Judah's One!

Judah's birthday is today!

We celebrated on Monday eve. We drove over to Nena and Papa's (a 20 min. drive)

and enjoyed some fajitas and then birthday cake!

I think he liked it.

On the car ride home, we all sang to 'Hey Jude'.

Happy Birthday, Judah James!

Mother's Day

We had a great day. Missing handsome hubby (who has been gone for the past several days on business), made Mother's Day not quite the same, but I was treated royally by my little ones.

While baby took a nap, I enjoyed working in the garden all day. Then Sophie directed me to a spot in the front yard. Here she had been working hard too. To my astonishment I find:

a chair to rest

muffin and ice water to enjoy

bouquet of flowers to hold

basin of water and lotion for my feet

and a handmade umbrella to give me shade.

What a special Mother's Day. I am truly blessed.

Looking Heavenward

Today is Samantha's birthday. I stayed busy today, purposefully, trying to ignore that lingering lump in the throat. She would have been 2 years old today. The ache of the mother's heart doesn't go away. When I miss her the most, I think how wonderful it is that I know where she is. I didn't 'lose' a baby. She is with the merciful Saviour.

I once scorned ev'ry fearful thought of death,
When it was but the end of pulse and breath,
But now my eyes have seen that past the pain
There is a world that's waiting to be claimed.
Earthmaker, Holy, let me now depart,
For living's such a temporary art.
And dying is but getting dressed for God,
Our graves are merely doorways cut in sod.

Calvin Miller, The Divine Symphony (Minneapolis: Bethany, 2000),

The Zoo

Deciding to go to the zoo one more time before our membership expired, we headed of on a cloudy Tuesday. It was warm but it rained off and on all day. What a great time to go! We had it practically to ourselves. I resolved to go on more days like this.