Lest We Forget

I got an email yesterday from Rod & Staff - a curriculum I use here and there, mostly for my pre-Kers. It was in part a reminder of a sale they have going on, but with it came a little poem that I wanted to post here to remember. I was not a little girl who had big dreams of career rand riches. I really and truly did always dream of a home and a family to call my own. But this poem still touched my heart. ;o)

“Lest We Forget”

She came tonight as I sat alone,
The girl I used to be...
And she gazed at me with her earnest eye
And questioned reproachfully:
Have you forgotten the many plans
And hopes that I had for you?
The great career, the splendid fame,
All the wonderful things to do?
Where is the mansion of stately height
With all of its gardens rare?
The silken robes that I dreamed for you
And the jewels in your hair?

And as she spoke, I was very sad
For I wanted her pleased with me...
This slender girl from the shadowy past,
The girl that I used to be.

So gently rising, I took her hand,
And guided her up the stair,
Where peacefully sleeping, my babies lay
Innocent, sweet, and fair.
And I told her that these are my only gems,
And precious they are to me;
That silken robe is my motherhood
Of costly simplicity.
And my mansion of stately height is love,
And the only career I know
Is serving each day in these sheltered walls
For the dear ones who come and go.

And as I spoke to my shadowy guest,
She smiled through her tears at me.
And I saw that the woman that I am now
Pleased the girl that I used to be.

—Author Unknown

Catching up...

So since I last posted about Finny's 8th birthday in January, we have had three birthdays around here.

On February 6th, Mr. Lellybug turned two. He wanted frogs so he got frogs. He loved them! We had a small family birthday and thoroughly enjoyed our sweet two year old boy. Punky, Finny and Goose all had a fine time helping me to set up his birthday gift display - a blue blanket "pond" complete with stuffed frogs and paper lily pads for his gifts. We went to the mall and he picked out his very own Build a Bear - a two year old tradition around here. Then we went out to dinner and the nice folks at Red Robin brought him an ice cream and sang to him. I love that after the song he tried to start up a conversation with one of the wait staff - a very friendly man who tried hard but still had NO idea what my sweet boy was trying to say to him. ;o)

On February 18th, our big boy Punky turned ten. 10. Yes - a whole decade of life! I could write a number of posts on how that feels as a Momma - but I'll spare you all that philosophical navel gazing. But to celebrate his big day - he had his first sleepover birthday party. He invited his two best friends and his other two best friends (meaning his brothers Finny (8) and Goose(5) as well as his two favorite age mates - Logan whom he's known since Logan was crawling and Punky was a sturdy 13 month old toddler, and L.C. who is a newer friend but dear to Punky's heart) and we went with a camping theme. I had so much fun setting up the party! S'mores, some survival skills training with their Daddy, a tent in the living room, a scavenger hunt in the rainy NW woods with their Daddy and one of the friend's Dads... it was all a ten year old boy could ever dream of and more. It was a great birthday, and he deserves it. We are blessed with one wonderful firstborn son! Of course we need to celebrate him big!

And just the other day, on March 16th, our sweet little Sweet Pea turned one year old. My baby is now a whole year old. I'm still in shock. But we had a wonderful birthday weekend. On Friday we just had a simple family day - she opened her two gifts, played with them and her siblings all day, and enjoyed her first whole cupcake that evening after our family pizza and movie night. It was a lovely day to reminisce and enjoy our sweet girl. All the children loved celebrating her and she clearly knew it was HER day.

In our family, we don't do too many big birthday parties, but we always do a big first birthday party. It was no different for this Sweet Pea of ours. We invited three families dear to our hearts whom we know and love and who have been with us and supporting us and loving Sweet Pea right along with us for her whole little life. I decided on a daisy and ladybug theme and had SO much fun planning for it and decorating for it! I got pretty paper for banners, cute stickers, lots of flowers, some cute daisy soaps for the sinks and party favors, and I even bought a hand made ladybug and daisy dress form Etsy. Very fun stuff! We really enjoyed having our friends over, and Sweet Pea was so happy to watch the action, having no idea all the fuss was over her own sweet self. ;o) I must say it touched my heart to have her hanging around me all afternoon - she wanted to be right near me, checking in and touching base the whole time our guests were here.

My sweet girl. I love that little blessing. And I love that she loves me as much as she does. What a gift!

So that is the end of our winter birthday blast. My hubby has the first spring birthday of the family, in 10 days. Then comes Girly Pie - but not until early May. Then Goose and I have the summer birthdays. So that gives me some time to rev up for more bday fun. We don't do big birthdays every year for everyone - but for some reason this year is lining up for a lot of big ones. A ten year old sleep over, an eight year old Big Day Out with Daddy, a big 1st birthday, and Girly Pie will be four - and in our house that is the first (and only, so far) "real" party, with friends over and games and real party-ish stuff like that. So I will have more fun stuff to plan pretty soon! At least Goose and Lellybug have less intense birthdays this year - so their days are smaller and simpler - more family focused. It is good to have both kinds, though. And I am just so blessed to have so much to celebrate every year!