She’s 12 (!)

“You know that feeling when your kid does something amazing or incredibly funny or super smart or just something that makes you so proud your heart feels like it will burst? That’s what’s it always feels like to be Lily’s mom. It’s been a good day. A very good day. Can’t believe she is 12.”

How is that chubby baby now 12 years old? Sometimes it seems like it’s only been days and other times it feels like its been a lifetime of loving and raising

Miss LilyAnna Blu.

Every birthday of hers I cry. But this year it was just a few tears and a short hiccup of breath and it was over. I didn’t let myself get lost in the what might have beens or should have beens and just relished in the what it is. And it is good. She is good. We are good.

It was a great day. She got some loving on by all of us in the morning then she went to school.

At about 2 pm I took Andi Jane and Oliver with me (they had a half day!) to go to her class and celebrate with all her classmates and teachers. She has a really good friend who helped blow out her candles!

At home she got a call from her cousins in South Dakota who wished her a happy day then we ate a homemade (a very cheesy) baked ziti with applesauce -minus applesauce for mom (yuck)- and we all enjoyed a favorite meal of Lily’s with of course chocolate milk and cake.

It was nice to sit around the table with just our family and Lily’s sweet caregiver of over 3 years now and enjoy our time together. Grandma Cheryl got to be on face-time with us as we sang to Lily.

It was a great night!

Did I mention last Saturday we had about 60 people in our home – she is well loved!

So that was why her actual day was a much quieter day. We have great friends and family and I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again… we are so blessed. God is good!

There was once a day I would say why her? Why us? And today I can so proudly say, I’m so glad it was her. Thank you Jesus it was us.