Happy Birthday Erin

Erin is my youngest daughter.

Today is her birthday.

She was a precious child.

She was an exemplary teenager

As a young adult she went to Ghana, Africa all on her own to teach the deaf children in sign language. She saw that there was great need because the teachers there did not know sign language or how to teach deaf children.
She encouraged the teachers to attend sign language classes which she taught.
She wrote curriculum for the children.
She founded Signs of Hope International.
She has returned to Africa year after year taking interns to teach at the deaf schools and supplies with her.
The children at the deaf school love her. They have passed on the story of how she first came there on her own and lived in a shack with no running water...and loved them...and taught them.
Now that she is a new mom she can't be going back and forth to Africa.
Others have taken over the leadership of the organization she founded....
...but the children and I will always be amazed at the courage and love it took for my Erin to travel to a far away land because she learned there was a need and she felt prompted to go
there and do what she could to make things better.

Now she is a devoted wife and mother

After years of waiting for a child , our prayers were answered when Erin and Patrick adopted little Calan.
They make wonderful parents for this little boy.
Erin has always wanted to be a mom....and she loves every minute of it.
...
Happy Birthday dear daughter

We all love you dearly

I wish that we were there with you today, like we were last year, to help you blow out your candles.

You are very dear to us....as you always have been...Dad and I wish you a very happy birthday and a great year ahead.

Thank you for being our precious daughter.

Love, Mom