on turning twenty-seven...

birthday love from my man

(who will ALWAYS be older!!)

birthday drinks with my sister in-laws

(cousin/sister, same diff!)

rum barrel. cedar's patio. sunset over the columbia. warm breeze.

good company.

wesson oil cake.

my mom-in-law makes it and it is my favorite.

***************************

my friend Heather and her two adorable kiddos came to Kai's party at the pool.

when she arrived she handed me two gifts: one for Kai and one for ME!

i put the one for myself aside and it ended up in my purse where i didn't come across it again until i got home and was unpacking what felt like a gazillion
bags, cars, coolers, etc.

i found the square package and card
and opened them alone in the messy quiet of my kitchen.

the instant my eyes scanned the framed quote i burst into tears....

(she'd seen the quote on my Pinterest board!)

joyful tears, sentimental tears, thankful tears, tired tears.

that very quote defines this past year.

for once, my life wasn't all about me---or all about G.

i've spent every SINGLE of the last 365 days

giving my baby boy a warm bubbly bath and rocking and snuggling him to sleep at night...

feeding him, wiping his tears (among other things...), reading him stories, making him laugh and showering him with hugs and kisses.

that night that marked his first year i rocked him to sleep 

singing the same song

in the same rocker

but as i tucked him into his crib i found myself saying a different kind of prayer...

a prayer of thanks.

for a year of lessons learned

for friends. for moms. for sisters.

for G, who is the best Daddy.

 for the chance to know a love like this.

and with a kiss on his sweet smooth forehead i crept out of his room and across the hall to my bedroom, placed the frame on my bedside table and gave in to the emotions overflowing in my soul

and cried.