Happy Birthday Julie!

This is a picture of Maya and my step mom, Julie. Today is Julie’s birthday, and I wish we could be there to share a piece of cake with her to celebrate. Julie and my dad live in Portland, and have a beautiful house and a pretty good life there.

Julie owns a yoga studio, and has been teaching yoga for about 35 years. She’s without question the best yoga instructor in the Pacific Northwest, so if you’re ever in the market for a really good yoga class in Portland, check her studio out.

In addition to being a wonderful yoga instructor, and a pretty savvy businesswoman, Julie is a wonderful wife for my dad. I’m so glad that they met and fell in love (he was a student in her class), because they seem very well suited for each other, and like they make each other very happy. She’s also a good friend and family member to me…she has always opened her house and her heart, and freely gives of herself. When we go to visit my dad and Julie, we are completely spoiled…a good part of any vacation. 😉 And, of course, she’s a wonderful grandmother to Maya and her cousins. Julie never had children of her own, so being able to be a grandma has been a wonderful experience for her, a chance for her to really be involved in the childrens’ lives, and they all adore her. It doesn’t seem to confuse Maya at all to have so many grandparents…She has Granny (my mom), Grammy (Julie), Ma (Ted’s mom), Grandma (my Grandmother Ward), Grandma Wells (my Grandmother Wells), Gramps (my dad), Grandpa (Ted’s father, now deceased), and Grandad (Ted’s step dad) . That’s a lucky girl there, with so much family to love her.

Happy Birthday, Julie (even though you don’t read blogs…), and we are very thankful and fortunate to have you in our lives.