I started this draft on March 13th, uploaded the photos, wrote a sentence or two and then the play started at Wasatch, and then Mary was running for office and then we left town for 10 days… (I promise I’ll catch up on all those later!)
Stefan’s birthday always seems to fall during busy weeks. There’s a sad, sad story from his elementary years when I said, “We can’t have a party for you right on your birthday, but we’ll do one later.”
My heart almost broke in late May when he quietly asked, “Do you think I could have a birthday party now?”
Poor kid. BUT. We have celebrated his actual day beautifully ever since, even if his party does compete with Gabe practicing his solos and Xander running off to an orchestra concert that night (not to mention New Beginnings for Mary at church that evening). Kind of the same way that Sammie with a September 21st birthday knows the day will almost always be sunny, Stefan knows his birthday will almost always be BUSY (case in point, Hans opening his mission call on Stefan’s birthday two years ago).
Stefan’s always been the sweet kid who doesn’t ask for much, who can’t wait to pound holes in the wall with his new hammer (Heather isn’t so sure); who requests a dinner of soup and bread and can’t wait to read all the books we bought him in Russian for his birthday.
I love the way Stefan and Heather make time to visit even when they’re exhausted with school and work and even when they know their visits will be punctuated with the comings and goings of a busy family. We’ll miss them this summer when they head to Tallinn, Estonia for internships, but we’ll text and Skype and share in their adventures.
We love you Stefan. You are so brave and strong and good. Happy happy birthday!
p.s. What defines your birthday? I’d love to know.
Sarah
My birthday (December 8th) almost always lands on some sort of Christmas party. A ward party, a company party, a neighborhood party. As a kid, there always seemed to be a choir concert or orchestra performance on the same day, and I’m sure those will resurface as my own kids get older and more involved.
Adri
Cute Stefan! I think if you can find a boy who has a busy birthday but never throws a fit about it, he’s a keeper! ? (I have a brother-in-law who has a Dec 26 birthday and we NEVER hear the end of how unjust that is!) My birthday, June 17, is often on Father’s Day (which is actually my favorite) but the real defining trait of that day is that it falls during the most popular travel week (in my observation). School gets out, everyone waits a week, then they all take off. I remember that my violin-playing cousins were ALWAYS at a fiddle competition on my birthday and my mom almost always spent my birthday on tour with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir during her 20-year tenure. And now that I have teens and scouts, I’m guaranteed that someone will be at camp on my birthday. This year, it falls on a Saturday. My daughter will be coming home from camp, my Cub Scout has an activity that day, the youth have one of their only 3-per-year temple trips and we just got word that my niece is getting married that day. I think it will be pretty easy to let my 40th birthday fly pretty low under the radar this year. ??
Kate
I was always a bit jealous growing up because my brother and mother had birthdays that fell on minor holidays that had a long weekend attached, and my dad’s was usually during spring break so we’d be on vacation. Mine is in May which wasn’t too bad when I was young, but once in high school or college I’d be taking AP tests or final exams on my birthday. What fun! Now it’s not uncommon that I have to travel for work on my birthday or right after. Last year I celebrated it by waking up at 4:30 to catch a 7 am flight but at least I made it home 10 hours later in time for dinner with my family. Which is what really matters.
Ashley
Mine is July 22. When I was younger it was always swimming. Now it seems we are always traveling or visiting family for my birthday which is always fun! I never thought about what defines your birthday, that is a fun question!
Jane
Sometimes my birthday falls on Thanksgiving, but sometimes it’s the getting older part that defines my birthday.
Naomi
I Remember it
Thank you