Lizzy's 2nd Birthday

We celebrated Lizzy's 2nd Birthday last weekend with family and a few friends! 

We had a fun little day celebrating a super sweet (and somewhat sleepy) Lizzy Lou!

 We didn't have a set "theme" for the party. I used our pink and yellow Moderntone dishes here and there, did a few labels to match her invitations. We served barbecue for lunch and with Miss Daisy's Frozen Cherry Salad, chips and a strawberry Southern Lady cake from Edgar's. I also made strawberry cupcakes with buttercream frosting. Now that this is my 5th kid's party I have learned kids LOVE cupcakes, regardless of how delicious your "big cake" is-- a party isn't a party without cupcakes. 

I also spent a total of $7 on flowers on this party thanks to the abundance of daffodils we inherited when we bought the original house here. They bloomed just a week before the party so the timing was perfect. 

 My favorite part of my kid's parties--the singing!

 Lizzy loved her back pack. She also loved the 7 swim suits she got! Nothing like a Spring Break birthday to get you ready for fun in the sun!

 It rained all day. Jay spent a good portion of party time peeking outside and lobbying to go play in the mud. (I did finally give in once Lizzy went to sleep around 3:30, there are no pictures but the cousins along with Edy all had a ball in the mud. Party clothes be darned.)

 End of party pics and the guest of honor was all tuckered out. 

We started her big day with a doughnut breakfast and Lizzy doing what Lizzy does. 

And after a brief, but much needed nap Lizzy got to play in the mud with Kelsey and Jay. 

We kept Kelsey for the week so these three got to play with all of the new toys. 

I can't forget that Friday we celebrated the start of her birthday weekend!

Daddy and Jay surprised Lizzy with an ice cream cake on Friday night to start things off right. 

She blew out those candles like a pro!

If Only I Could Be Just Like Her

A joy. A blessing. So happy. 

That is always how we describe Lizzy.

Peaceful. Easy. Sweet.

And how other people describe her, too.

It's true. Virtually every moment my sweet daughter is overflowing with joy. Giggles come freely and smiles seem to never stop. 

She is always concerned when someone around her is not happy and does her very best to share her joy and peace with them.

I want to be just like her.

Just weeks away from turning two and in so many ways she is the woman I want to be. 

If only I could exude joy and peace, happiness and light all around so that everyone described me as
peaceful. 

Joyful.

A blessing. 

We are the same. Created in the image of our Creator, bound by grace to our Heavenly Father and have no reason to be unhappy.

We're all just like Lizzy. Or at least we can be.

I can remember at time when a divinely gifted teacher told his class of teenagers-creative and emotional, ready to set the world on fire, angsty and hormonal-to close our eyes and picture a younger version of ourselves. He told us to go back in time in our minds and look at the child versions of ourselves and admire that young person for all that he or she was.

Before we were spoiled. Before we learned about hurt, grief or disappointment. 

Before we understood guilt, envy and self-defeat.

Before we saw too much, heard too much and absorbed too much of life in this world. 

I remember this exercise so vividly when I look at my nearly-two-year-old with eyes filled with wonder. Her belly laughs and tender feelings, soft hand holding and a presence that is comforting in itself. 

She is the me I envisioned that day. She is the me that knows to love her neighbor  and be slow to anger. She is the me that lets go and forgives just as I have been forgiven.

She is the me I long to be.

She is so filled with love and peace-just as she was intended to be. Just like me.

Just like you.

She's happy and honest and real and never needs to be anything else.

She's confident and smart and observant  and uses these gifts as gifts and not weapons. 

She's filled with a spirit of light and it's contagious. 

Regardless of what's happened in my life--or yours--we're all just like her.

When we strip away the experiences, the hurt, the twists and turns if life, the battles and the battle scars--we're all the same. 

Made for the same purpose-according to His purpose.

Overflowing with good, working for the good. 

Forgiving and forgiven.

Loving and truly, deeply, unbelievably loved.

Lights shining in the glory of He who is the light of the world. 

She's who I want to be. She has what I want for all of us.

No fear, doubt or shame. No hurt, bitterness or blame.

Just Happiness. Joy. Peace. Love. Kindness.

Do You LOVE Snow, Mom??

Yes, Jay I love snow.....do you love snow?

Yes. I LOVE IT.

(Grinning from ear to ear that's how Jay went to sleep Tuesday night.)

We've had a bit of a surprise snow here in Birmingham. I have never ever been more thankful that I planned to stay home all day and enjoy a day of just whatever the kids wanted to do.

And that I did our grocery shopping on Monday. 

It started to snow at about 9 on Tuesday which was a surprise to me, but I thought I was the only one. We'd had quite the weekend in Nashville and my mind has been on everything but the weather. I actually picked Jay up from school on Monday just a tad early and his teacher asked if I thought we'd get any snow.

I really didn't know, because I had not looked at any forecasts.

We did get unpredicted snow--a little over 2 inches at our house by the time it stopped around 3 p.m.

I thought we'd get a little dusting and there would be no way it would stick so I took the kids out to play in it for the first time around 10.

As she trotted out of the garage, Lizzy exclaimed, "Alright!! Sandcastles!! Woo-woo!!"

So funny.

How glad am I that her boots arrived over the weekend? Thank goodness or this gal wouldn't have gotten to go play at all!

They had fun and Lizzy might have been onto something because as it turns out beach toys are kind of handy for playing in the snow.

Mommy-powered laundry baskets also make good sleds.

Liz lasted about 45 minutes, so we came in had lunch and Jay and I played again once Lizzy went down for her nap. Because I knew the snow wouldn't last.

How wrong I was because we played again today...and might again tomorrow and I really hope both kids are back at school on Friday with a normal schedule and only 1-2 layers of clothing required.

Poor Liz had 3 layers on the bottom and 4 on the top. Little Ralphie Syndrome.

Man Down!

Man Down!

Man Down!

I am happy to report that now that its 11 p.m. on Wednesday, they have just released word that all 11,000+ children stranded at schools as a result of this storm have returned home.

11,000 kids whose parents could not get to them slept in their schools with their wonderful teachers last night.

Countless people braved the cold (5 degree) night in their cars on the side of the road with whatever they had with them.

Thousands of people walked home or to shelters or to stores or churches--leaving their cars behind and hoping for warmth and safety.

Thousands more helped care for the displaced, stranded and wayward members of our community and were living breathing examples of what it means to love one another.

Prayers went up for 36 hours and were answered time and time again.

This was an unusual circumstance for all of us southerners, but another wonderful example of man helping man and a God who loves, perseveres with us and provides. Over and over again.

Here are some links for the out-of-towners who want to see how unbelievable the impact of this snow shower was:
ABC 33/40 Slideshow
James Spann's Weather Blog (This explains how they "missed it")
Our Neighborhood Chick fil a Owner is a Rock Star

I am so thankful for those who serve and lead and help make our neighborhoods real communities. If you need me, I'll be home with the kiddos at the bottom of this very steep hill until Friday morning. Then I may or may not be the first one in the carpool drop off line! ;)

Just kidding there's no way I'll ever be first in the car pool line.....

Doing What's Needed

(alternately titled: Dear Diary, It's Monday and I'm Not Cooking.....#nofilter)

There's no Menu Monday this week. No tips and tricks coming from the kitchen.

In the interest of honesty- we've got a lot going on with our little family--some great and fun things to look forward to and some less than great days recently.

I truly believe that the places you invest your energy 

will be the sources from which your energy can be drawn when you need it. 

Right now, I'm investing lots of energy into these two bundles of joy.

There are no less than 100 things I should be doing his afternoon.

But I just had to stop and do what was needed.

Some time outside to break in Lizzy's new boots was needed.

Swinging in the sunshine was needed.

The kids and I had plans to go to Nashville for the weekend, then my mom was hospitalized Thursday. It just worked out that I needed to go, so I went ahead and took them with me. I didn't have a real plan, I only knew I would work it out somehow. Lizzy and I took turns visiting the hospital while Charles kept Jay at his house so he didn't have to go to the hospital. It's been an exhausting few days, so we're just doing what needs to be done....eating soup, snacking on cereal and trying to breathe deeply this week.

Mom's home again, there are some new issues with her health, but it's all treatable with medications. I don't mention her illness much, but I know some people may know bits and pieces through Facebook, so I wanted to include a little about what's been going on.

Someday maybe I'll talk about the last few years with mom in a less vague sense. If you know us personally then you may know all of the unfortunate details--thanks for that-your care and concern have meant so much

We're all doing well and for that we should all be thankful! Even a bad day isn't all that bad when you have hope for the future.

We do have lots of fun ahead over the next few months and I can't wait to share that here too!


Have a wonderful and meaningful week!

Our Favorite Tee

Sometimes the best memories are tied up in ways I can't explain.

When cleaning out outgrown clothes, one of the few things I couldn't part with was Jay's Kermit Shirt.

I don't really know why-I decided to keep it, washed it and when Joseph saw it as I folded laundry his eyes lit up. I knew he loved it too. I had decided maybe Lizzy would wear it.

Being a one-of-each-kid family, there are not many hand-me-downs.

I made sure to take Lizzy's picture in it today, as I looked back through pictures on my computer I found only a few from my phone when Jay was 21 Months old. the same age Lizzy is now.

We love this shirt, Jay basically lived in it although I don't have the pictures to prove it, we do have the memories.

And now, some pictures of Lizzy in our favorite tee.