Flashback Friday

HAPPY 12th BIRTHDAY, DANNY!!!!!!!!!

My sister, Jenny, had Danny 12 years ago today and from that moment he has been one of the most special people in my life. I missed being at the birth because I was at church camp- Camp Christian, but I remember the moment that I found out that he had come into the world like it was yesterday. We were all sitting in the mess hall and one of the camp counselors got up to make the announcement. I was so proud to hear that my big sister had just given birth to a healthy baby boy named Daniel Robert. I started to cry and everyone congratulated me as if I had just had a baby. I had to wait three days before I would meet him, but it didn't take long for us to become fast friends. I was also lucky and proud to be chosen to be his Godmother. Danny's dad is a firefighter and worked a lot of 24 hour shifts. Lucky for me, I think, because Jenny spent a lot of time at home with mom and me. Danny was a snuggler and loved to be held and I loved to hold him. As he got older, he and I would play all the time. I know it's probably "not cool" for a twelve year old to admit to his friends that he still plays with his crazy Aunt Jodi, but he does. We always have a helluva time, too! When I left Ohio to follow my dream in NYC, the two hardest people to leave were Danny and his brother Jake. Danny fell asleep in my arms (at Red Lobster) the night before I left and it was so hard to let go. When I put him in the car I bawled like a baby. I knew that by leaving them I wasn't going to get to see them all that often and it meant they would grow up without me. Well, grow up they have. Danny is one year from being a teenager and Jake is almost a whole decade and they are both fine young men that I am sure will turn out to be even finer adults.This was in 2003 either Thanksgiving or Christmas (I can't remember which), but I was tired from the flight and these two little guys decided to hang with Aunt Jodi even though she was too tired to play.

This was my sister's family vacation to NYC. We were outside Castle Clinton waiting to go to Ellis Island. Me and Danny (pictured), Jake behind the lens (a budding photographer).

This is Danny at his 11th Birthday Party!

Danny, I hope you have a fabulous birthday and know that I would love to be there to watch you make a wish and blow out those candles. Just know that on many birthdays when I was young, I wished that I would come to NYC to follow my dream and it happened. You can make your dreams come true, too. Dream big, and today wish big! I love you!