Cupcakes with Ann Catherine

If there's anything I've learned in my three short years of being a parent, it's this: it's the little things that matter to your kids. You can buy them big expensive toys, but that's not really important to them. It's the little things.

We experienced that today. We took cupcakes to Ann Catherine's daycare today for her birthday (which is Sunday). The entire thing took all of 15 minutes, but it could not have meant more to Ann Catherine.

When we walked in the door, she jumped out of her chair and came running, saying, "Mommy! Daddy!"

"Mommy, come sit by me," she said. And I did.

The class sang "Happy Birthday" to her. You couldn't have wiped the smile off her face if you had tried. Then, her teachers passed around the cupcakes.

It wasn't about the cupcakes. It wasn't about the singing. It was all about the fact that her mommy and daddy were there, and she felt special. It was priceless.

This is now the third time Chris and I have taken cupcakes to our daughters' daycare on their birthday - twice with Ann Catherine and once with Lily. And all three of those times, I walked away with a smile on my face big enough to match my children's.

I wanted to share the pictures above. The middle one is of Ann Catherine and Ms. Kris, one of her teachers this year. She loves Ms. Kris and lucky for us, she's moving up with Ann Catherine's class next year!

Say a prayer for me this weekend. Sunday is Ann Catherine and Melissa's birthday. June 1st is a beautiful day, but it's also a tough day for us because it's the day Melissa passed away. As we have the past three years, Chris and I plan to spend the day with our daughters. I'll draw on all of their strength on that day. We'll make Ann Catherine's birthday special, while also remembering our sweet angel. Please keep us in your prayers.