud of my beautiful daughter. She is the best mom in the world. She is the most patient (even though she will tell you she isn't), loving, nurturing mom there is.

You can see what kind of a mom she is by just looking at these two pictures of here spending time with her kids.

She is a traveler.

She is a dreamer.

She is daring.

She is a hippie.

She loves her Pepsi.

And she has the best husband in the world. She always said when she was growing up that she was going to marry either a doctor or a cook. Well, believe it or not, he is both. And the greatest daddy going. A parent couldn't ask for a better husband for their daughter. But wait, this blog is about her right? Anyway, Karen, sorry this is a day late. But just know that your dad and I are so proud of what you have done and who you have become. I want to be just like you when I grow up!!!