Happy birthday, Lauren Elizabeth!

Today my oldest turns 33. I still remember her being born upon old Henry Huepenbecker’s birthday and he modestly suggested we really ought name her Henrietta! Rosalee, his wife, would have approved. But she ended up being named with my beloved wife’s middle name and my dear Aunt Fanny’s middle name. She’s ONLY thirty-three but I am staggered by how much she’s fit into her life. She’s a super mom (downright crunchy) and a pastor’s wife and as down to earth as they come. She homeschools and is a huge Charlotte Mason fan. She manages to ride herd on six children, and never seems to get flustered (yes, despite that, she truly is my daughter). Even though she likes making plans, she just rolls with the punches when God tears her plans up and does things a totally different way. She is a great older sister too as both her siblings will attest. In fact, her only real defect as a daughter is that she never really could be convinced to scratch my back. I usually could get the other two to do it without issue, and I’ve trained her kids already fairly well too by now. But despite that serious character flaw, happy birthday, Lauren!!!! You know that we love you more than our luggage.