Happy Birthday RachaelOn March 29, 1995, Pamella and I ventured from our home in Luling, LA to the movie theater in Kenner (both burbs of New Orleans). We were to take in the special edition of Star Wars. It was great! Near the end of the film Pamella "informed" that she thought she had begun labor. That began our great adventure. We drove to Houma, LA (but I had to stop and get gas for my Geo Metro). When we arrived at the hospital in the middle of the bayou they were going to send us back home but then got really worried about Pamella's blood pressure which had gone through the roof. So they started a drip in an IV to make her continue in labor. Early the next morning, May 30, Rachael Nichole Valentine entered our world. The first person at the hospital was none other than Pastor Feelgude (Don Neyland) who preached just down the road, and still does.
That night I spent the night at Don's house and there was a terrible thunderstorm. I go early the next morning to go back to the hospital and there was the most beautiful and brilliant rainbow I had ever seen, I knew everything was going to be alright. I have been sitting here looking back over 12 years and wondering how in the world that much time has gone by.
I remember playing pony (I was the pony), bouncing, reading Go, Dog, Go! a billion times or Good Night Moon over and over and over again, playing doctor (I was the patient) or her first day of school, first time for summer camp ... she is getting big. Let me share a photo or two or maybe three ...
The Delight of a Child
Rachael's Eighth Birthday Party in our apartment in Milwaukee
Rachael in her ballet costume
Rachael ready for Halloween
At the Races Last Summer
With her sister in the land of Scorpions and Saguaros
Rachael you have come along way since 1995. How big you have grown. I have loved ever minute of having the honor and blessing of being your daddy. I am very proud of you and I love you dearly. You really do live out the meaning of your name ... you are indeed a little lamb of God. Happy Birthday.
Love,
Dad
18 comments:
Well, let us be the first!!!!
Happy Birthday, Mooney!
Love in Him, Padfoot and family
Memories are made of this. May God bless
I've been in birthday mode as well with my son turning 17. Happy b/d Rachel and enjoy the time Dad. It goes by fast.
What, no debates or rebutals from anyone? Congratulations to your little lamb! (And treasure up all those precious memories - they do indeed grow up all too quickly.)
Having two girls myself, one of which is headed to ACU this fall, I say, "Happy birthday and congratulations." On my daughter's 12th birthdays I did something special with each of them as sort of a right of passage to the teen years, a bas mitzvah of sorts. I took Whitney to Malibu with me and then I went to Discovery Cove and swam with the dolphins with Kelsey. Having one leave home certainly wakes you up!
Peace.
Happy birthday, Rachael! I was glad to see you at Pepperdine this spring. I hope you have a wonderful day and a great summer.
Happy Birthday Rachel. Hope to see you again sometime before you're grown.
Happy brithday to you...you live in a zoo...your dad looks like a mokey and smells like one too!
Happy birthday girl... it is still your birthday.
Congratulations to all involved, especially the sweet child with the instincts to want to get out and see a classic film on the big screen before it would be gone forever!
LOL Happy Belated Birthday to Rachael, and may God's blessings continue to shower upon one of my favorite families.
in HIS love,
Nick
Oh yeah, Is this the age of accountability or is that thirteen? :-)
Loved the pictures .... gave me a window into who you really are! :)
You have a lovely family. God has blessed you richly,
Happy Birthday Rachel!
we love the post and we love Go Dog Go! Great literary masterpiece.- my children thought so and now so do my grandchildren
Peace
neva
Happy birthday Rachael... - pilgrimdan
Sorry this is off topic but I was wondering if you had read the letter from N.T. Wright that this blog quotes
http://alastair.adversaria.co.uk/
It goes along with your earlier posts on creation/new creation.
Bobby, et al,
I've published what I believe are the salient paragraphs of the afore-mentioned letter on Fumbling, if anyone would like to discuss it there.
Nick
Sorry I'm so late to the party, but happy belated birthday, Rachel. I love that name and if I had a second daughter, was going to name her Rachel. My one daughter is named Rebecca.
I ended up having another son, so alas did not have a Rachel.
I love all the pictures, Bobby. Thanks!
Dee
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