Christina's 8th birthday

She came home from school on Friday wearing a birthday crown, carrying a backpack full of little gifts from her teachers; bookmarks and stickers. She knew that it was her birthday, so when Grandpa came up from Long Island and we busily scrubbed the house and cooked, her anticipation grew.
At Mass, Christina wore a hot pink "I'm the Birthday Girl" button which she proudly pointed out to everyone, as she sat with uncharacteristic patience in the pew.  After a special blessing from Fr Tito, fifty of our closest friends followed us home and the party began. Lasagna and salad, garlic bread and Coke, we celebrated eight years of joy which Christina has brought into our lives.

Soon it was time for the birthday cake, and she put on her crown and beamed as fifty voices sang "Happy Birthday". We broke open the pinata, opened her gifts and waved goodbye to the guests. The birthday girl took a nap to get ready for Youth Group while the teens in the dining room played a boisterous game of Pictionary.

Before Youth Group, I watched Fr Groeschel's Live Show on EWTN where Chris Bell was celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Good Counsel Homes. I tuned in just as he was sharing the statistic that 90% of unborn babies with Down syndrome are aborted, and reflected that if the world were made of loving people like those adults he knows with Down syndrome, it would be a wonderful place. I called in to thank him for his kind comments, and wish him a Happy Anniversay. Good Counsel Homes has helped over 5,600 homeless pregnant women since it began as an act of love 25 years ago. Our group, running the Ave Maria Home hope to open our home this year, once we raise the $200,000 necessary to gain state permission to open. We are working on a website to promote the Ave Maria Home, I'll be linking to it when it is ready.

After the show, we attended the Youth Group, where once again, Christina was the belle of the ball, with over 100 teens singing "Happy Birthday" to her. She had a wonderful birthday, thanks to all the love of our wonderful Catholic community here in Connecticut.