She's 17!

This last kiddo; she makes us laugh and think and defend and dream. She's driven and spirited and oh so very kind.

Because Yessa is in a very busy place with classes right now, she decided a muted celebration was in order for her birthday day. She and I walked to the Vegan Butcher near us for sandwiches and cookies.

We watched a movie (Slumberland), talked about what she wants to do when we celebrate her birthday next week after she gets through a test and a project, and before Monkey and I headed off to an event on-campus, she opened the couple presents she had received.

She was thrilled with the books her Nashville cousin M had picked out for her, and the gifts brought back from Kenya by her grandparents were another hit.

She also received the much-loved birthday singing phone call from her Iowa Grandma.

There's a present from this Grandma waiting for her with my bins of items I had to store in Iowa. That will extend the birthday even longer.

Next week will bring a cake and dinner out and other gifts from us, but it was good to celebrate in some small way on the true birthday. She was a gift of joy in the midst of all the sorrow 17 years ago, and she continues to be a gift everyday.