Birthday Here. Birthday There.

The morning of Zeke's birthday (yes, we have a lot of birthdays in April), we drove to Long Island to visit our Owen folk.  Annika didn't want Zeke to miss the thrill of the birthday couch and regular decorations, so she got up early and decorated his seat in the van.  He didn't know why she led him out there until she opened the doors, and he saw it all.

 John drove all the way down with those curlicues waving in the breeze.

Sarah and her children were in town from Nashville while Bryan was gone on a business trip, so the cousins cuddled Keziah right away.

The night we arrived, Zeke used a birthday wish on an ice cream cake.

Skylark was fascinated with Grandpa's beard.  The fact that John has a beard, too, and the fact that she's always super-excited to see her Papa, may have had something to do with her immediate love of Grandpa.  Beards give a definite edge, but I'm sure she saw past the beard to his kind interior.

Keziah is such a smiley, friendly little baby.  She fell asleep on just about everyone!

Bathtime, as always, is loads more fun in Grandma's tub.

Ten minutes before we left, Skylark forgave Grandma for not having a beard and cuddled for a bit.  Then we had to leave.  It figures, you silly baby!

Mom Owen and Dude had three straight weeks of company, so I'm glad Skylark parted with a bit of sweetness.  They deserve all the love we can give them, and more besides!

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Because I didn't get any pictures of Elijah, that busy, dimpled king of jollity, I'm posting these pictures for safekeeping.  Annika took the first two, Sarah took all of the rest with her phone, and I think they're pretty wonderful.