A cupcake party!

We celebrated Brielle's first birthday with a cupcake party on Sunday afternoon!  Here are a few pictures of the festivities!

Here is the giant cupcake. I was pleased with how it turned out.  It was lemon cake with a blackberry filling and blackberry buttercream icing.  Sorry to all the party-goers but it tasted even better the next day!

Here's the birthday girl.  Natalie, of course, had to help blow out the candle.

Brielle was intrigued by the texture of the icing.

After I held it up to her mouth she realized it also tasted good!  She pretty much consumed that whole cupcake.  I'm disappointed that I didn't get a picture of the consumption!

Here we are post consumption :)

On the day of her birthday we gave her a first taste of an ice cream cone (to make Mamaw and Pappy Lehman proud).  It was, of course, a hit!

 Here she is with one of her presents.

Happy Birthday, Baby Brielle!

My baby turned one today.  How does that happen?  That little baby that has kept us on our toes since day one.  The one the doctors could not find in the beginning, the one that danced around in my belly, the one that arrived five weeks early.  The tiny little girl that slept away her first days, weeks, almost months. The girl with the blue eyes that did not go away and the blonde hair that began to sprout.  That baby that began to laugh with her eyes, her smile, her whole belly.  The one that started to move and explore and just won't stop.  My sweet, sweet girl.  How much delight you bring to our lives.  Happy birthday!

Follow -Up

I've been sitting here for a little too long trying to figure out how to follow up my last post. I was so encouraged and challenged and a bit overwhelmed by the response.  I really am surrounded by so many super women! I know deep down that I am not alone in this journey, but sometimes it's so easy to forget and to just keep moving on alone. Thank you for letting me see into many of your hearts and souls.  Please challenge me to allow you to see into mine as well.  I did not clean my bathrooms today, I was frustrated  with my girls (and acted out of that frustration) a time or two, but I loved and I lived and I will go for it again tomorrow.  Thanks for coming with me!

Stirrings

So many things have been stirring in my heart over the past weeks.  So, I go about all these things I do.  Loving my kids (and I wish I was better at that all the time), loving my husband (again, so not perfectly), cleaning my house, buying groceries, cooking food, a little sleep, a little media (a little less recently - working on that) and that seems like a day.  And all these stirrings get pushed to another time and place.  Meanwhile, souls are hurting; dreams are dying; children are growing up (way too fast!). And in the quiet of the evenings and those little in between moments in my day I'm left wondering, "what is all this about?"  All these things I do? And all these things I do not? Stirrings.

In the middle of this I feel beaten down.  My self esteem is hit to the core.  I feel unimportant and unattractive, and misunderstood.  And I don't write this so the compliments can be heaped on.  I'm ok.  I recognize the work of the enemy.  I write this because I know I'm not alone.  This enemy is not just after me.  He's after you.   He's after the woman that in your mind is perfect.  He's after the woman that you know is imperfect.  He wants us all.  Why do we keep buying it?

So many times recently I've heard women list their accomplishments only to downplay them in the next breathe.  I get it.  I've done it.  But here's the thing - maybe you really are Super Mom, or Super Wife, or Super Woman.  Not perfect anybody, but Super.  I know you yelled at your kids, and you were short with your husband, and you didn't clean your bathrooms.  I'm there far too many days also (and let's work on that together), but if you woke up, and you loved (not perfectly, but intentionally), and you lived I think you were pretty super.  Let's do it again tomorrow and work on those areas that need it, but allow grace to cover it all.

And maybe most importantly, let's be real.  With the beauty and with the pain.  Let's list our accomplishments with pride and share our failures with integrity.  We are not perfect, but if we are trying at all I believe we are being perfected.  Let's reach out.  I might not know that there is pain behind your eyes, or fear hidden behind your words, but really the only thing that is stopping me from finding out is my own fear and my own pride.  So I'm being stirred.  To seek, to find.  Please join me.

Summer Produce

This is the fresh produce that ended up on my counter yesterday evening.  Blessed!  My girls go through fruit (er, um food in general - I have two really good eaters on my hands!)  like crazy, which I love until I look at my grocery budget :)  My mom also helped me can some tomato juice.  I love summertime!

Here's one of my good little eaters.  Cannot believe she will have a birthday in two weeks - gasp!!

Happy Saturday!

A Purple Party

Natalie decided months ago that she wanted to celebrate her 3rd birthday with a purple party.  I thought it might be a fun theme, so we ran with it!  Here's a peek at the festivities.  A highlight for Natalie was that all of her cousins were there and the party was at Grammy and Pappy's which was a must for her!

We asked all the guests to come dressed in purple! Here are 3 of Natalie's special cousins.

Cake and candy!

The giant 3!  It looks a little gray, but really it's "hyacinth" :)

Amirah and her party hat

Time to eat!

I decided to make a purple ombre cake and was happy with how it turned out

The birthday girl with her cake and ice cream.  

There are always a lot of present helpers :)

My mom made this adorable dress for her.  Natalie was quite pleased with herself in it.

Cousins!

Happy birthday, Natalie Jade. 

Happy 3rd Birthday, Natalie Jade!

This morning is one of those times when I wish I could make time stand still... just a little.  My baby girl is three and growing and changing so fast that sometimes I'm afraid I can't keep up.  I can't be intentional enough; I can't seize all these moments.  She is a beautiful girl.  Sometimes I am struck by her beauty, inside and out, and wonder how it is that she was gifted to us.

Natalie, thank you so much for being you.  You have changed our lives in so many ways.  You have taught us how to love in a way I never thought possible.  I love your mind - how you think and analyze and think some more.  I love how to you the world is black and white.  And even though I know that perspective will be rocked as you grow older ,I pray you never lose your sense of justice.  I think you will be a justice fighter.  From day one, I've said you have a big voice - don't ever let it grow quiet.  Continue to ask the questions no one can answer.

You are beautiful on the outside - those eyes, those curls!  But never forget your true beauty lies within you.  You are a daughter of the Most High and have been created by Him for Him.  I love the beauty within you.  How you long to help and serve others.  You are so sweet with your sister.  You test the limits, but I know you will always take care of her.  The other day I walked into your room and she had her head on your lap and I knew the two of you would be ok together.  Thank you.

Thank you for your "I love you so much" hugs; for your songs; and made up words; for the way you lose yourself in playing anytime, anywhere.

Happy birthday, sweet girl!  Thanks for rocking my world.