Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!

My daughter (my baby girl!) had a birthday so my youngest son and I spent the weekend with her and her husband to celebrate. 

Of course, we came bearing her favorite cake, Raspberry Elegance.  It is one of my favorites as well.  She loves it so much her wedding cake was a bigger, more beautiful version of it!  Notice the candles?  That is what you get when the 16-year-old baby brother is in charge of putting them on the cake!  No, she isn't 62!

One of the treats we had was being able to go see my beautiful, smart, and talented daughter in action at her work. She also received some major brotherly love from the nefarious candle organizer!

The event we attended was sponsored by the hospital where my daughter works.  The day was kind of an end of the season/fall festival event which wrapped up with a showing of Beauty and the Beast during  "movie on the lawn night." It was fun to see my girl do her thing and see the results of her hard work.  Can you tell I am a little bit proud of her? 

The best way to describe what her birthday means to me is to say the day she was born, I changed...she made me a better person. She made me a Mom. I wouldn't trade that title or one single moment with my 3 amazing children for anything in the world.  I am blessed. 

Happy Birthday, baby girl!

You are so very loved!

Happy Birthday, baby boy...

 

How can I remember this day, buying this outfit and that sweet, soft blue blanket like it was yesterday? Maybe because the years seem to fly by faster and faster and I feel the shadow of adulthood all around?  This was my youngest son's 1 year photo.  We lived in New York at the time and I had a beast of a time finding anything semi-dressy.  My Southern Self was looking for something with smocking and preferably puffy pants but that was no where to be found in the New York where I was.  My youngest always loved to rub your ear (or his if no one was available)...if you sat next to him on the sofa or rocked him at night he would gently reach up and rub your ear lobe.  It was his connection and comfort.  I can remember seeing he and his older brother on the sofa watching TV and my youngest would be absent mindedly rubbing his brother's ear.  It was sweet, innocent and a way that I am sure bonded them together.  Today my baby boy turns 16 (at 9:09 PM to be exact) and he is at rehearsals for Beauty and the Beast, being produced by a local theater company. Before that he rushed home to get his new basketball and basketball shoes and was off to the Y before heading to rehearsals.  He is my renaissance man. I am excited to see the young man he is becoming.



But, I look at this face and I wonder...where did the time go?  Where did my little man go?  In his place stands an almost 6 foot tall amazement.  Today is bittersweet.  I am so thankful and happy for all he has done and is becoming but I miss that sweet baby in my arms.

 

I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.
1 Samuel 1:27 (NIV)

 



Happy Birthday!

Today is the day....the day that my first born baby boy turns 18.  I just can't believe it.  Though, to look at him he looks like a man, he has taken on the responsibilities of a man in many areas of life but I can still see that sweet, innocent baby boy in his eyes if I look quick enough.  I am proud of this young man and I know that God has big things planned for him.  He is becoming a real man, a rock that can also be a soft place to land.  I am blessed to have him in my life and my family.  I never knew 18 years ago what he would come to mean to our family years later...but God knew.  I love this sweet man.

Birthday Week!

Birthday week….yes, I said week.  I probably should have said month because my baby girl has always had a way of spreading it out for the whole month.  This week my first born baby turned 23.  That is a real, grown up number…23.

I can’t begin to find the right words to express what she means to me and has since the very first day I found out she was on her way.  That day changed me and changed my life.  Then on the day she was born something amazing happened to my whole world.  It just seemed more beautiful and love more plentiful.  She made me want to be a better person and I wanted her to have a life filled with joy and love.  I knew that day that I would do anything to make that happen.

This last year she has had to take care of me though, more than I have taken care of her.  She has had to lead me through some dark days, even when she was dying inside.  She has fought for me like no one else ever has.  Little did I know 23 years ago how much I would need her one day.  I am so grateful for the blessing that God created and shared with me  in this beautiful, smart, talented and strong young woman.  

Happy Birthday Week, my sweet girl!

P.S. Please pop back a post and throw your suggestions in for my new blog name and enter my give-away!