Happy 2nd Birthday Benaiah

Hey B happy birthday big boy! You have SO much energy. I think you just run around, dance, and throw balls all day long. You love to play catch and tackle me. You call me and your didi's meanie a lot. It is pretty cute. You love anything with adventure. You love for me to throw you on the bed, you love to go fast on your bike and aren't scared of anything. 

You have been doing swim lessons this year and you cry every time you have a lesson. lol. You love to have me cuddle you every night until you go to sleep and then you come down to our bed every night to cuddle with me and mommy. Today you started punching me and telling me you were going to fight me. I'm not sure where you learned that but it's cute. 

You love to pray every night before bed and you say AMEN and do the sign langue and pound your fist when you are done. You love to have hot milk at night and parlage with you coffee every morning. I hope that you'll grow to be a great brother for your sisters and that you'll always love and protect them. I love you so much Benaiah and can't wait to see what this next year has in store for you. Love daddy. 

Happy 4th Miss Isha

 Oh my little Isha. You are only 4 years old but you sure have a lot of spunk and attitude! No one is going to boss you around in life I don't think. I love seeing how you make angry eyes and me but then 5 minutes later you want to cuddle or have a hug. 

You often times go back and forth between calling me a mean dad or the best dad ever ;-) It's pretty funny to see how much personality you have. I can't wait to see what that looks like as you get older. You have become an AWESOME bike rider this year. You've had some nasty falls but you keep getting up and going again. That is the way I was as a kid too. Nothing could keep me off my bike and I loved going fast. You are the same way. You will probably do some cool but scary things in life :) 

I love it when you and Kiran join me and Afsana on our runs too. It really is fun to have you biking along and being our leader. I've also seen you and B become best play mates this year. He loves being with you and playing with his big sister. You always look out for him and I appreciate that. Oh I almost forgot how much Peloton you are doing these days. You love to do it and we even setup your own profile. You told me the other day how many great lady instructors you had on there to chose from. Maybe one day you'll be a Peloton instructor too. I love you so much Isha and hope you have a great middle year at Highlawn. 

Always remember Jesus loves you too and He wants to have a relationship with you. That is the most important thing in life. It is what keeps me going and carries me through the hard times. Love you my little Isha. Daddy. 

Happy 6th Birthday Kiran

 Dear Kiru,

Sorry for the late post here :( Mommy is much better at getting these posted at your birthday date than I am. Anyways your 6th year has been awesome so far. You finished up at Highlawn. I know having to quit early with Covid was not your first choice but you sure learned a lot there and did a great job. You became such a great reader and really good at math too. 

You also have become an awesome biker and swimmer this year. I got to take you on the mountain bike trail at Leawood Park and you did awesome. It was fun to see you take  the jumps and enjoy them. I hope we can do that some more. You are also such a good little fish in the water now. I hope you and Afsana can do swim team together next year. I know you'll do awesome. 

It's been really fun watching what a great didi you are to Benaiah. I know you love to cuddle him and put him to sleep at night. He really enjoys it too. You really are a great protector for him and I'm glad he has such great sisters. You graduated from the Loft class at Jacobs Well this year too. I'll miss having you in my class but I really enjoyed our time together. You always remembered the lessons and the memory verses that we did each week. I pray that you'll continue to grow in your love and relationship with Jesus. I really think that is the most important thing in life. 

I'm excited to see how first grade goes for you at Brookwood this year. I know you must be a little nervous starting but I think you'll do just awesome! Happy birthday sweetie pie and know that Daddy loves you so much! 

Happy 9th Birthday Afsana from Daddy

Dear Afsana aka A Tod,

Wow it's crazy that you are 9 years old already. I remember the year you were born in 2011. I had just started my business, graduated from UMass with my MBA and then here came this big head of hair from my little Afsana! You were a bundle of energy right from the start. 

One thing I remember a lot is that you didn't like to go to sleep alone. I used to have to hold you every night until you got into a deep sleep. Then I would try to lay you down so softly so you would not wake up :) 

This last year has been full of adventures with you. You got to try water skiing for the first time at Table Rock Lake. You were so close to getting up all the way. I think if we had a little more time you would have made it for sure! 

Covid19 came this year and you had to stay home from school after spring break and you are still home now 6 months later. But we did get to start our own daddy/daughter running club. I'm so glad you decided to run with me. I really do love running with you and getting a chance to have time together to talk and enjoy the beautiful outdoors. 

Hopefully we can do our 5k race in October together. I've also really loved seeing you have more of an interest in Jesus. You did such a great job praying at Jacobs Well a few weeks ago. I know you were so sincere in what you prayed and you really took that task seriously. A relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in life I believe. It is what will give you strength to get through hard times and will lead to joy and peace in your life. It doesn't mean things will always be easy, because they will not. But you will have someone by your side that will never leave you. 

So I hope that you continue to learn and pursue Jesus more and my prayer is that you know Him. I love you so much Afsana. You are my first daughter and that is such a special gift that God chose for you. You get to pave the way for your other two sisters and brother. I hope you will always care for and love them. Hugs and kisses from Daddy. 

Happy 9th birthday Afsana!

Dearest Afsana,

Happiest of birthdays to you!  You have grown so much this year!!  You finished off swim team so well last summer, had a great start to 3rd grade, albeit with a broken foot.  You have been living through a pandemic and have maintained great joy.  You are also learning about racial disparities and even wrote a letter Trump about your thoughts on racism.  One of my favorite things is you have been super helpful in the kitchen!  I have enjoyed spending time with you and talking with you while cooking and making parathas/rotis together.  You also often make pancakes regularly for the family and you learned to make chai during the quarantine and have brought me countless cups of chai...it brings me joy and feels so good to have my daughter care for me this way.
You continue to be a great example and teacher to your siblings and you genuinely care and love them so well.  Your piano playing blesses our home with precious music, especially the hymns and hindi music.  I’m so so proud of who you are Afsana!  You live and love passionately And adventurously, you are kind, very generous, intelligent, a great debater 😂, and beautifully creative!

I pray you will know Jesus this year, you will feel the depths of his love, and her desire to follow him.
I love you so very much my lovely beti,

Mummy

Happy 2nd birthday Benaiah!

Dear Benaiah,

Happy second birthday! You are a true gift to our family. We are so thankful for you. You love to cuddle, snuggle up, still love your skin to skin especially with mommy, flying kisses, and you are so loving. You are also rough, playful, and love to play with all the balls. You are good at throwing and catching balls.  You especially love football  and you wear your Mahomes jersey every single day, you even get it out of the laundry to put it on and you try to get daddy to wear his every day. You LOVE music and dance to any beat!  You have great dance moves and rhythm.  We celebrated your birthday one day early on Sunday and we all wore our chiefs shirts for you. We are still on coronavirus lockdown so we had a drive-by parade and a party outside with just our family for you. I got you a bubble lawnmower which you loved.  All your didiya love and spoil you.  You love being with them!  We love hearing you say “Didi”  You are chill and happy.  We adore you so much!

I pray you know God’s love for you more than anything and that you know He loves you and we love you for you and not because of what you do or don’t do.

Loads of love,

Mummy

Happy 4th birthday Isha!!

My dearest Ishu,

Happy 4th birthday!  Unfortunately this is a weird day because we are social distancing due to Coronavirus so we couldn’t go to Ruby Mausi’s home as we planned or have a party.  But we made a princess dress cake, daddy got you a balloon, and your sisters made you a crown and chocolate and have given you the royal treatment.  We had a virtual birthday party for you too!

You seriously are so joyful!  You smile all the time!  You tell us quickly if you like something and always thank us for things we do for you.  You do like to be a boss which I love!  You tell us how we should drive or other things we should do.  Isha you are such a good helper too!  You peel garlic like a pro!! You admire your didiyan so much and love going to school with Kiran.  You and Benaiah have recently become friends and love chasing and playing together, you also like getting him in trouble.

Mrs. Doolittle says you are a super smart and wonderful student and is so proud of you, as are well!

I pray this year you will continue to grow in your prayer life with Jesus.  You often are the first to pray and pray with devoutness and sincerity.  I pray you will know the depth of love Jesus has for you and that he may be your pillar.

Love you so much! To the Chanda mama and back!!

Mummy

Happy 6th birthday Kiru!!

Meri pyari Kiran,

You are still our ray of sunshine!  You sense my sadness or even my longing for my mom and you come hug me or say I love you.  You are quiet and tender hearted.  There are things you are stubborn about but those are few :)

You have been a great Didi to Isha at school, she adores you.  Afsana has been teaching you piano and she has been so sweet with you!  You are amazing!!! at the violin...I am blown away!  You have a very tender way with Benaiah.  You started BSF and do your homework so diligently!  You are one of the best readers in class and Mrs. Doolittle thinks you are just the best student.  Daddy loves how you help him with building things around the house.

I am so excited for you to be 6!  I am praying that you learn and feel God’s love for you in a deep way, that you start talking to Him and having a relationship with Him, and that you grown in His ways of wisdom and love and become confident in who God has made you.  I love you so very much and happy birthday my sweet caramel brown sugar honey Kiran!

Mummy