Party Time

Here are some of the kids at the most fantastic birthday party for one of One's friends. This is the friend from church who lost his brother a few weeks ago. The funeral and burial were the week of his actual birthday, so friends from church waited a while and then decided to give him and his family something to celebrate. I was the minimalist participant: I brought drinks. Everyone else went to town. We had a 4' tall cake with 2 soccer fields and a soccer ball on top, we had a jumpy house/castle/water slide, we had a slushy machine, we had a Houston Dynamos team member come and play soccer with the birthday boy, and finally, once it was dark, we had a Sponge Bob pinata that was at least 3' x 3'. One put SB's eye out: that's my boy!

On the drive home One pronounced it "the best birthday party I've ever been to." The kids all played well together, lots of pizza was eaten, and lots of chattering, laughing and singing in both Spanish and English. Two was moved to such generosity by the event that he gave all his pinata candy away to the moms who stayed inside to clean up during the pinata-whacking. I enjoyed the whole thing almost as much as the boys; I made some new friends of my own, and really enjoyed talking and helping alongside some amazing moms (hi Susan, Liz, Lisa, J, Kathy and Beth!).

I know that 3 hours doesn't do much to erase what's happened to this family. But to watch loving people gather together to help create good memories among the bad was a beautiful, Godly thing. I love my church - I love these people - because they try to capture what is loving and good in this world and then give it away to others. It is the best way of expressing Christian faith that I've found, and I'm so grateful to be a part of it.