Rappy Rirthday!

Baby Girl turned 5 last week. FIVE, I say! Okay, so it wasn't like a surprise or anything. I mean I was there for the birth and well that was...1...2...3...4...yea, 5 years ago. That's really one of those things you don't forget. But still......FIVE! She's been anticipating this birthday for well on a year now. Five is apparently going to be an awesome year. It's the year you start eating vegetables and all those other yucky foods you've refused to go near for pretty much your whole life, ya know. Seriously, she's been promising for a year now that "when I'm five" the vegetable/fruit/variousyuckyfood eating will begin. She's proving to be a girl of her word and has started eating corn & grapes and even tried a bite of steak earlier this week. We are so proud.



The 5 year old on the morning of her birthday before school.

Baby Girl has developed a love for Scooby Doo over the last year. I can't tell you how happy this has made The Man and I. I mean you can only watch Dora for so long. Getting to watch cartoons you actually enjoy and feel nostalgic for is a lovely thing. Due to her love of the fraidy cat dog, naturally a Scooby themed cake was called for BUT "the whole gang" had to be on it. Oh the joy when we found a cake that not only had "the whole gang" but even included the treasured Mystery Machine. Pure birthday bliss, I tell ya!

The much loved cake.

Yay, presents. :)

We love you, Baby Girl! We hope 5 is full of love, happy memories and vegetables. And may God bless you always.

Stand in the Rain

I peeked out the window before heading up the hill to get the kidlets this afternoon. It was cloudy and windy but it seemed a safe bet that it wouldn't rain in the next 15 or so minutes so I took off on foot. Approximately 2 minutes after reaching the bus stop I felt the drips and drops starting to fall. A neighbor drove by and I waved. A minute or so later the rain went from drips and drops to a few drops shy of a downpour. And there I stood. I contemplated for a nanosecond whether or not I had time to run back home and get the car. No, I probably didn't. So I thought I'd just stand there in the rain and enjoy a moment straight from childhood. It didn't last more than a minute or two before the neighbor that had driven by just minutes before came to my rescue and offered to let me sit in her car until the bus arrived. And so we sat and chatted about rain and kids and school until the kids got off the bus and she drove us home. And now I am dry and thankful for good neighbors who step in so we don't always have to stand in the rain.

New Chapter

Fourteen days ago I sent both my kids off to their first day of school. My oldest was off to her first day of 3rd grade and my baby girl to her first day of Kindergarten. I've had a few years to adjust to my oldest being in school. Don't get me wrong, I miss her every single day and I cried buckets full her first day of Kindergarten. However, I've had some time to adjust. But now it's time for me to adjust again. I didn't even make it out of the school building on the morning of August 13th before the tears came. I quickly ducked into a bathroom after both kids were safely in their classrooms, kissed and wished a wonderful first day. There, in that bathroom, I just let the tears flow awhile. Once composed I went to my car and just let those tears flow a little more. Walking out of the school without baby girl holding my hand just didn't seem right. Coming home and baby girl not being there to ask me to snuggle with her for a little while left me feeling rather lost. And then again, walking up the hill to meet the bus alone made it clear that life was changing. But even with the sadness, it's really such a wonderful and exciting time. We are blessed as mothers to be able to let go of our children a little at a time. I get little opportunities to let them go and try out their wings but for now at least they are still coming back home to me.

I have found this song to be such a blessing and encouragement to me these past couple of weeks. Enjoy!




And I can't talk about the first day of school without sharing some photos.
Sisters ready to go.


Getting baby girl settled into her classroom.

Sissy is ready for 3rd Grade

As I was waiting for the bus to arrive and drop my two favorite little girls off my neighbor drove by on her way home and stopped to talk. She commented on my standing there alone and said she remembered when her youngest went to Kindergarten. She said it felt like you were turning the page in a book to a new chapter. And that's exactly where we are as a family. This is our new chapter.