wonderful wednesday and Happy 15th Emilie Elaine!

What's goin' on in your neck of the woods?

yes, those are piles of blankets behind him...those lazy homeschooled children know that they are supposed to clean up after themselves before starting their days. when oh WHEN will this sink in?

little hands that looooove to play trains...

so glad to see that you have pants on, Mr.

This is Molly, in her class at the Y...with one of the girls that cares for her...Nicole. they are behind the big, smeared up glass window, hence the glare on Petunia's head. We really appreciate the girls that care for Molly, Nora, Piper, and Levi...they are all very nice and Amber (who isn't pictured here) always does Molly's hair...in the cutest little piggy tails. Thank you, folks! It IS fun to play at the Y-M-C-A!! o yes!

~~well, well, well......

really, there is nothing to mention...

no pictures have been taken, well, not ones that I'm able to put up on the Internet anyways.

___________________________________

Ohhh, but I've forgotten...David's little sister Emilie turned 15 yesterday...we have lots of birthdays right at the beginning of March and they ALWAYS sneak up on me. always. every year.

So, Emilie, here are a few pix of ya, from the archives...I really need to dig up some really old ones...but I'll do that later....

This is Emilie, very left..dying Easter eggs with us almost FOUR years ago!

here she is with a good portion of her nieces and all of her nephews....

with brand-new Molly

Happy Birthday to you (belated), Happy Birthday to you (sorry so late), Happy Birthday, dear Emilie, Happy Birthday to you!!

Are you really FIFTEEN? that just doesn't seem possible.

She was born late into a Wednesday evening, early Thursday morning (3/3/94) in that year...in the start of our fourth month of marriage, and also, consequently the same day I took a prego test and found out I'd be birthin' a baby six months from then...I remember vividly all the feelings and thoughts that I experienced, being around her, meeting the midwives of my Mom in law, who would lovingly become my midwives...and it doesn't seem possible that I've gone on, since that day, to have FIVE of the most awesome natural birthing experiences, Five of the MOST awesome kids...

and I can't help but feel a tad melancholy because that season in my life is over.

don't get me wrong, folks. I'm relieved, blessed, glad that it is. but it's bittersweet.

that's all. Emilie, this is what I always "feel" when your birthday rolls around...it reminds me of birth and beginnings, journeys.

More later...gotta go plug in the diffuser of Eucalyptus for hacking, itching, coughing children. Oh, spring, please be around the corner.

Night!

Happy Birthday, Emilie!

Emilie was born on the exact evening that I found out that I would be having a baby (Will) in October of that same year, 1994. My mom in law had her at home, which was a new, yet exciting idea to me, and the next morning, after the safe delivery of the 10 pound baby girl, mom's midwife, MA, talked to me about having our baby at home as well. I was sold right off the bat. Which I think is a total peace that God gave to me, being the youngling that I was (21 at the time. yikes)!!
Back to Em...David and I were living in my in-laws basement apartment at the time of her birth. I got to be around her a bit in her first few months...which was cool and scary because I couldn't imagine David and I with a tiny baby. We moved back to Indiana when she was 5 mos. old and I had Willy Nilly two months later...so though we've lived at least 2 hours from them for the past 13.5 years, the kids have been quite close to their auntie in spite of the geographical distance.
Emilie, here's to you! May the Lord bless your life, and we hope you continue to grow in His grace, serving Him with your life, for that is the only way to true, deep, real JOY! Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday, Dear Emilie, Happy Birthday to YOU! sorry you will be seeing this after the fact.