Gifts.

Oh man... I wish I could put into words just how grateful I am for days like today. I have been literally showered with blessings and love. But wait, let me back up for a sec, cause last night was pretty cool too.

So, last night I went with Heather, Claire, Nick, and Grant to see our friend Mitchell perform in Beauty and the Beast Junior in New Iberia. MAN was it good! It was awesome to see so much talent in people so young. I had no idea how wonderfully talented Mitchell was. I should get used to this- most of my friends are stinkin' gifted in one way or another. :] Anyway, the play was fantastic, and then we had fantastic frozen yogurt (aka, froyo) at this place called Orange Leaf. Let's just say I'm really growing to love New Iberia and the super amazing people it produces. :)

So, after an awesome night, I drove on home to Des Allemands. It's still sort of new to me to call Des Allemands "home" for a number of reasons. One, my parents moved here from Houma after I started college, so I never really grew up here. Second, my parents made the difficult decision to move in with my grandparents, because they're getting to a stage in life which will require much more support for even day-to-day living. When they moved, our family had to put most of our belongings into storage in order to combine households with my grandparents. It's kind of always felt like my grandparents' house that we just have extended stay in. It's not always the most comfortable place to be, and up until recently I never really referred to this place as "home."


Today, however, this place felt very much like home. We celebrated my dad's 54th birthday, and at the same time celebrated my parents' 29th year of marriage. Both of my brothers, Aaron and Wesley, and Aaron's girlfriend Kandice (who is most definitely part of the family since they've been dating for like, 6 years) all came over to celebrate. Oh, and don't forget my niece, Olivia... It's not a party without her. :]


Dad threw some hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill, and we had a great time eating and spending time together. My favorite part of the day was when we were all sitting around the table, and we went around and each told our favorite memory of Dad. We brought up so many things that we loved and valued about him... And while we laughed and joked, I could see my dad's eyes glistening. I could tell that this, above all the cards and gifts he received today, was the greatest gift to him. Having the whole family together, sharing memories and affirming all he's done for us. And I assure you, he is certainly the kind of person who deserves to be celebrated.


It may sound cheesy, but at the end we all got up and had a big family hug. Even my parents' annoying dog, accurately named "Trouble," got in the middle and danced around as we hugged. It was truly a beautiful moment. The rest of the night we were all in such good cheer.


One of the funniest moments was when Dad turned his candle upside down so that instead of 54 it read 24. As we all laughed and talked and just enjoyed being together, I couldn't help but thinking, "Man, now this feels like home." My family is truly one of the greatest gifts I have ever received.