Week 14: The Birthday Girls
Family, memories and caramel cashew sundaes…
Each Sunday, my wife and I prepare, cook and eat a meal together — intentionally. Every Friday, I’ll be sharing our experience here in this space. I want to see the growth that will come in our marriage because of this. I hope you enjoy our story. You can find last week’s post here.
The sun shimmered off the water in tiny pirouettes on the lake. A small turtle was reaping the benefits of these mini-performances from atop his perch on an algae-covered branch protruding from the water’s depths. Atop another perch sat the king of this domain — a regal osprey tending to his young in a nest high above the lake. Next to me stood my wife, Sarah, and my mother-in-law (Dale Susan Schoettle). We had come to Potato Creek State Park for a late morning hike.
I was especially honored to be in their presence on this day of all days. It was June 5 — the birthday they both share.
We had gotten up that morning for the “early” service at our local church — at 9:15am. Sarah and I are used to going to the later service, but we wanted to have enough time to go for a hike together before the rest of the festivities of the day.
It was a great opportunity to slow down and enjoy the beautiful day outdoors. And it was quality time with two people who are so incredibly special to me. As we walked along the trail back to our car, I looked out over the lake and was overcome with joy. It wouldn’t be the last time I felt it that day.
We met up with my father-in-law for lunch at one of our favorite places to eat. My grandma lives in a retirement community in the same city, so we met my dad (David Charles) over there so grandma could show us a puzzle that she and her friends had just completed. We bought this puzzle for her on our trip to South Carolina, so it held special significance.
Grandma told us stories of when she lived in Pennsylvania as a young girl and more stories about when my dad and his siblings were kids. I wish I could tell stories like my grandma. No matter how long or short the story is, she has you riveted for every second.
Unfortunately, Grandma was feeling a little too tired to come over to Sarah’s brother’s house for the birthday party. But we sang happy birthday with her, and she gave cards to Sarah and her mom. They were small moments, but it felt as if there was nothing in the world more significant. To me, there wasn’t. I had flashbacks to the turtle sunning itself by the lake.
Finally, we made it over to the house of my brother-in-law (Matt Schoettle) and his family. It is one of my favorite destinations. Matt, Andrea, Noah and Charlie are so dear to us, and I know that there is nowhere else Sarah and her Mom would rather be on their birthday. For such a celebratory atmosphere, special desserts have become the norm. We did the same thing on Mother’s Day when we made Ice Cream Waffle Tacos. This time, it was caramel cashew sundaes on the menu along with two delicious cakes that Andrea made.
In all reality, this Sunday was a little different than what Sarah and I have become used to. We didn’t do all the cooking. In fact, the only “cooking” I did was going to the store with my father-in-law to get the ice cream and toppings! But the taste it left in our mouths was no less sweet.
It was a banner day filled with family, laughter and love. It’s hard to beat that.
